STAUNCH MODERATES EXPERIENCE, 39min.,
Directed by Gregory T Simmons
Welcome to the Staunch Moderates Experience, a story which takes us through the history & achievements of the Staunch Moderates movement through music. This film presents a unique experience with it's multi-genre compilation of music videos from the three albums released by the movement.

http://staunchmoderates.org/
https://www.facebook.com/StaunchModerates
https://twitter.com/SModerates
https://www.instagram.com/staunch_moderates/

Get to know the filmmaker:

What motivated you to make this film?

Our motivation came from having started the Staunch Moderates Movement four years ago, covering the 2020 Election Year, then forming a multi-genre hip hop band, dropping three albums in the following three years, making an 83 minute Documentary Film, "Mission Peace," about our first year in operation including founding a Bigfoot mascot named Staunch, and then having all these assets including our many tracks & music videos which tells the Staunch Moderates Philosophy and story in an entertaining way. Our inspiration came from processing our Staunch Moderates Movement & Entertainment Studio.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film? I think I just answered this in the above answer.

3.How would you describe your film in two words!?

"Staunch Moderates" or "Commons Sense"

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film? It's an interesting question because it edited together quite naturally for us once we produced all our assets over the last four years. I will note that even though the hip hop industry has been good to us, it has been a challenging industry to navigate. Making each album is like being in a boxing ring!

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?

When your audience reviews had come in two weeks ago, we had already received two great trade reviews, one from your festival and one from FilmThreat, so your audience reviews were a continuation of the very positive feedback of our film. All the above have been created an elated feeling of, "Yes, we are in the game, and this is fun!" It's a good thing too, because we have a positive message that deserves to be heard. The more positives the response, the more it's going to be heard.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?

It came out of wanting & trying to make a scripted comedy TV Show, "Aspen The Series®," (www.AspenTheSeries.com) which was inspired from my being a patron at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival during the turn of the century. Since 2002. I spent two decades trying to get that show off the ground by moving to Hollywood, producing and distribution an interactive reality show about creating said show & doing everything I could to market, produce and distribute it for two decades, until I finally gave up in late 2019 and switched my efforts to creating and producing the Staunch Moderates® Intellectual Movement. Through the process we made a documentary about my "Aspen The Series" experience available via the home page of said website. With this background as soon as I started Staunch Moderates, I knew we were making a documentary film about it. It's entitles Mission Peace and is available on Amazon Prime and will soon be on Apple TV. Our newest film, "The Staunch Moderates Experience," the one this interview is about, is a result of us also being a multi genre hip hop band and then stitching together most of our music videos and MCing between them to tell our story and to echo what we feel are good values and should be considered by all as an effort to achieve peace.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?

Forest Gump or Point Break

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

As I was saying, you at Toronto Docs Fest have already been absolutely terrific," my first experience of being properly supported by a studio per my show biz career outlined above." For me this has been a tremendous experience that I appreciate.

If you could do anymore, it would be to help us get into a major: TIFF (already passed), Berlin, Cannes, SXSW, or Sundance. Am I missing one, and/or help us get a distribution deal like we have for our Mission Peace.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experiences been working on the festival platform site?

FilmFreeway has been an excellent platform for us. No complaints here.

10. What is your favorite meal?

Wild Duck.

11. What is next for you? A new film?

As I mentioned above, we are also a multi genre hip hop band (of course all clean rap). We are "DJ Staunch® & the Bigfoots," (searchable by "DJ Staunch" or "Staunch Moderates" on all music platforms). We are looking to be booked as a live act which will include most of this movie as a backdrop on a jumbotron to our concert including: Bigfoot "DJ Staunch," rap star – Kyle Knight, our dance troupe the "Staunchhettes, " and myself, GTS, also MCing and rapping some tracks. This concert will boarder on being a play, by not only being good music but also very theatrical to tell a poignant story, "peace through moderation," a current day Hamilton so to speak.