Loss, Gain and Everything In-Between – CDI Updates!

Good morning from an icy Michigan. I’m sipping on the hazelnut coffee and about to give you some of the updates. Let’s start first on the personal level. I want to send out healing wishes to CDI tribe member, actor and friend Greg Mason who had a heart attack. I spoke with him and he is doing better but has a road to recovery ahead of him. Also in your life you have women aside from your mother who are like a mother. I had three really, my real mom, my babysitter mom Marie DeFord and lastly spending three summer sin Denmark I had my Danish Mom Gerd. I won’t use her last name for respect to the family who might not want the attention as they mourn her loss. I was 16, 18 and 20 when I stayed with her and their family. It was when I played soccer overseas and was the assistant coach and the head coach. She and I would drink coffee and talk history of Denmark and places around the world. She really loved Egypt. We have stayed in touch over these last 35 years and I was shocked and saddened to hear that she passed recently. I know her large family is really feeling the loss. My heart and prayers of peace go out to them.

I’ve been nursing a head cold after not being sick for a long time. I think cold weather and long days filming finally got me. That said, I think I’m on the tail end of it today. I still allowed myself to do a lotta desk work. This week I will have more to organize but CDI has been very busy with the 3 films moving down the line. Let’s take a look shall we-

Harsens Island Revenge – This movie is truly so cool. The look, the story, the acting, the clothes and the music. The challenge is to find our place in the market being filled with schlock. We are looking at an extended roll out theatrical. The final tech touches were being done to the 4k master this weekend. Once we have that and a DCP can be created we’re looking to premiere first in Alpena. So all those folks in Alpena start your call-in campaign to the Sanctuary Cinema and ask for the film. The issue we face is good projection but small seating and they have to dance around the studio films. I had a good conversation with Dreamscape Prods who looks like we’ll partner with for the roll out. Once we have Alpena premiere done and the theatrical run underway we’ll move to Owosso, MI and the NCG theaters. From there Lansing and Grand Rapids, MI which will likely be Celebration Cinema. And Detroit, MI where we’ll explore Emagine and some of the chains there. I explored The Henry Ford Museum and I think the cost against us is too great. We need to start our recoup with theatrical not dig a hole. I need to get final confirmation this week but we’re talking about Oct. 1st (4th Q) release of DVD and buy/rent streaming in 2025. Prior to that it will be playing multiple cities across the country with this cool WW1 vs Purple Gang film based off Karl Manke’s book. It is coming and when it does it will be a wonderful thing. I think many 1920’s type parties are being planned around the premieres. We already have some event centers that wanna do dinner and viewings but that will run after the main theatrical run. Or at least towards the end after audiences have a chance to see it in the theaters which is best sound and picture. This film is beautiful and sounds great so we want that experience for our audiences first.

WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS – This film is the next adventure following WILD FAITH and we’re all so excited. Having big shoes to fill due to the popularity of the original I am thrilled to say that the sequel will live up to it. The magic is back from the original and introduces so grand new elements. Our director Shane Hagedorn has been working on the trailer and it is powerful! It has moved into sound design this weekend. I know some poster art is being discussed and with such fine elements/pictures from GW Burns the poster will be great! We are looking to lock the film end of the month and move it into sound design and music with Dennis Therrian. The plan is to release it into theaters Nov 1st and play it until Easter. After that we’ll let it rest during the summer as the home video marketing team prepares for 2026 Holiday push to DVD and streaming. It all has to follow a roll out plan. But I’m so excited about this film and I think all of you will be also. For the tens of millions of fans we are bringing you another adventure.

ROM COMS MUST DIE or is it ROMCOMS MUST DIE – Hmmm…. This film is a mash up of two popular genres that is currently the trend. Romantic comedies and mindless horror – but what we created was a dark and zany film that really has a lot to say about our industry. The plight of filmmakers, actors and the uphill battle to create art. Travis Hayward has directed his first feature film for CDI in association with McGraw Multimedia. We’ve already laughed and been thrilled by raw footage played on the HUGE LED wall. This film might be ready for a premiere this October 2025 with home video being May 2026. We will have fun with the marketing of this film. It was truly written out of frustration from distributors development meetings. We all felt as though we were creating something very special. It is being edited as we speak and I believe it will move quickly down the post line.

NEXT MOVES – Okay this is the 3rd time I’ve typed this and it has disappeared. I’m already having issues with pictures. But what I was saying was that we are going to work on trying to re-master the final three films in the CDI Classic Collection (From Venus, Heaven’s Neighbors, Figure in the Forest) * On DVD the later two can be found at the http://www.cdiproductions.com STORE.

1. I’m exploring a new film transfer of WICKED SPRING for a new Blu Ray.
2. The Ghost Town book will be next up with CDI Literary.
3. I’m exploring a Blu Ray of The Quest Trilogy. Our three biblical adventures.
4. Knight Chills is now streaming on Free4All, Xumo and more emerging – Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ognETSVqirEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ognETSVqirE
5. An Ordinary Killer is now on ROKU and might look into this film and Ghost Town to Historyfix.

WRAP UP: I thought I might have one of several script writing options locked in but nothing yet. So I plan to finish the WILD FAITH Hastings shows. I might be taking on a script for McGraw Multimedia which will be another feature film working with them. We have a few other projects in funding development as we speak. I think we’ll get a few more shot this year to release next year.

I’m very pleased with how the year has started off and I’m going to remain focused and work hard. I’m looking forward to springtime so the garden can grow and soccer season will be here again. I shared some of the teas I grew and harvested this holiday season. We have enjoyed an on-going supply of eggs which is where I’m about to go now. Nature is the great energizer and balancer of the self.

I hope all of you continue to follow your dreams. It will be a very interesting year with all these stories coming to audiences worldwide. As some of the losses last year and this year have shown, life passes so live it. Enjoy it. Don’t let fear of failure hold you back. Learn from set backs and use that to build. I’m so appreciative that you all stop through to bask in these words. Don’t hate. Create.

Until next week my friends, coffee cheers!

DJ