The Long and Winding Road...

Alzheimer’s Film set in Appalachia to Screen Nationwide Using Groundbreaking Digital Service

Columbus, OH – July – Scrappy Cat Productions announces the theatrical release of Angel’s Perch, an independent feature film produced in partnership with the West Virginia Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and being distributed via Tugg.com, a brand new digital service that allows audiences to bring independent films to their local multiplexes. Angel’s Perch, set to play at AMC Easton Town Center 30 on August 14 at 7:30pm, examines the delicate relationship between past and present, memory and loss as depicted by a family struggling with Alzheimer’s disease.

The inspiration for Angel’s Perch came from the writer’s own roots in West Virginia and his family’s experiences with Alzheimer’s disease. “Everyone has an emotional home – the place that defines your happiest memories. For me, that place is a small town in the mountains of West Virginia,” says J.T. Arbogast. “In 2004, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, and over the next few years I watched as she slowly lost her memories. It’s a story that is not dissimilar from the millions of people who have watched this disease slowly take away a loved one and felt powerless to stop it. We struggle to find an answer to the question, ‘What can I do?’ For us, the answer came in the form of making a film.”

Community involvement is the cornerstone of modern independent filmmaking, and with good reason—artists are discovering that their fans are just as interested in the process as the product. “This whole project began with a Kickstarter fundraising campaign in 2011. We believed we had something that people would want to see…want to be a part of,” says Arbogast. Building upon their crowdfunding success, the filmmakers took to a new method of screening the film too: Theatrical-On-Demand. “Audiences let us know they want to see the film, and we can bring it to them—something that was not possible before movies switched to the digital format. It’s an incredibly empowering development for audiences and filmmakers,” says Dilts.

Large theatre chains often will not program independent films, fearing that the majority of the seats will remain unfilled. And most independent films lack the funds, clout, and star-power to market a project widely enough to fill those seats. This means that most independent films never reach their target audiences, and most audiences only get to see large blockbusters in their local theater. But, with Tugg, Angel’s Perch is planning a 30-city screening tour. “We are so excited to finally be able to share this film with friends, family, supporters, and a community and audience that we know will embrace it,” Arbogast says. ”Some folks have been waiting two years to see the movie they helped to make…we hope they’ll be as proud of it as we are.”

“It’s hard to find someone who has not been touched by this disease in some way. While statistics can inform our audience, film has the power to inspire, and we believe our film will raise awareness, bring comfort to families struggling with this disease, and transport the audience to a place of real beauty and warmth,” says Arbogast.

Angel’s Perch is the story of Jack, a successful young architect living in Pittsburgh, who must make the trip to his tiny hometown of Cass, WV to move his grandmother into an assisted-care facility after she is found wandering outside her home. But what was intended to be a two day, under-the-radar trip becomes more complicated when Jack is unable to move her into an assisted living facility nearby. Torn between the career opportunity of a lifetime, caring for his last living relative and running from his own painful memories, Jack is forced to choose between standing still or facing the pain of his past, so that he can finally move forward in his life.

The film stars Joyce Van Patten (The Danny Kaye Show, The Bad News Bears, The Good Guys, Grown Ups), J.T. Arbogast (30 Rock, When in Rome), Ally Walker (Sons of Anarchy, The Profiler, The Protector), Ashley Jones (True Blood, The Bold and the Beautiful), Ellen Crawford (ER, The Man from Earth), and a supporting cast of talented local West Virginia actors.

The ONE NIGHT ONLY screening will take place Wednesday, August 14^th at 7:30PM. Tickets are available online at http://www.angelsperch.com/tickets/ and must be reserved in advance.

For an electronic press kit, please visit: http://angelsperch.com/presskit/

To view the trailer, visit: http://vimeo.com/62707078

Questions, please email info@angelsperch.com

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Angel's Perch

I’m excited to announce that I’m hosting a screening of the newly released indie film, Angel’s Perch, the evening of Wednesday, 8/14 (7:30pm) at AMC Easton Town Center. Written & produced by Los Angeles filmmaker J.T. Arbogast and his wife Kimberly Dilts, the story is based on Arbogast’s life and family.

The historic town of Cass, WV, provides a lovely backdrop for the film in which Jack, a successful architect living in Pittsburgh, is called home to West Virginia to help with his grandmother Polly (played by Joyce Van Patten) who suffers from Alzheimer’s. I’ve included the full synopsis below.

Priority 1: Raising Awareness

My main intent in hosting this event is to raise awareness; however, it is also serving as a fundraiser for our Walk to End Alzheimer’s team, Marilyn’s Mighty Memory Makers. The Central Ohio Alzheimer’s Association will receive 5% of ticket sales along with any additional donations (completely optional) made at the time of purchase. The only requirement is that we fill 75 seats, and that’s where I’m asking for your help.

Please consider joining us for this very special event to support Alzheimer’s awareness and remember my amazing mom, Marilyn, just a day shy of 8 months since her passing. As many of you know, she is my special Angel – the one who inspires me to continue fighting this battle until it’s won.

Tickets on Sale Now!

So, here’s how this works! Visit the event page to reserve your tickets now. If you’d like to make an additional donation, you will have an opportunity to do so on the same page. Napoletan Fitness is generously offering one free personal training session for each donation of $50 or more. Keep in mind any additional donations are COMPLETELY OPTIONAL. Our primary goal is to sell enough tickets to fill the theater, as the importance of raising awareness is paramount.

Please note that your credit card will NOT be charged until we hit our threshold of 75 tickets sold (required in order to show the film). We hope to see you on August 14th.

Feel free to share this with anyone who might be interested. We’ve got 27 days to sell a minimum of 75 tickets!

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Synopsis

Angel’s Perch is the story of Jack, a successful architect living in Pittsburgh, who must make the trip to his tiny hometown when his grandmother Polly, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s, is found wandering outside her house one morning.

But what was intended to be a two day, under the radar trip to town becomes more complicated when Jack is unable to move Polly into an assisted living facility. Torn between the career opportunity of a lifetime, caring for his last living relative and running from his own painful memories, Jack’s carefully constructed life begins to unravel.

As the town prepares to honor Polly’s life by crowning her “Queen of Cass” and the pressure to return to Pittsburgh mounts, Jack struggles to hide behind the walls he has built. And when he finally reveals his secret to an old childhood friend, he is forced to choose between standing still or facing the pain of his past, so that he can finally move forward.

Set almost entirely in the small, historic logging town of Cass, WV, Angel’s Perch examines the delicate relationship between past and present, memory and loss.