Flipped Press Conference

Rob Reiner is one of those filmmakers with so many classic movies that if you asked a dozen different people what their favorite one of his movies was, you may just get a dozen different answers. His range goes from the hilarious This is Spinal Tap to the dramatic A Few Good Men. Reiner was in Indianapolis yesterday to accept a Truly Moving Picture Award for his latest film Flipped.

This film is the opening film at this year’s Heartland Film Festival and they had an event on Monument Circle in coordination with that. Angelo Pizzo, screenwriter of Hoosiers and Rudy, introduced the event by praising Heartland for being a truly unique film festival. He also loved the fact that Heartland pays money to its winners because that above all else really helps a filmmaker make his next film.

Next came the President of Heartland, Jeff Sparks, came out and talked about the fundraising the festival has been doing. They have a goal to raise 12.5 million dollars and he was proud to announce they are now over halfway there. They are still looking for money to expand their national and international reach (and so they can continue awarding financial prizes).

Then came the man of the hour: Mr. Rob Reiner. He has been in this game for several years and he knows how to work the crowd. Before even accepting the award, he pulled out his wallet and gave Sparks $102 from his wallet to help the Heartland Film Festival.

He was very gracious about the Truly Moving Picture Award because it focuses on the films he truly loves. He talked about his favorite film, It’s a Wonderful Life, and how that speaks to so many of the values he cares about. Flipped is another film where he can honor “those family values that we all strive for with our own families.” Reiner always had a smile on his face when talking about these movies and being with this crowd.

Reiner then brought up the star of the film, fourteen-year-old Madeline Carroll. She was vey excited to work with Reiner because she loves his work, especially Stand By Me and Misery of all movies. Together they were very charming and Reiner said she was one of the best actors he’s ever worked with, which includes an impressive list.

The whole event wasn’t very long, but everyone had a good time and it got people excited for the premiere. If you missed last night’s premiere, Flipped will open in select theatres August 6th and everywhere else August 27th.