that follows Jeff Smith's campaign (hence the title) against Russ Carnahan for the seat in Congress vacated by Dick Gephardt.
It is coming out on Netflix in August. You can review it and add it to your queue now.
I never had been involved in making a film before this one. I was, and still am, just a grassroots field organizer for Quixotic political campaigns.
A filmmaker came to us in the middle of a campaign and asked to film it. We needed free footage for ads so we let him film. When we got done and looked at the footage, we realized that there was an amazing story about our broken political system that we had to tell. The film is the result of that.
We need help getting the film in the hands of political activists. Ideas on how to do that are greatly appreciated.
The film's life has amazed us. We were nominated by the International Documentary Association for best doc of 2006 and made the shortlist for the Academy Award for best doc. In February, it played nationwide on PBS.
Here is an excerpt from the Washington Post Review http://www.washingtonpost.com/... :
While Congress debates what to do about voter fraud, "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?" arrives as a timely reminder that, rather than people voting illegally, our real worry should be getting people to vote at all (and when they do vote, making sure they're counted). More than big money or big family names, Smith's real enemy throughout the campaign is apathy, which Popper captures early in the film with a shot of a doormat reading "Go Away," an image that's intercut with various scenes of the voting public dismissing him, and Smith's own parents telling him he shouldn't run.
Deeply absorbing and moving with the caffeinated speed of Smith's own feisty campaign, "Can Mr. Smith Get to Washington Anymore?" is at once a celebration of small-d democracy and an elegy to it, a portrait that will surely inspire and infuriate viewers. And once they take this particular peek at how the sausage is made, with luck they'll want to start working on a new recipe.
and more from the LA Times http://www.calendarlive.com/... :
By early 2009, someone named Bush or Clinton will have served as U.S. president for the previous 20 years. With Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton positioned as a leading candidate for the Democratic nomination and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush looming as a dark horse Republican contender, the dynastic trending of American politics could not have a higher profile.
While Carnahan looks every bit the part of political scion, Smith is short and speaks with a nasal intonation. He seems to be in perpetual motion, always in a uniform of a pale blue oxford shirt, red tie and khakis. Even his own communications director — Artie Harris, a true character — says he looks like a 12-year-old.
When speaking, Smith is passionate and knowledgeable, campaigning on a platform of education and universal healthcare. He's stridently anti-Bush and his campaign relies on going door to door, meet-and-greet coffee klatches, youthful volunteers, plentiful yard signs and direct mailings. Smith's highest-level advisors all seem to be in their mid-20s.
The film is an inspiring look at the power of youthful energy and politics that are position-driven, but as Smith cuts into Carnahan's early 30-point lead we are reminded of the advantages of money and privilege.
I hope as many activists and campaign organizers as possible can see it. If anyone would like to show it to a political organization, school, etc. we encourage you to do that.
Please help us get the film out to grassroots campaigns who may be able to use it to inspire volunteers and voters to get involved.