We haven’t been very active on this film blog the last couple of months as we’ve been tying up some loose ends with music licensing in the movie and other things connected with our distributors. A reminder that we have had a US distributor since just before the film premiered, 7th Art Releasing. Earlier this year, Blue Ant International picked up the film for international distribution and CBC television in Canada acquired the film for national broadcast. The next showing in Canada will be on the Documentary Channel, Dec 18 at 9:00 pm EST.
The distributors are talking with different broadcasters in several countries about acquiring the film so we hope to have some more good news in 2017.
We appreciate all who have gotten in touch on social media or by email to ask where they can see the film. We are anxious for it to be available online in some capacity but the distributors handle that aspect of it so we will update you on this page in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we are still very much open to doing special screenings with radio communities in various North American cities. If you think there is an opportunity where you live, and a suitable venue, don’t hesitate to get in touch and hopefully we can set up a screening.
Lastly, sometime early next year we hope to make available on YouTube some interview clips that never made it into the film. Pat, Meg, Charles and David had so many great stories to tell and we just didn’t have room for all of them in the final cut. But a number will see the light of day on YouTube so again, stay tuned to this page for more info on that coming soon!
Category Archives: Meg Griffin
Staying Tuned in 2016
We’re a month into 2016 and we’ve got lots of news coming down the pipe in the coming weeks about I Am What I Play. First off, we continue to set up festival and special screenings. One of the stars of the film, Pat O’Day, finally got to see the film for the first time in January at a special one night screening in Bellingham, Washington at the Pickford Film Center. We’re told a full house enjoyed the screening and Q & A with Pat after the show.
There are back to back screenings coming up at Wellfleet Preservation Hall near Boston, as part of their Independent Documentary Series. Details here: http://www.wellfleetpreservationhall.org/index.php/wellfleet-preservation-hall-events/wellfleet-preservation-hall-film/event/4524-independent-documentary-series-i-am-what-i-play
There will also be another Boston area screening in late February with special guest Meg Griffin! Keep watching this space for details and of course have a look at our Screenings page on this site for more regular updates.
And in a few days, we will have amazing news about a special screening in Europe AND future broadcasts on Canadian Television.
Lots in the works!
And of course, we must say RIP to David Bowie who died on January 16. He and is representatives were so easy to deal with when trying to secure the rights to use the song DJ in the film. Of course, we took the title of the movie from a line in that great Bowie tune. He was always a true artist right to the end.
Finally, in our last entry, we highlighted a screening that was about to happen at The Regent Theater in Boston in late December. It was a smashing success with over 300 guests in attendance who enjoyed a special pre-screening meet & greet with Charles Laquidara. Some pics below.
Director Roger King and Charles Laquidara before the screening. Every theater should have a bar!
I Am Where We Screen
We have neglected you, the faithful blog reader and for that, deep apologies. Our excuse is we’ve been screening the film and arranging other screenings. In fact, we got really clever and created an I Am What I Play Screenings page right on this site. No more guessing where the film might be playing. You can visit the Screenings page any time to get the up-to-the minute report.
We had a great time at the Beacon International Film Festival in late September. Beacon is a 90 minute train ride from New York City and they’ve carved out a nice artistic community there. I Am What I Play opened the festival this year and we encourage film fans to keep an eye on Beacon in future years.
We had another screening in Toronto on October 15 as part of the Reel Independent Film Festival. It was at the same theater as our Canadian premiere earlier this year – The Royal Cinema. Director Roger King and film subject David Marsden were in attendance and hosted a spirited Q & A after the screening.
Roger went to high-school in Kitchener-Waterloo (about an hour from Toronto) and will host a special presentation of the movie on October 29th at the beautiful rep cinema, The Princess Theater. Tickets only available at this link:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2327724
Stay tuned for news on special screenings later this year in Vancouver and Boston, among other cities. We are taking this to radio & music fans, one city at a time!
Director Roger King joined Steve Anthony on CP24 Breakfast Television in Toronto, October 15th, 2015.
The Princess Cinema. Waterloo, Ontario.
Jacob Burns sell-out
The Jacob Burns screening was apparently a big success. A sold out crowd we’re told! Meg Griffin was in attendance and did a well-received Q & A about her radio career, hosted by WFUV’s Rita Houston who also appears in the film. Below are some pics that were posted on social media:
From left to right: Rita Houston, Meg Griffin, Karen Goodman – Jacob Burns Programmer
Q & A with Rita Houston and Meg Griffin. Photos c-2015 Gayle Miller
Next screening: Jacob Burns Center in New York
I Am What I Play will screen as part of the Jacob Burns Center’s “Sounds of Summer” Music Documentary series on August 18th at 7:30 pm. The Jacob Burns center is a really cool film/cultural arts center, located about 30 minutes north of New York City.
This screening will be extra special because Meg Griffin will be in attendance, doing a Q & A after the film with Rita Houston, a legendary DJ herself who hosts and programs at WFUV in New York. Rita also appears in the film.
It should be a great night!
For tickets and more information, click here:
https://www.burnsfilmcenter.org/films/buy-tickets?date=1439870400
Canadian Premiere
Our Canadian premiere took place Friday May 8 in Toronto at the Royal Cinema. We were the opening film of the Canadian Music Week (CMW) Film Festival and we had a great turnout at the theater. This premiere was well-timed as CMW’s two-day radio conference had just wrapped up so a lot of radio industry titans were already in town. Many of them attended the screening and the film was very well received. Also in attendance was one of the film’s 4 subjects, David Marsden, who took part in an entertaining Q & A session after the film. We look forward to more screenings in Toronto in the near future.
I Am What I Play Premieres
Well, we are happy to announce both our American and Canadian premieres. I Am What I Play will screen at the Boston Independent Film Festival on April 26th at the historic Somerville Theater. Here’s the film page on their website with ticket information:
And then on May 8th in Toronto, I Am What I Play will be the opening film of the film festival portion of Canadian Music Week (CMW). This screening will take place at The Royal Cinema on College St. Another great venue. CMW is kind of the South x South West of Canada so we are thrilled.
Tickets available here:
http://cmw.net/film/events/i-am-what-i-play-canadian-premiere/
Much more to come on these two premiere screenings of course!
I Am What I Play trailer
Every film needs a trailer and we’re excited to share it with you now. Here’s a first look at I Am What I Play.
Be sure and follow the film:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
Twitter: https://twitter.com/radiodjmovie
Screen Shots
Over at the I Am What I Play Facebook page, we have been posting screen shots from the film on a regular basis. If you’re on Facebook, be sure and like the page for updates on the movie. We will continue to update this blog but the Facebook page has more up to the minute action:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
Having said that, here are a few screen shots from the film:
Charles Laquidara in a 1970’s TV commercial for his morning radio show, The Big Mattress.
Meg Griffin in the WNEW studios in New York City, late 1970’s.
David Marsden being inducted into the Canadian Music and Radio Broadcast Hall of Fame in 2011.
Newspaper ad for Pat O’Day’s radio show in the late 60’s.
Radio Stuff podcast
Larry Gifford is a U.S. radio guru/consultant and he hosts a podcast about radio called Radio Stuff. I joined him on the podcast recently to talk about the film. Click on the link below to listen. The interview starts at the 13:00 minute mark:
http://radiostuff.podomatic.com/entry/2014-06-19T15_04_35-07_00
In addition to reading this blog, the best way to keep up-to-date on the film is to join us on Facebook and like the page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Am-What-I-Play/297875140261718
