We Want to Hear Your Janitor Stories!

Are you a janitor or do you know one? Share your stories with us. Using your video camera or web camera, record yourself telling a story about your favorite janitor or janitor encounter, upload to YouTube and send the link to kings [at] transcendfilms.com. Our favorite ones will be posted on our website where viewers can rate them. The winner will receive a set of 3 Janitor Wisdom posters featuring some favorite quotes from the film. Accepting submissions now through October 1, 2011. The winner will be announced on October 17, 2011.

3 Ways to Celebrate Labor Day Weekend with The Philosopher Kings

1) Watch TPK on Hulu for FREE and join the online discussion with Director Patrick Shen through Tuesday, September 6. Go to discussions and click on “Q&A with Director Patrick Shen” to post your questions and read others. Patrick will be checking in from time to time over the weekend to answer questions.

2) Screen TPK at your home, church, or office and have a discussion afterwards. Download our FREE discussion guides for secular and faith-based groups.

3) Buy 1 TPK DVD and get 1 FREE! You’re gonna buy a bunch of stuff this weekend anyway so why not support some nice, well-intentioned independent filmmakers while you’re at it? Give to a friend, neighbor, or your favorite janitor. Orders received between Friday, Sept 2 at 12pm PDT and Tuesday, Set 6 at 12pm PDT will automatically receive an additional copy with the order.

Jim talks extensively about his experience within “The Philosopher Kings.” He was wounded in the back and had to crawl through the jungle for three days. He was told he would never walk again but through perseverance he proved everyone wrong.

Gary said that his experience in Vietnam taught him the importance of supporting those around you and allowing yourself to be supported by them.

A simple thank you goes a long way. Take a moment to recognize a Veteran today.

Tune into The Story with Dick Gordon this Monday, August 2nd to hear Philosopher King Josue Lajeunesse talk about “The Philosopher Kings,” Haiti, and “La Source”, the new film from the producers of “The Philosopher Kings”. The Story can be heard on over 100 radio stations throughout the U.S. and online. Click here to find out where and when it airs in your area.

To learn more about Josue’s water project in La Source, Haiti and “La Source” the film, click here.

When I adopted those words from Freud as my company’s vision statement years ago, I could have never guessed what incredible adventures it would lead to down the road. But as rewarding and fruitful as the work has been, the need for an awakening has gone unchanged.

In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, many of us experienced an awakening of sorts – our distractions became not so distracting all of a sudden, and our problems became small in comparison. The media was flooded with stories of the earthquake’s devastation and the dire need of aid to Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. I felt as though everyone around me struggled with what to do about our inaction. Many of us chose to donate and others even joined the relief effort. In fact, our very own Greg Bennick and a group of beautifully courageous individuals are en route to deliver food and medical supplies. Fans of “The Philosopher Kings” even aided through donations in Princeton custodian/Philosopher King Josue Lajeunesse’s efforts to bring his daughter Danielle, who had been left wandering the streets of Port au Prince for more than a week after the earthquake, back home to the U.S.

But now the tweets, Facebook posts, and conversations are thinning, and our attempts to rally the troops are growing more desperate. The world is falling back into its sleep state while the need for aid is still just as necessary today as it was on January 12.

In our effort to encourage us all to resist falling back to “sleep”, we’ve devoted our most recent newsletter to providing suggestions on how we can all take action and continue helping the people of Haiti and in other parts of the world. In addition, you’ll find more updates on Josue, his daughter’s return back to the U.S., and Greg’s trip to Haiti.

Best,
Patrick

Also, be sure to check out the latest edition of the Transcendental Media newsletter to find out about all the latest happenings with us and our films. What I’m especially excited about is our partnership with Generosity Water and our efforts to bring fresh water to Lasource, Haiti, an impoverished community of 3,000 that have no reliable access to clean, fresh water. For a limited time, we’re donating a portion of proceeds from ALL merchandise sold from The Philosopher King Store to Josue’s water project in Haiti via our partner Generosity Water.

Talk soon,
Patrick

See you in SD or SF!
Patrick

Just off a whirlwind series of quick stops that took me from Newburyport, MA to Calgary, Alberta and finally Camden, ME, I finally have a quick moment to blog about what’s been going on. We just received word that The Philosopher Kings, after screening to a nearly sold-out crowd at the Camden International Film Festival, picked up their award for Emerging Cinematic Vision! Big thanks to the jurors, Ben Fowlie, and the staff of Camden Int’l Film Festival! If you haven’t heard of this fest, you soon will. It’s one of the most well-organized, hippest, and well-programmed fests I’ve certainly been to. Read AJ Schnack’s (Convention) blog about his experience in Camden. Also, thanks to the Newburyport Documentary Film Festival for honoring us with a Judges’ Special Mention Award!

I’m currently in Chicago meeting with folks about setting up a big Chicago premiere of the film in partnership with SEIU Local 1 and the University of Illinois. Off to Washington DC next week – hope to see some of you out there!

More soon,
Patrick

Secondly, The Philosopher Kings has been nominated for Best Documentary at both The Calgary International Film Festival as well as UK’s Raindance Film Festival! This is amazing considering we’re only one of five or six films at each festival that have been selected to be in competition. It’s a real honor that festivals of this magnitude have taken notice of our little movie and are supporting it in this way.

Also, we made a few updates to the website – most notably the addition of the Audience Review Section where you can submit your own review of the film – so check it out and let us know what you think. Feel free to suggest things that you’d like to see on this site and budget-permitting we’ll make it happen. More blogs to come as I’ll be spending many hours at airports and on planes in the coming months. For now, I’ll leave you with this review submitted by Barbara Lyon who attended our screening at Duke University last night: “One of the best evenings ever…thanks to ALL involved with the production of this deserving film. Having spent my career teaching workshops in so many different venues, I learned early on to FIRST make friends with the helpful and insightful custodians!”

For more information about all the latest developments with The Philosopher Kings, check out our most recent newsletter. To receive our newsletters, sign up on our mailing list at the bottom of your screen.

Thanks,
Patrick