Giving Thanks to Yourself (and Others)

I'd like to thank my readers for continuing to follow my journey in filmmaking and so much more. I started this blog in order to organize my thoughts about my experiences in filmmaking. I had no idea my journey would appeal to anyone else but me. So thanks for checking in and I hope my journey has helped yours.

Looking back, I'm shocked that I've been a full-time film producer since 2005. It's a daily struggle that I find both exhilarating and exhausting. I know I couldn't keep going without knowing you're out there rooting for indie film to stay alive. I'll do my best to continue to breathe life into our industry.

I think the most positive and exciting progression for me as a storyteller has been investing time in developing my own creative voice. For so long, I put my entire heart and soul into the creative development of others. And while I love working with other creators and will definitely continue to do so, I am also spending time on myself and what a gift it has been for my own growth as an artist and a person. I think it has made me an even better collaborator with my creative partners.

So while we take time to reflect on our work for others this year, let's also taking time to reflect and work on ourselves. Take the time to listen to your inner voice and express it. You may not think you can be a writer or director when in reality, all you need to do is try. Investing in yourself is probably the single most important thing you can do in your career because if you're better then so is everything else around you. Good luck! I'll be rooting for you!

Happy Thanksgiving 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving! My cup runneth over with love, thanks, and the joy of another year making movies.

Each year, I pinch myself that I'm able to work full time doing what I love. I'm so grateful to everyone and the stars for aligning to make it all possible.

This year we have seen Not Since You perform well in all of its channels of distribution. We have had an incredible festival run with our recent film Take Me Home and strong foreign sales and a domestic distribution deal on its way. We completed our new film The Diary of Preston Plummer and are prepping for a World Premiere in 2012. And I produced a short film about the Keystone XL Pipeline called Pipe Dreams that has been shortlisted for an Oscar. We had a wonderful LA Premiere - here's an article about it and a pic from it below. (I will also include this article from the New Yorker for background on the fight against the pipeline here.)

I will repeat, my cup runneth over. And I am thankful.

I'm looking forward to a yummy meal and wine tasting with my LA family. I hope your Thanksgiving is filled with as much love, thanks and joy!

Peace y'all!

Director Leslie Iwerks & Narrator Daryl Hannah