‘When We Were Apollo’ documentary about Apollo’s undiscovered heroes launches crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Sept. 26, 2017 — Contact Light Films announced today the first phase of funding for its feature-length documentary film When We Were Apollo (W3A), currently in pre-production, launching a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter.

Saturn V rocket exits NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: NASA
The Film:
Space exploration, physics, technology and the pure spirit of innovation owe an eternal debt to the astronauts and NASA figureheads who took us to the Moon.
But what about Apollo’s lesser-known heroes—the builders, technicians, and engineers who also committed themselves to the mission? What was that intangible spirit of tackling the impossible that made them succeed? Where is that spirit today?
Stories of local heroes are resonating with diverse audiences, from the history buff to the space aficionado, from Baby Boomers to Generation Y, and with people in the United States and around the world. When We Were Apollo is uniquely positioned to capture, engage and grow audiences with the real-life accounts of local heroes whose stories are yet to be shared.
In When We Were Apollo, and in your team’s vision, we see a compelling and timely aspirational narrative in humanity’s reach toward new frontiers, one that transcends the boundaries of race and class, and the differences of individuals in America.
– Jeff Gomez, CEO and Founder of Starlight Runner Entertainment.
We appreciate all the ways that heroes of yesterday and today embody the spirit of Apollo in their daily lives—that conviction that dreaming big and tackling the impossible is really, really important.
– Zack Weil, Director of When We Were Apollo
About the project:
When We Were Apollo introduces audiences to several unknown heroes from Apollo’s workforce and reveals what putting a human being on the Moon meant to them. It also features young people from the newest generation focused on the next giant leaps for mankind, and what wisdom Apollo’s heroes offer for their journey.
The film will premiere in 2019, in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing. See more on the film’s website: www.whenwewereapollo.com
When We Were Apollo aims for impact beyond the film:
- It’s a participatory effort to capture part of our history we would otherwise lose as the Apollo generation begins to exit the world’s stage
- Online engagement with fan communities and partnerships with key organizations before and after the film help uncover Apollo stories no one has heard before
- It will also produce a special compilation of all the original, full-length interviews and never-before-heard stories of Apollo recorded during production. This is history not available anywhere else, and much more content than what appears in the film!
Production will begin in January 2018 and is slated to shoot on location in Huntsville, Alabama; Houston, Texas; and Cape Canaveral, Florida. The film will premiere in 2019, in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.
About the W3A Kickstarter Campaign:
The Kickstarter campaign launches Sept. 26th, and wraps on Oct. 31. It will fund the principal filming of the production phase of the film. Backing this campaign means helping to preserve a piece of our history otherwise lost to time. It also sends the message that the spirit Apollo’s heroes embodied is alive and well today: a community coming together to tackle the huge, “impossible” things facing humankind.
View the LIVE CAMPAIGN
In addition to a special advanced release of the film, backers can receive:
- an Apollo Oral History—a compilation of full-length interviews not seen in the film
- a hardcover photobook and behind-the-scenes video of the production process, and
- plenty of When We Were Apollo memorabilia and other incentives.
Creative and Producing Team
Director Zack Weil, at Contact Light Films
Producers Giovanna Aguilar and John Filson
Director of Photography Kyle McConaghy

Apollo provided the world with a shining example of what humanity is capable of at its best. It was made possible by the hard work and dedication of some 400,000 NASA employees and contractors. Photo Credit: NASA
Co-Producer Sterling Macer
Post-Production Company
Attached to the W3A production is world-renowned transmedia expert Jeff Gomez, CEO and Founder of Starlight Runner Entertainment.
For more information:
Kickstarter Campaign (Live now): https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/218581951/when-we-were-apollo-a-documentary-experience/description
Website: www.whenwewereapollo.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpiritOfApollo
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpiritOfApollo/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apollomovie/
Contact:
John Filson
Producer | Campaign Manager
202-821-5331
Giovanna Aguilar
Producer | Media Relations
gaguilar@candescoproductions.com
Thank you for your attention!
The preceding is a paid advertisement for the film: When We Were Apollo
Press Release
The preceding is a press or news release either issued by one of the space agencies or by an aerospace firm or organization. The views expressed in the above post do not necessarily reflect those of SpaceFlight Insider.
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