Loveland Magazine

Local Music Students Back to Chicago Recording Company

This YouTube music video of Ghosts Along the Mississippi was recorded on Saturday, October 24 at the Chicago Recording Company. Presented by the students of Aaron O'Keefe: www.aaronokeefe.com. O'Keefe is co-Founder of the Loveland Music Academy.

Army Pvt. Brian Harmon Graduates Advanced Individual Training

Army Pvt. Brian Harmon has graduated from the Infantryman One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning, Columbus, Ga.  The training consists of Basic Infantry Training and Advanced Individual Training.

During the nine weeks of basic combat training, Harmon received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons employment, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid skills, and Army history, core values and traditions.  Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics, and experienced use of various weapons and weapons defenses available to the infantry crewman.

The Advanced Individual Training course is designed to train infantry soldiers to perform reconnaissance operations; employ, fire and recover anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; locate and neutralize land mines and operate target and sight equipment; operate and maintain communications equipment and radio networks; construct field firing aids for infantry weapons; and perform infantry combat exercises and dismounted battle drills, which includes survival procedures in a nuclear, biological or chemical contaminated area.

Harmon is the son of Joyce and James Harmon of Hayward Circle, Milford, and is a 2007 graduate of Milford High School.

Family Food and Fun at Annual Clermont Pancakes in the Park Event

CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO - What does real maple syrup taste like?  You can try it out on a stack of pancakes at the annual Pancakes in the Park breakfast on Saturday, March 13, 2010, at Pattison Park, located on SR50 in Stonelick Township.  The event runs from 8:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. and has some fun activities for the whole family to do, to work off the delicious breakfast at the park lodge.  “We will have hands on  activities to show you how to tap a tree and there will be demonstrations of how Native Americans and pioneers boiled down the tree sap to make syrup,” said Clermont Parks Chief Naturalist Keith Robinson.  “We will have naturalist-led hikes in the park to help you identify various trees and wildlife.”

Robinson also invites citizens to sponsor a bucket used to collect sap.  “For $25, you can have your name on a bucket that is attached to a tree, two free tickets to the pancake breakfast, and a bottle of pure maple syrup, made right here at Pattison Park.”  This year, the syrup is being cooked in a new evaporator, purchased by the Pattison Foundation.

Tickets for the Pancakes in the Park breakfast cost $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $2 for children, with those ages 5 and under free.  The tickets are available at the park on the day of the event, or by calling (513) 732-2977.

 

Campus Rape Victims: A Struggle For Justice

by Joseph Shapiro

A college campus isn't the first place that comes to mind in a discussion about violent crime.

But research funded by the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1 out of 5 college women will be sexually assaulted. NPR's investigative unit teamed up with journalists at the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) to look at the failure of schools — and the government agency that oversees them — to prevent these assaults and then to resolve these cases.  Listen to the story at NPR

Great Parks Club

Adults age 55 and over are invited to register for these programs online below or by sending your name, address, daytime phone number and the appropriate fee to Great Parks Club, Hamilton County Park District, 10245 Winton Road, Cincinnati, OH 45231. Make checks payable to the Hamilton County Park District.

Little Miami football coach leaving for job at Madeira

Shafer says levy problems for Little Miami were a contributing factor, but not the ultimate factor.

MORROW OHIO - Mike Shafer said the uncertainty that surrounds the future of Little Miami athletics wasn’t the deciding factor in his decision to take the head football coach position at Madeira High School.

But, it certainly played a role.   Read on...

Resources For Everyday Living

by Roberta Paolo

The resources you need for everyday living can change at the drop of a hat. 

For me, they changed recently when my 93 year old mother broke her hip and after surgery, came to live with me permanently.  I live in a small house with one small bathroom.  For the time being she uses a walker that just fits in the bathroom with barely enough room to run around.  I was really pleased to learn of a new vanity design that is almost half as deep as the standard 24" that was in my bathroom.  They are available at Home Depot and Lowe's, are $200 and come in a variety of styles.  Some have composite and others have porcelain sinks.  After years of composites that scratch and quickly become hard to clean in our hard water, I went back to porcelain.  I also went with a single lever faucet.  It is easier to operate and I've had enough of the one piece two handle faucets that are so hard to keep clean between.

(To share your own secrets of managing everyday living with Roberta, use the "comment" button below.)

Roberta Paolo is the founder of Granny's Garden School - Teaching in the gardens, in Loveland, Ohio.

Rev. Jennifer Bannerman Installed at Lakeview UCC

Evolving Attitudes About Church and Religion Presents a Challenge for Minister and Young Congregation

One of Maineville’s youngest mainline congregations - under 30 years old - installed its third permanent pastor at a special service on Valentine’s Day. Rev. Jennifer Bannerman was elected to pastor Lakeview United Church of Christ in July of last year.

Bannerman was formerly Senior Pastor of Birmingham UCC in Pittsburgh, PA. She received her Master of Divinity at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, CA and is expected to receive her Doctorate in Ministry this May, through
Luther Seminary of St. Paul, MN.

Pastor Jennifer, as she is often referred to by church members, says that her last four years of ministry and her study for her doctorate have given her the opportunity to learn in-depth how current trends and shifting paradigms are shaping congregations. She admits that no one yet has discovered the solution to declining attendance in mainline churches, but said her studies and experience offer insight to the process of how to adapt to modern times.

She sees the struggles of church members and their fear of change directly relating to the struggles and hard times experienced by Moses in the dessert with the Israelites. “Many church folk I have talked to feel as if they are lost in the wilderness, not knowing anymore what to do to bring people to church or to God.” says Bannerman. “We in the church can long for the good old days as much as we want, but if we do not start making changes, we will not last for long.” She adds, “We need to somehow help our people understand that being open to the changing world can be a way to go deeper into our core convictions. If we never let anything challenge our beliefs, then how do we really know what we believe?”

The United Church of Christ itself models Bannerman’s attitudes about adapting to the times. It is a denomination that establishes its mission statements based on lay leadership for the most part, in contrast to other church denominations that rely on a
pastoral hierarchy to instruct and dictate to the congregation. Lakeview United Church of Christ has as part of its statement of faith: “We are a people that continue to discern and be inspired by a still speaking God. We are a church that takes the Bible seriously, but not literally - and invites all to the communion table.”

In early 2009, after much conversation, consternation and prayer , Lakeview became an “Open and Affirming” church following the UCC Synod recommendations made back in 1985. The term “Open and Affirming” means that a church does not
discriminate, and in fact welcomes into the full life of the church, those for whom sexual orientation and gender identity have meant exile from a spiritual community.

The process of discussion for this decision was not without the agony of losing some members and the pain associated with loss of years-long relationships. Donna Wyatt, who was Council Moderator for 2008 and 2009, says that “The leaders of Lakeview
at that time felt we needed to handle this conflict within our congregation prior to hiring a new minister. We felt that we had no chance of hiring a minister to a church still tottering on the edge of the fence on this issue.”

Council 2010 Moderator, Bob Sandman, says of the future of Lakeview UCC with Pastor Jennifer, “Our goal as a church is to involve people into a commuity of love and hope, serve others and learn where God is leading us.”

Lakeview UCC is located at  8639 Columbia Road.

LOVELAND STUDENTS RAISE $9,000 FOR HAITIAN SCHOOLS

Dodgeball Tourney on Thursday to Meet $15,000 Goal

LOVELAND, OHIO - Loveland Middle School French teacher Hillary Pecsok and her students have led district and community wide fundraising efforts for Haiti the past month. They have successfully raised close to $9,000 from community service projects and donations.  Their goal is to raise $15,000 that would support five schools in Haiti for a year each to keep children out of slavery. 

 LMS/LIS Hope for Haiti Dodgeball Tournament will be taking place this Thursday evening, February 25.  The LMS Stageband will be performing in the LMS gym, beginning at 6 PM to welcome guests and the tournament will begin at 6:30.   There will be concessions, a raffle, and a half-time show, and, Mr. Jean-Robert Cadet, founder of the Jean Cadet Restavek Foundation (to whom they are donating the money), will be attending the tournament along with other Restavek Foundation staff.  Mr. Cadet will be speaking at the half-time show.

All community members are welcome to come support the cause, have some pizza and delicious treats, and to watch the dodgeball games in both the LMS and LIS gyms!  Admission at the door will be $3.00 per person and overflow parking will be available at the United Methodist Church and the Grace Church on S. Lebanon Road.

LMS is located at 801 S. Lebanon Road.

The Global Lovers

A timely poetic drama: Part of Grailville’s new
Third Sunday Poetry Series

Dear Loveland Magazine Readers,

Grailville Retreat and Program Center invites you to attend The Global Lovers, a reading of poet Rhonda Pettit’s timely poetic drama examining sex slavery and its relationship to U. S. consumer culture on Sunday, March 21, at 2 PM. This event is the first in Grailville’s new Third Sunday Poetry Series.

A woman in Kentucky reads newspaper advertisements and considers the objects she might purchase. Meanwhile, in another part of the world, a young girl is forced into sex slavery. What must they learn about themselves -- and each other? The Global Lovers offers an energetic, timely, and localized focus on this challenging subject. The performance is followed by a conversation with the playwright and with the director, e.E. Charlton-Trujillo.
 
The Global Lovers, a poetic drama in five scenes, was presented to a sold-out audience at the Cincinnati Playwrights’ Initiative in February 2009. Author Rhonda Pettit, Ph.D., is an associate professor of English and Women's Studies at the University of Cincinnati in Blue Ash.  A recipient of fellowships from the Kentucky Foundation for Women and Hedgebrook, her poems have appeared in many journals and in the anthology I Go to the Ruined Place: Contemporary Poems in Defense of Global Human Rights.Director e.E. Charlton-Trujillo has worked on over thirty short films and, most recently, edited the feature film Night Fliers. In 2004, Charlton-Trujillo won the prestigious Delacorte Dell Yearling Award for her first novel Prizefighter En Mi Casa. Charlton-Trujillo's latest endeavor Fallen (The Revolution), a webseries designed for television, will be pitched in February 2010 in LA.

Grailville’s Third Sunday Poetry Series offers monthly opportunities for poets and poetry lovers to gather for readings, performances and discussions, followed by an optional poetry craft workshop. Participants will give and receive feedback on poems they have brought with them. There is a $15 fee for each 2 PM performance; the 3:30 PM Poetry Workshop is by donation.

Grailville’s Third Sunday Poetry Series is co-sponsored by Cincinnati Writers Project, Dos Madres Press, Greater Cincinnati Writers League and InkTank. Spend Sunday afternoon with learning from and with accomplished poets from the Cincinnati area and beyond! Future programs include:

Giving Your Poems Roots and Wings: A panel discussion on publishing your poems on Sunday, April 18.

Appalachian Poets: Celebrate Appalachian Month with poets George Ella Lyon and Frank X Walker on May 16.
 

All programs are at Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road, Loveland OH. For information or to register contact visit www.grailville.org or call 513-683-2340. Supported in part by the Tomcinoh Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation.

Sincerely,

Pauletta Hansel

Loveland Community Prayer Cross Walk

WGRR Visits St. Columban's Lenten Fish Fry


LOVELAND, OHIO - Radio personalities Chris and Janeen from WGRRs Chris and Janeen Married with Microphones were present for the first fish fry of this Lenten season at St. Columban Church. Bob Reilly, of  WGRR's promotions, also accompanied them. Their parked van was broadcasting  St. Columban's location and menu - which could be heard when arriving at the Fish Fry. WGRR plays classic rock from the 70s and is referred to as "Cincinnati's Greatest Hits."

"The hospitality at St. Columban was overwhelming. We felt very welcome with the special table set up with flowers and silverware, the delicious fish dinner, the yummy cake and the large welcome WGRR sign." said Chris. St. Columban was the first Lenten Fish Fry of his and Janeen's Tri-State Fish Fry World Tour Stop.

Coming to St. Columban's Fish Fry is more than about Fish: It's all about community. It's an event where the entire Parish comes to the Cafeteria to socialize with friends and eat fish as they adhere to the Lenten Practice of fasting from meat on Friday.

Every Friday during Lent, St. Columban Boosters sponsor a Fish Fry
in the Cafeteria 5 - 8:00 PM.

Dine-in or Drive-thru. (894 Oakland Road)

Easter Sunday services at Epiphany

MIAMI TOWNSHIP, OHIO - Easter Sunday services at Epiphany United Methodist church will be April 4th.  There will be 3 services Easter morning, 8 AM and 11 AM will be traditional services with the contemporary service at 9 AM.  Professional childcare will be available at all services.

Michael C. Casto Graduates as Advanced Artillery Cannon Crewmember

Army Pvt. Michael C. Casto has graduated from the Basic Field Artillery Cannon Crewmember Advanced Individual Training course at Fort Sill, Lawton, Okla.

The course is designed to train servicemembers to maintain, prepare and load ammunition for firing; operate and perform operator maintenance on prime movers, self-propelled Howitzers, and ammunition vehicles; store, maintain, and distribute ammunition to using units as a member of battery or battalion ammunition section; perform crew maintenance and participate in organizational maintenance of weapons and related equipment; and establish and maintain radio and wire communications.

Casto is the son of Patricia J. Krimins of Loveland, Ohio, and Michael A. Casto of Parkersburg, W.Va., and a 2007 graduate of Parkersburg High School.

SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PUBLIC FORUM NOW WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM

LOVELAND, OHIO - Weather conditions prompted the Loveland Board of Education to reschedule its Tuesday, February 16 Board meeting and Public Forum to Wednesday, February 24, at 6 PM at the Loveland Intermediate School Media Center. 

The Board will open the meeting with a public forum to listen to input from citizens on the Superintendent Search for the district.

THE PUBLIC IS ALSO INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN AN ON-LINE SURVEY TO PROVIDE ADVICE INTO THE HIRING OF A NEW SUPERINTENDENT.

Milford 68 Loveland 47

LOVELAND, OHIO - The Milford Eagles beat the Loveland Tigers in the annual Milford/Loveland Crosstownship game last Friday, 68-47.

Below, watch Loveland Magazine Sports reporter, Chris Shoals's post-game report.

Governor Calls for Elimination of PASSPORT Waiting List

..by Reallocating Existing Funds

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today called for the elimination of the waiting list for the PASSPORT program for this fiscal year, as well as the Assisted Living and PACE programs at the Ohio Department of Aging, by the end of March.

Ohio No. 1 for weatherization

Ohio leads the nation in spending stimulus money to weatherize houses for low-income residents, completing more than one in five of the projects reported nationally last year.

"Their numbers are great," said Cathy Zoi, assistant secretary for energy efficiency and renewable energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. "They have set the gold standard for weatherization."  Read on...

The program provides insulation, weather sealing and furnace upgrades to save energy for homeowners who make as much as double the U.S. poverty rate, $44,100 for a family of four.

How Do You Apply For Weatherization Services?

An Applicant needs to complete the Combined Energy Assistance Application (also known as the Home Energy Assistance Program or HEAP application).  The applicant should complete the application, contact the local weatherization provider and notify the provider of interest in the weatherization services, or mail the application to the OCS office at 77 South High Street, P.O. Box 1001, Columbus, Ohio 43216-1001. The applicant can access a listing of weatherization providers and request weatherization service from the local provider is the best and quickest way to access services.  Please note the waiting list for assistance (After eligibility has been determined) varies from provider to provider and, in some cases, could be months.   

Mulch Sale Benefits Loveland School Athletics

LOVELAND, OHIO - The annual Loveland Athletic Boosters mulch sale is here.  All proceeds directly benefit Loveland's 900 plus student athletes, grades 7 through 12, participating in 24 boys and girls sports. These student athletes, participating in the Buckeye division of the FAVC.

Athletic Boosters, and the affiliated Parents Clubs, support these student athletes by:

• directly sponsoring activities to promote school spirit and enthusiasm
• purchasing and donating equipment to the Loveland Athletics Department

Loveland athletes will be selling door-to-door on Saturday, March 6.  

All orders need to be received by Wednesday March 31.

As always, the Boosters will provide free local delivery; however, they do not spread the mulch. They will deliver your mulch, weather permitting, on two Saturdays:

Saturday, April 10 - Friday, April 16

(Orders of full or near full pallets [see order form] will be delivered by truck.)

Saturday, April 17 – All other orders will be delivered by Loveland athletes.

To order by phone and/or questions, call: 646-1773 or e-mail.  ktob_0091@fuse.net

To order by mail, please download and send a completed order form.  Download Mulch%20order%20form They prefer all orders be paid by check made payable and mailed to:

Loveland Athletic Boosters
Mulch Sale
P.O. Box  458
Loveland, Ohio 45140-0458

To order online thru Pay Pal, www.lovelandathleticboosters.com

Pro golf tour adds stop in Warren County

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, OHIO - The future stars of the PGA Tour are coming to Warren County this summer.

The Chiquita Classic, a Nationwide Tour event, will be played July 12-18 at the TPC at River’s Bend, the tour announced Friday, Feb. 19, in a news conference at the club.
A field of 156 players will compete in the 72-hole stroke play event for a total purse of $550,000 over the Arnold Palmer-designed par-72 layout. First prize will be $99,000, and all four rounds will be broadcast on Golf Channel.  READ ON...

Hamill: Exclusive Interview with Screenwriter and Actor, Eben Kostbar

A True Story about Loveland Legend: Matt Hamill

By Ricky Mulvey for Loveland Magazine

“Hamill” is an upcoming film about Loveland Ohio legend Matt Hamill. Matt is currently a fighter in the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) and was a NCAA Division III wrestling champion. The movie was co-written by Eben Kostbar and Joseph McKelheer, stars Russell Harvard, and was directed by Oren Kaplan. The movie is now being produced by the Farrelly Brothers. The Farrelly Brothers have directed well know pictures such as “Dumb and Dumber,” “Fever Pitch,” “There’s Something About Mary,” and produced “The Ringer,” “Me, Myself, and Irene,” & “Shallow Hal.” Besides working on “Hamill” the Farrelly Brothers are currently in the process of making “The Three Stooges” and “Hall Pass” which will star Jenna Fischer and Owen Wilson.


_^To find out more about “Hamill” I interviewed Eben Kostbar who is the film’s screenwriter and also plays the role of Coach Cantrell in the film. Before Eben got involved with “Hamill” he made the critically acclaimed short film “Karma Café.” The film was praised by the New York Times and won 10 film festivals. Eben has made a guest appearance on the TNT drama “The Unit.” Recently he was featured in the film “Reunion” about the massacre at Columbine High School and produced the thriller “Godspeed”.

Question- What will separate Hamill from other sports or fighting movies that have been made?

Eben Kostbar-  I am huge fan of sports and underdog films.  In “Hamill” We combine a great story with the sport. A lot of sports movies try to gloss over the story with a lot of cool action scenes. We felt Matt has such a great and inspirational story that we should let the sport be the backdrop. I think “The Blindside” (about football player Michael Oher) is successful because it allowed football to be more in the background and was more about Michael Oher’s story.

Q- How has the UFC reacted to the making of this movie?

EK- I don’t want to quote Dana White or the UFC. They are aware of the movie and have been very supportive of our efforts and Matt. They are letting us shoot for free at one of their fights. They have been good to us.

Q- What sparked your interest in this movie?

EK- Growing up I wrestled and played football. While I was working on a different film at the time, I saw Matt on the reality show The Ultimate Fighter 3. I thought “wow, this guy’s got an interesting story. I wonder if he would be up for making a movie.”  After greeting each other on MySpace, we went met up at a wrestling tournament and it took off from there. That was about four years ago.

(Recently Matt Hamill fought Jon Jones in the main event of the Ultimate Fighter 10 finale. After a sweep by Jones, Hamill was battered with punches until Jones started to elbow him in the face. Because that move is illegal, the fight was stopped to see if Matt was able to continue. He wasn’t and Matt was awarded the win by disqualification.)

Q- What did you think of Matt’s latest fight against Jon Jones?

EK- The good of the fight was that it showed Matt’s character and he never gave up, even with his injured shoulder. He showed tremendous heart. I think he just had a bad night. He got thrown to the ground, popped out his shoulder. There’s not much you can do in a fight when your shoulder is out of place and you’re thrown to the ground getting shots to the head. I think Matt didn’t show his potential in that fight. Not to take anything away from Jon Jones. He’s a great wrestler and super athletic.

I’ve known Matt the past four years, so I was disappointed in the outcome, that the fight didn’t go his way and that he didn’t put on a better performance. I know he can do better.

Q- Because you wrote the screenplay, tell me what the research process has been like for you, and have you been to Loveland researching the film?

EK- Actually, I have not been to Loveland. We interviewed all the people in Matt’s immediate family that were going to be part of the story.  Unfortunately, we were on a shoestring budget, so a lot of our scripts were to hang out with Matt and to see Matt in New York. We spent a lot of time researching people that had been in Matt’s life and hanging out with Matt for almost 3 years. Before that, there were 75 revisions of the script. Matt was a big part of that process to make sure that it was authentic and as real as possible.  One of the first things when I met Matt was I gave my word that I’m not going to film this movie unless you are happy with the script. Movies have to take liberties and change things here and there, but we wanted the heart of the story to be as accurate as possible.

Q- The other movie that you have written was a short called Karma Café. Please tell me the difference between writing a full length film and a short movie?

EK- There is a lot of differences. In a short film, people think it is kind of easy to make because it is only a short amount of time. You still have to put the beginning, middle and end of a story in a small time frame. The challenges of a feature are making a story that is intriguing in one and a half or 2 hours and developing all the characters. I would say that the biggest challenge of Hamill for us was that we were limited with a small budget and a sports film. Since we were on a limited budget, we were really focused that it was really quality. Money was definitely an issue.

Q- There has been controversy making this film you were originally supposed to play Matt, would you address that?

EK- I would say that there was controversy in the beginning when we started the film. I started wrestling, I got to know Matt, and I grew up as an actor. I thought it would be a good challenge for me to play this part. When I approached Matt, we knew each other at that point. He said “yeah, you know me better than anybody, you know how to wrestle, and you kind of look like me. I think that would be a great idea.”  But after the controversy came out, I was taking a lot of time getting to know the deaf culture, I realized that looking at the bigger scale of things. We were really trying to make a movie that would make a difference to the deaf community - and with them. I didn’t want to be selfish and play the role.  I put myself in their position, and said, you know what, there will be other roles for me. I think it is more important to give up this role to let someone who is deaf play this role. It is hard for deaf actors to get roles in movies, the jobs are so far and few between.  Matt and I sat down and talked about it. We decided to go that route. It was hard at the time because at that time we had another production company wanting to come on board to give us more money to produce this film and in exchange they wanted a bigger name actor to play Matt Hamill. Most named actors are hearing. The truth of the situation is not only me stepping out of the role, but also me and my partners saying, "No, we are going to hire a deaf actor for the role." We turned down a lot of potential deals to make sure that the deaf community was put in, and to make sure we were hopefully doing something that was special. It’s going to pay off.

Q- What distributors have shown interest?

EK- We are not at that point yet. Right now we are still in post-production and editing the film. The plan is, like most independent films - we are going to take it to a film festival, and after that, we are going to sit down with different distribution companies and hope to get a good deal.  The good news is that some people are on board now. We partnered up with 5th Year Productions. Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, also known as the Farrelly Brothers, are the two people now involved. Their connections are going to help us.

Q- What is the most memorable moment making the film?

EK- Oh wow, the most memorable, was shooting at RIT. Which is Rochester Institute of Technology. For most people that aren’t aware, there is a big deaf school within RIT that is called National Technical Institute for the Deaf. It is special for two reasons. It’s Matt’s Alma Mater and it helps to feel what it was like to be in Matt’s shoes. We met so many great and wonderful people in the administration and the students there.  When making a movie about the deaf, you are surrounded by the culture.  For a hearing person, it is kind of weird to be in an environment that you have deaf people around and really feel for what it is like.

Q- Do you have an estimate when the movie will be done and in the theaters?

EK- I would say the end of the year is realistic.

Q- I saw that you are working on another film called Godspeed, can you tell me what that is about?

EK- It is going to be in theaters in a few months in selected cities and is out on DVD. It’s a different type of film. My partner and I own a production company, called Film Harvest, which produced the feature. It’s a redemption story about a guy who visits the family and through a series of events, he finds himself. It was shot in Alaska and it’s pretty good.

Q- A central part of "Hamill" is a big UFC fight of Matt’s? Who is he actually fighting?

EK- Basically, it is about him growing up and a culmination of him winning - being the first deaf person to win a UFC contest and an NCAA wrestling championship.  There is a fight in the picture, and the fighter we have is Dan Henderson. However we’re not sure if that is going to end up on the cutting room floor or not.

Q- What else would you like to say that has not been addressed?

EK- The goal of the film is, we have deaf people and hearing people in the audience at the same time to watch this movie. We think it is going to be really cool. Everything is going to be subtitled. It’s going to be Matt growing up in Loveland Ohio in a hearing world, and deaf people are going to be doing what they normally do, watching the subtitles.  Matt goes to RIT, gets exposed to deaf culture and starts to learn sign language. Then, the hearing will be forced to read subtitles. Our goal for this film is to allow the deaf and hearing the chance to enjoy the movie together in theaters. Also, we want to expose the hearing to deaf culture. With Matt's inspiring story we will learn something from it.