10-27-2023 3:44pm

'Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory': A Delightful Journey of Love, Innovation and Resilience

Anita Johnson-Brown Editor

Prepare yourselves for a movie experience like no other! The talented squad, the creators of the quirky yet inspiring feature documentary, 'Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory', has inked a deal with the famous Sonder Entertainment. The movie is all set to embark on a nationwide theatrical tour this October. And what better time to start the tour than the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

Thanks to the distribution deal with Sonder Entertainment, you'll be able to see this fascinating film on the big screen across the nation and well into the New Year. Gear up, movie lovers! The digital release is slated for February 2024.

A Touching Tale of Adversity and Triumph

At its core, 'Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory' is a heartwarming and somewhat peculiar documentary. It's the incredible tale of Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Justin Johnson's parents, their bravery in the face of a breast cancer diagnosis, and a life-altering mastectomy. But here's the twist: this life-altering event leads them to launch a unique, homespun prosthetic nipple business. And they manage to keep it under wraps from their church, their small-town community, and even their five unsuspecting children! Talk about a family secret!

The movie is directed by Johnson (known among his fans as Justinsuperstar) and produced by the likes of two-time Spirit Award nominee Noah Lang, Academy Award nominee Jason Cohen, and Steve Garfield, to name a few. The dream team of Executive Producers includes Michael Cruz and Jason Y. Lee of Jubilee, with Anthony Deptula of BMP Creative as Co-Executive Producer.

Love, Laughter, and a Little Bit of Nipple Business

Years in the making, 'Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory' is a touching and humorous documentary that narrates the four-decade-long love story of Johnson's parents. The movie captures the essence of love, resilience, and innovation, making it a must-watch for anyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.

So, ready your popcorn and prepare to be moved, inspired, and maybe even a little tickled — because this is one cinematic treat that's more than just another movie. It's a celebration of the human spirit.

By Anita Johnson-Brown

“Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory is a heartfelt tribute to my parents' resilience, and to cancer survivors and their loved ones everywhere. Mom and Dad’s journey, filled with love, humor, and ingenuity amidst adversity, has blossomed into a project that has already touched thousands of hearts in our festival run. I’m excited to partner with Sonder Entertainment to share this poignant yet humorous film with audiences nationwide,” said Johnson regarding the new distribution deal.

The film has received national recognition and awards, including "Best of Fest" at the Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Film Festival and "Audience Winner: Best Feature Film" at the Milwaukee Film Festival. The documentary has been described as an “absolute delight” (Randy Myers, SF Gate), “powerful, playful and intensely personal” (Alli Watters, Milwaukee Magazine), and as “a heartfelt, hopeful, and realistic portrait of a beautiful family” (Mallory Moore, Elements of Madness).

“From the first viewing of the trailer, we knew immediately that we had to be involved in this film's release. Providing independent projects with an avenue to expand their footprint is Sonder Entertainment's mission. We are excited to bring Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory to the big screen throughout North America,” said Henry Lystad, Founder and CEO of Sonder Entertainment.

Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory will start its theatrical run on October 23 in Fort Lauderdale, FL at Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale; October 27 - November 2 in Wichita, KS at Movieworks Cinema 4; and November 3 - 5 in Jackson, WY at Tallgrass Film Center.

Mom & Dad’s Nipple Factory is a feature documentary that tells the unlikely story of how director Justinsuperstar’s conservative Christian parents launched a secret prosthetic nipple business from their modest Midwest home in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.

This offbeat and oftentimes humorous investigation into his parents' business exposes the broader dynamics of the director’s family, the reaction of their small-town community, and ultimately the remarkable untold love story of Brian and Randi Johnson.

Following a unilateral mastectomy, and unsatisfied with the offerings available on the market, Brian quietly begins fashioning custom nipples for his wife that impress even their world-renowned plastic surgeon, launching a secret nipple business, helping people across the world, while the Johnson family, church, and community remain in the dark.

The Johnsons open up to one another in new and profound ways as the impact of their business is realized and the taboo “nipple factory” becomes public knowledge among their small hometown community. Ultimately the secret business is recognized for its altruistic intentions, and it unites a once close-knit family, that had started to grow apart in the intervening years.

ABOUT JUSTINSUPERSTAR

Justin Johnson (a.k.a. Justinsuperstar) is an Emmy-winning filmmaker, known primarily for his documentaries and his creation of popular online content spanning nearly 25 years. His work aims to engage the audience with down-to-earth tales that authentically explore the lives of extraordinary people, and his passion for travel has been a strong catalyst for bringing diverse stories from all around the globe to life.

Following a successful Kickstarter campaign, his feature documentary Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star toured the festival circuit, taking home Best Documentary at Big Mini Film Festival, as well as Best Feature and recipient of the Vanguard Award at Tallgrass International Film Festival. The film went on to be released by FilmBuff in December 2015.

His most recent festival work, a 2018 short documentary about the quirky and fascinating street musician Abby the Spoon Lady, played at many festivals, including Indie Memphis, Cucalorus, Bentonville, and the Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.

He lives in Minneapolis and owns and runs the content agency BMP Creative, supporting Netflix on social media.

Through Netflix, Justin received an Emmy in 2021 for directing and producing the behind-the-scenes digital series “Behind the FX”.

ABOUT SONDER ENTERTAINMENT

Denver and LA-based, with distribution partners in more than a dozen countries, Sonder Entertainment is making literal and metaphorical waves in the indie film world with multiple award-winning acquisitions and a plethora of feature films in recent distribution. As a self-proclaimed “industry disruptor,” Sonder specializes in bringing well-deserved indie films (narrative and documentary) to the big screen and creating a post-show buzz in the entertainment industry. Their recent feature film experience includes You Resemble Me, Executive-Produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Riz Ahmed, and Alma Har’el; Geoff Marslett’s Quantum Cowboys starring Lily Gladstone and David Arquette; Tom Putnam’s The Dark Divide, starring David Cross and Debra Messing; alongside Monster Energy and Taublieb Films’ big wave doc Ground Swell: The Other Side of Fear, and National Geographic's Path of The Panther. See their full release lineup at sonderentertainment.film.