The "Nowhere" in Each of Us

This past Thursday, after saying fair well to actress Gus Birney as she hopped on her flight back to NYC from Chicago (she was just a guest actor on the TV series Chicago Med), I decided to head to northern to help celebrate my Aunt Neva's 92 birthday and visit my father, Dale Philipsen's grave.
Both my father and my aunt were huge supporters of my efforts and the production of THIS IS NOWHERE.
Both siblings to a large, 13-child family (my dad being the youngest), making movies was something that only happened in Hollywood and Hollywood might as well have been Oz for all they were concerned. 
Papa always loved movies and I think that I was living out his true dream.
Today is "All Saints Day" - and I think it is befitting, as such, to give tribute to all of the people in our lives who have supported us - in one way or another - to live out our dreams, no matter how unrealistic they might have seemed to the rest of the world, the community or the family.
It hasn't even been a year yet since Papa passed, and I remember how proud of me he was when I showed him the check that "This is Nowhere's" main benefactor Stephanie Dillon wrote out to the film - which gave us the "Greenlight."
He was beaming. His little girl had finally "made it" - at least as far as he was concerned. 
I guess that's why, truthfully, I pushed so hard to get through production in spite of heart-breaking grief.
I knew that my father would want me to see it through. 
We are so close to completing our post-production crowdfunding campaign with only four days to go and $500 needed to reach our Greenlight to be done.
My father isn't physically here to support me with his words of wisdom and love and encouragement as he was before. And at times I have felt quite lost as a result.
But driving back now, through the Upper Penninsula of Michigan, past tiny towns and the majestic Lake Michigan on small highways that know both big dreams and sad defeats in mortal reality, I am reminded at how much "This is Nowhere" is alive and well - everywhere - in all of us.
And our loved ones long gone. 
When we finish this film, we will be making many far-fetched dreams come true, and remembering the dreams of those who helped us to get where we are today.
May we succeed in our goal and not loose sight of what brought us here to begin with. 
Love, hope and faith. Against all odds. 
Producer / Co-Director / Actress Heidi Philipsen
www.seedandspark.com/studio/this-nowhere