Before this all goes into a suitcase. Before we load up the car with bags, boots, and Kind Bars for the road trip, I have to take a moment and not just pinch myself but give a huge SHOUT OUT to some incredible filmmakers we now have the privilege of working with.

PSH Collective, writer director Kerem Sanga, producers Ross Putnam, Dave Hunter and Seth Caplan  have made this beautiful film, First Girl I Loved.

And we, Through The Wilderness, had the business savvy (If I dare say so, myself) to invest in the film. And now, as Executive Producers, we’re on our way to Sundance for its world premiere. I can’t wait for the audiences to fall in love with this film!

I have dreamt of attending Sundance for years. Long before I even had an idea of how I could write scripts, let alone, make a movie.  It can be something terrible when what we don’t know manifests into an obstacle so large you never hunt down your dreams.

But I did…against huge odds. I did.

I moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to pursue film. I wasn’t sure how that would look. I was determined to get into film school, though. I ached to learn how to write a script.  How to envision a story for the screen and then bring it to life. I WORKED hard to learn what I could and got into USC School of Cinematic Arts MFA in Screenwriting program fall of 2008 (days after my wedding– there were a ton of firsts happening that year!)

In my very class at USC, I met a young guy who was really smart and funny. And he had a ‘voice’.  He had what I knew we each could have. What we would work towards developing. He had what plenty more other writers did in the program, except his was defined. It was unique. Stood out. And he was a hard worker. He gave everything to learning more.  I admired that. Kerem and I became friends for more than his approach to screenwriting but because I found him silly and refreshing.

I think it was that first week or so I met Ross, too. I remember taking the bus from USC north to Echo Park and thinking…”how can a dude so young be so smart?”  And Dave Hunter…he just makes me smile. His storytelling is incredible and entertaining.

By the end of two years I had been in classes with Kerem, Ross and Dave. We were friends. Beers had been shared. They knew and dug my husband. And I was a supporter of their endeavors.  I became a fan, though, when the scenes from the last class I took with them made its premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival years later. The Young Kiewslowski moved me. I was touched by frank and tender characters. By unique story. It was fresh and authentic.

When the fundraising campaign came for First Girl I Loved, it didn’t take us long to get on board.

PSH Collective is a small but powerful group of filmmakers. I now call Seth, a smart and powerful producer, a friend, too. It’s truly an honor to be a part of this film. And to bring them all into the Through The Wilderness tribe.

So, here’s a Toast to PSH Collective, First Girl I Loved and Sundance.  Let the party begin!