On Saturday, Stonegate had its official screening at Tewksbury State Hospital. Hosted by the Public Health Museum (which is headquartered at the hospital), over 80 enthusiastic attendees asked some wonderful questions after the screening during a Q&A session moderated by Stonegate’s writer/director/producer, Daniel Groom. The museum, Daniel, and Roberto (Stonegate’s camera operator) did a great job turning our “holding area” into a movie theatre.

When I first arrived at the hospital, a flood of memories came back on the work we did at this historic location to bring Stonegate to life (I had the same experience when we screened First Signal at the McAuliffe Shepherd Discover Center). It has been over a year since I last visited Tewksbury, but it felt, in some ways, like I was just there the other day. It was on September 14, 2024, when we filmed a pivotal moment in the story. Ask anyone who makes movies, and they’ll tell you that when there is a wrap to production, a plethora of emotions from happiness to relief and even sadness rushes upon you. You want the filmmaking process to continue because it’s so enjoyable, but we know it must end at some point. 

The result of all our collective efforts on Stonegate was a quality, award-winning independent film that was recently released to Amazon, YouTube, and Google Play. While our work to bring this film to life may be over, our promotion of it will continue long into the future. Please watch, share, and review!

As for projects in development, while I await to hear about the status of SOS United States, In Mind We Trust, the sequel to Justice Is Mind, recently won the Gold Award at the Global INDIE Filmmaker Awards. I was also advised that In Mind We Trust is now a Finalist at the LA Live Film Festival. It’s beyond satisfying to see the sequel to my first feature film receive some wonderful accolades from the film festival market.

Writing a sequel is by no means an easy task. Yes, we have the first installment as a foundation for the continuation of the story, but it’s about giving that story meaning and purpose to equal or exceed the original; that’s the challenge. We have all seen the second installment of a favorite film only to be disappointed as the sequel felt empty or worse, incomplete. For example, I thought 2010 did an excellent job as a sequel to 2001 (I prefer 2010 over 2001). But then you look at the sequel to the original Robocop, and the story just collapses.

For those of you who follow me on social media, you know my fondness for car shows called “Cars & Coffee.” These events are gatherings of car enthusiasts from all walks of life who attend these events with their unique and interesting automobiles. When I attend these shows, I bring my 2007 Pontiac Solstice. It’s nothing to see my Solstice parked next to a Ferrari one weekend or a Lancia the next. During these gatherings, attendees start by discussing all things cars, before conversations shift to other interesting topics.  I first learned of these gatherings when I was working at the Naval Justice School in Newport, RI, in 2017. The new Audrain Automobile Museum began hosting Cars & Coffee events at the Newport mansions and other locations in the region. From my first attendance, I was hooked.

From attending these events, I have made some wonderful new friends. One of these friends invited a guest and me to attend Audrain’s Concours d’Elegance, which showcased over 180 stunning “showroom new” automobiles produced over the last one hundred years. This one-week show, called Audrain Newport Concours & Motor Week, culminated at the legendary Gilded Age Breakers mansion. For an automotive enthusiast, it’s like visiting a slice of heaven. What I’ve always found fascinating about Cars & Coffee, and now Concours d’Elegance, is that there’s always a new automobile to discover from days long past.

Cars & Projects.