The sleeper hit at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival on September 17, 2006, in Kona, Hawaii was Out & About with Brewer & Berg - A Multidimensional Travelogue.
Audiences at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival were treated to a refreshing new film experience with the screening of the "multidimensional travelogue" Out & About with Brewer & Berg. Festival Director, Alaia Leighland, declared that "Out & About" was the most talked about film throughout the four-day event as she presented the crystal Audience Choice award to Michael and Tom. Though it would be tempting to place this unique film within the conventional documentary genre, it blurs the line on many counts, and truly does become a multidimensional travelogue, just as the title promises. Out & About with Brewer & Berg is a joyous philosophical discussion that takes to the road, crossing seas, mountains and boundaries of time, beliefs and thought systems. Cosmic tour guides, Michael Brewer and Thomas Alan Berg, are the most enjoyable gay gurus to ever grace the silver screen. Whoever thought that waking up to the greatness of 'who we really are' could be this much fun? The triumphant success of Out & About with Brewer & Berg was greeted with a standing ovation at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival on September 17, 2006 in Kona, Hawaii.
Pila Chiles, author of the best-selling book, "The Secrets & Mysteries of Hawaii - A Call to the Soul" was in the audience at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival and proclaimed Thomas Alan Berg and Michael Brewer to be "rebel elves of the New Paradigm sent to Planet Earth to poke holes in all the most sacred cows." He also said, "Their outrageously funny film is a bold and courageous look at what is no longer valid in our 'organizing myths'... while entertaining the forbidden possibility of declaring one's own divinity in a society gone mad with materialism. Hats off to these new warriors of bliss!"
How 'Out & About' came about
Michael Brewer and Thomas Alan Berg have taken an unconventional route into the world of filmmaking and television. Best friends for 25 years, these two spiritual revolutionaries have shared their eclectic studies of psychology, mythology, history, art, religion, quantum physics and metaphysics, and along the way they developed a bond of "blissful brotherhood" even though they live on opposite sides of the globe.
It was out on a spacious deck in Cherry Grove, Fire Island just before 9/11, looking out over the Atlantic, the rainbow flag fluttering over a statue of the archtypal David, that Tom and Michael shared an epiphany about filming a show that would poke fun at the great sacred cows of the old paradigm, i.e. organized religion, big government and social hypocrisy. Tom and Michael dreamed of becoming the Rowan and Martin or the Hope and Crosby of the New Millennium, and according to initial audience response in Hawaii, it looks as if they may be succeeding. Their groundbreaking idea led to the production of the first episode of Out & About with Brewer & Berg - A Multidimensional Travelogue, which won the Audience Choice Award at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival on September 17, 2006.
In this first episode of their adventures, Tom and Michael travel over the Alps from Switzerland to Italy all the way to the Vatican, as they follow their bliss into a vision of how Gayness fits into the Grand Cosmic Scheme of Things. This groundbreaking film shows two gay spiritual warriors make the quantum leap from begging for acceptance to declaring their rightful place in mankind's evolutionary process. The dialogue between Tom and Michael is sometimes pensive, often blissful, usually thought provoking, irreverently funny and always outrageously entertaining as they capture their real life "vision quest", and "ah-ha' moments in a way that heralds the dawning a whole new age for gay people and other so-called exiles and outcasts on this planet.
Michael Brewer's CalArts graphics roots are spotlighted in the unique editing style of this fast-paced, interweaving dance of still and animated effects, accompanied by a soundtrack as enjoyable and up-beat as Brewer and Berg themselves. Tom and Michael's many years of shared "vision questing" and philosophizing about the meaning of gay life on Earth shines through in this joyous blend of imagery and words that transports audiences on an eclectic romp to the leading edge of thought and beyond. After the initial screening on September 15th, one fan shared this with the whole theater, "Now that I've seen Out & About I want to travel some more on Tom and Michael's magic rainbow carpet, wherever they may go. This film is a natural high, a thrilling adventure that awakens you to the joy of life."
Filmmakers' statements
When interviewed at the Aloha Spirit Film Festival, Michael Brewer said, "We welcome the increased visibility of gays and lesbians in books, films and television of recent years: Ellen DeGeneres, Will & Grace, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, Rosie O'Donnell and the many others. Tom & I seek to take this 'coming out' process one step further as we focus our films on the unique historical contributions of gay people that go far beyond contemporary stereotypes of entertainer, fashion-guru, artist, eye candy or clown. We have found that in many ancient societies, gay people were actually seen as the shamans and visionaries who led their cultures. We seek to explore and redefine this level of contribution in our films."
Tom Berg stated, "As two gay men who share a spiritual path, we have a unique view of gayness, which sees far beyond the customary societal roles and stereotypes that have been placed upon us. We have learned how to redefine ourselves in terms of our connection with Creative Source Energy, not as exiles or outcasts. We are searching on film for a new mythology big enough to embrace the extraordinary vision and wisdom that gay people have offered the world for millennia. We agree with James Broughton who wrote, 'men loving men will anachronize war'."
New film in production
Following on the success of Out & About with Brewer & Berg - A Multidimensional Travelogue (available at amazon.com), Tom and Michael began shooting a new film while on location on the Big Island of Hawaii. The new episode of their series will follow Tom and Michael as they explore the beauty of the Big Island and find common ground with the deities of ancient Hawaii , who were exiled by theinvading Western Christian paradigm. Now in post-production, the, guest starring Pila of Hawaii,
Rainbow Crossing - Out & About with Brewer & Berg in Hawaii
is anticipated for 2007. Michael Brewer and Thomas Alan Berg are so happy to repay the kindness of all the Hawaiians they have come to know and love by producing a film showing Hawaii and them at their best and the amazing experiences they shared on film.
More about Brewer & Berg
You may freely sample a bit of Michael and Tom's outrageous first journey beyond the cutting edge by visiting the Brewer & Berg website at www.brewberg.com to view free clips, where you can find more information about how to buy the film as well. Out & About with Brewer & Berg - A Multidimensional Travelogue will be made available for further festival viewing. Contact the website for more information on upcoming events. Review copies of the film are available upon request.
