On Saturday, July 20th, White Ball Productions proudly hosted the long-anticipated premiere of their newest film, Grandpa and Shorty!
The red-carpet debut was held at the historic Oaks Theater in Oakmont, which lent a classic cinematic atmosphere to the evening. First opened in 1938, the Oaks Theater has been tastefully refurbished in recent years to accommodate concerts and live theater, while maintaining the nostalgic feel of a traditional movie-going experience. After several years of labor, the White Ball team couldn’t think of a more appropriate hometown venue to share this film.
The energy and support was palpable as an audience of 250 guests of family, friends, and industry colleagues celebrated the film’s unveiling. The night started with a lively and bustling cocktail hour with red carpet photos taken by Jenna Dunsmore Photography. Then the lights dimmed and the ladies of the White Ball Productions team introduced John Rokosz and Jeff Balmert, who shared some short words about their mission of storytelling. The film ran for 51 minutes, eliciting laughs, tears, and cheers from the crowd. It was truly an overwhelming audience reaction when John and Jeff took the stage again to thank their cast and crew with custom-made gifts of Grandpa and Shorty military challenge coins and framed movie posters. The party continued across the street for more drinks, food, and networking at Oakmont’s Pub at 333, which was a fun and accommodating after-party venue.
After such a successful premiere event, there are several next steps on the horizon for White Ball Productions. The film continues to perform well in the film festival circuit, having now been accepted into six festivals–including the Austin Lift-Off Film Festival as a finalist and the Freedom Festival International as a semi-finalist. The team plans to finish strong with a few more submissions in the following months, most notably the Three Rivers Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. The team is also preparing to screen the film for active and veteran military service people at the Lindsay Theater in Sewickley, PA on Thursday, September 26th. This event will mark the beginning of a military screening tour across the US, promoting the film to military communities for a grass-roots marketing campaign. With all of these efforts, the ultimate goal is to garner enough critical and demographic support to be considered for widespread digital distribution on streaming platforms.
Many thanks to the Oaks Theater and The Pub at 333 for a spectacular evening–it will surely be a lifelong memory for everyone involved. Please enjoy these exclusive photos of the premiere (courtesy of Jenna Dunsmore Photography), and consider subscribing to White Ball Productions’ mailing list for the latest news about Grandpa and Shorty!
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