And The Balls Roll On... The Real Story of the Beautiful Game of Skee-Ball, 93min., USA
Directed by Thaddeus O. Cooper, Kevin B Kreitman
This is the story of Skee-Ball—a unique game, patented in 1908 by a long forgotten inventor living in Vineland NJ: Joseph Fourestier Simpson. The film explores the era in which the young inventor grew up, as the industrial revolution created the new middle class, and the explosion of amusement parks that allowed them to flee their crowded industrial neighborhoods for a few hours of pleasure.

http://www.nomoreboxes.com/AndTheBallsRollOn.html
https://www.facebook.com/atbrothemovie

Get to know the filmmakers Thaddeus O. Cooper, Kevin B Kreitman:

1. What motivated you to make this film? 

Thad wanted to get back into shooting video and was looking for a small project—a 10 minute YouTube video about the history of Skee-Ball. He started digging into the real but unknown inventor, and discovered a surprisingly dramatic and moving story, and then the rest of the saga that has its own drama and memorable characters...and we knew we just had to tell the story.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
13 years, six of which were just research. We had the first book done by 2016, and the first complete version of the film by 2018, but it had some serious flaws (length and focus), and we went back and rewrote the screenplay—more than once. By the time we were ready to shoot interviews and B-roll, we were shut down by COVID. We got back to doing the real work in 2023. Finally hired a crew to do the East Coast interviews and B-roll. The film was in the can by October 2023. And it took another year to rework the music, and do the post work. But it's DONE.

3. How would you describe your film in two words!?
Kevin: Fast-play excitement!
Thad: Rollercoaster ride!

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
Our own inexperience. This was our FIRST real film. We had backgrounds in all of the pieces—writing, film theory, music, video and photography and Thad was a production sound mixer and occasional grip in L.A. for a few years. But becoming producers—the just one more thing...oh, just one more thing... one more contract, was a real slog. We were fortunate to have a lot of resources who gave us advice (CML, Larry Hott/Florentine Films, ) Also, we took Dov Simens Filmmakers Bootcamp many years ago, so we weren't completely unprepared for the business side of things. But it was still daunting.

What helped was what we learned from our cats. If you want something, never give up. Just keep putting one paw in front of the other until you get it.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
Thad: Dumbfounded! When you work on a project for this long, you don't know what the impact is going to be. You have a skewed perspective.
Kevin: I was just thrilled. It hit exactly what we were trying to get the film to do. They appreciated the drama, the weaving of history through the Skee-Ball story, they liked our narrator and voice actors, and it made them nostalgic!

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
For Thad: When I was in 7th grade and worked in the TV studio at my Junior High School
For Kevin: When Thad decided to make this film.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life? Thad: Three Days of the Condor Kevin: Big Trouble in Little China. Or maybe The Princess Bride

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?
Really love the FilmFreeway platform. It made everything incredibly easy!

10. What is your favorite meal?
Kevin: Seared duck breast over pilaf, with fruit sauce
Thad: Steak frites

11. What is next for you? A new film?
A new book about the inventor of Skee-Ball, Joseph Fourestier Simpson, and a film based on the book—Vineland's Forgotten Inventor, maybe a short about JD Este. Then, who knows?