Late-breaking announcement!

Watch "Forgetting Dad" for free online in HD quality for the next 48 hours only. Please spread the word. If you like the film, please support our crowdfunding campaign, which ends at midnight Sunday PST. Details below.

FORGETTING DAD: The Father's Day Film Tour

"If your father no longer remembers you,

does he stop being your father?" 

This is the question posed at the beginning of the feature documentary FORGETTING DAD by German-based American filmmakers Rick Minnich and Matt Sweetwood. 

FORGETTING DAD tells the heart-wrenching story of Richard, a 45-year-old California husband and father of five children who wakes up with total amnesia after a seemingly harmless car accident. Richard no longer knows who he is, nor does he recognize anyone from his past. Within a short time, he reinvents himself as 'New Richard,' and embarks upon a completely new life, leaving a trail of answered questions behind him. 

FORGETTING DAD follows Richards oldest son, Rick, as he returns to his native California to investigate why Richard's memory still hasn't returned, as doctors had predicted. What begins as a fairly straightforward investigation becomes a real-life mystery, as  Richards family question and explore possible causes behind Richards amnesia. Dr. David Spiegel, Director of the Center on Stress and Health at the Stanford University School of Medicine, calls the film a carefully crafted, thought-provoking family mystery story about memory...well worth watching.

It reminds us that remembering can be even more painful than forgetting, Spiegel writes. We all need to figure out who our parents are, and this becomes a lot harder when they don't seem to know that themselves."

The film's universal message about the fragility of memory and identity has become increasingly relevant as growing numbers of families deal with issues of aging and memory loss. 

While FORGETTING DAD has been praised by audiences and critics around the world, it is only now being screened in California, where it was made. This summer the producers are launching FORGETTING DAD: The Father's Day Film Tour in the United States -- and they are looking for help. 

This Father's Day -- June 19th, 2011 -- FORGETTING DAD will celebrate its California premiere as part of the USC Summer Film Series in Los Angeles. The showing will correspond with the release of FORGETTING DAD, the DVD Deluxe Edition, and the kick-off of the two-week tour of California. (See Tour Schedule, below). 

The producers are organizing the FORGETTING DAD Father's Day Film Tour 

• to spread the word about issues the film raises;
• to generate press and word-of-mouth, and 
• to introduce FORGETTING DAD to U.S. educational and medical institutions that can use it to train medical and counseling professionals.

Statement by Rick Minnich

Ive been touring with FORGETTING DAD since 2009, and time and time again I've been amazed at how many people come to me, saying how much theyve been moved by this story of my dad and family. As we were making the film, Matt Sweetwood and I often asked ourselves whether anyone would care about what weve been going through. Aside from the fact that amnesia is a rare and little-understood condition, we believe weve put together a personal story that speaks to families and service professionals who are dealing with a wide range of medical and personal issues. 

FORGETTING DAD Father's Day Film Tour is our first real introduction of the film to a large audience in the United States. The film a big investment of our time and money has been welcomed and praised by audiences around the world. Now, we are working to bring it home. 

Were hoping to generate capital for our work, as well as interest in FORGETTING DAD by U.S. critics and journalists -- and finally by educators in psychiatric- and medical institutions. Specifically, were working to get the film into the hands of doctors, counselors and other professionals who work with people suffering from brain trauma, memory loss and dementia.

Financial backing for the FORGETTING DAD Father's Day Film Tour supports Rick Minnichs travel expenses from Berlin, Germany, where hes been living since 1990. The producers also have budgeted investments in new promotional materials, a website upgrade, and production of the new FORGETTING DAD DVD Deluxe Edition. 

The tour will take place even if we fall short of our campaign goal, says Rick. But we'd really love to be able to cover our expenses and, perhaps, to have something extra to show our families for the years of work that FORGETTING DAD has required. 

TOUR SCHEDULE (dates to be added)

Screenings

Los Angeles, CA June 19, 2011 

(Fathers Day) - California Premiere at the USC Summer Film Series. (5:00 p.m. Ray Stark Family Theatre, SCA 108, George Lucas Building, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex, 900 W. 34th Street.) 

San Francisco, CA June 23, 2011   

(7:15 p.m. & 9:25 p.m. Red Vic Movie House, 1727 Haight Street.) 

Pacific Palisades, CA June 28, 2011

(8:00 p.m. Villa Aurora, 520 Paseo Miramar.) 

South Pasadena, CA June 30, 2011

(7:00 p.m., S. Pasadena Public Library, 1100 Oxley Street.)

Producers Note: 

An Autumn Tour of FORGETTING DAD is being scheduled around the Annual Conference of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation (ISSTD), in early November. Please contact us for bookings in this region around this time:  

Montreal, Canada November 5-7, 2011 

Annual ISSTD Conference (Hilton Boneaventure Hotel, 900 de La Gauchetiere W., Montreal, Quebec, Canada.) 

FAQ

Where does the money go?

It will all go into covering the expenses listed below. Anything above and beyond that will go toward the autumn tour which we are planning around the Montreal conference in November, and other expenses which come up in connection with the marketing of the film. If were really fortunate, well even get to pay ourselves a little something for our labors!

Budget:

travel (flights Berlin-LA, LA-SF, SF-LA, LA-Berlin, rental car, gas): $ 2000

design work (website, DVD cover + authoring, poster, flyers, printing): $ 1000

phone, postage, internet: $200

living expenses: $500

perks and crowdfunding fees: $800

salaries: $1000

misc.: $500

Can you exceed the goal?

YES! Indiegogo will allow us to raise as much money as we can up until the deadline. The more money we raise, even in small increments, the higher our profile gets AND the more actively we can pursue our efforts to get the film out there.

What are your distribution plans?

Our sales company Films Transit International Inc. in Montreal has been doing a great job of handling international television sales, which has made the film available to millions of television viewers around the world. Due to the films minimal exposure in the US so far, however, it has been difficult to attract any distributors for the theatrical and educational markets. We hope this tour and DVD release will change this. During the tour, we will release a deluxe-edition DVD and sell it at screenings and through our website www.forgettingdad.com. We also intend to make the film available online within the next year. A US broadcast would also be very welcome!

Can I show this film in my hometown?

Sure! Book one of the private screening perks if you want us there in person, or contact us to make other arrangements. 

Questions, comments or suggestions?

Please contact filmmaker Rick Minnich at info@rickfilms.de We look forward to hearing from you!

Other Ways You Can Help

While donations are certainly welcome and needed, we appreciate help of any kind no matter how small. Please come see the film and spread the word about it through your social networks, local press, and any other means at your disposal. Lets embrace the IndieGoGo spirit of DIWO ('Do It With Others'). Its easy with all the terrific share tools available here. And dont forget all the terrific perks, especially my niece Yasis scrumptious cake and cupcakes!