Standing ovations and raised fists after the work-in-progress screening of Bidder 70 in Ashland, Oregon
For the last three years, Tim DeChristopher (aka “Bidder 70”) and his cohorts here at Peaceful Uprising have been privileged to have the dynamic duo of Beth and George Gage carefully documenting our story. Through all 9 delays of Tim’s trial, through our trips across the county to DC and West Virginia, through stressful meetings and through joyous celebrations, these filmmakers stuck with us. Now all of that commitment has come to fruition in a nearly finalized version of what is sure to be a historic film, Bidder 70 (LIKE it on Facebook to stay updated!).
The film screened 3 times as a “work in progress” at the Ashland Independent Film Festival last week. Ashley Anderson and Jacob Hanson, two founding members of Peaceful Uprising and close friends of Tim DeChristopher, joined the filmmakers in Ashland, and stood up for Q & A sessions following each sold-out screening. We were happy to find that the majority of moviegoers stuck around to talk, and keep the questions coming until the festival organizers had to take the mic.
After the third and final screening of the film, the audience rose for a standing ovation, and to our surprise, raised their fists (as Tim’s supporters did in one of the final scenes of the movie). It was a moment we talked about again and again during our 14-hour ride back to Salt Lake. When Ashley asked George how he felt the film was being received so far, he replied, “For a work in progress to get standing ovations three out of it’s first five screenings is phenomenal.” (The very first two screenings of the film happened at the Cleveland International Film Festival in March, which led to this glowing review: Four Eco-Documentaries That Will Fuel Your Fire)
The big question any person has after seeing a film like this is, “What can I do now?” To answer that question, the locally-written Blogging Ashland sums it up well in their own enthusiastic review:
Go see this film. Then get over to Peaceful Uprising and do something.
The Bidder 70 webpage will soon be featuring exiting plans for using the film to start actions in communities. In the meantime, be sure to “Like” Bidder 70 on Facebook and follow Bidder 70 on Twitter: @bidder70film
Jake and Ashley would also like to thank the organizers of the Ashland Independent Film Festival and the city of Ashland for their hospitality and support. If you ever have a chance to go, we highly recommend it.
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