Reflections on War, Birthday and Future Projects
Hello. I’m sipping my coffee and sitting down to share a few thoughts with you. My thoughts the last few weeks have been on the subject of peace. This morning the news was filled with the briefs on the US strikes aimed to remove the nuclear facilities from Iran. My mind reflects upon how that frightened pets, wildlife, families who are stuck dealing with the decisions of the leaders. I think we all agree that nuclear war is not good for anyone and I love the idea of the reduction of those such weapons. I truly hope that we can get back to a place of peace. Real peace. Is that possible because of the way we humans are wired? I don’t know. This is just one example of several on-going world issues. I’ve spoken so many times about communication. It’s so key to everything. The US is also divided whereas every difference of opinion is amplified and weaponized by activist, politicians and media who feed on the conflict. I wish I had a solid solution and even if I did I don’t know how you would ever implement it. In every conflict there are grieving families. For every father, brother, family member killed in conflict the trauma ignites hate and violence within what was once just innocence. I did not want to ignore these world events. I’m just a storyteller. We can tell stories of joy, love and pride as well as sorrow, shame and caution. Let us all hope that balance, harmony and peace can be restored to the world as a whole.
FILMS UPDATES:
Harsens Island Revenge– This amazing 1920’s action drama is on the last day of showing in Rogers City, MI to packed crowds. One more day, today! I believe Buda, Texas is next at the drive in location. I know talks are underway with Emagine to play several of their locations. Same with Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota where we play soon at the Wells Flame Theater. We’ve entered at least one festival and may enter a few more just for the fun exposure. I have to review the paperwork but I think our home video date will be 10/6/25 but I need to confirm that. We have marketing meetings coming up for that but until we want audiences to experience the big screen thrill. For those that have seen the film thank you for your support!
Wild Faith Christmas – Music and sound design is getting close to being done. The VFX shots are being worked on and will be the final pieces color corrected. We’ve started the difficult process of creating the end credits. I’ve said it before someone always gets accidentally left off or a name spelled wrong usually from bad handwriting by an extra. This powerful and beautiful film will grace theaters this holiday season. After maybe a few festivals before it starts the 2026 holiday run on home video. Shane Hagedorn did a wonderful job directing and Dennis Therrian is weaving his musical magic as we speak.
ROM COMS MUST DIE – The rough trailer is cut and it just needs to be polished up. The film is also at a place where the edit and color correction are about a lock. One more good pass is needed. The sound design is in a good place and the plan is to move it into Dennis Therrian’s studio to compose the score once we can lock it. 2025 in October it might be cool to do a premiere at one of these festivals but we will have to see how the work flow moves.
The Secret of the Kingdom Chip (TSOTKC) – This uniquely crafted story pulled from the headlines and given a SciFi spin (for now) is still bringing the last few investment units on board. That said, the interest in the story has been powerful and I’ve been humbled once again by the scripts feedback. Having been nominated for ‘Best Writer’ on our current Harsens Island Revenge release makes me smile. Several of the films have garnished those nominations and wins and often have left to Best Film, Most Inspirational and so on. I’m a firm believer that the script is the key. You have to have a powerful blue print to make a powerful film. I’ve had a half dozen talks this past week over the impact of folks reading the script. One trusted friend said that he has been enjoyed many great scripts from our camp but this one is the most profound. I know we have a great blue print. Our director Anthony Hornus has been working with our team on casting and locations. We have a few crew attached that need to start doing mental work and once we lock down the final few financial pieces we will reach out to more crew. It looks like it will be shot in Lansing and Owosso and will film end of September. Right now we will keep some of the project ‘Secret’ like the title suggests but soon enough we will have a lot more PR.
Other Development-
We have several other projects in development. We have someone traveling to Chicago next weekend to talk on a project. I’ve been in talks with folks from Iowa, mostly the Spirit Lake area. We have projects to consider for sure.
Birthday Reflections- I am on the eve of my birthday. My 55th but I really don’t feel that way physically just in accumulated wisdom. June 23rd, tomorrow (Monday) is that day. I’ve always been a dreamer and I’ve had many thoughts leading up to this new birthday about my journey. I had a great question asked to me by my mother. She in turn was asked by a few friends of hers. Why did I never go to Hollywood? Wouldn’t my career be further along if I have moved to Hollywood? I have many friends in Hollywood and love my visits like visiting Las Vegas. Everyone buzzes about the biz and you don’t have to worry about boring people with film talk. BUT…I love my family. I love my friends. I love playing soccer with my brother and team mates. Several years ago I had to really think about that and for me I cannot be one of those people who only gets to visit with my family a few hours a year. See my brother and his beautiful family once in a while. To see dear friends I have had from age 5 or 6 on only every couple years. Add in that I absolutely LOVE my state of Michigan and my town of Lansing. I’m a small town guy not an LA, NYC or any major city type of guy. I choose to take the long road and be content with wherever that took me. What could have developed if Hollywood was my home base? I might not ever get to any top of the mountain but I love my family, friends and my film tribe. I love the stories we’ve told. I still chase larger budgets only to compensate our artists better but that is always a difficult climb. But one I do happily because when I have a set back or a frustrating challenge I have family, friends and our tribe to fall back on. So if you want to do me a birthday solid watch a CDI film. SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA goes to ad based free watch with adds on 7/1/2025. Here several of our films can be found free with adds- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Tn2MhKrkFOCsmKZaxoZCT1R5GEOEL3E
So I’m happy with not being the king of the hill. I don’t need to be anything but me and I love our stories. I’ve been humbled by the tens of millions who have watched our films. I’m not trying to buy mansions, cars, clothes or anything of the sort. I work every day to make that one film story that turns someone into a fan. To turn and touch one of the ‘haters’ out there with a film story that hits truth with them. That would be amazing. I’ve said before that most of the ‘haters’ I’ve ever had were just frustrated artists. It must be easier to direct that at someone else versus take some sort of accountability. I’m a semi-reformed work-a-holic and that is why I’ve done more than some. Nobody is going to be everyone’s cup of tea. I go to an art gallery and see things that make me wonder why it is taking up space while someone else expounds upon the brilliance of poorly arranged soup cans and string. OK. I just don’t get it but that is okay. We’ve told many kinds of stories so I hope we might have a few that you truly enjoy.
WRAP UP: I’m going to wrap this up. Go pick some berries for future FRANENBERRY WINE. Have a few eggs. I sadly had to bury two of the elderly chickens but in the circle of life we have two new ones arriving Weds. I’m having a lunch with my dad today and seeing some friends and my brother tonight. Tomorrow another birthday lunch/early dinner with family. Next week I’m going to work hard to give myself the birthday gift of finalizing the business on TSOTKC film. I hope each of you have an equally amazing week. Our soccer match last week got rained out and I hope they reschedule that soon. Rain is also called for again this week so I hope we don’t have to reschedule that one too. Stay hydrated in this heat and we’ll talk again next week.
For peace.
DJ
Keep following your dreams. Die creating, reaching, growing and giving! SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA Premieres!
This entry into the old blog outlining the journey is unusual in that I’m typing it first a day late. To be fair if you also follow me on social media’s Facebook, you knew I was traveling back from Iowa on Sunday. But I’m here at 9:30 pm drinking some hot tea and eating trail mix, recollecting on my last few days. A whirlwind to be sure. Members of our production team traveled to Algona, Iowa almost 80 years after a group of German PW’s gifted something special to the small town. German PW’s, you say? Yes. For many in the USA and elsewhere abroad, they were unaware of the large amount of German PW’s kept in camps across the midwest. Most ran by WW1 officers pulled from civilian life and the injured American soldiers taken off the front lines and sent to homeland MP duties. At this one camp in Algona, Iowa something special happened. A unifying endeavor of captives gifting captors, while the world is at war.
This story, SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA– was meant to be told now. Based on true events, this film was created by our hardworking CDI tribe. A group of artists that I hope will be recalled for their contributions to preserving history and storytelling – entertaining and occasionally educating. Education by offering perspectives, often unseen, causing rifts in people. By looking at multiple perspectives, a more full picture can be established. A better understanding could be achieved.
This first set of premiere screenings were the most important because it was accomplished with the help of these folks and it was their history. The laughter and the crying followed by more laughter, I loved that. Someone described it as a rollercoaster of emotions as you bounce between perspectives. I’m just very proud of it. We had a killer opening with added theaters and expanded screens. There are good folks watching the film as we type this. I love that feeling. Out storytelling is happening with communities of people. This is the added joy of a theatrical watch. We have many new updates on screening opportunities. We have theaters reaching out and that is because of all of you. Thank you.
The Bitter of life– Someone very close to me, a mentor for sure in several areas, has been eagerly awaiting this film’s release. A lover of history and WW2, he always wanted updates on the film. Somewhat unexpected, he started having complications when we were in studio mixing SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA, and had a stay in the hospital for tests. A BEAUTIFUL Iowa snowstorm the night before our premiere, made Algona into a winter wonderland. Radio, TV and newspaper interviews in the morning followed by a great hearty brunch. An afternoon to prepare and rest a few beats before the activities start. Two hours before we unveil this inspirational and joyful film to the town where it all happened, a call. Unbelievable news. He’s gone.
Perspective. I greeted many beaming faces that night and sincerely enjoyed the glow of pride emanating from these wonderful people. The loss I was reeling from was also an artist in percussion and woodworking. He would often share stories of ZZ Top, Chicago and more, often ending in- the show must go on. It did go on. I was bathed in the good energy of all these people, inspired by the actions of their own past citizens and relatives. The SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA project and I had suffered an emotional hit a few years earlier with Rance Howard’s passing. He was passionate about 1940’s farming. Hours talking about farming- and many other life things, from that era. He loved the story, but sadly passed before we went into production.
The film will travel to Michigan next week- a premiere showing in Lansing and GR, with a TBD afterglow for folks to mingle and talk. I will not be at the premiere next week. I am going to be with family putting someone special to rest. But I’m very proud that we’ll be showing our cast and crew and our home state in this wonderful story. It will start playing next Friday –
One of my favorite questions to some of our oldest in attendance, was asking if we captured the time period. Their overwhelming squeal of delight, the confirmation I care about. Not perfect, motion picture is an illusion, best when the audience lends its imaginations and opens their minds. After watching it a few times on the big screen, we found even more to polish before home video (DVD, streaming and broadcast TV) later in 2023. That is how the artists at CDI roll. I’m just proud of the artists and the stories being preserving and assuring it is not lost. This movie is the next Iowa ‘Field of Dreams’ as special things do seem to happen in Iowa. But many states have their own stories that deserve to be remembered.
It has been a long few days and still much to do this week. IF you have recently watched our SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA in the theatre please go to http://www.imdb.com search our film and leave your feedback. We’ve had so many people reaching out who had heard fragments of stories from a grand parent or great grandparent, about German PW’s. I’m excited for Germans to see this film and we will be targeting to show somewhere special in Germany in 2023. We will do a Hollywood showing next year as most of German actors are out there. It will be fun sharing this film around the world and in time for Christmas 2023 you can own it.
If you watched Silent Night in Algona and enjoyed it, you can watch others by our troupe/tribe like BEST YEARS GONE, WILD FAITH, LOST HEART, MAN’S BEST FRIEND, WICKED SPRING, ASHES OF EDEN, FOR THE LOVE OF CATCH (Iowa) and The Quest Trilogy (FORTY NIGHTS, CHASING THE STAR, THE CHRIST SLAYER) – You can explore http://www.cdiproductions.com and we’ll be updating even more for the first of the year. MERCHANDISE?
And while you enjoy, we also will be preparing more stories to tell – casting and crewing up in 2023
Also strong development meetings in Iowa on the new script SPIRIT LAKE MASSACRE, looking to shoot in 2024. Just blessed to be able to do what I love to do, affecting millions, with the power of a story. I have another talk this week on another film that would have me reuniting with a filmmaker from my past. Truly, a special weekend in Iowa and I’m just sad, one special person did not get to see it, or-
Keep following your dreams. Die creating, reaching, growing and giving. I’ve been inspired by both the comedy and tragedy of life. Don’t take people, time and kindness for granted. Until next Sunday-
DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 