The Queen Elizabeth
With my mother in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
From the start of our trip on October 23 until we returned home on October 29, our voyage on Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth ocean liner could not have gone better. From joining the ship in Rome, to the outstanding weather and ports of call, to “White Star” hospitality of shipboard staff and crew, to the wonderful reception my filmmaking seminar and the international premiere of Justice Is Mind received, it was a combined holiday and business trip I will never forget.
I have traveled with a variety of cruise lines, but Cunard’s approach simply brings back a time when sailing by ocean liner was the way everyone traveled. The Art Deco design throughout the ship with artwork of Cunard’s history on display creates an atmosphere of a bygone era updated for the modern traveler.
Afternoon Tea in the Queen’s Room.
My mother and I sailed with Cunard in 2006 on the Queen Mary 2, so we had an idea of what to expect. But as this voyage also combined a filmmaking seminar I was presenting along with the international premiere of Justice Is Mind, it helped to know the atmosphere prior to boarding.
Just before the start of my filmmaking seminar.
A cruise invites one to socialize. To participate. To engage with new people from all other the world. From the author of The Witcher Keys by a guest to My Way to the Seven Seas by a crew member, to lecturers like Kim Sharman of the Royal Navy, the creative energy on the ship was just amazing.
With fellow lecturer Kim Sharman at the Captain’s Cocktail Party.
But amazing also goes to the quality of food on board. I think someone at Cunard took a page from The Lord of the Rings. There is literally sometimes 1st breakfast and 2nd breakfast followed by “elevenses”, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner (thankfully we had late seating at 8:30 PM!). Experiencing quintessential afternoon tea by the English on board an ocean liner is something not to be missed. While I loved the Britannia Restaurant, our favorite place to dine was the Verandah Restaurant. Simply put, two of the best meals I have ever had.
A formal evening.
Of course it was Justice Is Mind that brought us halfway around the world. A film that started as an idea back in 2010 landed us on the Queen Elizabeth one of “The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World”®. While my filmmaking seminar was relatively standard on the process of creating a motion picture with Justice Is Mind as an example, this would be the first time in the history of the film that we would screen to an audience that had no connection to the project. Suffice to say, I was more than a bit anxious on how it would be received. Justice Is Mind is not a standard drama. From mind reading via an MRI, to courtroom battles, to reincarnation all the way back to World War II, it’s, as one reviewer put it, “A thinker with a psychological edge”.
In Venice, Italy.
When the credits started to role the audience erupted in applause. Relieved, happy and grateful immediately came to mind. Some offered hugs while others stated their sheer enjoyment of the film. Oh I’m sure there were those that didn’t care for it, but when I was hearing words of support from guests throughout the rest of the voyage, it was a great feeling.
Click here for more photos from on board the Queen Elizabeth and here for the wonderful ports of call.
Touring the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Italy.
My heartfelt thanks to Cunard for selecting me as a guest lecturer and for the staff and crew on board the Queen Elizabeth for welcoming my mother and me on the trip of a lifetime. And, of course, to the guests of the Queen Elizabeth that sailed on voyage Q418. Indeed, an adventure, a holiday, an experience to be remembered forever.
The journey continues.
The daily program promoting the international premiere of Justice Is Mind.
International Premiere
The international premiere of Justice Is Mind will take place on the Queen Elizabeth on October 29.
As my mother and I prepare to leave for Europe this week for the international premiere of Justice Is Mind on Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth, I was more than pleased to see that Justice received three excellent reviews and some great comments on Amazon.
We are over a year out from our world premiere and yet activity around Justice Is Mind continues. This isn’t by sheer happenstance, it’s because I keep marketing the film. There have been so many articles in the trades as of late on adjusting release strategies based on windowing from theatrical to VOD. For me, I just keep marketing and promoting.
Sure, I have other projects I’m promoting like First World and SOS United States for development, but how long does a social media post take or a pitch to a media outlet or even a theater? I also plan to start writing the sequel to Justice Is Mind next month, so continued awareness is great for a variety of reasons.
The Royal Court Theatre where I will present a filmmaking seminar and the screening of Justice Is Mind.
When I read comments like, “Justice is Mind is a lot more compelling than I had anticipated. It had my attention” Movie Waffler, “The greatest strength Justice Is Mind has is in making you think” Fraking Films and “Mr. Lund has put up well-balanced and paced movie about a probable future” Examiner, these reviews certainly are a motivator. But it was a fan from Amazon that reached out to me with a wonderful email that stated in part, “your ability to make such an intriguing and important film, with fabulous continuity, honesty, realism, and passion deserves attention and recognition” that really made my day. Of course you aren’t going to please everyone and any filmmaker that thinks they are going to lives in fantasyland. But as a consummate optimist I just focus on the positive.
Positive, of course, is the upcoming international premiere of Justice Is Mind. Yes, as you can imagine I’m more than excited for this screening. First, the opportunity to present the film to a completely new audience is great, but the setting itself is one that is not only truly unique but my preferred method of travel. Ever since I can remember I’ve had a passion for the history of ocean liners and that bygone era of travel. Now modernized with a fleet of three ships that sail the world to exotic ports of call, no brand does it better than Cunard. With over a century and a half of leading the industry, Cunard blends yesterday and today with its grand fleet of ocean liners. I’ll do my best to post pictures from the sailing.
Speaking of pictures, I had the opportunity to go back in front of the camera this week for an appearance on The Folklorist. This Emmy award winning series has produced some amazing content since their inception and has featured a variety of actors that I have worked with over the years. For this episode, I had the great pleasure to work with Jeffrey Phillips. Not only did he play the President in the short film version of First World but I also cast him as George Katz in Justice Is Mind. Yes, whenever I see him I call him “Mr. President”. I also had a great time working with Kathy LaShay Berenson who played one of the Reincar Scientific executives and Gale Argentine who played the emergency room doctor in Justice Is Mind. Indeed, it is a small world. The episode is scheduled to air on November 6. It will also stream on their website at this link.
Bon Voyage!
On The Folklorist.
The Ashton Times 