TMFF - The Monthly Film Festival -January Winner for the Documentary of the Month.

 Wow! Super excited for everyone involved in the making of "Meet The Local Hero" which has won another award over at the TMFF - The Monthly Film Festival. The award was for the Documentary of the month. Things are going super well and we are hopefully just getting started as the film has been entered into a lot more Film Festivals.

Me in the woods during shooting

 

Meet The Local Hero - Glenn Johnstone_Teaser from This Is Insomnia on Vimeo.

The short documentary which is based around my passion for riding and how I went from a fit and healthy 27 year old, working a regular job as a postman to being diagnosed with a giant cell tumour and eventually amputation of my Right leg, after over a decade of battling to not only save my limb, but also my sanity.

The short story tries to encompass the feelings of rising up from the darkest depths to then climb up step by step and face new and exciting challenges and reclaim a life. With the support of my amazing dad and people who saw something in me.

Both my dad and myself cannot thank everyone involved in the making of this film, it was such a privilege to be asked to take part.

I have been described as "Irrepressible" I would like to think I took control of my life back. My wish is that this short documentary will go on to inspire other people not to give up, to follow their dreams and goals and continue on their own journey doing the things that bring them happiness.

Checkout TMFF 

A Teaser for " Meet The Local Hero" A Dragos Teglas Film

Hello and Best wishes for the New Year, its my first post of 2024.

Already a mixed bag of really exciting Highs "Yay" and really stressful and frustrating lows "Boo"! 

My blog as anyone who likes to follow it or comes across the various things I post, will know it is about keeping it real. I don't live in a Social Media world of fake news and endless rays of sunshine where my life is super hunky dory every single day. Nope I am just an ordinary bloke, who like a great deal of other people is trying to make the most of this thing we call life, find fun, love and happiness and try to put all the other crap to one side.

You may ask well what is going on ? Well I will start with the Low as I would like to end on a positive. I mean who wants to listen to someone whine on right?

Basically it's the same old same old and for those amputees out there you will totally get this " Socket Fit". I was off work 4 1/2 months at the start of 2023 as my socket was killing me. I was bottoming out and basically mobilising weight bearing on my cut femur. I attended the Disability Service Centre and after a number of visits a socket was produced and "Aww Crap" it didn't fit. I then just informed the DSC and my prosthetist to put my old socket back on to my knee and went back to work. Well it's been over a year, walking around with an ill fitting socket. I have tried all sorts, of temporary fixes, extra stump socks, two, even 3 seals and it hasn't really solved the problem. Tomorrow I am back to the DSC I have been seeing a new prosthetist and hopefully I will be getting a "Boa adjustable socket" and it will fit and I can go on my happy way. I am trying to keep an open and positive mind, as man this ill fitting socket has really knocked my confidence in my mobility and has me in a right moody frame of mind. It doesn't help that my cycling socket is an exact replica of my current everyday socket, so although I am still cycling everyday, mainly on my indoor Turbo Trainer, I am constantly having to stop and adjust my socket.

And that is all I have to really complain about.

Okay, positives, well last year I was invited to take part in a short documentary film. It has now all been put together and is just about due for release. Dragos the film maker and now very close friend keeps me updated and he was very pleased to announce that the film has been nominated so far for 5 film festivals. This is great news and so exciting.

 

I am no longer on Facebook, however I know "This is Insomnia" the production company has a Facebook page.

Checkout: https://www.facebook.com/meethelocalhero/

There is also a video teaser here at Vimeo : https://vimeo.com/901888387

I really would like to see the film do well, not because I consider myself a local hero as the title suggests, no its because Dragos and everyone involved in the making of the film have put so much hard work into its production. Dragos wanted a specific message to be taken from the film and I think he has captured that. The fact that as I have said I am just an ordinary lad, I was never going to be a world champ BMX'er or Downhill racer, no I just wanted to get back to doing something I had a passion for from being a young kid and that was riding on 2 wheels, making my own adventures and seeing where the trail took me. I am not a competitive person, the majority of challenges I have faced in my life have been personal ones, and these have all shaped me into the person I am today, hopefully with a positive message to do what makes you happy and try to overcome your own personal battles.

A huge thank you to everyone involved in the making of this film and I look forward to peoples take on the film.

Meet The Local Hero

About 6 or 7 months ago, I was contacted quite unexpectedly by a gentleman named Dragos Mostenescu. Dragos went on to explain that he was a producer, writer and actor in his native country of Romania, and that upon discovering my Blog, he and a friend of his, also named Dragos, Dragos Teglas, who is a film director, were very interested in my story.

In further conversation, Dragos mentioned that they already had an idea in place, for a short film, something along the lines of "Meet the Local Hero". Dragos provided me with links to his website and also for the other Dragos, so that I could see their past work and accomplishments, that they had each been involved in.

 

From left to right, Cosmin, Dragos M, The Ern, Oren, Me & Dragos T, plus Joy the dog and Kosher the kitten