FESTIVAL MISSION & OBJECTIVE

The wild rose is the official flower of the state of Iowa, a thing of beauty growing "in the wild." The Wild Rose Independent Film Festival is a celebration of the vast, diverse, bizarre, hilarious, beautiful cinema art being created by independent moviemakers outside the mainstream.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

Now in its seventh year, The 2009 Wild Rose Independent Film Festival will be held November 5-8 at the Iowa State Historical Building in Des Moines, Iowa.

Attracting entries from across the U.S. as well as many international entries, and awarding films and filmmakers in over 20 categories, this year's Wild Rose also includes cash prizes! Offering Workshops, a Special Guest Speaker, and a culminating Awards Ceremony, the WRIFF is an exciting event for both filmmakers and film buffs.

Held in the popular East Village Cultural and Entertainment District and just walking distance from a wide range of shops, restaurants, brewpubs, live music venues, and nearby Downtown hotels, "The Wild Rose" is fast becoming one of the top trendy, indie film festivals in the Midwest.

The time spent with Ron (Hank) Lucas went fast as we traveled from Iowa to New York and was just great. Nothing like jumping into a plane with Hank to bring back the Ghost Player memories of trips long past.

Curits Mack joined us from Florida and we hit the Hall of Fame, eager to see the sites, talk with filmmakers, and watch the other baseball films. What amazing flicks!

The filmmakers and festival organizers treated us well. Hank & Mac were a hit as they shared stories of baseball and of our travels as Ghost Players.

What an honor to have GHOST PLAYER shown as the last screened film of the festival. Once the screening was over and the audience questions were fielded, it was time to get ready for the awards ceremony. Hank and Mac participated in the Q & A.

The festival judges were complimentary to the project and treated it well. Rob Edelman had to withhold his comments as he was credited in the movie for the submitted stories he made to the movie's companion book, TRAVELS WITH GHOSTS AND OTHER TALES.

We didn't come home with the top trophy but being one of the runners up is still pretty sweet. Sounds like Iowa Public Television may run the movie again during Thanksgiving weekend. Also talked with a production and distribution company in Sydney, Australia to introduce the movie into the Australian/NZ markets.

Actors, artists, directors and producers assembled on the west stairs for a press conference about the future of Iowa's Film Industry. Though the temperature was cool and the rains fell media crews and moviemakers discussed the ideas they hoped to share with Governor Chet Culver.

The thirty plus citizens entered the Capital passing through security as cameras rolled. The Governor was not in so the group presented his staff with a three- step process to save the film industry.

Suzie Wright, president of the Great River Film Initiative, and Joe Scherrman fellow board member of GRFI and owner of DreamCatcher Productions attended the rally to advocate Iowa's Film Industry. While there Ms Wright and Mr. Scherrman dropped off a copy of the movie "Ghost Player: Relive the Magic" and the companion book "Travels With Ghosts and Other Tales". Along with the DVD and book they distributed lenticular postcards featuring the men made famous in the movie Field of Dreams. The postcard was a hit amongst staff members and moviemakers alike.

Glessna Coisson

FOUNDER: NAPERVILLE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

GHOST PLAYER tells the story of how this zany team ranging from a farmer to a state representative moved audiences around the world and changed the players' lives forever. From Dyersville, Iowa, we follow the Ghost Players around the world as warm hearted, comedic ambassadors of the best that the American Heartland has to offer - baseball, tomfoolery and good old-fashioned family fun. We see them bring the comfort that only baseball can give to men and women stationed in the military in the far-flung corners of the world. But most of all, we witness how America's favorite pastime and a Hollywood movie set can give one group of men from a small Iowa town a second chance to live the life they've always dreamed.

GHOST PLAYER: RELIVE THE MAGIC

THE TEAM. THE TIMES. THE HISTORY.

Hometown heros and MLB Hall of Famers grace the pages of this retrospective on Ghost Player baseball.

The Ghost Players team started as a lark that soon grew into something amazing that changed the lives of the players and the community they represented forever. They traveled the world and shared the magic of baseball with the Japanese people and US military personal and families in Asia, Europe and North America.

This image-rich coffee table book has a wonderful mixture of moments preserved for readers to enjoy. Roughly 200 pages of 4-color photos. The book holds stories, poems and images of the team told through the voices of players, family and fans. Many of the stories are those of the players but included are stories from fans from as far away as Alaska and Japan. Also included is a piece from Rob Edelman, author of Great Baseball Films and Baseball on the Web. Other members of the Society of American Baseball Researcher Association (SABR) are participating as well.

Details about these products as well as other items about the Ghost Players can be found in the Official Ghost Player eBay Store using the link below.