Racers,
I am very excited to announce that my documentary, On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! has been chosen as an OFFICIAL SELECTION of the 2013 Downbeach Film Festival to be held the weekend of October 11-13 in Atlantic City, NJ. The screening will be the NJ premiere. I have included the press release I plan on sending out to media outlets in the region. If you have friends or family in the area I would be grateful if you'd let them know about the screening. The Facebook event page can be found here:
https://www.facebook.com/events/407645402668244/?ref_dashboard_filter=calendarFor those who have not see the film's trailer you can head on over to
http://www.mowermovie.comThanks to all for your support.
On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW!
A Tale of Hope, Redemption, and Lawn Mower Racing
New Jersey Premiere • 2013 Downbeach Film Festival
WASHINGTON, DC October 4, 2013 – Can the sport of lawn mower racing be used to save lives?
Fans of independent films will find out on October 12th as On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! has been officially selected to screen at the 2013 Downbeach Film Festival. The documentary film which will be making its New Jersey premiere will explore the world of lawn mower racing through the eyes of a Michigan family who have lost six members to Huntington's disease and use the sport to raise awareness of the disease and funds for its research. Filmthreat.com has called the documentary “a blast to watch” and viewer ratings on IMDb.com have been very positive.
Huntington's disease is a disorder passed down through families in which nerve cells in certain parts of the brain waste away, or degenerate. While there are some treatment for some of the aspects of Huntington's disease there is no cure. The disease causes a deterioration in both physical and mental health and results in death 15-20 years after onset. In order to offer an explanation of Huntington's disease to a general audience producer/director Mike Ratel has conducted on camera interviews with medical professionals, US congressmen, Huntington's disease advocates, and Arlo Guthrie who lost his father Woody Guthrie, an American folk music icon to the disease in 1967.
As a son of the Garden State, Ratel is excited about returning to the state for the New Jersey Premiere of a documentary in which he spent five years making. The Downbeach Film Festival/Atlantic City Cinefest presents a cultural event for residents of and visitors to the communities of Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, Longport, Ocean City and beyond. The festival promotes new films, as well as filmmakers and actors all in an effort to celebrate the art form of filmmaking.
Now in their twentieth season the US Lawn Mower Racing Association (USLMRA) is a national governing body for the sport of lawn mower racing. With chapters and members across America the organization works to schedule races, promote the association and its races via media opportunities, as well coordinate efforts with race day partners such as the Michigan chapter of the Huntington's Disease Society of America among others.
"Mike Ratel has put is heart and soul into this movie for the past five years, he is truly MOWtivated," said Bruce Kaufman, USLMRA Founder & President. "This movie will showcase the unique culture of lawn mower racing and how our people band together to help battle a horrific disease."
A Grand Rapids Press article about Ratel and the documentary was distributed by the Associated Press in 2009 resulting in radio, Internet, and newspaper coverage across the US. On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! has also been selected by the DC Independent, South Texas Underground, Naperville Independent, and Maryland International Film Festivals.
In 2009 Docs in Progress selected the trailer for On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! as one of five documentary trailers to be included in an evening of trailer screenings. Recently Ratel was interviewed by Stephanie Webb on on the Grand Rapids ABC TV affiliate WZZM Channel 13 regarding On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW!'s Michigan Premiere. He was joined by Donna Mikula who is both wife and mother to two of the racers featured in the film and the organizer of the race to raise money for Huntington's disease research. The interview can be seen here:
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/article/218962/205/On-Your-Mark-Get-Set-Mow-Lawnmower-Racing-Documentary On Your Mark, Get Set, MOW! will screen Saturday, October 12 at 2:30 pm at the Atlantic City Library. The screening is free and appropriate for all ages. The library's address is 1 North Tennessee Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
(609) 345-2269