Bert Bedrosian's NASCAR Race Team Sponsorship

HUNTERSVILLE, NC (September 30, 2016) – “Citizen Soldier,” a feature film using real footage that follows an Oklahoma National Guard unit during its deployment to Afghanistan will be the primary sponsor for Regan Smith’s No. 7 Chevrolet at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, October 2.

Produced by Strong Eagle Media and distributed by Gravitas Ventures and Broad Green Pictures, “Citizen Soldier” is a modern day “Band of Brothers” and documents the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (nicknamed the “Thunderbirds”) 2011 deployment. Set in one of the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan at the height of the surge, it is a heart-pounding, heartfelt grunt’s-eye view of the war. The film tells the true story of an exceptional group of young soldiers and their life-changing tour of duty in Afghanistan, offering an excruciatingly personal look into modern warfare, brotherhood and patriotism.

For Baldwin, this film hit home due to a friendship with United States Marine Corps Sgt. Derek Stevenin. Through Baldwin’s friendship with Derek, he learned of his serving five deployments in just eight years and the trials he has faced because of those deployments. This past Memorial Day, TBR honored Derek and 17 of his fallen brothers on the No. 7 car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

“I’ve always been drawn to support military efforts because of Derek and the NASCAR fans we meet at track each week who tell me their stories of service,” said Baldwin.

“We are honored to have Citizen Soldier Film on our car at Dover to further tell their story during the Citizen Solider 400 race weekend.” “We are honored to have our film ‘Citizen Soldier’ ride with a team as respected as Tommy Baldwin Racing, especially with a proven winner like Regan Smith behind the wheel,” said the film’s producers Bert Bedrosian, Christian Tureaud and David Salzberg. “We know the #7 car will have members of the National Guard all over the country cheering it into the winner’s circle in Dover.”

Tune in to the Citizen Soldier 400 on NBCSN at 2:00 p.m. ET.

About the film, “Citizen Soldier”
Available Aug. 30 on DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand/VOD, “Citizen Soldier” is a dramatic feature film told from the point of view of soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th-Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known since World War II as the “Thunderbirds.” “Citizen Soldier” is produced by Bert Bedrosian, Christian Tureaud, David Salzberg with SEM partner Wendy R. Anderson executive producing, in association with Charlie Anderson and Mike Camello of Charlie Mike Productions and John Brenkus, Jason Mergott, and Frank Sinton from BASE Productions. Follow on Facebook at facebook.com/citizensoldierfilm/, Twitter @ctznsldrfilm and Instagram @citizensoldierfilm.

About Strong Eagle Media (SEM)
Strong Eagle Media is based in Beverly Hills, California and is a full-service Entertainment Company that develops, produces, distributes, and markets entertainment content in all mediums Worldwide. Most recently, the Principals at Strong Eagle directed and produced the critically-acclaimed feature-length documentary “The Hornet’s Nest,” produced the feature film entitled, “The Perfect Game,” and the feature length documentaries entitled “Running the Sahara,” “For Right or Wrong,” and ‘La Source.’ The Principals at Strong Eagle Media – Christian Tureaud, David Salzberg, Bert Bedrosian, and Wendy R. Anderson – have collected over 200 awards, including numerous awards at major film festivals around the world. For more information, visit www.strongeaglemedia.com.

Bert Bedrosian: 6th Annual Student Veteran Film Festival shows 'Citizen Soldier'

(Photo: Strong Eagle Media)

Topping off a week dedicated to veterans on campus, Florida State University held its sixth annual Student Veteran Film Festival on Saturday at Ruby Diamond Concert Hall.

Each year the university – in cooperation with Office of the President, Student Veterans Center, Florida State Collegiate Veterans Association, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, Student Government Association and the College of Motion Picture Arts – showcases a film that depicts the realities men and women face while serving in the armed forces. In doing so, the university hopes to raise awareness of veterans’ issues among the campus and local community.

The festival featured the critically acclaimed documentary Citizen Soldier. The film illustrates the stories behind the members of the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Thunderbirds Brigade during a particularly volatile time in Afghanistan.

Citizen Soldier currently ranks among the best-selling documentaries of the year because of its unprecedented glimpse into the war in Afghanistan. As the name foretells, the soldiers in the film were called into active duty from the National Guard, changing their statuses from citizens to soldiers within a few hours. The film focuses on Sgt. Eran Harrill, who chose to defer his education and instead be deployed to fight the war.

Last Thursday, the university held a media event with the film’s co-directors David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud along with Vince Williams, president of FSU Collegiate Veterans Association, and Erica Menendez, director of the Veterans Student Union. Frank Patterson, dean of the College of Motion Picture Arts, was also present.

Williams, who became a Marine in 2006 and later pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology at FSU, told media how the festival continues to raise awareness of veterans’ issues by depicting the struggles of a military service member.

“It gives [our student body] a short snapshot of what [soldiers] go through,” Williams said.

Williams said that oftentimes, veterans on campus are only identified as such because they are older than the rest of the student body, and that student veterans choose to remain humble about their service for many reasons.

“It’s not because they aren’t proud of their service, it’s because they do not want any special treatment,” Williams said.

The university has made it a primary initiative to be a more inclusive campus for student veterans and is currently the only university to host a student veterans film festival. During the media event, Dean Patterson spoke on how film can fuel understanding to those that are not completely aware of emotional complexities of our servicemen and women.

“One of the common themes throughout this whole festival has been understanding the humanity of our vets, understanding their lives behind the scenes in ways I just don’t think we all recognize,” Dean Patterson said. “We’re injecting [awareness of veterans’ issues] into the ecosystem that is Florida State University.”

Salzberg and Tureaud were honored on Saturday with the Student Veteran’s Torchlight Award for Outstanding Filmmaking. The two were honored with the same award last year for their film, The Hornet’s Nest. Salzberg, a now familiar friend of the university, commended the school for its efforts.

David Salzberg, co-director of “Citizen Soldier, received FSU College of Motion Picture Arts’ Torchlight award on Saturday.

“Having this school do what it does for veterans is incredible – we need more colleges to do it,” Salzberg said.

The Torchlight Award will be donated to the National Guard Association and the Oklahoma 45th Museum to continue honoring the country’s ‘citizen soldiers.’


Original Source:- http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2016/11/12/6th-annual-student-veteran-film-festival-shows-citizen-soldier/93741528/

Bert Bedrosian: The Hollywood Reporter- Follow a crew of Army National Guardsmen through a tour of duty in Afghanistan

Relying on hours and hours of helmet-cam footage to capture a first-person account of one combat team’s time in Afghanistan, Citizen Soldier emphasizes the part played in current wars by National Guard members who in regular life hold down varied non-military jobs. Coming many years after other attention-getting docs with similar missions, the film will have a hard time attracting attention outside the community of veterans. But that doesn’t diminish its ability to put us in the shoes of ordinary men balancing boredom with life-or-death action on a daily basis.

Focused mostly on a handful of soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud’s film bounces constantly between 2011 field footage and interviews held well after the participants’ return home. The effect is largely familiar as the movie introduces its subjects (its focus is too broad to bring many of them to life as characters). But midway through, our experience of action is more extensive than in some other films: Where other good war docs have done more of the storytelling retrospectively, the directors here bounce around in-the-moment POV angles to keep us in the action.

Most extensive is a long, late sequence in which, when one of their number is killed and falls down a mountain, several others must make a grueling and dangerous attempt to retrieve his body while under fire. Mike Trella’s score, appropriately Heartlandsy in other places, takes a brief turn into generic action-movie mode, cheapening the drama a bit. But in the moment and in the comfort of civilian life, the participants make sure we never fail to take it seriously.

Production Company: Strong Eagle Media

Distributor: Gravitas Ventures

Directors: David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud

Screenwriter: Eli Baldrige

Producers: David Salzberg, Christian Tureaud, Bert Bedrosian, Eran Harrill

Executive Producers: Charlie Anderson, Mike Camello, David L. Thompson, John Brenkus, Jason Mergott, Frank Sinton, Wendy R. Anderson, Mike Boettcher, Carlos Boettcher, B. Kevin Turner

Editor: Jason Mergott

Composer: Mike Trella

R, 104 minutes

Read Full Article: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/citizen-soldier-film-review-917659


Taken From:- http://citizensoldierfilm.com/the-hollywood-reporter/

Bert Bedrosian: War Documentary ‘Apache Warrior’ in the Works From ‘Citizen Soldier’ Producers

Strong Eagle Media, producer of “Citizen Soldier,” has signed a multi-picture agreement with A. Smith & Co. Dox to create a slate of film projects with “Apache Warrior” as the first title, Variety has learned exclusively.

“Apache Warrior” focuses on the U.S. Army helicopter crews in the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. The film includes real-life footage of the crews providing 24-hour transport, air cover and rescue.

“Apache Warrior” is produced by Bert Bedrosian, David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud for Strong Eagle Media and Frank Sinton, Arthur Smith and Jason Mergott for A. Smith & Co. Dox. Other titles will be announced within the coming weeks.

A. Smith & Co. Dox is a recently-launched division of A. Smith & Co. Productions, which served as co-producer on “The Hornet’s Nest,” “Citizen Soldier,” and “Danger Close.”

“Citizen Soldier,” released earlier this year, is told from the point of view of a group of soldiers from the Oklahoma National Guard’s 45th Thunderbirds Brigade about their tour of duty in Afghanistan. It’s been touted as offering a personal look into modern warfare, brotherhood and patriotism.

“The Hornet’s Nest,” released in 2014, was produced by Bedrosian, Salzberg and Tureaud. It grossed $312,706 in the U.S. and is the only film to ever be enshrined into the National Infantry Museum at Ft. Benning, Ga.

“With the successes of ‘The Hornet’s Nest’ and ‘Citizen Soldier’, we are delighted to unite with our co-producers on a new multi-picture deal under their A. Smith & Co. Dox banner and we look forward to a long and prosperous partnership,” Salzberg said.

Bedrosian negotiated the deal for Strong Eagle Media with Sinton for A. Smith & Co. Dox.

“We’re proud to partner with Strong Eagle Media to tell some of the most gripping stories of our time with content that audiences wouldn’t normally have access to,” said Sinton, president of A. Smith & Co. Dox. “Our documentary films will serve to inform, educate, and lend voices to our veterans who put their lives on the line on a daily basis to protect our freedoms.”

A. Smith & Co. has produced more than 3,500 hours of programming. Current productions include “Hell’s Kitchen,” “American Ninja Warrior,” “Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge,” “Ellen’s Design Challenge,” “Unsung,” “Behind the Label,” “Acting Out” and “Team Ninja Warrior.”


Taken From: http://www.asmithco.com/news.aspx

Preparing for the Presidential Debate by watching Producer Bert Bedrosian's Film ‘Citizen Soldier’ – By Joe Klein

I prepared for the first Clinton-Trump debate by watching Citizen Soldier, a riveting documentary about the Oklahoma Army National Guard in combat in Afghanistan–and by not watching any of the pregame commentary by the talking heads. I wanted to see the debate with those young men in my mind: mechanics, oil-field technicians, cops and even a marketing executive, who chose to serve their country in a combat hellhole. I did it because the most important quality of a Commander in Chief is the sobriety to make life-and-death decisions, rather than the ability to bluster and zing.

I had doubts about both candidates in that regard. Hillary Clinton had, after all, sent the Oklahomans into Afghanistan by supporting President Obama’s expansion of the war–which I also mistakenly backed–and the sight of these young men in the film chasing shadows and getting blown up by ghosts was devastating. Not a single enemy combatant is seen up close during the course of the film, but two soldiers are killed, including a beloved lieutenant leading from the front.

Clinton also was wrong about Iraq and, worse, about Libya, where she instigated a mission that had no Phase IV–the military term for occupation and stabilization operations after the battle is won. But then, there isn’t a politician, pundit, soldier or spook who hasn’t been wrong at some point about this endless, vexing campaign against radical Islamist terrorist groups. The question of whether she was prepared to lead the next phase of the conflict wasn’t answered in the debate, but Clinton certainly showed that she understood the subtlety of these issues. “Words matter,” she said after Donald Trump implied that national security was a financial transaction, that if our allies–NATO and the Japanese and the Koreans–didn’t pony up, he would leave them to their own devices, which might mean the development of nuclear weapons. Then she assured our allies that we wouldn’t abandon them. She did not say, “Unlike Trump, I won’t abandon you.” The pledge was too serious for politics. It was a fine moment.

In fact, her most impressive moments came when she wasn’t talking, when she was on split screen listening to him. She didn’t waver; she listened with a perfect combination of attention and ironic bemusement, with just the slightest hint of “What a jerk” flickering at the corners of her eyes and her mouth. This, too, is a crucial quality in a Commander in Chief. There are more than a few world leaders, friend and foe, who don’t deserve to be taken seriously but have to be.

Trump, by contrast, huffed and puffed and sniffled and sighed and groaned and mugged and drank water and interrupted, rudely, repeatedly. He made not one solid, specific proposal during the course of the 90 minutes. Others have pointed out his myriad missed opportunities, but the greatest of those was the chance to appear as a solid, controlled Commander in Chief.

He came to the stage as the Republican nominee armed with an important argument–that we had rushed into too many wars, that we had acted imprudently and, in particular, that the war in Iraq was a terrible mistake. He could have said, “Yeah, look, in an early conversation with Howard Stern, I took a casual, hypothetical position in favor of the war–a lot of people did–but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a disaster this would be.” But Trump simply doesn’t have the grace or soul or muscles to admit a mistake. Instead, he suggested that finding a way to avoid paying federal taxes was “smart.” He said that rooting for the housing crash was merely a matter of business, rather than utter amorality. On the moral spectrum of selflessness, he is at the very opposite end from the Oklahoma soldiers.

He talked about Rosie O’Donnell. He threatened to talk about Bill Clinton’s infidelities. He talked about Sean Hannity. He talked about himself, relentlessly. He claimed that he had persuaded our European NATO allies to take terrorism more seriously, as if the attacks in Paris, Brussels, Germany and Turkey had nothing to do with it. He seemed a child.

I don’t know how many votes were changed by Trump’s dismal performance. But Clinton didn’t lose any votes with hers. And the format of the next debate, the Oct. 9 town meeting, has traditionally favored the candidate who can successfully engage the citizens asking the questions. Clinton has been holding such meetings for years. It may turn out that her listening tours, oft ridiculed by the press, were the most important debate prep of her life.

Article Written by Joe Klein, Esteemed Time Magazine Reporter and Author

This appears in the October 10, 2016 issue of TIME.

Bert Bedrosian: BASE Productions & A.Smith & Co.’s Citizen Soldier to Launch in August

BASE Productions, in association with A. Smith & Co, has partnered with Strong Eagle Media to produce a feature film that will hit theaters and retail shelves next month.

BASE Productions, in association with A. Smith & Co, has partnered with Strong Eagle Media to produce a feature film that will hit theaters and retail shelves next month.

CITIZEN SOLDIER is a feature-length, immersive war documentary that's told entirely from the point of view of a group of Soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. It's set in one of the most isolated and dangerous parts of Afghanistan, where these young soldiers experience a life-changing tour of duty.

Most of these National Guard soldiers leave their full-time 9-5 civilian jobs and families behind to defend their country on the other side of the world. Using helmet cam footage, Citizen Soldier gives a first-person look into the bravery, brotherhood and valor of these infantrymen as they engage with the enemy and protect each other.

BASE Productions' Jason Mergott, Doug Newton and Eli Baldrige have been working on all aspects of this film for more than a year, from forming story to putting the final touches on the project in the editing bay. This team partnered with directors David Salzberg and Christian Tureaud from Strong Eagle Media to produce the film. A. Smith & Co's Frank Sinton and BASE Productions' John Brenkus are Executive Producers on the film. Shay Cornwall and James Dearing are Co-Executive Producers.

We invite you to support the film when it comes out in selected theaters on August 5 and DVD on August 30.

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/citizensoldierfilm/?fref=ts

Trailer: http://citizensoldierfilm.com/


Original Source: http://www.tinopolis.com/news/2016/july/base-productions-asmith-co-s-citizen-soldier-to-launch-in-august/

Bert Bedrosian Welcoming Remarks Citizen Soldier 400 at Dover Delaware Press Release

Bert Bedrosian

DOVER, Del. (2016) – Legendary musician Joe Walsh will serve as the grand marshal for the “Citizen Soldier 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on Sunday, Oct. 2, track officials announced today.

The Grammy Award-winning 1998 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has a career spanning four decades as a successful solo artist and a member of the Eagles, Barnstorm and James Gang. Walsh wrote “No Man’s Land,” an original song for the film “Citizen Soldier.”

Joining Walsh as dignitaries for the “Citizen Soldier 400” are:

Honorary Pace Car Driver: Retired Maj. Gen Gus Hargett, the chief executive officer of the National Guard Association of the United States.

Honorary Starter: Retired Staff Sgt. Colt Floyd of the Oklahoma National Guard. Floyd was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011.

Welcoming Remarks: Bert Bedrosian, “Citizen Soldier” producer and partner at Strong Eagle Media.

In addition, country music star Easton Corbin will sing the national anthem prior to the race and the traditional military flyover will be conducted by two F-16s from the 149th Fighter Wing of the Texas Air National Guard.

“Citizen Soldier” is a feature film that follows an Oklahoma National Guard unit during its deployment to Afghanistan. Produced by Strong Eagle Media and distributed by Gravitas Ventures and Broad Green Pictures, the film is a modern day “Band of Brothers” and documents the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team 2011 deployment.

“We’re thrilled that Joe Walsh, a rock and roll legend, will be a key part of our NASCAR weekend,” said Mike Tatoian, Dover International Speedway’s president and CEO. “His contributions for the film ‘Citizen Soldier,’ and his support for our active and retired men and women in the military and their families is a testament to who he is today.”

The “Citizen Soldier 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race is the centerpiece of the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 NASCAR tripleheader weekend at the Monster Mile. Dover International Speedway is also hosting the “Drive Sober 200” presented by the Delaware Office of Highway Safety NASCAR XFINITY Series race on Saturday, Oct. 1, and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race on Friday, Sept. 30.

For tickets or more information, call 800‐441‐RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com. You can also keep up with the Monster Mile at Facebook.com/DoverInternationalSpeedway, or on Twitter at @MonsterMile and Instagram at @MonsterMile.

# # #

About Dover Motorsports, Inc.
Dover Motorsports, Inc. (NYSE: DVD) is a leading promoter of NASCAR sanctioned motorsports events whose subsidiaries own and operate Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. and Nashville Superspeedway near Nashville, Tenn. The company also plays host to the Firefly Music Festival, produced by Red Frog Events and Goldenvoice. For more information, visit www.DoverMotorsports.com.

About the film, “Citizen Soldier”
Available Aug. 30 on DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand/VOD, “Citizen Soldier” is a dramatic feature film told from the point of view of soldiers in the Oklahoma Army National Guard’s 45th-Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known since World War II as the “Thunderbirds.” “Citizen Soldier” is produced by Bert Bedrosian, Christian Tureaud, David Salzberg with SEM partner Wendy R. Anderson executive producing, in association with Charlie Anderson and Mike Camello of Charlie Mike Productions and John Brenkus, Jason Mergott, and Frank Sinton from BASE Productions. Follow on Facebook at facebook.com/citizensoldierfilm/, Twitter @ctznsldrfilm and Instagram @citizensoldierfilm.