After a whirlwind 45 days, the fundraising campaign for our documentary on 2-time Grammy winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale is almost at a close.

To date, $10,848 has been donated from men and woman around from around the world - from Newcastle to Nashville, Joshua Tree to Sussex. The project has inspired messages of support and promotion from figures as diverse as the Americana Music Association, BBC radio personalities Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode on their BBC Radio FiveLive show, NZ music legend Neil Finn, British film critic Boyd Hilton and the iconic actor/author/director/tv personality Stephen Fry.

'The support - financial and otherwise - from folks around the world has been incredibly gratifying' says director/producer Jeremy Dylan. 'It just shows how many people have connected with Jim and his music. We can't wait to get back to the States and get to work telling his story!'

The shoot begins next Monday in Nashville, Tennessee. Dylan and producer Chris Kamen will be shooting with Lauderdale and others in Nashville TN, Wilkesboro NC, Asheville NC, Statesville NC, Los Angeles CA and Pioneertown CA.

Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts tells the story of hit country songwriter, Grammy winning bluegrass singer, awards show host, radio DJ and tai chi master Jim Lauderdale - from his days a trainee mime, sweating it out in the 80s LA club scene with Lucinda Williams, his frustrations and false starts in the industry, his classic songs that became hits for George Strait, Patty Loveless and Gary Allan and his work with artists like Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Ralph Stanley and Buddy Miller.

'We've got some really exciting interviews with some of Jim's musical collaborators and admirers lined up. When you tell people in the industry you're making a movie about Jim Lauderdale, they can't wait to talk to you,' says Dylan.

Shooting will conclude at the end of May, with a release tentatively aimed for September/October 2012.

'There's still five hours left to help us fund the film. I've had a number of people tell me they were waiting for the last minute to make a final decision. Well, this is the last minute!'

Donate to help make the film a reality by clicking HERE.

To find out more information about the project, visit jimlauderdale.com or contact Jeremy Dylan on jeremy@sevenshellsmedia.com

Jeremy Dylan was interviewed on Triple H radio in Sydney on Monday night about BSATCOP and other current projects. Check it out here:



Remember, you can now watch BSATCOP at benjaminsniddlegrass.com

Cooked up by 20-year old Sydney country music video director Jeremy Dylan, Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins is the most anticipated romantic-fantasy-horror-sci-fi-satirical-musical-comedy-drama Australia has seen in months, and is now available to watch for free on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaFsgYvhi8Y

BSATCOP is the harrowing tale of a nerdy redhead (Andrew Griscti) from Cockfosters, UK, who discovers that he is part of an ancient order of Wittertainers. Under the watchful eye of Mr. Pentangle (Alec Doomadgee), Benjamin heads to Australia to be taught the way of the witter by eccentric Bavarian filmmaker Werner Herzog (Dorian Newstead). A romance develops between Ben and enigmatic mod Scarlett McKenna (Catherine Davies). But soon must face unexpected challenges in the person of the sinister Lord Emmerich (Lol McKenna), a vicious mastermind with the head of a gorilla. Also, skiffle music.

Inspired by a throwaway gag in British film critic Mark Kermode’s review of Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, loveable eccentric Jeremy Dylan penned his first feature film screenplay and gathered a cast of independent music theatre players, an indigenous radio host and Stephen Fry.

‘It’s completely ludicrous’, says Dylan of the casting of his boyhood idol as the film’s narrator. ‘I’ve looked up to the man since I was seven years old. Actually, almost everyone looks up to him. He’s about 12 feet tall.’

Filming was completed over seven days spaced across a five month period, with production entirely financed from Dylan’s back pocket. The writer-director used his alma matter Epping Boys High School to double as magic school Fairport Academy and hired out The Exchange Hotel, Oxford St, for use as the villain Lord Emmerich’s lair.

The film features an original score composed by Golden Guitar winning singer-songwriter Mike Carr, who also co-wrote one of the original songs that feature on the BSATCOP soundtrack. Fictional rockabilly trio Johnny Leroy and the Impulsives rock out Famous and Judgement Day. The main titles, a penguin-themed homage to the James Bond films, are accompanied by Stonesy R&B number Bad Man.

‘Not bad for ten months work,’ says Dylan, who wrote, directed, co-produced, financed and edited the film (and co-produced the soundtrack). ‘It’s amazing what you can do with a MacBookPro, a conscientious cast and crew and gumption.’

After a sold-out premiere at the Dendy Newtown in Sydney in January, a Special Edition DVD of the film went on sale, greeted by overwhelmingly positive reviews and selling hundreds of copies throughout Australia, the US and Europe. As the film became more and more successful, a schism grew between writer/director Jeremy Dylan and his producer, Jeremy Dylan. Dylan felt the film could be tighter, pacier and funnier and exploited a loophole in his contract to wrest control of the film from Dylan and re-edit it, launching it online today, Friday September 2nd.

Watch Dylan’s BBC interview with Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode here.

A behind the scenes documentary on the making of the film is available here.

Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins is available now for free viewing at benjaminsniddlegrass.com Become a fan at facebook.com/benjaminsniddlegrass 

For interviews and enquiries, email jeremy@sevenshellsmedia.com.

Become a fan on Facebook here.

Principal photography has concluded on our new short film 'Access All Areas'.

Check out photos from both shooting days here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Access-All-Areas/258524624165275?sk=wall

Look for the film as it makes the festival rounds in 2012!

A new 'producer's cut' of Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins will be coming to YouTube on September 2nd. Go here for the details: http://benjaminsniddlegrass.blogspot.com/2011/08/bsatcop-is-coming-free-to.html

Check out this behind the scenes look at how our latest video for Peter McWhirter came together!

Yes, it's finally happened. After months of clamouring (not really), the behind the scenes documentary on the making of Benjamin Sniddlegrass has hit YouTube, in advance of a major (for reals) announcement about the film that will be coming at the end of this week.

Check it out here:

Jim Lauderdale is more than just a Grammy-winning Americana icon. He's also the nicest guy in showbiz and a walking advertisement for Manuel tailoring.

I was in Nashville last month working on Untitled Documentary Project and was able to direct this short documentary on the making of Jim's latest album, Reason and Rhyme. It's his third full-album collaboration with legendary Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter and a return to bluegrass.



If this whets your appetite, get a hold of the record through iTunes, Amazon or wherever you get your albums from.

This has been a busy year for Seven Shells Media as a documentary producer.

Kicking off with the making of documentary for our own feature Bejamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, BEHIND THE CAULDRON, which was released on the Special Edition DVD in January and now is available online: http://vimeo.com/25313961

ARIA-nominee dropped her new album 'Listen Here' in March, and we produced an EPK for the album that featured Jasmine sharing insight into the process of following up her acclaimed debut record. JASMINE RAE: INSIDE LISTEN HERE aired on the Country Music Channel in May and June and is also available online: http://vimeo.com/23471622

Peter McWhirter won the Telstra Road to Tamworth in January 2009 and traveled to Nashville to record his debut album. He tells his story in a new featurette that was released today. Check it out here:


In addition to all these exciting projects, we've been hard at work at a new UNTITLED DOCUMENTARY PROJECT, our most ambitious non-fiction project to date, which was shot in the US this June. Become a fan of the project on Facebook to find out more information as it comes closer to release: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Untitled-Documentary-Project/203837609644957?sk=wall