From August 7-11, I’ll be attending the annual convention of the Veterans For Peace with my friend and fellow member Dan Ellis. I joined the VFP last year as an associate member since I am not a veteran, but because one of my sons is in the active military.

I am happy to report that my chapter of the VFP, Tom Sturtevant #001, was the first chapter in the entire country. After viewing the trailer of The Ghosts of Jeju, the members voted to send me to Madison where the film will be screened on Friday, August 9th.

There’s more good news to report. Bruce Gagnon, also a member of our Tom Sturtevant chapter, has been on a speaking tour that has taken him from Sweden near the North Pole to Hawaii, The Philippines, and all the way down to Australia. Along the way, Bruce has screened the film and given away many copies of the film.

This is what Bruce had to say after the screening in Sweden at the annual meeting of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space:

“It was a smashing hit….people were crying and they were clapping at the end…..I handed out the DVD’s strategically to key leaders in various Swedish cities, and from Finland, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Japan and Mexico…..people passed the hat to send money to the village but I insisted they keep the money towards sending a representative from Sweden to the village ASAP……they loved the music, the story, and the resistance…..many people sent congrats to you….it’s was a European opening night showing……5 stars. Add Russia to list of places I sent DVD home with….a man who works directly for Putin.”

People from around the world and the U.S. have been ordering the film. Meanwhile I have entered it into 13 film festivals, including Sundance, Boston, New Hampshire, San Diego Asian, Portland and Camden, Maine. I’ve also entered the film in the two big festivals in S. Korea, the Seoul and Busan International Film Festivals. Paying the application fee doesn’t guarantee the film will be accepted, so I’m waiting with fingers crossed hoping that one or two will screen the film.

Here in Maine, the film will be screened on Sunday, August 18th at the Grace Episcopal Church in Bath. It is sponsored by Addams-Melman House, The Global Network, EPF-ME, PeaceWorks, the Women’s Int’l League for Peace and Freedom, Peace Action ME, and the Campaign to Bring Our War Dollars Home.

Other screenings are being organized in the Boston area, Washington, D.C., Portland, OR, and Charlottesville, VA.