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By Kelly Strodl
Today I talked with Tim VandeSteeg, director of MY RUN, a film that follows the epic foot journey of one man over more than 1,100 miles of the US to bring awareness to the plight of single parents. After tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own, Terry Hitchcock seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families. He ran in spite of freezing rain and unbearable heat, in spite of chest pains and bone fractures that wracked his 57-year-old body. He just kept running - each day, every day - strengthening an unbreakable bond between father and son--- not stopping until he broke the finish line tape in Atlanta. Narrated by Academy Award winner Billy Bob Thornton. Special Guests include Terry Hitchcock and the Filmmakers.

Q:  How did you hear about the Newport Beach Film Festival?

A: I heard about the NBFF awhile back, it has great rep as being a “true filmmakers festival”.  We are excited and honored to have our West Coast Premiere of MY RUN this SUNDAY, April 25th at 6PM, at the South Coast Village (at 1561 W Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, CA). There will be a second screening on Monday April, 26 at (12:45pm) at Edwards Island 6.

Q: Tell a little about the story of your film and the production of it.

A: MY RUN is the story of Terry Hitchcock, who after tragically losing his wife to breast cancer and struggling to raise three young children on his own seized on an idea. He wanted to accomplish the impossible: run 75 consecutive marathons in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to the incredibly difficult lives of single-parent families.

Terry is a real-life Forrest Gump, someone who had all the cards stacked against him and still managed to come out with a winning hand. What makes Terry’s story special is that after raising his kids, he took it upon himself to make life better for other single parents and their kids. At the age of 57, with a bum heart and knee and ankle problems, he decided to run from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Atlanta in 75 consecutive days to bring attention to and provide a voice for single parent families. Despite the cold and heat, the rain and wind, Terry ran and touched the lives of thousands with his courage and his message along the way.

Q: Tell a little about yourself and your story in filmmaking.

A: As an independent filmmaker, I understand that challenges and obstacles go along with filmmaking. You never know what’s exactly going to happen. The key is how you handle these ups and downs along the way.   I live by my motto: Be Powerful, Be Unstoppable.

I approach filmmaking and my life with what I call the “Rocky Balboa Attitude.” As long as you keep fighting and you don’t quit, you NEVER fail. It doesn’t matter how many times you get knocked down, smacked around, beat up, as long as you don’t stay down you always have a chance, an opportunity to succeed.

Filmmaking is like a marathon and the story behind My Run is no exception.

Q: Your take on the performances of the lead actors, (set backs, triumphs, impressions, good surprises, etc.)

A: Of course filmmaking is hard, especially being an indie filmmaker. Being an indie filmmaker your day is filled with the constant process of pushing, pulling and pitching your film… and then repeat. It’s constant struggle, but there’s something inside of you that will not let you quit ala, PASSION.  To be successful in independent filmmaking you must be persistent, persistent and persistent! 

And once the film is complete and you receive that positive response from the audience, it’s an absolutely wonderful (and nerve-racking) feeling. One of the moments that stick out for me is our screening of “MY RUN” in Sedona Film Festival and Marathon, during the Q&A a man stood up and said “I’m a marathoner and I came here to be inspired to run, but instead was inspired to love my wife more”… wow, what a powerful thing to say. That’s why I make films.

Q: What do you do when not making a smash indie film?

When I’m not making a smash indie film, I’m marketing and building the awareness of that soon to be smash indie film. Making the film is only half the battle, the other half is the marketing and distribution…

MY RUN has its West Coast Premiere at 6PM on Sunday, April 25th at the South Coast Village (at 1561 W Sunflower Ave, Santa Ana, CA).

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256876

There will be a second screening on Monday April, 26 at (12:45pm) at Edwards Island 6.

http://newportbeachfilmfest.tix.com/Event.asp?Event=256877

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Posted via web from Lights, Camera, Film Fest!