Up With People movie screens in Tucson starting 7/27

Great news for local Arizona fans: SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS will screen at Harkins Theaters in Tucson, Arizona during the 45th Up With People reunion! The evening screenings on July 27 and 28 will be followed by a Q&A with the director and cast members. Matinee shows will allow alumni to attend while also participating in the reunion. All screenings are open to the general public. Tickets go on sale soon so check back for screening times: http://www.harkinstheatres.com/comingSoon.aspx

This will be an event to see and discuss for days to come! Be the first to grab tickets while you can!

Avid UWP sponsor, James McDonald, dies at 87

Former GM president and CEO of General Motors, Jim McDonald, died on Sunday, June 13, in Florida. He was an avid sponsor, board member and supporter of Up With People, and was instrumental in raising funds to send UWP to the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Without his sponsorship, many Up With People activities during Mikhail Gorbachev's "perestroika" or "restructuring" of the economic and political structure of the Soviet Union would not have been possible. During the Cold War, members of UWP believed that by performing in communist countries and representing a positive, multi-racial, multi-international cast on-stage, they made a difference by changing minds and hearts to Western values of freedom and democracy. Within a historical context, perhaps on some level they did. There is no doubt that the international friendships within Up With People remain.

It is our hope that Jim McDonald is honored at the 45th Up With People reunion in Tucson, Arizona this summer from July 28-August 1. It is richly deserved.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/16/business/16mcdonald.html?src=busln
http://www.tribtoday.com/page/content.detail/id/538623.html?nav=5021

SMILE 'TiL IT HURTS @ TRIBECA CINEMAS TONIGHT 5/24 @7:30pm

For those of you in NYC, please join the entire crew for a screening of SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS: The Up With People Story tonight at Tribeca Cinemas. This is part of the Tribeca Cinemas Doc Series from Tribeca Film! Hope you can join the us for a Q&A and reception to follow. It's going to be a hoot!

TRIBECA CINEMAS

54 Varick St (at Laight St)
Tribeca | Map

212-941-2000

Subway: A, C, E, 1 to Canal St. | Directions

Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/venues/tribeca/1115/tribeca-cinemas#ixzz0or7hAfbP

http://newyork.timeout.com/events/art-house-indie-cinema/341295/smile-til-it-hurts

Be sure to tweet and retweet us too! And FB it everywhere!

Tweet for Tribeca Film Doc Series! May 24, 2010!

We are thrilled to tell you that our documentary on Up With People, SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS, will screen at the Tribeca Film Doc Series in NYC on May 24! Do you tweet? If so, please go to the Tribeca Film Doc Series link below and hit the tweet button! Tweet Tweet and Retweet this announcement for SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS and be sure to ask fellow tweeters to retweet as well!
http://www.tribecafilm.com/docseries/52410_Smile_Til_It_Hurts_The_Up_With_People_Story.html

Penelope Falk Wins Sundance Documentary Editing Award!

Everyone at SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS is sending high fives and big smiles to Penelope Falk who won The Documentary Editing Award at the Sundance Film Festival for her work on JOAN RIVERS--A PIECE OF WORK. Penelope Falk is the brilliant editor that also tackled 40 yrs of archival history and over 800 hours of footage when making SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS: The Up With People Story. Congratulations Penny!

BIG SKY, SEDONA and SALEM film festivals!

After an amazing 2009, we are off to a great start in the New Year with three new screenings of the award-winning documentary, SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS! Please check it out at these amazing festivals. For tickets in MT, AZ and MA, follow the link in blue. We hope to see you there!

Big Sky Documentary Film Festival - Missoula, MT
DIRECTOR PRESENT FOR Q&A
Saturday, February 20 @ 3:40 pm
http://bigsky.bside.com/2010

Sedona Film Festival---ARIZONA PREMIERE!!!
DIRECTOR PRESENT FOR Q&A
Thursday, February 25 @ 11:45 am
Saturday, February 27 @ 7:30 pm
http://www.sedonafilm.org

Salem Film Fest - Salem, MA
PRODUCER PRESENT FOR Q&A
Saturday, February 27 @ 9:00 pm
http://salemfilmfest.com

With smiles; keep singing!

Happy New Year from SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS

2010! 2010! 2010!

TEAM GENIUS made 2009 fantastic for SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS, and 2010 promises to be equally rewarding.

We premiered!
We partied!
We sold out shows at film festivals across the US!
We received a Best Director Award!
We had theatrical screenings at the IFC Center in NYC and ArcLight in LA!
We qualified for Oscar consideration!
We delighted movie critics and generated thousands of fans!
We sold our first broadcast --- abroad in 2010!

(Ah yes, we are still in debt but hope our distribution plan will offset that reality in 2010.)

2010 opens with more screenings of SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS at soon-to-be-announced film festivals, and we are working toward theatrical screenings in various indie art houses.

SO PLEASE STAY TUNED!

Everyone at SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS wishes you continued happy viewing in 2010!