Thursday, June 12, 2008

Okay, I'm in Seattle. I'm here for the Seattle Film festival. My movie, "Letting Go of God" is in the festival. It plays tomorrow night at 6:30 and on Sunday at 4:00.

For the next few days - until Sunday at least, I guess, my trailer for the film is up on the Seattle Film Festival website.

It's a hard slog - first you have to go to siff.com, (EDIT THAT it's SIFF.net) then find my movie - look under the Friday schedule - then go to the trailer. they will want you to download some software to watch it. Then it lurches through it - so I suggest you let that happen and then start it over to watch it. Of course, this is so much effort, it is for the die hard interested person. But I am telling you - go look at it! I am so happy about how the trailer came out. After this, I'm not going to have the trailer available until the DVD is ready to sell, which will be around Sept. 15th. But I am optimistic about how the trailer may help the movie get exposure. ...as they say. See how my lingo is so "biz" nified. ha.

Anyway, I'll try to post while I'm here to keep you up to date on how it's going. I just spent time in the hospitality suite with my producer, Maria. Lots of good appetizers in there! And interesting people. It's fun to be here.

32 comments:

Rich Beckman said...

That's siff.net

Not siff.com

Or go straight to the page:

http://www.siff.net/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=27385&fid=64

Rich Beckman said...

But I can't get it to work.

I use Firefox. I allowed it to download the add-on, but the video is just a black screen with no sound.

Then after a bit, it shows the two buttons "Share Video Link" and "Play Again"

Julia Sweeney said...

Oh god, siff.net, I am so retarded! And I know I'm not supposed to say that. And yes, I couldn't get it to work on the SIFF computers in the hospitality suite, but I did get it to work on mine. But thanks for trying!
Julia

Chickadee said...

wow julia, I hope you never stop performing. Please, at least never stop writing because you are such a genuine and get-under-skin-but-in-a-good-way wordsmith. It's brilliant. Quentin Tarentino said it best. Please do a show or something when you're in Spokane next! Or at least meet my mother, she's such a fan of yours and always raved how you were from here and it made her proud. It would be such a wonderful gift. Take care!

K.C. said...

Good for you. Glad this is coming for you. It has been a road for you, huh? I know that you do not have a CLUE who I am.

Just know that I have read your blog. Can completely understand your journey. Went through most of it myself. It takes a lot to dig that deep. A lot of stamina and soul-searching.

And to write and write as you do. You completely deserve the success that you have already received and will continue to receive.

I wrote some comments from May 31st to present I hope you will read. I don't usually read that intently, but your blog struck a chord with me, because like I said, I dug deep like you did over the past year.

It is funny how people are searching, so many miles apart, and thinking that they are the only ones who are wondering...

Wishing you all the luck in the world... KC

Anonymous said...

Break a leg at the screening tomorrow night, Julia. I know you will charm and dazzle them. Is this your film's first public screening?

Danielle said...

I got it to work! I am so excited to see your movie, but will have to wait since I won't be able to go to Seattle to the festival. I to, let go of God, some years ago. It is an interesting journey that isn't for the faint of heart. Congratulations, I wish you much success, and thanks for making a movie about something that so many of us are feeling, and so few are willing to talk about!

Cranky Ol' Lady said...

I saw it! Bravo!!! Excellent!!!! It is even more wonderful with visual! (I heard the audio recording of the performance last year.) I can't wait to get my hands on the film. I'm going to have to buy this one. I have to watch it over and over and show it to everyone I know.

Thank you, Julia. The world needs this.

Anonymous said...

Loved the trailer!

(I shudder to think that every film festival requires its own special trailer-viewer you have to download... these poor film-festival patrons...)

Joanna Schmidt said...

O am looking forward to seeing it!

Petra said...

WOW!

Just watched the trailer and I am SO excited for you! I just can't wait for September! Will you do a "soft opening" for us bloggers, like you did with the CD?

Okay, a few notes. *bg*

1) Love your hair! It is darker and straighter than it was when I saw the performance a few days before you filmed the movie. It suits you.

2) The editing in the trailer is terrific! Just enough hints at the "meat" of the show without giving away the cow. (Okay, I mixed my metaphors, but it still kind of works!) Most trailers give away all the laughs, but LGoG is so full of thought-provoking fun, you couldn't MAKE a trailer that gave it ALL away!

3) I STILL get goose-bumps when I hear Jill singing the LGoG theme.

Congrats all 'round, Julia! Enjoy the screenings!

: ) P

Anonymous said...

Julia, the trailer is beautiful. I've been a fan of yours ever since I heard a snippet of Letting Go of God on This American Life. I immediately downloaded the audiobook and all the others after having heard it. Thank you for saying so many things that I felt but was, at the time, unable to articulate for myself. Laughter is such a splendid salve for pain.

Congratulations on the movie!

The Juggling Francophile said...

I've been reading your blog for a few months, and I SO wish I lived around Seattle in order to catch the whole feature. Please post if you have any Chicago-area festivals/screenings any time in the near (or distant, I suppose!) future.

Congrats, and best of luck this weekend!

Anonymous said...

Sept. 15, huh? My b-day. I guess I know what I'm getting myself!

Enjoy the fest... I imagine it will be cool for you to get to experience your show as part of a live audience, rather than being on stage?

When you get back, perhaps you might upload the trailer to youtube and/or your own site, as I can't get the downloaded plugin to work, argh.

K.C. said...

Just went to the trailer. Wow! Been there with you. It is something to really, really think about it all. Most people just don't do it. They follow the pack... Good for you for making people THINK! Kayce

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia,

I did everything I could to watch your trailer, but the picture is there and the SOUND will NOT work. Can you help? Or anyone out there able to advise?

Thanks,
Kim

Anonymous said...

Hi again,
actually downloading and running the software to watch your trailer has completely stopped all audio on my computer.

any help or advice on what to do?

thanks,
Kim

Anonymous said...

This looks pretty good! I forgot to order a ticket, so I'm going downtown to stand in line now.

Anonymous said...

I just saw the trailer, and I'm ecstatic!! I hope it eventually plays in Louisiana (recent home of ID controversy). By the way, the James Randi doll on the shelf behind you in the trailer is a nice touch.

Anonymous said...

Well, I sat outside the SIFF Cinema for an hour and was lucky enough to get in! The show was great! I was able to get a seat right in the middle of the front row; although, I didn't have any questions for the q/a, it was a pretty good seat. =)

mleiv said...

I saw the Sunday show, and of course I was crying my eyes out at the end. I am such a baby. It was wonderful!

Having seen both the live show and an abbreviated live show, of course the movie had its pros and cons versus the stage. The biggest difference, though, was the audience. It seemed a little more... angry...? The live shows were very friendly, like we were all part of this special family of atheists. People were chatty and smiling and talking to each other. But Sunday's audience seemed more in the "Everyone Hates Me 'Cause I'm An Atheist" mood. Oh well. I don't hold it against them, as I've been there myself. But I missed the happy family. :(

Anonymous said...

Hi Julia -

I took my partner, mom, and dad to see Letting Go of God yesterday at SIFF Cinema. We all LOVED it, but the theatre was so warm that my father was fanning himself miserably through the whole thing. We had to leave right after it was over, before the Q&A. I think we brushed past you at the door on the way out before you went down to speak. Just wanted to let you know that it was only the heat that was compelling us to leave.
Anyway, I want to thank you so much for this brave, touching, and very funny film. Can't wait to see what you do next!

Thanks!
Elizabeth

Anonymous said...

Hi, Julia.

I am an atheist and a storyteller. I'm trying to write a new show about my own religious upbringing, and I wanted to listen to something really good for inspiration, so I finally got around to getting the audiobook version of "Letting Go of God." I just finished listening to it not ten minutes ago. It was brilliant, and I wanted to reach out somehow and tell you how much I loved it, and say thanks, so I Googled up your blog, and here I am.

Had no idea you had a film coming out. Good luck with the festival. And thanks so much for writing this show.

Barabas Marlowe said...

All that money you're making as a big time movie star and you still make us download REAL to watch the trailer. Sheesh!
Just kidding of course. I couldn't get it to work which kind of bummed me out. But then I decided I'd wait for the movie.
Looking forward to it very much.

Jenn said...

That trailer was great! I can't wait to see it. Do you think I should invite my super catholic in-laws over?

Garrett said...

I love your "letting go of god" one woman show. You are very smart! I am a huge SNL fan and a former evangelical turned atheist. Keep it up and I can't wait for the DVD to come out.

Anonymous said...

Watched the Showtime broadcast of 'God Said Ha!' just this morning. Profound way to wake up on a Sunday morning. Sure you get the 'Been there too' messages so won't do that too you though that is my story as well (look forward to meeting Mike in Heaven down the road... his gallows humor was touched by fire - a rare, beautiful thing in this life!)
Julia, you are way beyond a 'Performer' - you clearly have a deep well of creativity that is in the 10 percentile or less in the Hollywood scene. Encourage you - persevere with all the clubs in your golf bag.

David Black said...

hey Jules:

Remember, just because you are a character doesn't mean you have character!

best,
DB

Anonymous said...

Julia thank you for all you have done and continue to do to remind us that we are, above all, frail, imperfect human beings. Your "God said,'Ha!'" performance was nothing less than inspirational and I await, impatiently the release of "Letting Go Of God."

Is there anyway of letting my local independent theater know who to contact about showing it? They would love it if it were available! I have already put a bug in their ear about it!

The Myrna Loy Center in the beautiful Capital city of Helena, Montana!
http://www.myrnaloycenter.com

Anonymous said...

As a physician, my journey to skepticism has been through the halls of science, and though in my mind I have been as nontheist for years, in my heart, though the beat was of a single lub and a single dub, the remnants of Judaism remained. Until now. After a troublesome time in his life, a very dear friend of mind, has recently informed me that he was "saved" by THE POWER OF NOW. As promised I set out to read it, but it's manipulative and predatory theme on rational thought was so offensive to me that something finally snapped. And I too have let go of God. I know this because I agree with you ( I watched your You Tube performance at the TAM 2 meeting tonight ) - it IS scary. I'm finally playing without a net. I guess it's a good kinda scared.

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Anonymous said...

Julia,
I can relate to your search for answers.
Have you ever checked out the Bahai faith? I'm not a Bahai myself, but it seems like an interesting and intriguing faith with answers. I'm checking it out myself.
Good luck in your search. And me, too!