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West of Greatness

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Meet our films and filmmakers! @westofgreatness will play at 6pm on Friday night during our festival. Join Jerome and Terry as they train for a high-stakes bodybuilding competition and their journey out of a fading Louisiana town.

See you soon underdogs! taken in Manship Theatre at Shaw Center for the Arts by @westofgreatness

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a day ago

We’re incredibly honored that West of Greatness has been selected for the 2026 @batonrougeunderground

This film was made with a lot of heart, patience, and the trust of an entire community. Eighteen months of filming, countless hours in the edit, and a cast and crew who gave everything they had.

We can’t wait to share the story of the Westwego Muscle Boys with Baton Rouge. Grateful to the festival for having us. by @westofgreatness

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a month ago

Behind the scenes of our one of a kind movie by @westofgreatness

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4 months ago

Major thanks to @ianhochlive for having us on @wwl_radio to discuss @westofgreatness and where we are at in the process of selling the film! Also big shoutout to @mubiusa @oscopelabs @independentfilmco for taking a peak at our screener. by @westofgreatness

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5 months ago

Loved working with @officialjohncastle on @westofgreatness

Can’t wait to do it again 🚬🩰 by @westofgreatness

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5 months ago

GAY! 🏳️‍🌈 🌈

Love you, guys ✨
@laeazy9 @zach_van_zandt
@westofgreatness by @westofgreatness

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6 months ago

Seeing these responses has been deeply humbling. The last one is our favorite. by @westofgreatness

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7 months ago

2025 has been one hell of a year for @westofgreatness 💪🎬

We premiered at the @bfffestival with a true hometown welcome for our director and composer. We even had @geenadavisorg wear our sticker at the festival.

Then we brought the film home to the @neworleansfilmsociety where it won the Audience Award for Best Louisiana Feature Film. This year we met so many incredible filmmakers, and felt the love at every step of this journey.

Grateful, overwhelmed, and energized. We can’t wait to see where 2026 takes this film. by @westofgreatness

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7 months ago

Grateful for every laugh, every tear, every gut punch, every person who showed up and let @westofgreatness hit them the way it hit us while making it. This one was made with love, risk, and a whole lot of heart.
If you’ve seen it, thank you.
If you haven’t, we’ll save you a seat. #indiefilm #independentfilm #ifcfilms by @westofgreatness

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7 months ago

Hollywood isn’t calling… so we’re calling you ☎️

Here are 2 ways to get @westofgreatness in front of the companies who should see it.

1️⃣ Share this to your IG Stories and tag them!
2️⃣ Drop their handles in the comments ⬇️⬇️⬇️

@bleeckerstfilms
@independentfilmco @lionsgate
@magnoliapics
@mubiusa
@neonrated
@oscopelabs
@sonyclassics
@utopiamovies
@verticalentertainment @xyzfilms

#IndependentFilm #IndieFilm #FilmDistribution #IndependentCinema
#newcinema by @westofgreatness

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7 months ago

“[It is] that rare hybrid film that straddles scripted and documentary film … the bodybuilding contest and the year leading up to it are very real.

“The best way to describe my film is to say that it’s a fictional film with real elements … those bodybuilders are playing themselves,” director LaReau said. “Yet … the competition only exists within the film. We raised money … to hold that competition outside of the film’s budget and awarded real prize money to the winners.”

“This is a film that goes way beyond bodybuilding … it’s the theme around which the characters revolve.” - @nolanews Leslie Cardé #independentfilm #bodybuilding #indiefilm by @westofgreatness

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8 months ago

The Westbank (of the Mississippi River) creates the perfect backdrop for this quirky and experimental film directed by Jared Cliff LaReau. Part documentary, part fiction, part examination of bodybuilding, and part coming-of-age narrative, this film broadens our expectations with the expansive sights and sounds of what is lovingly referred to as the “Best Bank.” Locals will be thrilled to see the use of regional bodybuilders and their tales interspersed with the main story of two young men, Terry Bridgeway and Jerome Bettis Carmichael (played by Zachary Van Zandt and LaEric Moore, respectively) who are competing in a greatest gains competition in Westwego. A competition built by the filmmakers and endured by both bodybuilders and actors alike results in a film that asks what is fiction, what is fact, and what does it mean to reinvent all of it, even on the neglected bank of the river that’s often overshadowed by its flashier neighbor to the east. Enter West of Greatness, a mighty film in perfect form. —Megan Burns, @antigravitymag #independentfilm by @westofgreatness

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8 months ago