Accompanying a plaque for Kevin Smith

From one of several digital devices in the possession of…

Joseph L. Puente...

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Nov 19, 2024

Dear Kevin,

Thank you for being so generous with your time this evening.

I was in the U.S. Navy from 1993–1998—so from Clerks through Good Will Hunting.

My last duty station was in Winter Harbor, Maine, and during the final six months of my enlistment, some of my buddies and I decided to make a movie. It was called Barracks Rats—it’s on YouTube at painfully low resolution in 10-minute chapters—with a lot of references to your movies, among others. It premiered to much rowdy fanfare at the base social club. I was once told by a film studies professor that I made a lot of the same mistakes as most first-time filmmakers, which made me happy.

I left the Navy specifically to pursue filmmaking. Along the way, I heard someone say that the best way to make one’s dreams come true is to help others make their dreams come true. So, that’s what I’ve been trying to do with Utah Filmmakers™.

It’s been a difficult journey for various reasons. I’m not sure what to make of my filmmaking career, but, even though the list of films that I’ve written and produced isn’t very long, I'm proud of them.

Thanks again, for inspiring so many of us.

Sincerely,

[signed]

Joseph L. Puente
Salt Lake City, Utah

@utahfilmmakers

Thank you, @thatkevinsmith, for inspiring so many Utah filmmakers! You'll always be one of our own!

♬ original sound - Utah Filmmakers™ Association