Pop Star On Ice: Bonus interviews with Johnny, Patti and Paris

Here is my extended conversation with Johnny Weir, mom Patti, and best friend Paris Childers at the New York premiere of Pop Star On Ice. PSOI is a documentary by filmmakers David Barba and James Pellerito that profiles Johnny's rise to the top of the figure skating world. It's been showing at various film festivals around the country and luckily for us, most of the cast and crew made it to the New York premiere and stayed after the movie to answer questions from the audience.

In this bonus interview footage, I ask Johnny, Patti and Paris about how much editorial control Johnny had over the film, the infamous bathtub scene, the recent decision to have David Wilson choreograph his programs for the coming season, why Johnny's father couldn't make it to the premiere, how he'll celebrate his birthday (he'll turn 25 on July 2) and if Paris has a budding acting career on his hands. (Photo above, Johnny Weir and mother Patti Weir on the red carpet)

Click here to watch my conversation with filmmakers David Barba and James Pellerito!

Pop Star On Ice starring Johnny Weir: Extended interview with David Barba and James Pellerito

Here is my extended conversation with filmmakers David Barba and James Pellerito during the New York premiere of Pop Star On Ice starring Johnny Weir. Pop Star traces Johnny's roots from a young boy living in rural Pennsylvania where he skated on frozen cornfields, to being three-time U.S. National champion, a World bronze medalist, as well as a runway model. The film premiered at the NewFest Film Festival on June 11 and afterwards, the audience was treated to a Q&A with Johnny, best friend Paris, and David and James. (Photo at right, from left to right, David Barba, Johnny Weir and James Pellerito)

I was fortunate enough to have a one-on-one conversation with David and James about their film and listening to them describe the making of the documentary is exciting, exhilarating and exhausting. In the beginning, it was just the two of them, with a camera and a credit card, jetting around the world, with very little sleep, following Johnny over a two year period. But as with any project that you're passionate about, they loved every minute of it and the payoff? A great film about one of figure skating's most talented and colorful personalities and a green light by the Sundance Channel to produce eight episodes continuing where the documentary ends. The series will air early next year on Sundance Channel prior to the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Can't wait!

Pop Star On Ice starring Johnny Weir: NYC premiere with cast and crew

Pop Star On Ice starring Johnny Weir had its New York City premiere on June 11 at the NewFest Film Festival. Johnny was able to attend and do a Q&A with the audience after the film because he lives and trains in Wayne, New Jersey, just a car ride away from the theatre. I think Galina Zmievskaya (his current Russian coach) gave him permission to take time away to do this since she's been fairly strict about how Johnny should allocate his time. Johnny's dedicating his time to making the Olympic team so attending all these premieres throughout the U.S. would be a huge distraction, so we lucked out that he took part in the New York one.

What a treat for the audience, who also had a chance to ask directors David Barba and James Pellerito, and Johnny's best friend Paris Childers, about the making of the film. (As an aside, if Bravo is watching, can someone please give Paris his own talk show or reality show?) Also in attendance for the premiere were Johnny's mother Patti and aunt Dianne, Viktor Petrenko (coach), Nina Petrenko (choreographer) and daughter Viktoria (whom I barely recognized because the last time I saw her was when she skated at Rockefeller Rink for a celebration of Mia, the new skating doll by American Girl Place). Angela Maxwell, who came in eighth at the U.S. Nationals, and Daniella Favot, who came in fourth at the Canadian Junior Championships, also came to the premiere to support Johnny and the film.

Coming up next is my one-on-one interview with the filmmakers, as well as an extended interview with Johnny, mom Patti and best friend Paris. Stay tuned!

Special thanks to the talented Giovanni Spinelli, PSOI's composer, for allowing us to use excerpts from the documentary's score. For a sneak listen to more from the original soundtrack, please visit http://virb.com/giopoprock. Giovanni also tells us that the soundtrack should soon be on iTunes.

Pop Star on Ice starring Johnny Weir, part two of a two-part Q&A

Here is Part 2 of the Q&A that was held during the New York premiere of Pop Star on Ice starring Johnny Weir. Pop Star on Ice is a documentary that followed Johnny for two years in his quest to become the world's best figure skater and possible Olympic champion. After the film, Johnny, his best friend Paris Childers, and directors David Barba and James Pellerito, answered questions from the audience. In Part 1 of the Q&A, the cast and crew spoke about Johnny's internal struggles, working with U.S. Figure Skating and the ISU in making the film, how this project began (David and James didn't start out making a documentary about Johnny), and recent Canadian press accusing Skate Canada of trying to "masculinize" male figure skating in time for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics Games.

In Part 2, topics include the perceived homophobia in the United States, the infamous bathtub scene, how Johnny and Paris became best buds (although initially they started out as enemies), and the eight-part series greenlighted by the Sundance Channel that picks up where the documentary ends (around March 2008). David and James are continuing to shoot Johnny for the series and shared with the audience that the focus for the series will be more on Johnny and his current coaching team of Galina Zmievskaya, Viktor Petrenko and choreographer Nina Petrenko. The first seven of the series will be aired early next year prior to the Olympics and the last episode will air post-Olympics. Can't wait!

Pop Star on Ice starring Johnny Weir, part one of a two-part Q&A

Pop Star on Ice starring Johnny Weir had its New York premiere on June 11, as part of the NewFest (New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Film Festival. Produced and directed by David Barba and James Pellerito, the film chronicles Johnny's rise from a young boy growing up in rural Pennsylvania to becoming three-time U.S National Figure Skating Champion and a World bronze medalist. Throughout the film, the audience is introduced to Patti Weir (Johnny's mother), Paris Childers (his best friend), Priscilla Hill (Johnny's coach for nearly ten years before he switched to Galina Zmievskaya and Viktor Petrenko) and other important figures in his life.

After the movie, Johnny, Paris, David and James took questions from the audience and here is Part 1 of the Q&A. Part 2 is coming up on Monday!

Click here to see Part 2 of Q&A!