Danielle Bernstein: Director / Producer

Christian W. Mandl, Ph.D., M.D.: Producer / Scientist

Jason Maris: Director of Photography

Beyond Boundaries

BEYOND BOUNDARIES is a long form episodic project currently in development.

In this series, we introduce you to some of the world’s leading Nobel prize winning scientists, renowned for discoveries that have changed the way we understand the world. But how do some of the greatest minds of our time understand the world themselves? How do they grapple with humanity’s eternal questions about our existence? Through this series, by revealing their personal thoughts and daily routines, we aim to humanize scientists, who are too often portrayed as cold and uncompassionate.

Each episode will focus on an individual scientist. We will explain and illustrate their scientific achievements and contextualize how those discoveries have changed the world. We will spend time with them in their work and home environments to reveal the person behind the science: the routines and habits and hobbies that make them extraordinary, but also relatable.

Jason Maris: Director / Director of Photography

Danielle Bernstein: Co-Director / Producer / Editor

HOMEMADE

The award winning documentary, HOMEMADE is a six year, cinematic and intimate journey about a marriage, invisible wounds and the effects of Post Traumatic Stress (PTS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and addiction. It is a story of survival and resilience unveiling an all too common post service story. Weaving between the monumental landscapes of Utah, Washington DC landmarks, cinéma vérité scenes and recorded phone calls, HOMEMADE bares witness to the lives of Adam Sorensen and his family as they navigate life after combat.

HOMEMADE was originally developed from the idea that the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) goes off twice; once in the field, affecting each individual differently depending on a variety of factors including proximity to the blast, physical position and past injuries. There is a second blast that goes off in each family living room once their combat veteran returns . It’s footprint reaches our closest loved ones, the physicians treating the wounded, and extends into our communities.  

Through the experiences of Adam, Victoria, and their families, HOMEMADE examines our cultural markers of success, the culture of treating symptoms instead of cause, and the disconnect between medical care and true wellness. Themes addressed include continuity of care, the epidemic of over-prescription in both military and civilian care, and the stereotypes of injured combat veterans.

Please click over to the film's website to learn more and to stay up to date on screenings in your area, film festival schedule, and how to get involved with our impact campaign..  You can watch the trailer and other related video on our YouTube channel.  

Danielle Bernstein: Director / Editor

Erin Bernhardt: Producer

Jason Maris: Director of Photography

Imba means sing

Now available worldwide on Amazon.

An independent documentary feature film, IMBA MEANS SING proves the power of music and the empowering impact of an education.

IMBA MEANS SING is the story of one little boy who is a big star. As the celebrity drummer from the Grammy-nominated African Children’s Choir, Moses relies on his youthful resilience. Growing up in the slums of Kampala, Uganda, Moses and his family lack enough resources for him to even attend the first grade. Moses is only eight-years-old when the film begins – yet he knows all too well that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to secure his future and change the course of his family’s life.

The film is an intimate character portrait, stunningly shot and told through Moses’ perspective on his one shot journey from poverty towards his dream of becoming a pilot.

He is joined by two fellow Choir members – Angel and Nina – as audiences experience Uganda and the West through their inquisitive and joy-filled eyes. We share the heartbreak, homesickness and candid humor: Moses loses his drum solo, Nina yearns for her mom to get a job, and Angel pushes herself to become the first female President of Uganda. As we follow the children home, one thing is certain: life as they knew it will never be the same.

Our goal is to leverage IMBA MEANS SING through audience outreach and engagement to raise awareness and support for music education locally and equal access to education as a human right globally.

Awards:

• WINNER My Hero International Film Festival 2014

• Official Selection Nashville Film Festival 2015

• Southern Circuit Official Selection 2015-2016

• Atlanta Film Festival Official Selection 2015

• WINNER Award of Excellence IndieFEST Film Awards

• Joshua Tree International Film Festival 2015

• WINNER American Documentary Film Fund 2015

• Encore Selection Southeastern International Film Festival

• Official Selection Skyway Film Festival 2015

• Official Selection Fort Worth Indie Film Showcase 2015

• Official Selection Zlín Film Festival 2015

Danielle Bernstein & Anne Slick: Directors

Anne Slick, Danielle Bernstein & Gabriela Calvache: Producers

Danielle Bernstein: Camera

Editor: Ivan Mora

WHEN CLOUDS CLEAR / DESPUÉS De LA NEBLINA

WHEN CLOUDS CLEAR is a feature-length documentary that explores one remote Ecuadorian community’s radical resistance to a proposed copper mine that would level the town and destroy its way of life forever.

Set in the isolated cloud forests of the northern Andes Mountains, the film is narrated by the founders and children of Junín. They speak about how the village’s daily life has been affected by the rich ore deposits that were discovered in the region. 

As two invading mining companies have become increasingly brazen in their attempts to infiltrate and control the area, the community must coalesce into a united resistance in order to survive. 

Still, some citizens side with the wealth that the companies promise causing irreparable divisions, pitting friend against friend and father against son. Suddenly these once-peaceful farmers find themselves thrust into a dangerous world of corruption, splintered households, murder and arson as they fight tenaciously to protect their land and families.  

When Clouds Clear is a gripping and beautiful documentary that serves as a reminder to us all that wealth and poverty cannot always be measured in dollars and cents.

Awards: 

• Best Feature Film Award, Seoul Green International Film Festival (South Korea)

• Social Justice Award for Documentary, Santa Barbara International Film Festival (USA)

• Artistic Vision Award, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival (USA)

• Excellence in Film Award, Accolade Competition (USA)

• Cine Golden Eagle (USA)

• Best Documentary Long Island Latino International Film (USA)

• Audience Top 5 Encuentros del Otro Cine, Quito (Ecuador)

• Best Latin Film Award, Breckenridge Festival of Film (USA)

• Best Spanish Language Film Award, Rincon International Film Festival (Puerto Rico)

• Best of Festival Award, Hazelwolf Environmental Film Festival, Seattle (USA)

Ansley West: Director & Camera
Danielle Bernstein: Producer & Editor
Dave Railman: Editor

MOTHERS OF A NATION

Mothers of a Nation is a visual journey through rural Uganda as three women practice and preach agriculture to be the salvation of their communities.

Florence, Alice, and Sarah's lives, once filled with desperation have transformed into ones of hope and prosperity as they take control of their destinies through agriculture, education, solidarity and entrepreneurship. Each woman has seen the positive effect that growing food has had on Ugandan women in their communities and has made it their missions to spread this message, one season at a time.

Weaving between 16mm and HD, the film is an experiential discovery of the landscape of rural Uganda and the many women who work there. The film follows Florence, Sarah and Alice through their daily lives, as they teach their peers the value of the land and the opportunity it affords Ugandan women to break free of otherwise crippling social pressures and stigma.

Florence has brought HIV infected women from sickness towards health, herself included. She has become a land owner, group leader, and runs a small business selling eggs and vegetables. Sarah has worked in health clinics, making gardens to support the diets of the sick. She has managed to send all her children to school and buy her own piece of land. Alice travels throughout rural Uganda preaching the importance and wealth women can find in their soil. When she is not supporting the growth of women’s groups she is near the city of Kampala, where her home garden helps to feed over 25 orphans.

The film reveals the incredible power women possess within African society while addressing the challenges facing each Ugandan woman. Women’s roles and right to own land, women’s health, stigma surrounding HIV, and the future of sustainable farming are all important topics that surface within the film.

The camera moves from one field to the next, into homes, kitchens and the streets of Kampala with an intimacy that makes you feel as if you are experiencing it yourself.

The film is complimented with a short film and photography exhibition that has shown in the following venues: Wonderroot, Atlanta – October 2009 • B(art) – Isreal – Novemeber 2009 • Emory University – November-December 2009 • Utah University – March 2010 • Pamoja Penda Festival – March 2010 • Champlain College – March 2011 • Food & Farm Film Festival - San Francisco 2013. 

Awards: 

• First Pix Next Pix Grant