Inspirational documentary GO FAR to premiere at the inaugural Niagara Integrated Film FestivalGO FAR: THE CHRISTOPHER RUSH STORY will hold its world premiere on Friday, June 19, at the inaugural Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF), a brand new festival from the Founder of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) - the most successful public film festival in the world, to take place in the wine country outside Toronto, Canada.
By: Go Far: The Christopher Rush Story movie The Founder of NIFF, Bill Marshall, also founded TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) nearly 40 years ago, the biggest and most successful public film festival in the world. He is taking the TIFF formula to the next level selecting the Niagara Wine Region of Southern Ontario as the perfect place for his new film festival. The programmers of NIFF discovered GO FAR at EFM (European Film Market) in Berlin via GO FAR’s sales agent Imagination Worldwide who was pitching the virtues of the inspirational documentary. NIFF believed in the film’s message and sent a personal invitation to the producer/director Zack Arnold to be one of just 30 films selected for the inaugural film festival. “I couldn’t be more proud to be hand-selected for such a prestigious event and to be able to hold the World Premiere of GO FAR: THE CHRISTOPHER RUSH STORY so close to Chris’ home state of Michigan. Chris’ GO FAR: THE CHRISTOPHER RUSH STORY chronicles the inspirational life of Christopher Rush, a quadriplegic and National Muscular Dystrophy Association poster child, who lived with muscular dystrophy from birth to his death at the age 30, well beyond his predicted two years of life. Chris achieved extraordinary goals despite impossible odds and left behind a philosophy of life for all of us to follow. GO FAR is a motivational film that will teach and inspire not only persons with disabilities but also everyone, to follow their dreams and achieve them, no matter the obstacles. Featuring Tony Orlando, Jerry Lewis, and narrated by Chris’ childhood hero and inspiration Mark Hamill, of Star Wars fame. The film is represented by international motion picture sales and distribution company Imagination Worldwide, and will be sold to international distributors at the Cannes Film Market later this month, and other major film markets globally. The domestic US/Canada television, DVD/VOD and digital licensing rights are being negotiated currently. In tandem, filmmaker Zack Arnold intends to take the show on the road with a grassroots effort to screen the film, for free, at institutions, hospitals, and support groups where both children and adults with disabilities can watch the film in group settings and hold discussions after the screenings. This effort is exactly the outreach that the GO FAR program was intended for when Christopher was still alive. “Screening GO FAR to a live audience either at film festivals or community screenings serves a very important purpose in sharing the GO FAR message - it gets those in the audience thinking, sharing, and motivating one another, which is exactly Chris’ goal in designing the program ” implies Zack Arnold, filmmaker and best friend to Christopher Rush. “Rarely is there a dry eye in the house after a screening.” Donations are being accepted via the official website for those wishing to contribute to funding the grassroots campaign at www.gofarmovie.com. Details on the Niagara Integrated Film Festival and tickets for the GO FAR screening are available at http://niagarafilmfest.com. Link to hi res images End
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