Three Years Since Our World Premiere at 2019 SXSW Film Festival!

As we come up on the three years since our World Premiere at SXSW in March of 2019, I would like to reflect a bit on what has transpired. First, I would like to thank all of you who have followed us and supported us, especially those who have been with us from the beginning when we started this quest in 2017. After working for over a year and a half to complete our film, we were very fortunate to be accepted into the SXSW Film Festival to start our journey.  We followed that with several other film festivals.  Then I was thrilled to be one of 35 films selected by the American Film Showcase.  On the heels of that, we were invited to be one of the 30 films included to go on the Southern Circuit Tour of Independent Filmmakers.  As I returned home from this tour of six cities across four states (Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana) in February of 2020, the U.S. was shut down by Covid 19.  This put a hold on several homeless conferences where we were scheduled to present the documentary.  Like many other conferences, we were relegated to the new “virtual” world and Zoom.  A bit of a disappointment but the new reality. Then, in May of 2020, we reached a three year licensing deal with PBS - which had always been my dream venue!  In February of 2021, our PBS broadcast debut began all across the country.  Currently, our film has aired in over 90% of the 330 PBS markets across the United States and Puerto Rico!  All the while, we have been selling educational licenses to schools, libraries, and homeless advocacy groups; as well as, selling Blu-rays, digital rentals, and online streaming to the general public.

For these past three years, I have been fielding lots of email and phone inquiries from all over the world from people wanting to know more about Austin’s innovative and successful Community First! Village.  Considering that the sole purpose for making this documentary was to try and help introduce this amazing blueprint for transforming the lives of our homeless neighbors, it warms my heart that we have had this kind of widespread interest.  Thanks to all of you who have helped us tell this story or who have been instrumental in starting your own version of Community First! Village of which there are several that I know of.  I am so happy and thankful that Community First! Village has continued to add houses, amenities, and services to our homeless and previously homeless neighbors here in Austin.  I'm also encouraged by the plethora of other communities who are diligently working towards these same goals.