Keiko Returns to Hollywood for the 20th Anniversary of Free Willy
On Saturday August 17th at the Lloyd E. Rigler Theater
Located at the Egyptian Theater American Cinematheque
in Hollywood California
11am Blue Carpet Ceremony
1pm Screening of the Movie Free Willy
3pm Screening of Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy
4:30pm Q&A with Expert Cast Members and Producers of Both Films
Updates will be posted here as the date nears and on our Facebook page.
Website: http://bit.ly/keikodoc
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/keikodocfacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/keikodoctwitter
Youtube: http://bit.ly/keikodocyoutube
Free Willy Keiko Kickstarter Campaign Urgent message
We have until this Wednesday March 27th at 10am West Coast time to reach our funding goal.
Because of all of you who have actually backed the project, right now we are nearly halfway there 
Yay!!
Kickstarter has an all or nothing rule, so every pledge is critical to the success of this Kickstarter project.
With just a few hours left to reach success here is what we are asking you to do today:
****If each one of you who has backed this project or says that they are going to the event asks a friend to donate today we believe the project will succeed.***
Click this link, Choose your reward, and make your pledge right now:)
www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
Our website, www.keikotheuntoldstory.com, has all the information you need to know about the film.
Here is why our film is important and should be seen in the movie capital of the world!!
Keiko’s rehabilitation and return to the wild is cited by the marine park industry and the media as a failed project and is often given as the reason captive orcas should not be released
Factual errors regarding Keiko’s return to the wild abound such as the the statement below.
“This was a failed and flawed experiment from the beginning. As far as I’m concerned, Keiko was never a release candidate. He was caught in the middle of a Hollywood movie.” – Greg Bossart, Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution & Miami Seaquarium
One of the many reasons I did this film be summed up by Dave Phillips of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation
“We extended not only the length of his life, but the quality of his life. He was swimming tight circles in a small pool with papilloma all over him, and by the time we finished with him, he was out with the big boys, swimming around with wild whales in the ocean.”
More than a documentary about just any animal, Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy is a character study that delves deep into the world of the beloved orca. It steps outside the controversy and the spats between warring factions and looks instead at the whale himself. Ultimately, the story of this killer whale is something that goes beyond Keiko and even beyond ocean and mammal research.
The story of Keiko is a universal one, one with which his millions of fans worldwide can identify and connect; a story that humanizes, through the eyes of a single whale, today’s issues regarding the feasibility of releasing a captive whale.
The most unlikely candidate for release back to the wild actually thrived for over 5 years in his home waters, gaining over 3000 lbs during his rehabilitation, mixing it up with wild orcas and swimming across the North Atlantic, and finally passing as a middle aged orca as the only captive orca to ever be successfully rehabilitated and released back to to the ‘wild’
I can’t do this without you and those who you know that would be interested in supporting this important effort.
Together lets get Keiko’s real story out there in a place where it will get noticed:)!
Theresa
http://www.keikotheuntoldstory.com
Website: http://bit.ly/keikodoc
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/keikodocfacebook
Twitter: http://bit.ly/keikodoctwitter
Youtube: http://bit.ly/keikodocyoutube
Bring Keiko, the orca Star of Free Willy to Hollywood! Pledge Now Kickstarter Campaign:)
Bring Keiko, the Star of Free Willy, to Hollywood!
Here is the link:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
Be part of our 36 hour marathon to get 100 pledges to be featured on Kickstarters front pages.
Our campaign officially ends on Wednesday morning. We are almost half way there. Make a pledge and help us make Keiko’s return to Hollywood a reality!
This project will only be funded if at least $15000 is pledged by Wednesday March 27th, 1:35pm East coast time, 10: 35am West coast time.
This is an “online” event:)
“Go to the Event” by Making a Pledge right now at Keiko’s Kickstarter Page Here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
Keiko Kickstarter Campaign reward boost
The next 50 people to pledge to our Kickstarter Campaign we will double the reward you choose Just Send us a message after you pledge from our Kickstarter campaign:
Here’s the Link to our Kickstarter campaign
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
Keiko Deserves a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
We have submitted an application to the Walk of Fame Committee at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce to obtain a Star on the Walk of Fame for Keiko, because we think he deserves one.
Pledge to our Kickstarter Campaign here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
In order to bring attention to our efforts, we have created a Kickstarter campaign to bring the new HD version of his life story to the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood this summer, and that funding effort ends on the morning of March 27th, 2013 at 10am PST.
If we’re successful, we think this event may help the chances for Keiko being selected for a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, especially since our premiere is set to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the blockbuster film in which he starred (Free Willy – 1993) and we will have support from Free Willy producers and cast members!
According to the official Walk of Fame Website, the criteria for receiving a star consists of the following:
- professional achievement
- longevity of five years or more
- contributions to the community
- the guarantee that the celebrity will attend the ceremony, unless deceased.
- Posthumous awards require a five-year waiting period from the date of their death.
Keiko meets all of this criteria, and we believe he should have his day in the sun.
Stars for Non-Humans?
There are many animal stars both real and fictional, that have been awarded a Star on Hollywood Boulevard, including Lassie, Rin Tin Tin, Trigger, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Big Bird, Kermit the Frog, Woody Woodpecker, and even Godzilla.
Keiko’s performances have cultural, political, and media impacts that have proven significant even to this day. He deserves to be in the company of these stars attracting visitors to his very own Star.
Why Does Keiko Deserve a Star?
We think Keiko deserves a star on Hollyood Boulevard because -
- He performed for many years for live audiences in Mexico City and was loved by children and adults.
- His movie performance, and the character based on his work, are enduringly popular, and continue to inspire production of sequels even after his death.
- He motivated children worldwide to contribute $100,000 with their spare change to advocate for his release.
- That support & publicity, along with international media coverage, prompted the movie studio, the park, and animal protection advocates to attempt to release Keiko back to the wild.
- During his rehabilitation process, Keiko became the most well-traveled orca in the world.
- Keiko became the largest package the UPS ever delivered.
- Keiko gained over 3000 lbs. during his rehabilitation at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
- Keiko was airlifted back home to Iceland by an Air Force Cargo Plane.
- Keiko was noted at the time of his death as the second longest lived captive male orca in history.
- Keiko became the only captive orca ever to be successfully rehabilitated and released back to his home waters in the North Atlantic, where he thrived for 5 years prior to his death.
- Keikos ordeal was the catalyst to Iceland permanently banning all orca captures, and the ban continues to this day.
- Keiko inspired millions of children to get involved in following his amazing odyssey and helping other whales.
- Keiko’s journey inspired a massive educational effort around the world and formed the basis for several scientific studies.
- New generations of children continue to watch Keiko’s movie Free Willy and become inspired by the whale who played the star orca character “Willy”.
- Keiko’s life story is being taught in schools around the world.
- Tourists continue to travel to Norway every year to see Keiko’s final resting place, honoring his legacy as the most famous whale in the world and an ambassador of captive whales worldwide.
What Are We Trying to Do?
In the long term, we want to see Keiko get a Star, but that’s not the only thing this post is about.
We are, right now immediately trying to raise awareness about Keiko by holding the world premiere of the HD version of “Keiko, The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy” at the Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard in the summer of 2013!
We have already submitted an application to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce Walk of Fame committee, and they will be making their decision by June of this year.
If Keiko is not chosen to receive a Star this year, the application may be considered next year, but we’re really hoping it can be this year, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the film, “Free Willy”.
Having a premiere on Hollywood Boulevard, with hundreds of contributions towards the effort, along with thousands of you helping us spread the word about the premiere and the 20th Anniversary of Free Willy’s blockbuster release on Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, we think it may help sway the committee towards awarding Keiko a Star on the Walk of Fame in 2013
Please Don’t:
We do *not* want you to call the chamber or even to email the committee, as this could actually hurt our chances. Please do not bother them in any way. Don’t comment at their their site, their blog, their Facebook page, or anywhere else of theirs. You can show your support for this great orca at our sites!
Please Do:
You can support the effort to show Hollywood that you too think Keiko is an important and lasting star by sharing this with your friends by email, on Facebook, and on Twitter, but most importantly—before you do anything else! please show your support by making a pledge to our kickstarter campaign today – right now – before its time runs out.
The funding period for this project ends on Wednesday March 27th at 10am!! We need your help now!
Pledge to our Kickstarter Campaign here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
and please post or forward this Kickstarter project link, and tell your friends about this awesome way to honor Keiko’s life and, through the premiere screening, bring Keiko back to Hollywood!
Please LIKE this page on Facebook too to tell your friends!
Keiko The Untold Story of the Start of Free Willy Kickstarter campaign Update
Update:The project is currently 16% funded with 21 days to go.Thanks to all of you who participated with a pledge in our 24hour campaign to kickstart our project for a World Premier theater screening in Hollywood on the Kickstarter website
This is what we accomplished together with the 24 hour campaign effort.
Keiko The Untold Story of the Start of Free Willy has moved up from the virtually unknown project position of #144 to the much more visible #22 position on the Kickstarter Video & Film stack chart in a 24 hour period. Now the project is more visible to the general public on Kickstarter. Yay!! We have noticed that these positions change sometimes hourly depending on the pledges.
Because it is all or nothing with Kickstarter, please join us today with your presence on Kickstarter and post this on your Facebook page.
Let’s make a difference together.
The project is currently 16% funded with 21 days to go.
We can’t do this without you. Post this on your facebook page and Make a pledge!! See you on the Blue Carpet:)
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
24 hour Kickstarter Campaign – Tuesday March 5th
We got off to a great start last week, but now the clock is ticking. Our entire time at Kickstarter is only 30 days, but we already have 28 people that have combined for over 1000.00!
We need your help, please!
Great Start – Now What?
To help things along, in four days, we are starting a 24 hour campaign in an attempt to get featured as a ‘Popular Project’ On Kickstarter.
Even if you’re one of the original 22, you can still add a $3 pledge to help the cause, and you can help ensure that funding is successful.
We have to raise 15,000 before 3/25/13
Last week we launched a Kickstarter campaign to Bring Keiko Back to Hollywood, at the with a World Premiere of the new HD documentary, Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy, to be held at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theatre.
The rewards we offer for pledges range from post cards to VIP box seats and meeting the producers and filmakers.
Goal :
To get 100 individual pledges on Tuesday, Mar. 5th
- All pledges should occur within 24 hours
- 7am Tues March 5th to Wed March 6th
- Reach 100 individual pledges of any amount – even three bucks!
Why?
- If we accomplish this, Kickstarter will feature our project in their popular projects section, making the project MUCH more visible. With as many people in the world that love Keiko, the pledges could come in exponentially after that.
- If we reach our total goal or more they will release the donations for your project to us, and in turn, we provide the donors, (you) with the rewards we’ve outlined at the project.
- Kickstarter has an all or nothing rule though, and if we don’t reach our goal, then all money is returned to the donors (you).
What Do We Want From You?
We are asking you to please reach out to those you know personally… good friends…asking them to look at our project, make a small donation, and then for them to ask their good friends in a direct email/im/message/ and maybe even using.. the PHONE!
This all has to happen between now and next Tuesday, and everyone needs to make their donation in the 24 hours following Tuesday morning.
Please, pledge a donation (any donation) and send this message to your friends who would likely support THIS particular part of the project, and do it in this initial 24 hour period.
What Should You Do?
- Click here to pledge at Kickstarter after 7AM PST on Tuesday March 5th
- Prepare a short paragraph for friends, relatives, whale lovers, and anyone that you can.
- Briefly describe this project, and send them a link to this post - http://www.keikotheuntoldstory.com/?p=2849
- Send that short paragraph by email any time between now and Monday afternoon
- Post that short paragraph on your Facebook wall any time between now and Monday afternoon
When? Tuesday Morning March 5th 7am PST
- We have 24 hours to reach our goal of 100 contributions
- Go to the Kickstarter project and make your donation
- Send out another email and Facebook post telling folks that the clock has started
- Feel free to donate smaller amounts more than once over the 24 hour period
- Share this post and the news with as many people as you can
Why is Keiko is relevant today?
During production we learned that Keiko was the most unlikely candidate for release back to the wild…
- because of his length of time in captivity (close to 20 years)
- because his capture at a very young age (believed to be at age two)
- because of his state of ill-health. (He nearly died during his transport from Mexico to the Oregon Coast Aquarium.)
During his rehabilitation process Keiko…
- became the most well traveled orca in the world
- gained over 3000 lbs during his rehab at the Oregon Coast Aquarium
- became the largest package UPS ever delivered
- was finally airlifted back home to Iceland by an Air Force cargo plane
- Was at one time the second longest lived captive male orca in history
and much to the dismay of the captive industry, Keiko became the only captive orca to ever be successfully rehabilitated and released back to his home waters in the North Atlantic.
Our film about the true story of Keiko’s life and incredible legacy can help change the current world view of rehab and release of captive dolphins and orcas. Help this film about Keiko’s life and legacy help him to become the ambassador for the release of captives world wide with his true story and the successes realized with his release.
Join us in this fight and let’s make a difference together. Make a pledge to our kickstarter campaign for the film!
What your pledge will accomplish:
Your pledge will bring Keiko back to Hollywood with a WORLD PREMIERE screening of the HD version of his documentary, Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy, at the famous landmark Eqyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Our World Premiere Screening, will coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the release of the hit film Free Willy and will include a screening of the 1993 Warner Bros. hit film Free Willy and a Blue Carpet Ceremony and Reception including the Producers and to-be-announced Cast Members from both films.
What Should You Do?
- Wait to pledge at Kickstarter (until after 7AM PST on Tuesday March 5th) (but look over the rewards now)
- Prepare a short paragraph for friends, relatives, whale lovers, and anyone that you can.
- Briefly describe this project, and send them a link to this post ( http://www.keikotheuntoldstory.com/?p=2849 )
- Send that short paragraph by email any time between now and Monday afternoon
- Post that short paragraph on your Facebook wall any time between now and Monday afternoon
Tuesday Morning March 5th 7am PST
- We have 24 hours to reach our goal of 100 contributions
- Go to the Kickstarter project and make your donation
- Send out another email and Facebook post telling folks that the clock has started
- Feel free to donate smaller amounts more than once over the 24 hour period
- Share this post and the news with as many people as you can
Thank you for your help! We can’t do it without you!
Here’s that Kickstarter Campaign link (for AFTER 7am Tuesday March 5th
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/255614217/bring-keiko-the-star-of-free-willy-to-hollywood
What is Kickstarter?
Remember, people do not “invest” in Kickstarter projects to make money, and instead they “back” different projects in exchange for a tangible reward or one-of-a-kind experience, like a personal note of thanks, custom T-shirts, Posters, dinner with an author, copy of new product, etc.
Please share this post on Facebook and anywhere you can.
Keiko Kickstarter Project
Our Kickstarter project titled “Bring Keiko, The Star of Free Willy, to Hollywood” has launched.
What Is Kickstarter?
Kickstarter is an US based “for-profit” company that was founded in 2009, to provide tools for raising funds for creative projects with “crowd funding” through their website.
Kickstarter has funded a diverse array of projects, from indie music and films, to comics, plays, journalism, food projects, and even video games.
People don’t “invest” in Kickstarter projects to make money. Instead, they only “back” projects in exchange for some sort of tangible reward or unique experience, such as a personal thank you notes, or custom T-shirt, a meal with an author, or an initial production run of a new item.
How Can You Help?
Your contributions will bring Keiko back to Hollywood with a WORLD PREMIERE screening of the HD version of his documentary, Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy, at the famous landmark Eqyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Our World Premiere Screening, will coincide with the 20th Anniversary of the release of the hit film Free Willy and will include a screening of the 1993 Warner Bros. hit film Free Willy and a Blue Carpet Ceremony and Reception including the Producers and to-be-announced Cast Members from both films.
About the Film:
Nowhere in recent history has a captive mammal garnered so much attention as Keiko, the orca star of the 1993 hit film, “Free Willy.” The film’s success, partnered with growing public interest in animals held in captivity, launched a children’s crusade that called for Keiko’s release into the wild.
The result: a multimillion-dollar project that spanned four countries, weathered endless controversy and lasted nearly a decade. Through first-hand accounts by the marine mammal experts charged with his care, “Keiko The Untold Story” follows Keiko, his life, his legacy of hope, and the untold story of his extraordinary years in Iceland and Norway.
Visit our Kickstarter Project here
Coming Soon: Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy (HD)/ Filmmaker Statement
When the SD (standard definition) version of the documentary film titled Keiko: The Untold Story was completed in 2011, I entered the film in a number of film festivals around the country. The film won 20 Film Festival Official Selections from New York to Denver, from Los Angeles to Green Bay, from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco. The film also won awards for Best Director, Best Documentary, Audience Favorite, Best Editor, and more.
While attending the film festivals I spoke with several distributors who wanted the movie for showing on both foreign and domestic television or in independent theater screenings, or for sale through DVD and VOD outlets … but they wanted it in high definition (HD), not SD.
As a first time filmmaker I thought I was done, that it was over: it would not be possible to convert the film to HD because nearly all of the archival footage featured in the film was originally shot in SD … until one of the potential distributors introduced us to Joe Bogdanovic at Anytime Post in Los Angeles. With Joe’s encouragement and expertise we went back to the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation and OrcaLab and scoured the archives for more footage with higher resolution qualities to replace some of our SD footage in order to enhance the HD “up-res” (“up the resolution”) process.
In this up-res process we also had the good fortune of meeting our Sound Supervisor and Re-recording Mixer, David Bartlett, whose sound supervising and mixing resume includes the movies Speed, Total Recall, Predator 2, and Pulp Fiction.
I was also fortunate to meet the folks at Circus Road Films, who have encouraged our team at Joshua Records, LLC, throughout the year.
Announcement:
I am now most happy and excited to announce that the HD film has been completed in 5.1 Surround-Sound, and that, with Warner Bros. Studio’s blessings, it will have a new title:
Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy
Because of new footage and sound this version of the film is now a World Premiere and as of today, October 10, 2012, Keiko The Untold Story of the Star of Free Willy will be shepherded by the folks at Circus Road Films. Stay tuned
Due to these events, the SD version of the documentary DVD titled Keiko The Untold Story will no longer be available for sale to the public. However, our posters and the CD soundtrack will remain available on the film’s website at http://www.keikotheuntoldstory.com
Theresa Demarest, Filmmaker
Free Willy Movie, Earth Island Institute, and how it all got started
Filmmaker Theresa Demarest interview with Mark Berman, Associate Director of the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation at the airport in preparation for the filming of the documentary film Keiko The Untold Story.
When asked how the Earth Island Institute got involved with the movie Free Willy out comes the interconnections between Earth Island’s Dolphin Safe Tuna Program, Lauren Schuler Donner and Richard Donner and their films Lethal Weapon and Free Willy, and how the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation got started from the urgings of children world wide in order to help the whales of the world and most especially, Keiko, the orca star of the movie Free Willy.
Help the Free Willy-Keiko Foundation preserve Keiko’s Life History & Legacy.
Get DVD & Soundtrack!
Get Core Curriculum for Schools!