“The Eyes of Thailand” is heading south for the Little Rock Film Festival. The Arkansas premiere of the documentary is May 30, 2012 at 4:30pm at the Little Rock Zoo. Join Director/Producer Windy Borman for a pre-screening elephant talk and a post-screening filmmaker Q&A. The encore screening is June 1, 2012 at 12:45pm.
For information and to reserve tickets, visit http://tinyurl.com/EyesofThailandatLRFF
“The Eyes of Thailand” continues to pick up steam–and award laurels–thanks to the film juries at our recent film festival screenings.
First, the Newport Beach Film Festival awarded “The Eyes of Thailand” the 2012 Humanitarian Award on May 4, 2012.
Then on Friday, May 11, 2012, Director/Producer Windy Borman received three awards from the International Wildlife Film Festival, including a Best of Festival “Best Heroine in a Wildlife Film” for Soraida Salwala and Merit Awards for Animation and Animal Advocacy.
These awards are in addition to the 2011 ACE Documentary Film Grant from the Humane Society of the United States.
With two film festivals under our belt and many more on the horizon, we’re definitely feeling like this is the tip of the iceberg for “The Eyes of Thailand”. Thank you for joining us on this incredible journey and we’ll share more announcements as they come in!
You’ve heard the expression “the elephant in the room”. Well, we’re happy to share that people can’t help but talk about “the elephants in the PRESS-room”.
The buzz around “The Eyes of Thailand” world premiere has been amazing! Below are some sound bytes from the press:
‘The Eyes of Thailand’ is both tragic and triumphant, tied up with a message of hope that the best will prevail. - OC Social Scene
I laughed, I awwwed, I cried and was very moved… Windy Borman and company proved to me that good movies can be American made. - Fierce and Nerdy
‘The Eyes of Thailand’ means to open viewers’ eyes to the plights of these elephants, as they parallel those of human land mine victims… [The film] illustrates [Soraida] Salwala’s dedication, her insistence that elephants not be forgotten. - PopMatters
‘The best documentaries are the ones that can get to the heart of a larger issue by focusing in on a specific case… Borman’s film captures the trials and triumphs of Salwala and the elephants, Mosha and Motala, while also raising awareness about how landmines are still being used.’ – FilmSlate Magazine
World’s largest landmine survivors walk again with human help and ingenuity. “Eyes of Thailand” concentrates on an absolutely voiceless constituency—elephants—and the heroic efforts of Soraida Salwala… The video… [is] an emotional tripwire. – TakePart.com
This documentary tells a story about love, compassion and wondrous deeds of dedicated people, and skillfully enlightens the viewer about the cruelty and vast use of land mines — not just in Thailand and Burma but throughout the world. – GrandMagazine.com
Soraida is a warm, big-hearted and passionate muse, kind of like a Mother Therese for the elephants. Her caring is charismatic as it is compelling. – LA Splash
Additionally, both Director/Producer Windy Borman and Producer Tim VandeSteeg were interviewed by OC Films on the red carpet (above). You can watch the video stream via LiveStream. [Note: It's currently the 2nd video down in the library].
Windy also appeared in IndieWire’s Women and Hollywood in April. You can read the full article here.
We know our publicist has more up his sleeve, and we’ll post them to our Facebook page and Twitter account as they come in. Stay tuned!
You can also help us spread the “buzz” by adding web banners, images or the trailer to your website via the film’s Pressroom. Check it out!
“The Eyes of Thailand” documentary tells the true and inspirational story of Soraida Salwala’s quest to help two elephant landmine survivors walk on prostheses. Directed/Produced by Windy Borman, Produced by Tim VandeSteeg and Narrated by Ashley Judd, the film shows how far one woman will go to save an endangered species from theats above and below the surface.
The next film festival screening of “The Eyes of Thailand” is at the International Wildlife Film Festival in Missoula, MT. If you can join us in Montana, mark your calendars for three events:
For more information about the International Wildlife Film Festival, including venues and where to purchase tickets, visit their website.
Director/Producer Windy Borman will be at the screening, so make sure to stick around for a Q&A–and let us know if you’ll be there. We’d love to have some “Ele-Friends” in the house!
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Name: Windy Borman
Phone: (415) 317-5697
Email: windy@dvaproductions.com
‘THE EYES OF THAILAND’ SETS SIGHTS FOR WORLD PREMIERE AT THE NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL
Ashley Judd has joined the award-winning doc “The Eyes of Thailand” as the film’s narrator. From “Dolphin Tale” to Elephant Landmine Survivors, Judd has a special love for animals with prostheses.
Los Angeles, CA (April 3, 2012) – D.V.A. Productions, in Association with Indiewood Pictures, is proud to announce the world premiere of “The Eyes of Thailand” at the Newport Beach Film Festival (NBFF). The Film will screen as an official selection Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 6:30pm at Triangle Square Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA). There will be a second screening on Tuesday, May 1st at 6:00pm. Tickets are available at <www.newportbeachfilmfest.com>. Special guests include Director/Producer Windy Borman and Producer Tim VandeSteeg.
“We are very excited to present the beautiful documentary, The Eyes of Thailand, at this year’s Festival! It is quite satisfying to be able to bring important stories to our community and raise awareness”, said Erik Forssell, Director of Programming of the Newport Beach Film Festival.
“The Eyes of Thailand”, directed/produced by Windy Borman and produced by Tim VandeSteeg, tells the heart warming and heroic true story of Soraida Salwala, a passionate woman who dedicated ten years of her life to help give two Asian elephants a second chance to walk again after losing their legs from stepping on landmines.
Actress and wildlife and environmental activist Ashley Judd lends her voice to the powerful and award-winning documentary.
Judd writes, “The Eyes of Thailand is a story of sacrifice and perseverance that shows how far one woman will go to save an endangered species from threats above and below the surface. I hope it will raise awareness to protect Asian Elephants—and all beings—from the terror of landmines.”
“The Eyes of Thailand” was awarded the “ACE Film Grant” from The Humane Society of the United States. Jonny Vasic, Director of the ACE program says, “The Eyes of Thailand is an inspiring and unique documentary that will open up hearts and minds about the amazing veterinary work being performed at the Asian Elephant hospital.”
The elephant stars of the film have been capturing the hearts of people worldwide and were featured in the December 2011 issue of National Geographic and Yahoo’s 2011 “Year in Review” video.
“When I met Soraida, Mosha and Motala in 2007, I knew I discovered an untold story that I needed to share with the world. Witnessing Mosha and Motala take their first steps on their new prostheses was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I cannot wait to share it with the world!,” said Director/Producer Windy Borman.
“The Eyes of Thailand” is a story that embodies heart, courage and compassion to make a real difference and improve the lives of others, no matter whatever obstacles stand in your way,” said producer Tim VandeSteeg.
The filmmakers have created a successful and loyal following through the film’s social media sites, including Facebook <www.facebook.com/eyesofthailand> and Twitter <www.twitter.com/eyesofthailand>, and the film’s website <www.eyesofthailand.com>.
For further inquiries, please contact: Windy Borman windy@dvaproductions.com
NEWS RELEASE: EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT
We are thrilled to announce the WORLD PREMIERE of “THE EYES OF THAILAND”, our award-winning and inspirational documentary narrated by Ashley Judd. After losing their legs from stepping on a landmine, two elephant survivors are given a second chance to walk again.
As an “official selection” of the Newport Beach Film Festival, “The Eyes of Thailand” will premiere on Saturday, April 28th at 6:30 pm at Triangle Square Cinemas (1870 Harbor Blvd, Costa Mesa, CA). Special guests include Director/Producer Windy Borman and Producer Tim VandeSteeg, who will be in attendance for Q&A.
There will be an Encore screening on Tuesday, May 1st at 6:30pm.
Tickets are available today at: http://tiny.cc/EyesofThailandPremiere
PLEASE NOTE:
It’s up to us to continue to maximize the positive momentum and buzz for the film, but YOU can help too. Here’s how.
The film festival uses the website Festival Genius as their online film database where people can purchase their tickets and learn more about the 300 films within the festival. The website also tracks the tickets sales, calendar adds, and how many views each film page receives. The totals are then aggregated to determine which films have the most “buzz” and are displayed at the top of the list on the home page for all to see. It’s our goal to be at the top of this list.
This is where you can help in four easy steps:
Thank you,
Windy & Tim
SAMPLE FACEBOOK POSTS
This past week, I had the opportunity to meet many animal lovers at the 2012 Genesis Awards in Los Angeles and the 2012 Summit for Elephants at the Oakland Zoo.
The 2012 Genesis Awards were very exciting since “The Eyes of Thailand” won an ACE Documentary Film Award from the Humane Society of the United States. It was wonderful to meet everyone at the Humane Society, the other award winners, and also other people dedicating their lives to be a voice for the animals.
There were a LOT of speeches over the two-day event, but the two quotes that stood out the most to me were actually responses that we can all use when someone asks, “Why are you working so hard to help the animals when people are [hurt/ starving/ unemployed/ homeless/ etc.]?”
The first response is: Compassion is a muscle. It needs to be exercised.
The second is: Where there is animal neglect, there is child neglect. Where there is animal abuse, there is domestic violence. When we help the lives of non-human animals, we help the lives of the humans around them.
People have asked me the “Why animals?” question less and less over the years–perhaps because they realized after 4.5 years that I’ve cast my lot with the elephants–but it really helped to hear the Humane Society and its awardees make the connections, and it gave me hope that we can make significant gains to protect animals and end cruelty, just in time to attend the Elephant Summit.
The 2012 Summit for Elephants took a two-year break, so it was great to reconnect with all our “Ele-Friends” from 2010 and see what they’ve been up to. Here are some highlights:
I was also pleased to hear Maneeley make the connections between animal abuse and child abuse, particularly when Ringling Bros. gave free circus tickets to a shelter for women and children survivors of domestic violence. She offered the shelter director an alternative, saying that since the women and children in their facility were survivors of violence, they probably knew how hard it is to see another being abused and coerced. The shelter agreed and they went to the movies, instead, thanks to free ticket vouchers from PETA.
Motivation for keeping up the fight. Even in a room full of 100s, even 1,000s, of animal welfare supporters, it’s hard not to get discouraged about all the work before us. However, I believe Catherine Doyle said it best at the Elephant Summit:
“Saving one elephant may not change the world, but you change the world for that elephant.”
By supporting, “The Eyes of Thailand” documentary, you aren’t just supporting Motala and Mosha, the two elephants featured in the film; you are also supporting FAE’s Elephant Hospital, to ensure that it can continue to treat elephants at no charge to the elephant owners for years to come.
However, you are also doing more than that. By sharing our Facebook posts, Tweets, newsletters and the link to our website, you are also helping us start a global conversation about how we can protect Asian and African Elephants in their natural habitats, as well as their captive environments.
Thank you for joining us and we look forward to sharing some BIG film announcements very soon.
Sincerely,
Windy Borman, Director/Producer, “The Eyes of Thailand”
Hey, “Ele-Friends”,
Last week the crew of “The Eyes of Thailand“, along with some special guests, visited Skywalker Ranch for the Final Sound Mix of the film.
Director/Producer Windy Borman (Center) poses with "Eyes of Thailand" Fans Jody and David Stickney.
After 4.5 years, we were finally going to get to see and hear the film with all the elements put together. This was a work-in-progress viewing, but there was still a lot of excitement in the air, especially since it was the first time most of the crew were together in the same room. (We had people fly in from San Diego, CA and Duluth, MN for the day!).
From Left to Right: Director/Producer Windy Borman, Singer/Songwriter Amie Penwell, Composer Steve Horner, and Editor Gary Schillinger
I’m happy to report that the viewing went swimmingly and you can tell by the happy faces below that everyone agreed it was a job well done.
Composer Steve Horner, Editor Gary Schillinger and Re-Recording Mixer E. Larry Oatfield smile about a job well done.
This week, we are laying off the Final Cut of “The Eyes of Thailand” at Different by Design in Santa Monica, CA, just in time for Producer Tim VandeSteeg and Director/Producer Windy Borman to attend the ACE Documentary Film Grant Awards on Friday (March 23) and the Genesis Awards (March 24).
It’s a very busy time, but we have some BIG announcements coming up in early April, including the much-anticipated reveal of the film’s world premiere. Stay tuned for more details Coming Soon…
-Windy Borman
Sawadee ka! Today is Thailand’s National Elephant Day. Even though everyday feels like “Elephant Day” for us at the Friends of the Asian Elephant, today is extra special because we have an important announcement:
Actress and wildlife and environmental activist Ashley Judd will lend her voice to the powerful and award-winning documentary, “The Eyes of Thailand“, Directed and Produced by Windy Borman and Produced by award-winning producer Tim VandeSteeg.
We also want to thank all of our “Ele-Friends” who donated to our last IndieGoGo online fundraiser. Together we raised $8,912 and 15% is going directly to FAE’s Elephant Hospital!
Elephant-sized Thank Yous to everyone who donated:
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And a special Thank You to all our Anonymous donors.
Trunks up!
-Mosha & Motala
Tony Hudson is a veteran filmmaker and entertainer with more than two decades of experience in film visual effects and animation. Having spent most of his career working at such companies as Industrial Light and Magic, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Lucasfilm Animation, Tony now finds satisfaction with his home-based visual effects studio, Fxvet Studio, which specializes in production design and providing visual effects and title services for independent film producers looking for collaborative services at a reasonable price. Recent projects include the motion graphics for Jayebird Films’ “The Right to Love”, and title and effects work for Wandering/Cut Films’ “Things I Don’t Understand” and San Simeon Films’ “Into the Wild”.
Tony joins “The Eyes of Thailand” team as the Titles and Motion Graphics designer.
Welcome aboard, Tony!
