Aloha and Happy September!
I didn’t drive Buster off a cliff or join a silent retreat—life has just been rocking along at quite a clip.
This Sunday, I turned 60! While some might tackle long-overdue life-list items like joining a Smiths tribute band or donning a mesh suit to become a beekeeper, I’ve decided to make my first movie.
If you read Shelter in Motion, you know, I used to work for Marilyn Manson back in the day. Well, Brian is 57 now and on tour—and he’s as awesome today as he was 25 years ago. Maybe better! If he can still tear up a stage in his late fifties, I can damn sure make a movie at 60.
Stepping into filmmaking is both the most awesome and challenging thing I’ve done. Screenwriting is a completely different beast than narrative essays. To paraphrase Jules: “It ain't the same fing ballpark, it ain't the same league, it ain't even the same fing sport.”
Winning writing prizes got me in the door, but the room turned out to be a lot harder (and younger) than I imagined. My first week was spent asking who this "Claude dude" was and clarifying that I’m not a Boomer-I’m Gen X.
So, I built my own DIY film school. I locked myself up and read 50 production scripts while watching the matching films back-to-back, devoured a mountain of filmmaking books (Robert Rodriguez’s Rebel Without a Crew inspired me beyond belief!), and jumped into classes I won through Sundance Collab.
End Result?
I locked my first 94-page feature script, The King’s Basketball and submitted it to some amazing contests, including Slamdance, which accepts 4,000+ entries! But, TKBB is one of them, floating around like a needle in a haystack!
I wrapped my short script, One Last Time to Boston.
And will be shooting One Last Time to Boston in Spring 2027 around Medford and Jacksonville, Oregon. It will act as a proof-of-concept for a feature-length, Oregon based narrative film.
Look at me dropping fancy industry lingo! Clearly, Claude and I have met.
Making a movie takes a village and some very sturdy souls. I’ve launched my updated website where you can follow along or jump in—whether you want to crew, have potential locations or props in Southern Oregon, or just cheer us on.
Check out the new website and get involved here -> Me and The Kiwi
On A Final Note: Kiwi Chris will finally be coming home in mid-September!! HooRay!!! He left back on April 8th (aside from a quick four-day surprise visit in June), and that was entirely too long. Never again. He’ll miss my birthday Sunday, but we will make up for it when he gets back.
Counting down the days until Kiwi Chris is back home mid-September! (No more 5-month long-distance stretches—never again!)
Turning 60 isn't about slowing down; it's about diving headfirst into the next chapter. Thanks for being here, reading my stories, and supporting this next leap.
Here’s to big risks and making movies!
Cheers,
Heather & Kiwi Chris