Eight years ago today, I met Ballhawk Butch Edmudson at the corner of Waveland and Kenmore and the journey on Ballhawks the movie began.

Butch talked and I listened about the Ballhawks and baseball and a few other topics. He told me about a Cub catcher from the early 1900’s, Jimmy Archer.  Archer was considered to have the best throwing arm of any catcher in the “Dead Ball Era.”  It was a long, educational and bizarre conversation that made me lose track of time and the game that was going on inside of Wrigley.  A baseball game is different like that. There’s no clock and it moves at its own pace. Kind of like my conversation with Butch and our film.

Any true Cub fan understands the virtue of patience. We waited a year to revise our trailer and shave a few minutes off the film’s running time. I’m proud of the way we made Ballhawks and the final film.

On April 20^th, Ballhawks will realize a dream come true, due to the passion, talent and hard work of many people. With their most gracious support, we will launch our film on YouTube’s feature movie platform at http://www.youtube.com/movies

We are also in the process of submitting the film to ITunes and Hulu and hope to have Ballhawks available on these and other platforms by late spring or summer. Due to our license agreement with Major League Baseball, we have no plans for Broadcast or DVD sales.

Please help us spread the word, on line, by word of mouth and any other way you can think of.  At this point, getting the film out to as large of an audience as possible will be our ultimate reward.

Thanks again for the support!

click here to go to YouTube

Best of the Midwest Awards
Rockit Bar & Grill
Chicago, IL. December 6, 7 PM

The winners of the 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards were honored last night at Chicago’s Rockit Bar & Grill. Topping the list were awards doled out for “The Last Rites of Joe May,” best actor, Dennis Farina, best actress, Meredith Droeger, and best feature and “Ballhawks,” winning best director, Mike Diedrich, best editor, Randy Palmer and Brooks Ruyle.

Best of the Midwest Awards
Rockit Bar & Grill
Chicago, IL. December 6, 7 PM

Three outstanding works of independent cinema – the Dennis Farina-Steppenwolf Films drama The Last Rites of Joe May, the Minnesota-made microbudget Incredibly Small and the ESPN E:60 stunning short Mumbai Golf – lead all nominees for the 2011 Best of the Midwest Awards, hosted by The Midwest Independent Film Festival.  These awards recognize the premier films and filmmakers featured during this year’s festival, which holds its screenings every first Tuesday of the month.  This year’s “BMAs” will also serve as the festival’s sole fundraiser and will be hosted by the award-winning Rockit Bar & Grill, 22 West Hubbard on Tuesday, December 6th.

Your Ticket to the Driftless Film Festival
Mineral Point Opera House
Mineral Point, WI. October 8, 4:30 PM

Bill Murray is a Chicago Cubs fan, and I forgive him for that. Or maybe I just feel bad for him.

But there is no better person to tell a story about Cubs fans than Murray, who often portrays lovable losers that’s also the moniker of this team. In the documentary “Ballhawks,” Murray lends his voice to dedicated fans who decided that trying to catch home runs outside of Wrigley Field was going to be their sole purpose in life.

Midwest Independent Film Festival
Tuesday April 5, 7PM
Landmark Century Cinema

Chicago, IL – With Opening Day right around the corner, First Tuesdays with The Midwest Independent Film Festival continue with the award-winning baseball documentary BALLHAWKS on Tuesday, April 5th at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 North Clark beginning at 6 p.m.  Narrated by Bill Murray, BALLHAWKS is the story of the men who chase baseballs and dreams on the streets outside of Wrigley Field.  Director (and Ogilvy & Mather Executive Producer) Mike Diedrich will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion with the audience.

Austin Film Festival
Top 5 Documentaries
October 22 & 24, Austin, TX.

…”films of the nonfiction variety too often go unnoticed or under-appreciated. It’s safe to believe the eight films that make up Austin Film Festival’s 2010 Documentary Feature category have been chosen for good reason from among a mountain of entries.”

Ballhawks
Directed by Michael Diedrich Few other pastimes inspire the same kind of fanaticism that baseball does, and this documentary focuses on a small and dedicated group of Cubs fans as they hope to catch fly balls outside of Wrigley Field during the 2004 World Series. Narrated by Bill Murray.

http://www.hsdfi.org/festival/

17th Annual Austin Film Festival
October 21-28, Austin, Texas

http://www.austinfilmfestival.com/new/

3rd Annual Flyway Film Festival
October 21-24, Pepin, Wisconsin

http://www.flywayfilmfestival.org/

Baseball Hall of Fame Film Festival
Cooperstown, NY, October 2, 2010

By, Bill Francis, 10-5-10. The public’s love affair with both baseball and the movies was on full display when the Fifth Annual Baseball Film Festival took place this past weekend at the Hall of Fame.

For director Mike Diedrich, bringing his film Ballhawks, which concerns the men who chase balls hit outside Chicago’s famed Wrigley Field, to the Baseball Hall of Fame was somewhat overwhelming.

“I don’t know if I can put it into words. It’s indescribable,” he said. “I’m a huge baseball fanatic and this, I think, is as good as it gets. And three of the Ballhawks made the drive out here, driving all night, so it makes it even more exciting.”

Reel Dakota Film Festival
The Washington Pavillion
September 24-26, Sioux Falls, SD

SIOUX FALLS, SD (August 26, 2010)–  Reel Dakota is pleased to announce its film selections for the Reel Dakota Film Festival on September 24 & 25, with a “Best of Fest” showing on the afternoon of the September 26. All screening events occur at venues inside the Washington Pavilion, the presenting sponsor of the film festival. This is an all-digital festival utilizing screens in the Belbas Theater and the Wells Fargo CineDome.

Baseball Hall of Fame Film Festival
Saturday October 2, 7 PM
Bullpen Theater, Cooperstown, NY

COOPERSTOWN, NY – The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum will recognize the twin traditions of baseball and film when, for the fifth consecutive year, it hosts the Baseball Film Festival in Cooperstown, Oct. 1-3.