Joy Comes to Washougal, Washington

Joy Comes to Washougal, Washington

LOS ANGELES, April 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Red Love Film's latest feature, "Joy" - joythefilm.com - is an official selection at the Washougal International Film Festival, which will be held in Washougal, Washington between August 12-16th, 2009.

Recently completed, "Joy" is currently seeking distribution and will be screening on May 11th at Raleigh Studios to acquisition executives and film buyers. At the event, Red Love Film will be announcing the Spread the Joy campaign - a social movement, philanthropic in nature and similar to the "Pay It Forward" campaign, which will be facilitated through the joythefilm.com website - click on Special. For more about Red Love Film and its slate, read below.

What can a 1997 Michigan Pinot Grigio teach you about the meaning of life? Inspired by a true story, the film follows three sisters, Joy, Marie #1 and Marie #2, who set out on a journey on the anniversary of their father's death. On the journey they find the meaning of their lives, unbelievably, at a grocery store. A place like no other, this is a store of whimsy and magic with few square feet in the unknown. It is there that mystical guides and the unexpected passing of Joy force the remaining sisters to find true joy in their sadness. This film is a gift of Joy from one sister to another and is dedicated to Elizabeth Joy Hassett and Robert E. Hassett. It's actually a comedy that deals with surviving, moving on, and finding happiness.

Writer/Director/Actress Julie Marie Hassett tells of the film, "When my father passed away in 2003, I began writing a story about trying to understand death. I was humbled and honored to be able to watch my family grieve. I learned quite a lot actually--and much of it was an exercise in love, grace, and humor. I worked on the film with both of my sisters - Elizabeth and Sarah.

"By early 2006, we were close to shooting. Elizabeth had become pregnant with twins after struggling with infertility for years. Then, on July 12, 2006, 17 weeks pregnant, Elizabeth died very suddenly. It is still unclear if the cause of her death was HELLP syndrome. Neither of the twins, Cohen and Kiersten, survived.

"This of course was devastating to our family. We started a public charity called Foundation of Joy (Elizabeth's name was Elizabeth Joy) - www.foundationofjoy.org - that supports adoption programs -- and I think she would be very happy about that. I was so very sad though; I wanted to throw the script away. But so many of her friends came to me and told me how happy she had been working on the film with Sarah and me; the project had brought us so much closer. So I decided to finish the film for Elizabeth, and see a portion of the profits from the film support the Foundation of Joy."

The Washougal International Film Festival is an international event with a community focus that combines public screenings and small forums in the heart of downtown Washougal, Washington.

Producer Joseph Ruggieri says of the event, "We're proud to be part of such an inspirational event. The Washougal Festival embraces the spirit of 'Joy' and Red Love Film. They encourage taking risks, embracing art, and appreciating the valuable contribution of filmmakers to the marketplace of ideas that pushes our society forward."

Red Love Film is a coup d'etat over the mediocre and the half shade. As a company, it strives to create projects that are unique, compelling and tell stories that must be told. Red Love Film is currently in production on The Blue Marble Gang - www.bluemarblegang.com, an animated show that teaches children about being green through mysteries and song; The Last of the Bridesmaids, a story about finding yourself and love in your 40's; Measure, a legal thriller tackling human trafficking and the life of a call girl; and Off Track, a documentary about saving children from underage prostitution. Red Love Film runs Red Love Supper Club, Lizzy Records, Red Love Style, The Foundation of Joy and thriller production entity Red Blood.

Contact: Joseph Ruggieri 310-365-1344

Source: Red Love Film

CONTACT: Joseph Ruggieri of Red Love Film, +1-310-365-1344

Web Site: http://www.redlovefilm.com/
http://www.joythefilm.com/
http://www.foundationofjoy.org/

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