(from the CoDirector and Editor: Charlie)
Things are moving fast. It’s been that way from start. Frankie and I got the hard drive in June of 2023. It had all the files from filming in 2021. For more on that backstory check HERE.
Since then it’s been what we call a “sprinting marathon” to finish the movie by November, for a Premiere in Capetown, South Africa. Tonight I watched the final 10 minutes of the movie’s fourth screening via our narrator’s whatsapp video stream…along with the audience at The Commons in Muizenberg. I was able to see how absolutely riveted and focussed the audience was on the movie. For a venue that serves also as a bar and restaurant, the place was surprisingly absent of all cross chatter. I got to watch Jake (one of our two social media interns) working the merch table, slinging our logo T-shirts, stickers and baseball hats. Ariel, our narrator’s young daughter, even held court at the end of the movie, holding hands with Frankie front and center and helped Frankie make the closing remarks and start a lenghty Q&A session with the audience. Below is a pic of Candice and Kholo, who totally knocked it out of the park with helping us get everything ready at The Commons. Kholo is their tech and sound guy and Candice managed all the other details so fricking well. It was a pleasure working with them.
Frankie and I have now very different roles that we weren’t expecting. She has to work hard to stay on track and lively and well rested while on tour – similar to being in a band. Her task is about 10 times larger than we thought it would be. Originally we thought we would have perhaps 3 screenings in all of South Africa. There’s now many more than that. We just had no idea how much energy and enthusiasm there would be for this story to be told. Her schedule is packed. She’s being contacted by different interests internationally. It’s sort of surreal for both of us.
As the CoDirector, I can’t say its easy being so far away from the action of the screenings. I absolutely wish it had been realistic for both of us to fly over to SA financially and logistically. But things in life have a habit of work out interestingly. I have jumped into new roles.
I am helping to organize the tech situation at each venue before Frankie arrives so that everything goes smoothly. As of this moment, from Nov 7-December 12 there are 16 scheduled screenings. That means getting up at 5 AM, since by then it’s already noon over there-to work things out at each different venue via whatsapp and email. For example, right now it’s 2:30 PM here in the USA and I have only just now stopped “working” for the first time since before 7 AM. I should probably eat something now!
My other role is to look forward to other screenings around the world outside of South Africa. Chatting with shark conservationists where I can find them and seeing if they would like to host screenings once the tour in South Africa is over in mid December. If all goes according to plan…I would travel with the film beginning in January hitting venues in countries and building international support for removing the nets and transforming the Sharks Board. Frankie’s plan is to stay in South Africa and work on continuing educational projects on this topic.
We feel like with this approach we are giving the sharks the best chance for having this message be heard: No more shark nets.
Meanwhile, back in SA…tomorrow nigt we have another screening that sold out at a venue called Jack Black. The venue was so kind to us! They offered to open up another space for viewing and allowed 30 additional people to see the movie. That brings up the total to around 150 viewers for that one showing.
And as always both Frankie and I have our ears open for any hint of funding to help keep this whole thing moving forward. The Gofundme has helped but we are back down to our personal funds once again.
Any Angel donors out there want to help fund this important work? đ
And
Feeling so proud today!! Because this amazing article just got sent my way from Kim Sharklady Maclean. She’s in the movie and her company Sharklady Adventures is one of our collaborators. The presentation in this paper is just so well done and pleasing to the eye.
And I love it that they dropped in the entire full sized poster from our graphics guy Ben Wiid.
The Video Slab 