A short film about Moorpark's 1996 Little League World Series team and the loss of 11-year-old Joel Burchfield is officially in production, with filming set to begin this month.

The film, "My Journey With Joel," is a joint project of REBel Productions and the Moorpark Foundation for the Arts, the Moorpark Acorn reported Friday, Oct. 16. It is based on a book of the same name by Dan Burchfield, Joel's father and the team's coach.

Joel played second base and wore No. 15. He drowned Jan. 31, 1996, in the flooded Arroyo Simi creek while walking home from Chaparral Middle School, the Acorn reported in a 2021 reunion story. He was 11.

That season, his teammates wore wristbands with the number 15 and brought a banner adorned with angel wings to every game. Over 20 victories and four tournament championships, the boys reached Williamsport, Pennsylvania. They became the first team in Western Regional history to make the Little League World Series from the losers' bracket.

"I am excited and proud to share Joel's story with the world," said Burchfield, who serves as an executive producer on the film. "This film will take us all on a journey through loss and heartbreak but will end with a feeling of hope."

The production team includes writer, director and producer Ryan Bates, executive producer Ken Razyor and producer Jay Ellison.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary and the start of the film's production, a community event is scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at the High Street Arts Center in Moorpark. The evening features a screening of the 1994 baseball comedy "Angels in the Outfield." Burchfield and members of the 1996 team are expected to attend.

Proceeds will support development of a feature-length version of "My Journey With Joel."

Burchfield, who quit his job as a plumber after the 1996 season to become a teacher, has called the World Series run one of the most important events in Moorpark's history. When the team returned from Williamsport in August 1996, the players' first stop was Joel's grave, where they sprinkled dirt from Howard J. Lamade Stadium. Nearly 4,000 residents then turned out for a celebration at Arroyo Vista Community Park.

Coming up

  • Saturday, Oct. 17, 7 p.m. — "Angels in the Outfield" screening and 1996 team reunion, High Street Arts Center, Moorpark. Proceeds benefit the "My Journey With Joel" feature film.