A few weeks ago, I was contacted from someone who ran one of the Festivals that Stunt Mom appeared in. She is now working at another Festival in Texas called Iron Dragon TV Action Fest. She told me that she thought Stunt Mom would be a great fit and offered me a free code for submission if I was interested. Well, of course I'm interested. So, I submitted it! And that just excited me about the prospect of it being shown again. Then about a week later I received in the mail, the official Patent/Trademark on the name Stunt Mom for use on clothing and hats! How awesome is that? It only took a year and a half! So with these two new things happening, it occurred to me that I still hadn't taken the time to submit Stunt Mom to Amazon Prime. So I started that process yesterday! I am very excited at the possibility of showing the film to a new audience.

Stunt Mom was my first film and it inspired me to make more! I made a film last year for the 48 Hour Film Project called The Break. It is an office comedy and it was in fact made in 48 hours. Crazy right? That film has already won several awards and has been accepted into several festivals as well. I wrote another short comedy called I'm Not Lost, and it stars the Director of Stunt Mom, Shannon Morrall. That very funny film is in post production and I can't wait to see the final product. AND I have another film in pre-production that just might have some more stunts in it. That one is called I'm Not Nice! Hopefully, we will be filming this summer. None of these projects would have been possible without Stunt Mom. I met all my fellow collaborators at Festivals where the film screened. So no matter what happens moving forward, I will always be proud of and grateful for Stunt Mom!

Stunt Mom had an amazing Festival Run! I am so proud of this little film. It is 5 and half minutes of pure fun! I considered submitting to more festivals in the Fall but wanted to put my energy into my next project. Also, I really wanted to share with everyone. I want everyone to be able to see it. SO I decided to put it on YouTube. I decided to make it public. I decided to share it. So now, you can see it, you can buy a Stunt Mom T-shirt, and you can encourage me to keep writing the Feature. I'm working on it, but it is a very big undertaking. Somedays I don't think I can do it. But I really love Stunt Mom and I have a lot more to say on the subject. So, if you like the short, please leave a comment under the film on YouTube and let me know if you would be interested in a feature length film. I honestly believe that every mom is a Stunt Mom and adding to the "stunts" that we have to pull off on a daily basis the extra level of dangerous stunt work just exposes the strength that mothers truly have. You can find the link for the full short film here on this site. I hope that you enjoy it!!!

The joy that this film has brought me is insane! Struggle and stress, yes of course, but the overwhelming sense of pride, joy, accomplishment and then there is just the pure fun! Yep, it's is super hard to make a film but it has proven to be overwhelmingly worth it. The big weekend of Festivals was so much fun! I got to get all dressed up and have pictures taken on red carpets, I had interviews, met celebrities, cool people and super talented filmmakers. I made connections, I made friends and I felt inspired. Some of my favorite experiences of the "big weekend" was the Opening Night Gala event at the Garden State Film Festival. I was there with Shannon, director of Stunt Mom, and we were dressed up and mingling like pros. I never wanted that night to end. And it barely did since we stayed up until 3:00 in the morning. Ha! How often does this mama get to do that? All the while that fun was being had, people were referring to me as "Stunt Mom!" So it's not just a film, it's a nickname and I love it! My favorite screening experience so far was at the Queens World Film Festival. First of all, Stunt Mom was in a block of short films that were all Family Friendly so the whole family could go. The theater was beautiful, small but super well set up! The theater sold out, I guess it would have been nice if it was just a wee bit bigger but playing to a sold out crowd, a full house was a great experience. And the audience was so intuitive, they got every joke, every moment, even a couple things that I didn't think people would laugh at or react to. There was a Q&A afterwards and my son, Tony even answered a question so eloquently that it brought tears to my eyes!

The following week was a smaller festival in the middle of the week on a Wednesday. The experience was very different because I hadn't met any of the other filmmakers yet. But luckily, the set up allowed for plenty of mingling and I met some wonderful people. That night also proved to be filled with surprises! I was blown away when Stunt Mom took home an award from the Point Lookout Film Festival! What? It's true! It was awarded the BEST CONCEPT! This is such an honor because it was the very concept that drove me to make the film, the concept that I simply couldn't get out of my mind. The fact that it was recognized in this way is extremely flattering. There were also 2 other Nominations. Stunt Mom was nominated for Best Local Film and I was nominated for Best Actress! Yikes! That last one is pretty awesome too! We all joke about those actors who feign, "it is an honor just to be nominated!" but guess what, it is really true! I am so honored!

So there you have it! I am proud of myself! I made a film and it is getting out there in the world. People like it! It has been nominated and won an award.  AND I am Stunt Mom! 

The journey of Stunt Mom isn't over yet, I'm going to LA for the Artemis Women in Action Film Festival in a couple of weeks and there are some other fun things in the works. But right now, I just want to stop and be grateful for how far I have come because sometimes I don't see things that way. I am always looking to what comes next. Or I am just looking around at other people's successes. Or I'm just not taking in the joy that has come from this!
Joy, Pride, Accomplishment, Success, Gratitude - STUNT MOM - Janelle Tedesco (yep)

Probably not, but it feels like it. There is no time to stand still!!! Man, a lot has happened and it keeps on happening! The first big announcement is that Stunt Mom has been nominated for Best Family Friendly Film at the Queens World Film Festival! I’m not being fake modest here but I honestly didn’t expect to get any nominations! So I am pretty overwhelmed right now. Sometimes the level of the films that I am encountering is so good, so professional, so unique, creative and interesting that I’m just blown away that I am walking among them. Ok, enough of that! So the first super big weekend is approaching fast. To an outsider the schedule looks relatively simple, like this. Saturday, March 24th at 3:00 Stunt Mom screens in Queens and Sunday, March 25th at 12:00 Stunt Mom screens in New Jersey. But for me it looks a little different. I was going to write it all out but I assure you that it would make your head spin. All I will say is that weekend I will have driven back and forth to Asbury Park, NJ three times and one of the nights is an overnight! Between 3/15 and 3/25 I will see at least 30 films in Queens and New Jersey and on both 3/24 and 3/25 I have two events each day (one in Queens and one in NJ). Ha! And that was the simplified version! Add in family and I will be lucky to make it to everything on time.
 
I’m tired just writing it out! Monday, March 26th is for sleep.
 
It is funny though, there really is no stopping here! I am working on promotions, postcards, posters, press releases. I am posting to social media! (Why does everything start with P?) I am creating a Stunt Mom t-shirt! Yep, I designed that. It’s coming soon. I've done several more interviews. And I bought my flight to go to LA for the Artemis Festival and I’ve never been away from my kids for 4 nights before. Let alone on the other side of the country! Have I gone mad? Or am I just truly turning into a Stunt Mom? Maybe it’s the same thing!

The title of my last blog was The Festival Rollercoaster begins and I didn't even know how true that was. What happened with Stunt Mom and the Big Apple Film Festival is probably not common and I might not have shared the story at all if it wasn't for my last blog. I got a no! I got a "not accepted" email from Film Freeway telling me that Stunt Mom was not accepted into the Big Apple Film Festival Women's Filmmaker Showcase. And I told you all, I wasn't proud to admit it but I did actually cry. I know, and don't worry, I usually have thicker skin than that, but some days are harder than others to stay positive. So then on January 15th (a full week later) I got an email from the Festival Director asking if I would still be interested in screening with the festival. Um...yeah! Here is the funny thing, I don't know what happened. Was another film that got accepted unable to screen for some reason? OR (and this scenario is my favorite) did festival guy #1 love Stunt Mom, and festival guy #2 well, not so much love, so he pressed the NO button. Then a HUGE knock down, drag out fight ensued and guy #1 WON!!! Yay!!! Yippee!!! Congratulations to guy #1 for fighting for what you believe in. Ok, I have an active imagination but I am Stunt Mom after all! So I got accepted to the BAFF. I did an interview, I screened my film, I got the fancy pictures in front of the pink wall and I met some amazing filmmakers. And so, the rollercoaster took on some very interesting turns. Since then Stunt Mom got accepted to the Garden State Film Festival and the Artemis Women in Action Film Festival, and you already know about the Queens Film Festival, so all is very good. Today, I got another "not accepted" email but I assure that I didn't I cry and I really wasn't disappointed at all. Look at what this little film has already accomplished! It has far exceeded my expectations and I am absolutely thrilled. And hey, maybe in a week or two I will get an email changing that no to a yes. You never know! Stranger things have happened! 

Ok, folks I will start with the great news! Stunt Mom got accepted into the Queens World Film Festival!  That was my first choice, truly one of the best festivals! And it really is because of this first big "yes" that I feel free to write about the feelings behind this process. 

As an actor, I audition for roles, sometimes how good your work is has nothing to do with if you get the part. Therefore, a lot of things have to go right to get hired. It is grueling, emotional and sometimes downright painstaking. We aren't in control of who hires us, therefore we aren't in control of how much we work, therefore we don't have a lot of control over our lives. I recently began audiobook narration as a means to bring in some extra money. I was thrilled to have some instant success. My training as an actor and a singer lent itself very well to the art form and I was getting requests for some jobs without even auditioning. I thought, well, "I have some control." Some control is right. After those projects ended I wanted to do another book and guess what I had to do. You guessed it! Audition! So now I am auditioning as an actor and auditioning as an audiobook narrator. I don't believe in the word rejection when you don't get the job. It is simply not getting the job. As long as I do good work, I'm generally happy with that. But as time and auditions go on, it does tend to wear on you. And then there is that total lack of control again. So what do I decide to do? Create my own opportunity! Write my own short film! Talk about rewarding, talk about taking control, and feeling empowered! It was wonderful! Now, after I made the film I had some choices, after all, it is mine to do with as I choose. I could have just released it online for anyone and everyone to see. At first, I thought this was a great idea, no stress! Just show it off to anyone who wants to see it and then move on to my next project. But then I had a conversation with someone who asked me a simple question. She said, "Did you make the film to be viewed on people's phones and computers, or do you want it shown on a big screen?" Well, the answer was obvious. The point in taking control of my own destiny was to make something big happen, to see this film on a big screen and to create more opportunities. The kind of opportunities that Festivals provide. And that brings us to now. I can't control who accepts my film into their Festival. My only control was where I chose to submit it and the specific cover letters I wrote, and then it was out of my hands. How funny, that I purposely put myself back into this situation with the very project that was supposed to give me some control.  Well, the first place I submitted was to a monthly screening series in Brooklyn that I regularly attend. I know the producers and submitted my film in person. The theater is gorgeous and right in downtown Brooklyn where so many of my friends would be able to come. Knowing the producers personally, I thought that might give me a better chance to get in. They were very kind and very quick in turning the film down. Even though I really wanted it and really thought I had a good chance, I wasn't terribly disappointed. After all, I'm used to this process. Stunt Mom just wasn't the right fit. I get it. But now I have to wait another two months before I find out anything else. No problem, I just put it out of my mind for a while. On January 5th there were two Festivals that were supposed to notify. Half way through day I went online and saw that one changed the date to January 12 (which incidentally is today) the other hadn't made a change. The day went on and I couldn't stop thinking about it. No response. All weekend, no response. Monday rolls around and I'm actually quite anxious. The day went by painfully slow and then in the late afternoon I got the "not accepted" email. Well, I'm not proud to admit it, but I cried. Why did I cry? Why did I care that much? Yes, it was a Manhattan Festival but there weren't a lot of events surrounding it and I didn't even know too much about this one in particular. But I just felt defeated. I put myself out there and my work out there and now I just received a second "no." This was when it occurred to me, I chose this! But there is no other choice. You can't be an actor that doesn't audition. You can't be a filmmaker that doesn't try to expose your work to the world. You can't be an artist without taking risks and opening yourself up. It doesn't matter what career you have, you can't control how others react to you, perceive you, hire you, say yes or no to you. We have control over our own actions! That is where we have control and that is it! I chose to submit to Festivals and I'm glad I did. Although, it might not have been easy to admit that if I didn't get into any. I need strength to reveal my vulnerability. The next day I got a very BIG  "YES!" Getting into the Queens World Film Festival and being notified a week before scheduled was just absolutely joyous! This was the one I wanted most! In my own borough, gorgeous movie theater, many filmmaker events. Heck, while I've been writing this blog I got an invitation to the first event next weekend. I'm thrilled! But the only thing I know for sure is that Stunt Mom couldn't have gotten in if I didn't submit it! You don't get the highs (or the lows) of the rollercoaster if you don't get on the ride. You miss 100% of the shots you don't take. You get it, right?! I signed up for this, I take risks and they don't always work out. But I will always keep trying. And I will let you in on a little secret, I really only needed to get into one Festival! Just one big screen, just one yes, to truly make this feel like a win! And I got it! There are 9 Festivals left and from this point on, anything else that happens is just a bonus!

,It's 2018!!! Happy New Year! And with this New Year comes new excitement! Stunt Mom has been submitted to 12 Festivals. Notifications will be between the end of this month and the end of March. I can't wait to let you know what happens. Have you been looking forward to a sneak peek of what this film is about? Well, good news, the official Stunt Mom Trailer is done! To have a look, go to the bottom on the homepage! And get ready!!!

I had the great pleasure of hanging out this week with two women that both unknowingly inspired Stunt Mom so I thought this would be a great opportunity to share.
The phrase "Stunt Mom®" was coined by commercial Casting Director Stacy Osnow-Gallo who referred to me that way once she discovered my background in stunts. The idea to write a short film with that title was put in my head by my amazing acting coach Bill Timoney, when I told him what Stacy had called me. But honestly, that could have been the end of it because writing, producing and starring in your own short film is a lot of hard work, expensive and time consuming for anyone, especially a busy mom.
I found myself becoming intrigued by the idea and I started to really get inspired by women making their own films, first off was Hollis 'Fox' Wansley with her film "Night Runner" currently in post-prod. I had to meet her and talk to her about it even though I knew that I couldn't do what she did. Then I came across, Natalie Kim with "See Me See You" that I had the chance to see and was completely blown away, by her acting and the level of production. I thought it was taken out of a major motion picture. Every aspect was stellar. I had to meet her! So we found a time for a Skype meeting. We had a wonderful conversation and she shared quite a bit with me about the process and I was left feeling like, "well, she's amazing but I still can't do that, because I have 2 kids." After we got off the phone and she texted me, oh by the way, I also have two kids and my youngest is a 10 month old baby! Yikes! That blew me away! She's a mom and not just mom, but a mom of a baby, and she did that! Well, I can't use that as an excuse anymore. Then I started coming across these other moms that are creating their own work and using their MOM experience as part of their work. Liz Grosinger Samuel created a webseries called "Momtress" she's an actress and a mom. We actually did a commercial together but never met on set and discovered each other after it aired. Dina Drew Duva has a network called Mom Cave TV and wrote and produced a short called "Mama Drama." And Jeanine Bartel is the producer of a hysterical webseries called "Mother Judger." These women inspire me! Gotta love the Momtress, Mama Drama, Mother Judger names and add am thrilled to add Stunt Mom to the mix!
Then I realized that my age and motherhood are not excuses! I have mom friends who are still currently working as professional Stunt Women, Amy Jordan, Marybeth Ortiz, and Caroline Leppanen Vexler to name a few. And I have a mom friend who got into the BEST shape of her life at 50 years old, Tracy Kay Griffin's body seems impossible! Her stomach is a washboard and the rest of her is chiseled to match. She didn't make excuses, she did it!
All these women are amazing and whether they know it or not, they inspired me to make Stunt Mom! And I did it! I'm so proud of myself but I couldn't have done without inspiration.
SO THANK YOU ALL!!!!!!!!

Oh, the post production fun! I admit it, I started with the fun stuff. First I started researching the deadlines for Film Festivals. Fun, but time consuming, so I took a break. Then I though, wait, I gotta get this baby on IMDB. So I opened up the page and 2 hours later it was submitted. Yep, that's how long it took to fill everything out. Is that why some people don't submit their projects to IMDB? I don't know, but I am glad that I did it because now, it's on. It makes me so happy to see my film, my silly idea, turn into something real. Then today I got together with Shannon who is not only the Director but also the editor. She has completed the first rough cut of the film. By the way, that is like, record time. People just don't usually get it done that fast. So we watched it through and made a few decisions on what to extend, to trim to ... whatever. But I will mention a very important moment. After we filmed, she asked me how involved I wanted to be in the editing process and I'm grateful that I'm smart enough to know the answer. I answered, "very little." So all those amazing cuts from all those takes, were all put together by Shannon. I got to come in at the last minute to make a few tweaks. I guess that is one of the perks of being the Producer, but as the star, it is hard to be objective about your work as an actor. And just like we did on set, we worked together very well and we are that much closer to our finished product. There is still much more to come and I'm looking forward to sharing it with you. But for now, check us out on IMDB.