“Wherever you travel, always carry your most prized possession, your SMILE!” As many of us are traveling this Summer, please do your best to bring your smile, it opens so many doors. Enjoy your experience meeting new people, learning about new cultures and seeing new and exciting things. Look for the fun and unusual and be prepared for the wonderment of surprise. For a smile and nice surprise, watch this…

OK… our feet are not near the ground… we just found out OFFICIALLY TODAY that “Let It Begin! A Filmmaker’s Journey” (watch trailer)  has been nominated for the Student Academy Award in the Documentary Category for 2011.  We are SOOOOOOOOOOOO excited. Please keep watching this site for updates. This AWARD gets voted on in JUNE 2011. (more…)

“Let It Begin! A Filmmaker’s Journey” won AUDIENCE CHOICE and the BEST DIRECTOR Awards at the Zaki Gordon Shorts Film Festival in Sedona, AZ on Memorial Day Weekend.  The film was also nominated for “Best Picture” (Best Producer). Watch Trailer….

ZGI Founder Dan Gordon stated that “Let It Begin! A Filmmaker’s Journey” exemplifies the quality of film that his son, Zaki, in whose memory the ZGI Film Institute was created, believed could be accomplished in his vision of a hands-on film school! (more…)

Here it is… the TRAILER…
First Screenings at Zaki Gordon Institute Shorts Film Festival MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND-Sat., May 29 at 3:05 pm & Sun., May 30 at 11:45 am See the trailer here

Come be one of the FIRST to see Tami’s film at the ZAKI Gordon Institute Shorts Film Festival on

SATURDAY, MAY 29 at 3pm and SUNDAY, MAY 30 at 11:45 pm.

‘Let It Begin! A Filmmaker’s Journey’ is an uplifting documentary that will encourage you to find your ‘OZ’! Filmmaker Tami Pivnick journeys down her yellow brick road as she takes a behind-the-scenes look at a film festival which becomes an eye-opening and heartfelt journey for this 50 year old as she realizes that our human connection inspires her to fulfill her passion. Through Tami’s personal conversations with film lovers, filmmakers, Michael Moore, Jerry Stiller, Doris Roberts, Anne Meara, Connie Stevens, David Rasche, and many others, we experience how we all touch the lives of others. Be prepared to laugh and cry as this film will touch your heart and your soul as Tami Pivnick finds “home.” (more…)

I’ve seemingly disappeared from my own Purplog! In reality, my “technical support”, the Purple People VP of Production took a leave of absence from Purple People (mostly, she dropped in occasionally!) to attend film school this past year.

Happily, I became part of that journey and was the Executive Producer, Co-Producer, Co-Writer and Director of the 2nd Unit of Tami Pivnick’s thesis film, “Let It Begin! A Filmmaker’s Journey!” In an effort to keep this “welcome back” message brief, I’ll save detailing that experience for future Purplogs, and yes, I promise to stay more current. (Tami fixed my technical problem that was preventing me from writing on my PURPLOG (more…)

Why is it that at THIS time of year we are loving, kind, generous, supportive, happy, friendly and warm-hearted? Why not embrace these traits all year long?

Recently I was asked to say “something” at a holiday party. As I thought about what I would like to say, I thought about what message people will carry with them not only at this time of year, but hopefully throughout the entire year.

I decided to make a list of twelve gift ideas which hopefully people will give ALL YEAR long. Most importantly, these gifts cost no money and will give you as much as they give the recipient. (more…)

When I was growing up and my pets got old, they went to live on a “farm” where I could not visit them. Grandparents and loving relatives just disappeared to go live in Heaven, which was explained by someone pointing to the sky. On Sundays, our family would go visit marble-faced stones with my dad’s sister or his father’s name on it. When I was really young, I wondered why those relatives never came to visit or how they could breathe inside that wall. The explanation was that they lived in Heaven (or the sky in my mind).

There are many questions in life that we cannot answer. One question with an answer that most of us agree upon is that our physical life ends in death. (more…)

When we were first approached with the “perfect” film for Purple People to sponsor for the Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF) Tuesday night series, I was thrilled. (more…)

Today is a beautiful day. Hmmmnnn… seems like a GREAT day to take away some Civil Rights from Americans, doesn’t it? Where should we start? Should we not allow people of a different race to live in “our” neighborhoods? Should we tell people “of age” that they can’t have benefits to which they’re otherwise entitled because they’re old? (more…)

I never thought that I would get “worked up” over a singing competition. However, American Idol, this season, is much more than a mere singing competition. It’s the representation of acceptance of diversity vs. acceptance of the boy next door. (more…)

My New Year’s Resolution is not new. Well, perhaps it is in some ways in that I have chosen to NOT make any New Year’s Resolution. Instead, I have chosen to CONTINUE to maintain a positive approach to every situation and to focus on the positive. I’ve been thinking about my Resolution for about a month and as I have observed others, I concluded that for me, the best Resolution is to embrace myself just the way I am. (more…)

We began the New Year by seeing “Seven Pounds” (starring Will Smith and by the Director of “Pursuit of Happyness”).

There are several inspirational messages worth pondering in this thought-provoking film, but the simplest message might be missed by many a movie-goer. Simply put, PUT THE CELL PHONE/PDA Device AWAY while driving. NOTHING is that important that you should be distracted from giving your undivided attention to driving.

Have a SAFE 2009.

I have been challenged by allowing judgment to enter into my thought process and therefore have been remiss in blogging for some time. I apologize to all of you and thank you for registering so that you may participate in the PURPLOG experience. I’m back and will comment more frequently, SO, PLEASE JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION, OTHERWISE IT GETS LONELY OUT HERE!

For Evelyn and Myrna in Memory of Peter

When I die, I want my life to have been spent some place where I can be me.
Is that a “place” or is that “place” within each of us, where we truly live in our heart and soul? (more…)