HOMETOWN SHOW. Eau Claire native, Justin Johnson, is holding the first ever Eau Claire viewing of his documentary about his parents titled Mom and Dad's Nipple Factory on Aug. 29 at The Pablo Center. (Submitted Photo)

“People are enjoying seeing a story about a family becoming whole again,” Eau Claire native Justin Johnson said in reference to his documentary Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory. The film has the ability to elicit both laughter and tears because it touches on many relatable themes, such as family, cancer, and religion. Locals are finally getting the opportunity to view the film when it comes to The Pablo Center (128 Graham Ave., Eau Claire) on Tuesday, Aug. 29.

On April 20, Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory  – which tells the story of his entrepreneur father’s quest to make his wife feel whole again after surviving breast cancer – was chosen to be the opening film for opening night of the Milwaukee Film Festival. The 1,000-seat auditorium was sold out, and the film received a standing ovation as well as the Audience Award for Best Feature Film. Johnson describes the process of completing the film and getting accepted to film festivals as, “exactly what my wildest dreams were.” Johnson says being able to connect with people through laughter and tears over his projects is one of his favorite parts of the experience of filmmaking.

Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory 2023 Festival Trailer from Justinsuperstar on Vimeo.

Following the Milwaukee showing, Johnson’s film was screened at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival on April 23, where it was chosen as Best of Fest. Between the two festivals, Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory appeared in six screenings in nine days. The film was then part of the Doclands Film Festival in San Francisco, where it sold out as well. 

Johnson says he is looking for passionate people to champion the film and help with expenses such as public relations. Johnson wants to continue showing the film at festivals for the remainder of 2023 and then hopes to find a distributor to stream the film so that it can be viewed by a wider audience.

For locals that are interested in seeing the film, the time has come! Mom and Dad’s Nipple Factory will be showing at the Pablo Center on Aug. 29 – tickets are on sale now at pablocenter.org. 

For more information on the film and to follow along on the journey, check out nipplefactoryfilm.com.