Align Yourself With Joy and Hope – CDI Updates!
The hazelnut coffee just sets more mornings right. I’m looking forward to getting into talking about films but I wanted to speak into a few things. First, Disneyland – I made a mention after my blog that I felt was worth sharing here. The world and especially here in America feel so divided by interests. Be that religion, politics, sports teams – you name it. For the day at Disney I saw a mass of people unified by joy of Disney. All types of people old and young and all walks of life immersed in Disney. Tough looking individuals wearing mouse ears and eating mouse shaped pretzels, smiling like little kids. It was the most unity I’ve felt in a very long time. Walt Disney was a great man and his dream is still working its magic. It was an unexpected surprise and one I deeply appreciated.
This next observation is not aimed at any one person but at many. On a daily basis I see folks using social media mainly FB but I am sure it is elsewhere, as a venting board. Negative comments mad or sad or victim rants usually with no frame of reference. First on a personal level what you manifest affects you. If you feed just on negativity your outlook will be one of negativity. You are drinking that poison daily. To rant about something or someone without any reference screams out of balance. If someone deserves a tongue lashing by all means call them, text them, email them, write them a letter (Look it up children) but, don’t just rant publicly. This must tie into non-confrontational folks. Like in management proper addressing of issues is behind closed doors. Because you want to improve this person. But trying to give someone a public shaming makes one look weak. And in a work situation you want a balanced person who if unhappy will talk to management not go off and just bite the hand that feeds them. All those friends that see a public rant aren’t going to pay your bills when you lose a job. Personally you are defining you, your brand, your process of conflict resolution. People paint their own perception and bemoan why they can’t get ahead. I can think of at least a dozen people, good people, who self sabotage themselves. People post things hoping to be seen and they are often seen/heard but the message they send are usually not what they want to send out. I’m not saying don’t be human. But it is like not sending that email to your boss when mad. Sleep on it. Think on it. Send something when you feel balanced.
It hurts my heart when I see people caught in a negativity trap of their own making. When you post something positive you are not ignoring the ugly. You are giving hope. The negative has its followers and they will keep it flowing but consuming it non stop rots you. I could watch enough animal abuse videos before my first cup of coffee to ruin my day. But some share the positive stories that give us hope. And those people likely feel better as they go about their day. So try it. Also if you represent a brand, sometimes you as an artists, keep it professional. Many that are sponsored by major labels want to be associated with positive people. I’m proud of activists who devote their lives to their causes because they are often swimming in daily negativity. But, if you are selling yourself individually or as someone who manages people or projects you need balance. I’m getting off my soap box now but please understand that we each say something with what we show, say, do. That burden can be heavier when you’re a role model. Parent, coach, boss, John Cena – I think you get the picture. Advertising that you can’t handle stress is not going to help anyone. Go walk in the woods. Find your peace. Smile. Spread love. Be like Walt. (Disney)
FILM UPDATES:
- WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS – I’m excited for all the good folks who loved the original WILD FAITH to get their new adventure. 11/3/2026 is the DVD and streaming release date. We have Red Letter Awards in August and Will Rogers Awards recognition in September.
- AI JESUS – We have just about finished our delivery of distribution assets. I just need to make sure the stills and screen captures are to both theatrical and home video. Dreamscape Productions will be the point on the theatrical and they are prepping for all that. We might enter a few festivals and the BTS video should be releasing soon.
- ROM COMS MUST DIE – While we wait for the Summer studio films to blow over we are doing a brew and view in Lansing, MI on August 28th which is a Friday. Adam Towner and I will be testing the projection system at this studio and we’ll start promoting very soon. 10/2/2026 is the home video release date. This dark comedy is really going to stand out from the comedy horror pack due to being highly original. I hope many of you can join us on Friday the 28th of August.
- DEVIL’S PASS – The ship is fueling up and we are working the last few cast and crew spots. Logistics are being worked out and in about 7 weeks we will roll cameras. This is going to be a rip-roaring fun story to tell. It is always hard to get the foundation put in but we are done with that. Now it is addressing some of the support aspects of the film. On a personal note, last week I went to the local flea market and found two wardrobe pieces for my character in the film. A shirt and a hat like what I had identified to purchase but I only paid $9 for both versus $120 in my Amazon cart. I love to buy and keep my own wardrobe incase of sequels or just to have.
DEVELOPMENT:
RETURN TO ALGONA is likely the most developed of the new projects with over 1/2 the funding committed. I’m still in talks with brands/sponsors and we have not even opened the opportunity to investors yet. Being that this is a follow up film I will give the SILENT NIGHT IN ALGONA backers a first opportunity. This is all preserving true history that is important to many good people. My goal is to have all the funding commits by the years end and I believe we will.
I am going to finish both MBF2 and WF3 by year’s end. That is another goal of mine. I know we have some projects in development with Curran Jacobs and Katharsys Media as well. I almost have the three finished films off my plate save promotion and that will open up a lot of time. I know I have a few other projects being discussed to produce with the CDI tribe and a few books that might tap into my screenwriting.
WRAP UP: I’m looking forward to a great week. We will be testing the ROM COMS MUST DIE this week and also I have a make up soccer match since wildfire smoke cancelled all the games in our league. I met this weekend with John Mashni who handles legal and assists me with all CDI’s dispersals. We have some great momentum and I’m thankful to be where we are. The end of this year will have many wonderful moments with releases, awards events and new filming. I want to take this moment again to thank all our cast, crew, vendors, investors, sponsors and of course our audiences.
I want to thank those artists that have reached out with scripts but we are not in need of any at this time. We’ve got enough scripts for a decade plus and if you don’t have funding it will not be considered to be in the production flow. It is a hard game as a screenwriter I know this first hand. But I try to answer all the submissions and give some positive motivation to keep submitting to people.
I’m going to just off here and perhaps eat a few eggs. I might try to do some more work around the property although I think heat and rain are making a return. Don’t ever give up on your dreams but always evaluate and adjust your plans. I do believe in hard work pays off. Smart work pays off faster. I think many fail because they focus on the fun parts but neglect the hard business part of the work. SHOW BUSINESS. Both parts are important but the latter will take you from hobbyist to professional. I just told a friend who has a relative working on his first screenplay to take business classes. You and your passion for writing will hone the writing part but what do you do once you have your masterpiece? I’ve optioned/sold only a handful of scripts in 40 years. It is not easy but it is not impossible. Again, dream on my friends! Dream on! Coffee cheers. DJ
Twelve Hours at Disney and More CA Ramblings
I am trying to do this on my phone so please forgive the errors. I can barely see the screen or what I am typing. I’m in CA not on business but taking a few days away after many months of work on the last three films. From Disney my feet and body were fatigued from walking and the various rides. I will post more on this next week once I am home. But it has been a good trip of reflection and relaxation. Yesterday I hit the gym and hot-tub and I feel that also. Before we left I had just celebrated that one of our fine actors from Silent Night in Algona had beat stage 4 cancer. I was thrilled to see that. I also found out my dear friend Dane lost his father Jack. Jack and Marie were my babysitters and remained family friends. I remember one New Year’s Eve party with them both there in the 70’s. Drinks, Elvis music and then playing Funny Bones and other games. Jack also use to work at the airport and often would see me off on my early movie adventures. He was a great man who will be missed. While at Disney I got word our friend and fellow actor Garry Nation was being put into Hospice. Chasing the Star, Man’s Best Friend, Silent Night in Algona and more show how brilliant Garry is. It has been a rollercoaster the last few days. And a reminder to enjoy the ride. Today I am going to lunch with a buddy from kindergarten. I have several of those and I know I am lucky to have these relationships. I have today and tomorrow to enjoy here before back home. I will be excited to jump back into the fray of promotion, pre production and development work on our future projects. I will give a much better update next week but now I am off to get some coffee and maybe another hot tub soak. Be good to one another. Love on your people and keep chasing your dreams.
Every Big Goal is Achieved By A Series of Smaller Goals! – CDI UPDATES!
Good morning everyone out there. I want to once again thank all the readers from around the world. I see a lot of friends from the asian territories stopping by, welcome! It is sunny today in the Michigan and actually we’ve had a great stretch of good warm weather. The world is popping with green and I love the morning birds including a few neighborhood roosters. Our chickens have been loving the warmth and we’ve getting about five eggs a day. I’ve been spending my afternoons doing improvements on the property in-between business calls. I put in a plank walkway going around the fort office from a home improvement article I saw. It came out looking really good. I’ve also been grinding up some brush from tree trims to mulch. Also the under deck area I’m organizing and planning my retaining wall. I love getting out into nature and working in the dirt. I’m trying to bring back my hops that were relocated when the new deck went in. I’ve enjoyed having my morning coffee on the deck and also doing some of my daily stretching. We lost our first soccer match 6-3 which should have been closer but sometimes the ball doesn’t bounce just right.
I’ve also been adjusting to wearing glasses and also cataracts which has one that is advanced enough that the clarity in that eye varies by light and other variables. I’ve been taking my glasses off for my above mentioned soccer matches but I’ve decided I need to get some prescription “rec specs” for playing soccer. Might get them with glare guard to help my game. I’ve now talked with several friends who have dealt with this and even had the corrective surgery. Getting older is a privilege but a challenge to deal with this and that. I think I’m going to get a larger computer monitor to help versus just my smallish lap top screen. I share these things so folks know that while life is great I too also have challenges. I was wishing an old business associate a happy birthday and discovered he passed away in 2023. Again enjoy the journey. I am on the cusp of my June birthday month and I’m content. Another trip around the sun almost complete. Enough of these things and onto the artistic updates.
UPDATES:
- We have a marketing meeting for WILD FAITH CHRISTMAS with our home video distributor this week. We will try to do a few more theatrical showings in the Fall before we release to rent/buy on 11/3/26. The film will be represented at the RED LETTER AWARDS in August. We still might have a festival or two still in us but we are excited to make the film available to the tens of millions who enjoyed the original WILD FAITH. Just on the distributors ETV (YOUTUBE) the film has about 50k views short of nine million. Across all platforms I’m at a loss to even wager a guess at the audience but I’m deeply appreciative.
- ROM COMS MUST DIE is almost all delivered to home video and so we’ll get our streaming/DVD dates soon. But we are going to be releasing into theaters all Summer and even doing some fun brew N views. This movie was very well received and I just need to try and plug into the horror/comedy audience that I once knew well. We are doing a great TV show interview on June 11th called The Baron & Sindee Nyte Show on Youtube livestream at 7pm EST. I will be on there with Adam Towner mu co-star. If you have a review site or podcast and would live to talk this film that makes fun of our beloved film industry, reach out.
- AI JESUS: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip – We gathered at the Pine Studio to watch and listen to the film with the first full pass on all music and sound design. The score is just great but with Dennis Therrian‘s work that surprises nobody. But also the sound design was so good. It brings you right into the scene and the score amps up your emotions. The performances were powerful across the board. And the subject matter is so thought provoking. AI is entering into all areas of life and this film will have discussions stimulated. It is a film for everyone as all perspectives are addressed. The scientific non-believers, priests, nuns and everything in between. Technology. Religion. Government transparency. It is all there. We will likely look to do a big premiere in the coming weeks. This could easily be director Anthony Hornus‘ crown gem. Follow the Facebook page for all the updates! All our films have FB pages to follow. You might want to go back and watch THE QUEST TRILOGY (Forty Nights, Chasing the Star and The Christ Slayer) just to give some background. This film loosely is a follow up but not part of the trilogy.
- DEVIL’S PASS is no longer in development but pre-production. This collaboration is a unique western. Traditional in the values with a unique twist. It will be captured in a kinetic high action way by the McGraw brothers directing. We had a great meeting over crew and cast. We are still filling in the blanks on both but the blanks are getting fewer by the week. WILD FAITH alumni Darby Hinton has joined the cast and we’ve even bringing one of the last main cast members from BONANZA out of retirement Golden Globe nominee Mitch Vogel. You can see all the additional cast and crew on the IMDB page. Again all the films have IMDB pages. We have a meeting this week which we’ll be announcing some casting and crewing needs soon. This is for locals in the mid Michigan area. CDI always works with sponsors and we’ll be getting that process going soon.
DEVELOPMENT: Development is always underway and on many fronts from Algona, Iowa to Kalamazoo, Michigan. With several directors and showcasing several stories in various genres. I have a few business plans to review. I also have a few meetings to collect feedback on with funding potential. We are working now to line up 2027 productions. I’m also going to return to script writing as I have a few in process. I took a meeting on another possible book to script endeavor but we will see if that advances or not. I will take this time to thank all our investors and sponsors who make these stories possible.
WRAP UP: I’m going to wind this down and go enjoy some more coffee with donuts. It is the Fullmoon which is when I allow myself to eat something unhealthy. Aside the from the 24 hours usually stretched over two days, I stick to almonds, berries and healthier snacks. But I do love donuts. Trivia: My favorite even while they are all good is the double chocolate. I hope you all have been enjoying the first half of your year. I hope you are meeting your goals and crossing off your TO DO’s. Every big goal is achieved by a series of smaller goals. So get after those goals and make those dreams happen. Until next week- coffee cheers!
DJ
Catching Up on the CDI Tribe!
Winter is here in full effect and while occasionally troublesome it is refreshingly beautiful. Yes. I’m sipping my hazelnut coffee and looking forward to reflecting on the busy happenings of the previous week. It has had a few downs but more ups. That is life and much of it is what we choose to embrace.
I was recently shocked by the passing of an old friend and was looking forward to paying my respects. Next thing I see it was done. I watched a video of the memorial and all is good but they are gone too soon.
There is a lot of negativity floating out there in the world. That is where the flood of negative news via social media can be unhealthy. I’ve had to do lots of PR lately for our releases on many fronts. It is there I occasionally soak in negative news and so I stopped the scroll. Find better use of your time and energy and you will reap more abundant happiness.
I’ve been fully in on the Christmas spirit with music and our tree which isn’t decorated but smells and looks so nice. I’ve spent a large portion of the week writing residual and ROI checks but that is done I just need to get them sent out.
I had a nice lunch this past week with my cousin and dad while picking up some venison for the freezer. Dinked with tire pressure with the jeep due to the freezing cold. A touch of holiday shopping was achieved and tomorrow I receive my new computer so I should be doing my next blog on there vs my phone. I hope my transition is smooth.
Let’s look at some highlights.
1) On Dec 5th Wild Faith Christmas started playing many theaters in several states. Please follow the Facebook page for the film, we try to keep the play dates updated. Michigan, Iowa, Nebraska, Massachusetts and more.
2) Harsens Island Revenge is streaming and available on dvd with Amazon being one. Travel to the 1920’s and enjoy the adventure.
3) The Quest Trilogy is right in season and if you need some uplift to your spirit and mood a watch on these three biblical adventures might be the ticket. Forty Nights, Chasing the Star and The Christ Slayer and the follow up AI Jesus: The Secret of the Kingdom Chip which almost has a locked picture. Vfx are underway and it will move to music and sound design first of the year.
4) The above film will be coming into music and sound design as Rom Coms Must Die exits. Next week I will review the film with full music and sound. This dark comedy will go into theaters first Q 2026 and home video Q3.
5) Speaking on releasing Q4 next year will see both Wild Faith Christmas and AI Jesus release. AI Jesus will have a theatrical run prior to home video.
Development: I have been doing some script writing and that has been fun. Winter is my favorite season to write in. My coffee and imagination and off I go.
I have recently parted from my previous acting agency and might look at literary representation but I’ve been at no lack of projects. So I might just ride solo until a right fit presents itself. I do need to update some personal reels and material but my busy schedule hinders that. I think that is good being too busy with work to update your work seeking materials.
We are planning to update the CDI website and a new CDI highlight reel is being planned. Next year will be 30 years for CDI. I am proud of that fact but also shows how fast time flows.
I’ve had several great meetings over projects in development for a handful of years. I think between these few development fronts CDI could be setting the stage for the next 10 years of production. I tend to keep quiet on development because until it happens it is just talk. But as CDI’s resume shows we do get it done.
Wrap Up: I’ve had to think deeply on a few fronts because of others actions. We work hard at CDI to stand alone by our actions not our claims. We follow through and we finish. We have a great team of CDI producers and talented keys that you need for a smooth work flow. If you want the CDI dependability you must go through the CDI tribe.
Selling yourself on work you did not do will show your desperation to the experienced, maybe trick the inexperienced and always put you in a place of liability for your false representation.
Example: If I acted in a non-CDI film, I cannot use that film to try and raise money by saying I produced that film. Clarify your involvement and while it might take you a bit longer to reach your goals it will be honest. Standing in truth without smoke and mirrors or false hype and statements is how you will achieve long term success.
Same principles apply to actors, so don’t fudge skills or credits. A manipulated imdb rating doesn’t make you a star it makes you a liar. I recall an extra trying to sell themselves as a star talent. We requested a “Reel please” – and they don’t have one but look at my imdb score. Same thing with number of followers. It’s nice icing on a cake but you better be a great actor or the door is closed.
Small injustices can stick with me because to me it is disrespectful. Takers. Takers. Takers. They say you are wealthy by what you can give. Seek to be a giver in life vs just a taker. I really do love giving when it is earned and appreciated. I’m not going to stop being kind even when at times it can be a weakness. I do have lines in the sand that once crossed halts business. I said business not necessarily friendship but often when the business tap dries up so does the friendship. I’m at peace with that because for the few lost I have many other solid friendships both inside and outside our business. I bet many of you can relate to this wrap up.
Find your tribe but choose wisely. Laughter. Joy. Creating with a purpose that isn’t just ego driven but is about legacy. I watched The Quest Trilogy while doing work yesterday and what a beautiful legacy just those three films are. Yuma. The friendships and memories making art in the desert. A new phase is upon us and I’m excited about what we will create going forward. Be good to one another and coffee cheers. DJ
DJ Perry's Official Blog 'Clawing My Way to the Middle' 