Monday May 5 at 9am pst, Lynn Gissing, founder of Light in Africa Children's Homes, and author of "A Light in Africa" joined me!

If you missed Lynn Gissing on today's show,
listen to our conversation here.

During times of challenge, how do you move forward? How do you view things differently in times of crisis? Does society view our decisions as crazy when life gives us a shift in direction? How do you adjust to your surroundings?

Lynn Gissing, founder of Light in Africa Children's Homes, an NGO (Non-Government Organization) that provides fundamental care for vulnerable children in the Kilimanjaro and Manyara region of Tanzania, released her first book, “A Light in Africa”. 

Mama Lynn changed her life by receiving a "spiritual calling" to go to Africa. She had no idea why AND she didn't know what she'd encounter when she got there, but she had faith. In her book, "A Light in Africa" - she reveals her journey from being an average Christian wife and mother living in the UK to selling all her worldly possessions then moving to Tanzania, Africa living with the Chagga Tribe nestled 6000 miles up Mount Kilimanjaro.

 A Light in Africa is about one woman's faith and how by the grace of God she is now operating eight children's homes. Over the past 14 years Gissing has served over 1,565,450 meals to children in Tanzania; the outreach food kitchen operating in the mining area for vulnerable and street children has served over 728,000 meals in a ten year period. A medical outreach program has provided free medicine, medical and health treatments to the poor who are unable to access any medical treatment and to date over 210,000 have received medical aid.

She tells about experiencing the miracle of a child who was near death, dying of HIV/AIDS, who - having being prayed for, awoke from his unconscious state and is now living a normal life. 

The book highlights five unexplained miraculous recoveries. How she witnessed disabled children, some living in locked sheds, starving and near death. Gissing brought them to Light in Africa, the children’s homes she founded, giving them food, love and care where they are now experiencing life to the fullest.

Here’s a link to the press release announcing her book: 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/LightInAfrica/prweb11622742.htm

Filmmaker Kate Ryan discusses her award-winning film Welcome NoWhere now showing at the Newport Beach Film Festival!

Special thanks to Kate Ryan for calling in to the show today!

If you miss our conversation, listen here.

 

Kate Ryan

Producer/Director

Welcome Nowhere


www.welcomenowherefilm.com




ABOUT KATE RYAN - Producer/Director

Kate Ryan has been combining her passion for film and other cultures since 2000. Having traveled to more than 27 different countries, she has produced numerous short documentaries highlighting the plight of minorities worldwide.

Her 2007 thesis film, Point of View: A Dogumentary, explored cultural differences in her hometown of Los Angeles. The film won a Student Emmy Award for Best Documentary and was a regional finalist for the Student Academy Awards. Since then, Ryan has directed the TV documentaries Miracles: The Per Arne Drangsland Story and Miracles: The Chloe Glassborow Story, and has worked as an editor on numerous TV shows, including CBS' Emmy-winning Undercover Boss, and AMC’s The Pitch. 


A graduate of the California State University, Northridge Department of Cinema and Television Arts, Welcome Nowhere is Ryan’s first feature documentary.


ABOUT THE FILM, WELCOME NOWHERE

The Roma people, also called Gypsies, are Europe"s largest and most excluded ethnic minority. Ten years after a group in Bulgaria were displaced from their homes and into old train boxcars across town and forced to live in squalor to make room for a large supermarket chain, the Roma community has been forgotten by the government. Clashes between the Roma and the companies that relocated them there have caused intense hatred towards the Roma as disease runs rampant and patience wears thin. This shocking example of institutionalized racism, narrated by Academy Award-nominee Ethan Hawke, allows the Roma people to tell their side of the story for the first time.

Welcome Nowhere tells the story of one Roma community in Sofia, Bulgaria, that is the story of many across Europe. Having settled on a piece of government property for more than 50 years, they were eventually kicked out of their homes when a large supermarket chain bought the land. Provided with temporary housing in old train boxcars, the government promised that new houses would be built for them within six months.


That was 2001.

This film picks up nearly ten years later, with the Roma community still waiting for their new homes. Forgotten by the government who placed them there, they still live in train boxcars that are falling apart at the seams. With no showers or toilets, mud and feces fill the ground, and children play on piles of trash that are filled with broken glass. Disease runs rampant, and patience is wearing thin.

Next door to all of this are two companies who have seen their businesses suffer since the arrival of the Roma people. Clashes between them have caused intense hatred toward the Roma, and they complain about the air pollution, violence, and theft that the businesses have had to endure. Despite numerous complaints to the government, nothing has been done to resolve the growing tension.

Stories such as this are not rare across Europe, with discrimination and conflicts between the Roma people and their neighbors happening every day. Because they often live segregated from the rest of society, the Roma culture is misunderstood and often hated wherever they go. With little employment opportunities, they remain stuck in a cycle of poverty with no sign of getting out.

Welcome Nowhere takes the startling stories of racism and puts names and faces to them, allowing the Roma people to tell their side of the story for the first time. Weaving together expert interviews, daily experiences in the Boxcar community, emotional reactions from the neighbors, and the attempts of two social activists to get answers from the local government, this film tells both sides of this heated issue that all of Europe is facing. Acting as a microcosm of a much bigger problem, the Boxcar community paints a complicated picture of one of Europe’s most pressing issues.


Did the mayor have a right to move this community out of their former homes? Why can't the Roma people just move into apartments on their own? Does the current government have any plans to help them? What does the future hold for this community, and European Roma as a whole? Following members of the Boxcar community through their daily lives, Welcome Nowheretells the story of their fight for new homes, better opportunities for their children, and ultimately, their place in the world.






 

"Deaf film wins Best Drama, now screening at Newport Beach Film Fest!" - award-winning producer Justin Giddings and Ryan Welsh featured this morning at 9:45am to talk about their film ThisIsNormal!

Justin Giddings and Ryan Welsh
Giddy Welshmen Productions

 

If you missed my conversation with Justin and Ryan, listen here.

“Deaf film wins Best Drama, now screening at Newport Beach Film Fest”

LOS ANGELES, CA (April 21st, 2014) – This weekend, the award-winning Deaf short film THIS IS NORMAL will be screening at the 14th annual Newport Beach Film Festival for it’s SoCal premiere. The film follows a Deaf woman who makes a controversial decision to undergo an experimental medical procedure that is supposed to “cure” her of her deafness. Hot off their Best Drama win in Seattle, filmmakers Justin Giddings and Ryan Welsh will be present for an in-depth Q&A with other short filmmakers after the screening which will be at 8:30 p.m. on the night of Saturday April 26th. The trailer for the film can be found here: www.ThisIsNormalAFilm.com.

THIS IS NORMAL is led by Ryann Turner (WEEDS, UP ALL NIGHT) and is supported by Daytime Emmy-nominated actress Molly Burnett (DAYS OF OUR LIVES, TRUE BLOOD) and rising Deaf star Russell Harvard (THERE WILL BE BLOOD, FX’s FARGO). The story follows Gwen (Ryann Turner) as she turns her back on the Deaf establishment to “fix” her hearing only to discover that it may cost even more than she could have imagined. Jim Lincoln of the Geek News Network said, “[THIS IS NORMAL] was absolutely amazing. It ended up being one of the best things I’ve ever seen, let alone one of the best shorts. If the filmmakers decided to turn this into a feature length flick I would camp out for it. This right here is worth the price of admission alone." It is a story that boldly explores the questions of identity in the face of conflicting cultural pressures to conform to what is “normal” using innovative sound design that mimics the range of Deaf hearing.

To obtain tickets, individuals should purchase them directly from the Newport Beach Film Festival website at www.NewportBeachFilmFestival.com. For more information on the film (including stills and bios), please visit www.ThisIsNormalAFilm.com. For additional questions and inquiries or to schedule an interview with the filmmakers, please contact producer Lynn Thomas at 502-386-9754 or giddywelshmen@gmail.com.

ABOUT GIDDYWELSHMEN PRODUCTIONS
Giddy Welshmen Productions is comprised of a creative team of filmmakers headed by actor/writer/directors Justin Giddings and Ryan Welsh, stars of Lionsgate’s hit digital series BITE ME (50+ million views). Together, they now work as filmmakers who’s projects range in scope from sci-fi to sitcoms. They can be reached at giddywelshmen@gmail.com.

For More Information
Justin Giddings
Co-Founder/Filmmaker
310-734-8325 (cell)
giddywelshmen@gmail.com

Filmmaker David Baker featured this morning at 9:30am on Get the FUNK Out!

If you missed David Baker on today's show,

you can listen to our conversation here.

 

 

David Baker and his feature documentary, American Wine Story, will be premiering at the Newport Beach Film Festival. His film follows the inspirational story of winemakers from around the country who overcome hardship and tragedy as they chase their American dreams by starting their lives over in the wine business.

The film's subjects range from wine luminaries and celebrities like Dick Erath and NFL star Drew Bledsoe to some local OC connections.

There are three screenings at the Island Theater, and David will be calling into Get the FUNK Out this morning at 9:30am!


Saturday, April 26, 3:15
Monday, April 28, 12:30
Wednesday, April 30, noon

More info: http://bit.ly/1iY1gwL

http://thewinemovie.com/
http://facebook.com/threecrowsmedia
http://twitter.com/thewinemovie

Interviewed Director Paul Lazarus about his award-winning film SLINGSHOT, now featured at the Newport Beach Film Festival!

Thanks to Director Paul Lazarus who called in to my show today to chat about his latest film SLINGSHOT premiering at the 2014 NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL!

If you missed Paul Lazarus on today's show,

listen to our conversation here.

White Dwarf Productions Presents
SLINGSHOT
Director/Producer Paul Lazarus (Seven Girlfriends, “Pretty Little Liars,” “The Middle”) and Producer Barry Opper.

WHAT: SLINGSHOT, about award-winning inventor Dean Kamen’s 15-year quest to solve the world’s safe water crisis, at the 2014 Newport Beach Film Festival.

SLINGSHOT just won the Grand Jury Prize for Documentary Feature, as well as the Audience
Favorite Documentary Feature Award, at the 2014 Florida Film Festival. The film has already won three audience awards, having screened at only five festivals thus far.

WHEN: Saturday, April 26 at 11:45 a.m. (Fashion Island Cinema 5)

Sunday, April 27 at 8:15 p.m. (South Coast Village 3)

Monday, April 28 at 2:30 p.m. (Fashion Island Cinema 4)

Q&A with the filmmakers will follow each screening.

Sunday night’s screening will include a step-and-repeat for photo opps.


You may not know Dean Kamen, but you're probably familiar with his inventions. His best-known creation is the Segway, an eco-friendly, two-wheeled scooter. Kamen has over 440 patents and has developed many key medical technologies, including the portable dialysis machine, insulin pumps and the Ibot, a wheel chair that can climb stairs. In 1989 he founded FIRST, a robotics competition that has enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of kids. An iconoclast with a provocative world view, Kamen has a passion for solving problems. SLINGSHOT is his water purification device that produces clean water from any unfit source. Fifty percent of all human illness is the result of waterborne pathogens. Kamen has been on a 15-year quest to get this life-saving technology out into the world. This documentary follows Kamen as he develops the machine from idea to reality. This insightful documentary shines a light on the work of a brilliant man who is truly changing the world, one invention at a time.

Husband and wife team: writer/director Ben Ratner and co-lead actor/associate producer Jennifer Spence called in to discuss their multiple award-winning feature film “DOWN RIVER” featured at the Newport Beach Film Festival!

Had a great time today chatting with husband and wife team: writer/director Ben Ratner and co-lead actor/associate producer Jennifer Spence about their latest award-winning feature film, Down River. If you missed today's show, you can catch our conversation here.

BEN RATNER’S MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING FEATURE FILM “DOWN RIVER” TO SCREEN AT THE 2014 NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL

Vancouver, Canada/Newport Beach, California – April, 2014: The Little Film Company, in association with Gossamer Creative and Haven Films, are pleased to announce that Ben Ratner’s feature film Down River will be screening at the 2014 Newport Beach Film Festival in California on April 27th and 29th, 2014.

Down River recently had a successful theatrical run in Toronto and Vancouver and received rave reviews from both audiences and critics alike. It made the list of Top 5 Canadian Films at the Canadian Box Office despite playing in only 2 theatres across the country.

Down River was also named Best BC Film at the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards and won the Audience Award for Most Popular Canadian Film as well as Honorable Mention for the BC Emerging Filmmaker Award at the 2013 Vancouver International Film Festival. Additionally, lead actor Helen Shaver was nominated for Outstanding Performance – Female at the ACTRA Awards for her role as “Pearl” and actor/singer/songwriter Colleen Rennison was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award (Canada's equivalent of the Oscars) for Achievement in Music – Original Song for her song “Molly” which she performs in the film.

Down River had its World Premiere at the Cinefest Sudbury Film Festival, screened at the Calgary International Film Festival and was the Gala Film for the Spotlight on BC screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Down River also screened at the European Film Market in Berlin as well as at the Victoria Film Festival and had its US premiere at the Cinequest San Jose International Film Festival in March.

Husband and wife team: writer/director Ben Ratner and co-lead actor/associate producer Jennifer Spence will be present for a Q & A following the 5 pm screening of Down River on April 27th at the Triangle Theatre at the Newport Beach Film Festival.

Down River is written and directed by multiple award-winning writer/director Ben Ratner (Moving Malcolm) and produced by James Brown. Executive Producer is Jack Ong.

Down River is the emotionally stirring story of three young women teetering on the edge between creative breakthroughs and personal breakdowns, and their connection with the older woman they rely on for guidance, support and inspiration.

Inspired by Ben Ratner's long-time comradeship with actress Babz Chula who passed away in 2010, Down River is a film about mentorship, friendship, living life to the fullest, and ultimately letting go.

Down River stars three Gemini award-winning actors Helen Shaver, Gabrielle Miller and Colleen Rennison as well as Ratner’s real-life wife, Leo award-nominated actor Jennifer Spence. Other actors joining this first-rate cast include Jay Brazeau, Ali Liebert, Brian Markinson and Teach Grant.

Director of Photography is Larry Lynn. Edited by Rob Wenzek. The soundtrack includes original songs by Kevin House, Colleen Rennison and The Boom Booms.

BEN RATNER is an award-winning actor, writer and director. His directorial debut, Moving Malcolm, received a Best First Feature honor at the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival and played at festivals all over the world, from Vancouver to Kolkata, India. Down River marks his second time as a writer/director.

GOSSAMER CREATIVE INC. AND HAVEN FILMS produced Down River. The film was made in part with the financial participation of Telefilm Canada and additional financing was provided by the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit (CPTC) and Film Incentive BC (FIBC).

HAVEN FILMS is a Vancouver-based production company, owned and operated by writer/director/actor Ben Ratner. Haven Films previously produced the feature comedy Moving Malcolm, which Ratner wrote, directed and starred in and which won Best First Feature at the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival.

GOSSAMER CREATIVE is a Vancouver-based film production company with ties to Gossamer Threads, a leading internet technology firm with deep roots in data storage and online distribution founded in 1996. Down River is Gossamer Creative's first feature film credit and the company has several other projects in development.

THE LITTLE FILM COMPANY is a worldwide film sales and marketing company that also theatrically distributes, finances and executive produces independent motion pictures and consults for diverse media companies.

Official Websites & Social Media Links:

Down River Website: www.downrivermovie.com

Down River on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DownRiverMovie

Down River Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DownRiverMovie


Ben Ratner Website: www.benratner.com

Colleen Rennison’s Band No Sinner Website: www.nosinner.com


The Little Film Company Website: www.thelittlefilmcompany.com


The Little Film Company Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Little-Film-Company/77023658332


For more information, please contact Robbie Little:

Robbie Little | info@thelittlefilmcompany.com | 818-762-6999

Tomorrow at 9am pst, I will be featuring some Director's, Actors and Producers featured in this year's The Newport Beach Film Festival!

On Get the FUNK Out tomorrow at 9am pst, I will be featuring some Director's, Actors and Producers featured in this year's The Newport Beach Film Festival (Official)! First up, the film Slingshot film with Director Paul Lazarus, then Jennifer Spence from the film Down River. In between all this great film talk, I will be talking about how you can become part of our growing KUCI membership drive! (AWESOME premiums this year btw and we would love for you to have them!!). Then at 9:30am, David Baker  from American Wine Story, followed by Justin Giddings – This is NormalAFilm....and I will be kicking off Sheldon Abbott's Cure for the Blues Show with special guest Kate Ryan from Ethan Hawke's documentary, Welcome NoWhere! Throw in some amazing Blues Music, DJs Sheldon Abbott and Jeff Scott and we are going to have a great time people!! TUNE in LIVE at 9am pst Monday to KUCI 88.9fm and call in and chat with me after 10:00 because I will taking calls for our pledge drive and would love to hear from you and give you some really cool thank you gifts! SWEET!  CALL in to 949-824-5824