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News Blog
'We Are Wizards' Premieres at SXSW Film Festival
• Full Article
• Premiere & Screening Information
• Press Information & Inteview Requests
Full Article
March 7, 2008: In the winter of 2006, Prophet Incorporated's founder, Heather Lawver, was interviewed by Josh Koury & Gerald Lewis, documentary film makers from New York City. These two young film makers had traveled the United States, to - for a brief moment in time - follow a few select individuals who have had a hand in creating and shaping an entirely new creative subculture that has grown up around J.K. Rowling's beloved 'Harry Potter' book series. The people who populate this creative environment and whose lives have been documented in 'We Are Wizards' are truly bright, creative, and intelligent individuals as young as three years old and as old as, well, adults. It was an absolute honor for the work of Heather Lawver and Prophet Incorporated included in this exceptional bunch of creative innovators and the entire filming experience was absolutely spectacular. The film's creators - Koury, Lewis, as well as Myles Kane & Gaia Cornwall - sought out Ms Lawver for her work in developing educational and charitable ventures out of a popular book, particularly through her award winning site, The Daily Prophet. Not only that, but the film also delves into her founding and operation of the PotterWar campaign with London City Councilman Alastair Alexander. By defending other Harry Potter fans and their right to engage in a participatory culture that evolved from their favorite book, Ms Lawver and Mr Alexander developed new, fair, and balanced applications of Trademark, Copyright, & Intellectual Property law as it pertains to new media, the internet, and the right of the individual to freely express themselves without fear of reprisal. This singular campaign established legal precedent that experts had been struggling over for years. The logic and common sense of a 16 year old girl triumphed as she fought to defend the rights of her friends. Using a basic understanding of parody law and its intended purpose as a balance between copyright law and free speech, Ms Lawver & Mr Alexander changed the face of internet fandom, established policies for the legal departments of major multinational media companies that ushered them into the new millenium. And all while, they were creating an environment of fearless creativity in which fans can take inspiration from their favorite works, expanding upon them as they hone their own skills, style, and artistic talents.
But this isn't just a film about work, art, or creativity. It's about people and how their lives, experiences, and personalities serve to color and enrich a very large group of individuals who have all found inspiration in a work of fiction. Josh Koury, as the film's director, has created a loving tribute to fandom, looking through the eyes of the select few who make up the cast of 'We Are Wizards'. Peer inside and you will meet brilliant innovators, philosophers, comedians, artists, musicians, activists, educators, and fans, all of whom have blossomed in an environment of support, freedom of expression, friendship, and intense creativity. You'll meet Brad Neely the cartoonist, a "Wizard Rock" band known as "The Hungarian Horntails", which is comprised of two brothers and their best friend, all of whom are under the age of ten. Other magical wizarding musicians abound, from DJ Luna Lovegood to Draco & The Malfoys, The Cedric Diggories to Harry & The Potters, The Whomping Willows to The Order of Merlin.
And then there are the webmistresses, the puppeteers of an online revolution in what it means to be a fan and an artist. For instance, there's Melissa Anelli, the founder of 'The Leaky Cauldron', one of the largest and most popular Harry Potter fan websites. Anelli is a graduate of Georgetown University, a freelance writer, and soon to be published author. She's currently working on a book that will chronicle the Harry Potter fan phenomenon, entitled "Harry, a History: The Fiction, Fans & Phenomenon of Harry Potter". Slated for publication in North America in November of 2008 by Sion & Schuster, Anelli is now considered one of the leading experts on the history of Potter fandom. (And incidentally, our own Heather Lawver was interviewed for Melissa's book as well.)
Then there's Prophet Incorported and the work of our founder. Despite having been forced to take a long sabbatical from her work due to recurring serious illness, Ms Lawver's contribution to the founding of this subculture has not been forgotten. Whilst being interviewed, Ms Lawver began recounting her feelings of deep sadness and loss at being so disconnected from a culture and group of people that she loved so much. In the midst of filming, the director, Josh Koury, paused to tell Ms Lawver how everyone they had interviewed had expressed admiration for her work. That all of them were thrilled that she too was being included in the film. On a personal level, Koury mentioned how pleased he was to talk to her face to face, and how impressed he was by her work. He stated clearly that no matter how long she would have to be away, the heart of Potter fandom would always have a place for her. No matter how far she strayed, she would always be welcomed back with open arms and the smiling faces of friends.
That moment alone clearly expresses the true nature of this new subculture that has grown up around the 'Potter' series. It's so gratifying to know that the film makers have recognized the love, kindness, and comraderie that exists between all of the individuals who have found inspiration in Rowling's stories, and who work together to create beautiful works of art across all mediums. This sense of happiness, inclusion, optimism, and friendship permeates everything that Prophet Incorporated strives for, which can be directly attributed to each individual who is in this film, and who has had a part in the forming of Potter fandom. That is why we love what we do.
We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Josh Koury, Gerald Lewis, Myles Kane, Gaia Cornwall, Melissa Anelli, The Hungarian Horntails, The Cedric Diggorys, The Greybacks, The Order of Merlin, Brad Neely, Harry & The Potters, The Whomping Willows, Draco & The Malfoys, DJ Luna Lovegood, and everyone else who had a hand in making this film a reality. It was a true honor to be included in this group of truly exceptional talents. We appreciate your friendship, kindness, love, and compassion. Specifically, Ms Lawver would also like to thank Koury, Lewis, Kane, and Cornwall for all the kind emails and care packages sent while she was recovering from surgery.
And to everyone who has been with The Daily Prophet since it began, thank you. To all of my beloved columnists, friends, HP4 Board members, and each individual who has helped this company to progress, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. You have changed our lives and the lives of so many others around the world - a gift for which we can never adequately express our gratitude.
To Alastair Alexander, a man who has dedicated so much of his heart to the happiness and safety of others. Ms Lawver would like to thank you for being the most unlikely of best friends, her safe haven in times of upheaval, and the best partner in crime that any girl could ever ask for.
And to you. Thank you for reading, thank you for visiting our website, and thank you for your continued support of Prophet Incorporated. It's because of you that all of this has been made possible. Thank you.
Premiere & Screening Information
The world premiere of 'We Are Wizards' will be on Saturday, March 8th at the South By Southwest film festival. The first screening will be at 1:45pm at the Austin Convention Center. Additional screenings will be held in Austin at 11:00am on Tuesday, March 11th, as well as at 1:45pm on Friday, March 14th. Those two screenings will be held at the Paramount Theatre. For additional information, please check out South By Southwest's official website. Also, be sure to follow the official 'We Are Wizards' blog, which will soon be updated with photos from the screenings and a lot of fabulous goodies.
Press Information & Interview Requests
If you are interested in contacting Ms Lawver directly, she is more than happy to talk to the press and answer any questions you may have. You can email her directly at hlawver AT gmail DOT com. (Due to our efforts to discourage spam, we ask that you please delete the spaces and add the appropriate punctuation. Thank you very much and we look forward to hearing from you!)
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