The Domino Effect

Inspiring stories about Mountainfilm’s direct impact

Mieraf

January 7, 2010 in The Domino Effect by Emily | No comments

Here’s another update on Mieraf, the 11 year old Ethiopian girl that Rick Hodes (the star of Making the Crooked Straight, MF09) treated. She was able to get the surgery, thanks to the prize money (supplemented by audience members) from our Moving Mountains Award.

From Rick Hodes:

Hi David,

Mieraf has gained at least 6 inches, and is a bit frail, but easily
walking and doing well. I anticipate that with a return to her family,
cooler temperatures and more familiar food, she will do really well. I
keep them out of school for several months after surgery, so she will
have time to read on her own and walk longer distances every week.

I will see her tomorrow for a more thorough exam, and post-op photos
and xrays, so that I can have a post-surgery baseline.

Many thanks!

Best wishes for a great year,

Rick

A picture of Mieraf from the back, pre-surgery.

A picture of Mieraf from the back, pre-surgery.

A group shot of fellow spine surgery patients. She is fourth from the left with the glasses. You can see from the reverse picture how dramatically different her spine is.DSC_0509

A group shot of fellow spine surgery patients. She is fourth from the left with the glasses. You can see from the reverse picture (below) how dramatically different her spine is.

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Generous MF Donor Fights Poverty in Brazil

August 26, 2008 in The Domino Effect by Emily | No comments

August 26, 2008

The 2008 festival was particular Domino-liscious. This story is the first of several examples of Mountainfilm’s direct positive impact on the world, stemming from the 2008 festival, that I will be posting on the blog in the coming weeks. For more Mountainfilm Domino Effect stories click on the Domino Effect category to the right.

THE MOMENT: Sylvia Johnson is a young filmmaker who was granted a fellowship in Brazil to chronicle the lives of poor kids who lived in slums in Brazil. Mountainfilm is one of the first film festivals to accept her short film, Alagados, which profiles Renato, an ex-criminal who chooses to defy the stereotype and engage in the active development of his own identity. A photography series called The Alagados Project, which puts cameras into the hands of some of Brazil’s most underprivileged and challenged young people, is part of the Gallery Walk.

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Renato, criminal turned musician. Featured in the MF 2008 film Alagados

THE RESULT: Sylvia’s film and the work of the Alagados Project inspire a MF sponsor to commit $60,000 to the effort, giving the non-profit an enormous financial boost. The Alagados donation, says Johnson, will “put three kids through college and give them a real shot to work their way out of poverty.”

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MF “Download” Sparks Action

February 1, 2008 in Guest Bloggers, The Domino Effect by Emily | 1 comment

img_0789.jpgGuest blogger Stephanie Graham

February 1, 2008

Can you remember the last time your DNA experienced a good ole’ fashioned “download”? The sort where it’s as if the “Chef of the Universe” has cooked up some kind of delicious quantum soup, feeding it right into your bones. Where every cell stands at attention calling out “Incoming!” and with that experience your life is forever changed and you just know you are in for a powerful ride ahead. Two such “downloads” have come my way, and one of them happened during the Telluride Mountainfilm festival in 2007! But first the catalyst….

I knew before I flew to Nepal for the first time in October 2006 with Backwoods Adventures to trek to the base camp of Mt. Everest that it would change my life. I just wasn’t sure what form it would take. During the entire trek I felt like I was hovering 5 feet off the ground and long before it was all over I was already visualizing my return and wondering how I could be of support to the amazing people of Nepal. Download #1 successful, off and running!

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After returning home I was flipping through the latest National Geographic Adventure magazine and my eye caught the ad for Mountainfilm in Telluride. I immediately called and registered to attend! I had previously lived in Telluride, but never attended the festival, so here was my chance! I knew it would be a great venue to connect with like minded people and those who would know the best way to be of use in Nepal!

As I sat in the audience watching one incredible film after another and hearing the likes of Wade Davis, Paul Hawken and Brot Coburn speak….and so many others over the weekend, I felt as if my DNA had lifted out of my body, acting like a spiraling magnet capturing all the magical gems of the event, and coming alive like a newly decorated Christmas tree plugged in for the first time…in a long time. Download #2 successful, off and galloping at full speed!

As a result of those two experiences, it gave me the courage to ACT on my desire to be of help! Overcoming my usual shyness I introduced myself to Brot Coburn, told him what I was looking for and he said “you should call Liesl” and I did!

Eight months later I am once again in Nepal (right now as you read this!) and this time as a volunteer for the Magic Yeti Children’s Library Project. This amazing endeavor has been launched by 14 year old Phoebe Coburn (Brot Coburn’s daughter), award winning filmmaker Liesl Clark and her husband Everest climber Pete Athans early last year.

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With no previous fundraising experience but with a great deal of enthusiasm and “yes I can” attitude I was able to raise $19,367.00 (THREE libraries worth!) in three short months to help contruct and stock libraries for the Magic Yeti Project! And I intend to keep going until I raise my total goal amount of $50,000.00.

But it doesn’t stop there. In late March 2008 I will launch my newly redesigned website www.mteverestmindcamp.com to inspire more people to TAKE ACTION and get involved in something that ignites their passion, their imagination and natural strengths. Each month we will have a featured guest discussing topics such as teamwork, goal setting, philanthropy and outdoor adventure and the value we gain from connecting with the power of “travel”…both in body and mind. From leaders in mountaineering to leaders in psychology, it will be a powerful source for all.

In the meantime you can guarantee that I will be attending the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival in 2008 for more “downloads”! Just look for the girl from Oklahoma wearing a happy smile, running from film to film in between stops at the Steaming Bean!

And if you haven’t yet attended the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival…buy your ticket and start packing!

Namaste!

Stephanie S. Graham

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The Newest Domino from the 2007 Festival

November 13, 2007 in The Domino Effect by Emily | 1 comment

THE MOMENT: The filmmaking team of Darius Goes West desperately wanted to get in touch with Oprah Winfrey, hoping that an appearance on her show would dramatically raise awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), the number one genetic killer of children worldwide. During their packed house post-screening Q&A, they handed out pre-addressed postcards to Oprah and asked the audience to fill them out and forward on their behalf.

THE RESULT: An independent filmmaker in the audience, who had previously worked closely with Oprah, refused to forward the card. Instead, he gave the team her direct phone number. Then a major Hollywood director, after making a generous financial donation to the fight against DMD, invited the team, including Darius and his mother, to an all-expenses-paid visit to Beverly Hills and to the premiere of his latest film. The team accepted the invitation and took advantage of the exposure they were afforded while in Hollywood to push closer to the goal of eradicating DMD.

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Darius and his crew at Universal Studios, Los Angeles.

Read more about the Domino Effect here.

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