Make A Film Foundation

Make A Film Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2006 by writer, director, producer and actor Tamika Lamison. Make A Film Foundation grants film wishes to children who have serious or life-threatening medical conditions helping them to create short film legacies by teaming them with noted actors, writers and directors. Between its two programs, The Short Narrative Program and the VIDZ 4 KIDZ Short Documentary Program, Make A Film Foundation has created over 100 short films. These films have screened at various film festivals and won many awards.^[1][2][3]

History

Make a Film Foundation grants film wishes to children all over the US, and was started in the fall of 2005, after the founder, Tamika Lamison was given a bogus six-figure check for her script, "The Jar by the Door." This devastation let the founder to pursue her lifelong passion of teaching, mentoring, and film making.^[4]

Funding/Financial Stewardship

Make a Film Foundation is run by 90% donations that go directly to programming. Revenue breakdown between 2006-2013 were as follows,75% contributions, 20% special events, and 5% other according to IRS 990 annual reports.

Governance

Wish Impact Survey

The results of a 2011 Wish Impact Study surveyed parents, health professionals, and volunteers on the advantages of having a film wish come true for a child with a life-threatening medical condition enables them to fight harder against their illnesses. Health professionals who treat children granted film wishes, overwhelmingly believe that the film experience can improve the child's physical health. Most health professionals say a film wish granted has the potential to be a positive turning point in the child's battle for health. Parents and medical professional say the experience is often a turning poing in the child's battle for health, often becoming more willing to comply with difficult, but vital treatment regimens.

Enhanced State of Mind

Both children and parents experience normalcy, and less isolation from friends and feel a return of self-confidence and are more empowered to take control of their lives and keep the fight against their life-threatening medical conditions. Often family units that are strained from the stresses of the illnes experience strengthening through the shared experience of making a film.

• Ninety-five percent of parents reported that the film making experience gave their children increased feelings of happiness and 96 percent said that the film experience strengthened their families.

Strengthened Communities

Volunteers feel an increased sense of compassion and desire to help others in their community. They feel a renewed faith in humanity. They trust others more and feel more optimistic about the future. They feel a greater long-term commitment to philanthropy.

• Ninety-five percent of community volunteers reported an increased sense of compassion and eighty-four percent felt an increased faith in humanity.

Programs

Short Narrative Program

A child who suffers from a serious or life-threatening medical condition has the opportunity, with the help of industry mentors, to write and star in their own short film. They star in the film with well-known actors and a noted director directs the piece.

These films are professional Hollywood short films and generally play in festivals all over the US and internationally and has won numerous awards.

Short films include:

The Magic Bracelet

Written by Rina Goldberg, whose dream was to see her script turned into a short film, lost her valiant battle with Mitochondrial disease in December 2010. Her final words to her mother were, "Promise you'll take care of my film." Miraculously, her script was then adapted into a short film by Academy Award winning writer Diablo Cody (JUNO). Jon Poll (Dir. Charlie Bartlett/Co-Prod. Meet the Fockers) directed. The film stars: Bailee Maidson (Parental Guidance/Just Go With it); Hailee Steinfeld (Academy Award nominated-True Grit); Jackson Rathbone (Twilight Film Franchise); JK Simmons (Juno/Spiderman); James Van Der Beek (Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23/Dawson's Creek). The film's red carpet premiere was in Los Angeles in May 2013 and Philladelphia in June 2013. It is currently being requested by festivals all over the US.^[5][6]

Deep Blue Breath

Written by Clay Beabout, an 11-year-old boy with Vater's Syndrome who has survived over 40 surgeries. Beabout starred in the film with Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings), Miguel Sandoval (Medium), Natasha Gregson-Wagner (High Fidelity) and Ernie Hudson (Ghost Busters). It was directed by Patricia Cardoso (Real Women Have Curves). The film is 1/2 animation and 1/2 live-action and is about a boy who travels deep inside his body to an animated dream world where he engages in battle against the evil Lord Vater- a monstrous manifestation of his disease. Meanwhile, in the waking world, a medical team tries to save his life. "Deep Blue Breath" has played in over 40 film festivals and won numerous awards.

Put it in a Book

The first narrative short film created by Make a Film Foundation. 18 year old Jabril Muhammad who has Sickle Cell Anemia wrote and starred in this film with Kerry Washington (Django Unchained) and Michael Ealy (Think Like A Man). And was directed by Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Knobbs). In this film two brothers try to survive the mean streets of LA, when one is killed by gang violence, the other has to choose a path of righteousness or revenge. "Put it in a Book" has played in over 20 film festivals, also winning numerous awards.

The quality and authenticity of each film, causes the budget per film to range anywhere from 50-100k. All cast and crew participates on a volunteer basis with shooting taking place over the course of a weekend. The film is then edited, and screened at a red-carpet event in Hollywood in a major theatre, as well as premiering in a theatre in the hometown of the participating child.

VIDZ 4 KIDZ Short Documentary Program

This program teams children who have serious or life-threatening medical conditions with hand-held video cameras and film mentors who help them to create/shoot short mini-movies in 2–3 hours. The shorts are a hybrid of documentary and narrative consisting of interviews from the children, doctors, parents, etc. The films are edited and screened at a red-carpet event for the children. Directors who have participated in this program include: Marc Forster (World War Z, Finding Neverland), Bennett Miller (Money Ball) and Rodrigo Garcia (Albert Nobbs).

See also

• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• Sunshine Foundation

References

External links

• www.makeafilmfoundation.org
• Make A Film Foundation at the Internet Movie Database