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MoonShot: The Remarkable Journey of Apollo Chamber Players

A BOLD QUEST TO CREATE CULTURAL HARMONY THROUGH GLOBALLY INSPIRED MUSIC.

MoonShot: The Remarkable Journey of Apollo Chamber Players tells the story of four musicians from different backgrounds who came together to create one of the most innovative ensembles in the world. It is a tale of resilience and determination, of radical musical inclusivity that has reimagined what it means to be a performing arts ensemble in the 21st century. The film chronicles the origins of Apollo’s musicians, it’s groundbreaking 20x2020 project reflecting one of the world's most culturally diverse cities, and the challenges overcome - and milestones achieved - during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MoonShot stars Apollo’s four core artists along with Emmy-winning Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate and astronaut John Herrington, the first American Indian to fly in space. It was filmed in Houston (TX) by Jeffrey and Barbara Mills of Io Communications and Ben Doyle of BEND Productions, with interviews at NASA's Space Center Houston. MoonShot made possible by an Artistic Innovations grant from Mid-America Arts Alliance.

Starring:
Matthew J. Detrick
Anabel Ramirez Detrick
Whitney Bullock
Matthew Dudzik
Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate
John Herrington
Jennifer Higdon
Eve Beglarian
Van-Anh (Vanessa) Vo
St. John Flynn, narrator

Original soundtrack by: Scott Szabo
Apollo musicians and Andrew Staupe, piano

  • Jeffrey Mills
    Director
    Calming the Waters, Terlingua, Interstate, Pan Am, Before the Curtain Rises
  • Jeffrey Mills
    Writer
    Calming the Waters, Terlingua, Interstate, Pan Am, Before the Curtain Rises
  • Jeffrey Mills
    Producer
    Calming the Waters, Terlingua, Interstate, Pan Am, Before the Curtain Rises
  • Ben Doyle
    Videography and Audio Engineering
  • Ryan Edwards
    Videography and Audio Engineering
  • Barbara Mills
    Graphics, Animation and Video Editing
    Calming the Waters, Terlingua, Interstate, Pan Am, Before the Curtain Rises
  • Anabel Ramirez-Detrick
    Graphics, Animation and Video Editing
  • Scott Szabo
    Soundtrack Composer
    Doll Factory, Saving Evan White, Dancing in Twilight, 25 Words or Less, Judge Faith, Divorce Court
  • Jerod Tate
    Key Cast
    "Chickasaw Composer"
  • John Herrington
    Key Cast
    "Astronaut and Narrator"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Expository, Observational
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    30,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Supermax
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • MoonStruck Drive-In Cinema
    Houston, TX
    United States
    May 6, 2021
    U.S. Premiere
  • Vancouver Independent Film Festival
    Vancouver
    Canada
    Finalist
  • Screen ATX
    Austin, Texas
    United States
    September 18, 2021
    Awarded Best Documentary and Best Documentary Soundtrack
  • Seattle Film Festival
    Seattle, WA
    United States
    July 9, 2021
    Northwest Premiere
    Best Music Documentary Feature Film
  • Fort Smith International Film Festival
    Fort Smith, AR
    United States
    August 21, 2021
    AR premiere
Director Biography - Jeffrey Mills

Jeffrey Mills is a 44-year veteran filmmaker with numerous industry awards: Tellys, Houston Worldfest, Charleston Worldfest and the U.S. Industrial Film Festival. In 1983, Jeffrey co-founded Io Communications, a corporate communications and documentary production company where he serves as president and lead producer. Jeffrey established Documentary Alliance in 2004 to engage in the production of broadcast documentaries for PBS. Besides documentary production, this nonprofit has also participated in community outreach programs through RealFilms and Houston PBS (Independent Lens).

Barbara Mills s a 44-year veteran filmmaker, graphic designer/animator, and web programmer with numerous industry awards: Tellys, Houston Worldfest, Women in Communications, and the IABC. In 1983, Barbara co-founded Io Communications, a corporate communications and documentary production company wheres she serves as graphic designer and animator. Barbara also serves as secretary of Documentary Alliance, the nonprofit arm of Io that engages in documentary work for PBS.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Working on MoonShot was several layers of joy. FIrst, I found from the initial meeting with Matt Detrick that their story was compelling on many levels: a story of perseverance, talent, and hope. And the group had extensively documented their journey with wonderful stills and video. That's not often a given when working on a documentary. With their passion and visual treasure chest, it was a joy to collaborate with them. And finally, there was Matt's love of everything space, an interest I have had since junior high when I was sure I would work for NASA. I never became an aeronautical engineer, but being offered Moonshot was about as close as you can get.