CDI Updates- Pre-Production, Post-Production and NEW Theatrical Releases!

(Great ‘Harsens Island Revenge’ cast and crew gifts thanks to sponsor Reinert Pottery)

Hazelnut coffee cheers! I’m up early and sipping coffee and doing a few things about the yard letting the chickens out and watching Finn (my doggie son) race with his buddy Jake. Yesterday we had a nice Perry family reunion and saw some family. I really enjoy seeing our family and catching up on people’s lives. The weather has been cooler which is a nice change from humid but we had some iffy air quality due to wildfires in other parts of the country. Our soccer match at the end of the week was near perfect weather and we walked out with a win which is nice but the workout itself is always a win. I’m really in good shape from the intense play and love the mental cleanse that an intense work out gives. The plants are starting to turn a corner as the smallest hints of fall can be found.

I’m happy to have turned the corner on our next film project THE SECRET OF THE KINGDOM CHIP. I’m still assigning the last few units but between the claimed units and our sponsors we have everything covered. The new company is formed and the paperwork is being drawn up. Our schedule is about ready to be distributed we are still looking at the shooting order of a few scenes. We have just a bit more casting and some crewing to do but wanted to wait for the company formation. Our director ‘Tony’ returns from Europe this week so it will be nice to have he and John McGraw our DP start working shot lists. If you want to follow along with this project you can search our Facebook page. Also if you have a company that wants to align with this next movie reach out. Let’s now look at some other updates.

1. Harsens Island Revenge is coming to the Detroit area playing both the Riverside Theater and the Emagine Macomb August 22-28th! I know the museum on Harsens Island has been gathering folks to attend the close showing at the Riverside. An event page will be formed soon for the Emagine showing which is near our director Carl’s home. Our hope is that Emagine will move the film into some of their other theaters after the showing. We have the entire month of September to play the film after that and I know that it is coming to Forest City, Iowa and we should also get Fridley’s in Algona. Call the theater our Algona friends and push that along some. I’ve been making new friends in the Spirit Lake area too while working development on another film so maybe we can get it into a theater there.
2. The 1st week of Oct. is when the Harsens Island Revenge film comes to home video on DVD and rent/buy streaming. I’ve gotten a peek at the home video artwork and it is really cool. We have a marketing meeting coming up soon with the team at Twin Engines Global.
3. We are closing in on a final watch/listen of Wild Faith Christmas. We’ll be in the studio to listen to all the sound design and music. We’ll follow this with a watch on the big screen to give it a final once over. Shane Hagedorn our director is over the moon with the final film. I’m optimistic that this new installment in the Wild Faith franchise will open the door for season 1 of Wild faith Hastings TV show. The original film continues to build an even great audience being seen by tens of millions of viewers. We are closing in on 9 million viewers just on Encourage TV!
4. The last of the ROM COMS MUST DIE audio adjustments are about done. I think all the VFX are dropped in and sound design done. It will go into the music studio just as Wild Faith Christmas is leaving. The trailer should be released this month! This film was so much fun to make and it translates to the screen. I want to meet with director Travis Hayward and discuss a few festival entries this week. The major theatrical run and home video will be in 2026 but a premiere and a few festival showcases could happen this year.
5. SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA is now being streamed on various sites for free with ads. BEST YEARS GONE, LOST HEART, MBF, KNIGHT CHILLS and more are building stream with new marketing. The last film KNIGHT CHILLS was CDI’s 1st and I would love to see a sequel eventually happen. I also let folks know that while we don’t have plans to film it yet I’ve been working on a sequel script to the film I get asked about the most when it comes to sequel. Any guesses?
6. I had another good development talk on SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE one of the two Iowa films we are developing. We don’t have anything solid and set for 2026 but we are looking ahead. You always have to be working in the past, present and future with films. The other film taking small steps forward is the Frank Gotch biopic and maybe 2026 will be the year for that project.

WRAP UP: I’m due for another coffee and maybe an egg or two. I’m going to go pick up a cool prop for our next film this morning. Our art team has been having a great time assembling everything we need. We are having a clean up of one of the major locations next weekend. I’m excited to be working with all these good CDI folks once again. Twice in one year has been special. I would love to do at least two feature films next year producing.

I’m going to end it here. I can say that whomever you are keep working hard at your goals and dreams. If you put the work in you will make progress. It doesn’t always happen at the speed you might want but every journey starts with a step. I’m just blessed to be a storyteller and to get to work with so many great people. I hope you have some time to watch some of our CDI films. We make them for all of you out there. For all those who have watched our films and sent along such great messages we love that. Thank you so very much. Until next week, keep pushing forward and never give up.

Coffee Cheers!

DJ