Last week was full of celebration and networking, and I made some powerful and inspiring connections that will be fruitful for “The Eyes of Thailand” once we complete the film this spring. This week we are keeping up the momentum by pushing “The Eyes of Thailand” forward.

In December, we launched our IndieGoGo donation campaign for individuals who would like to be a part of our inspiring and award-winning documentary by making a small donation to “The Eyes of Thailand” film.

This our LAST IndieGoGo campaign for “The Eyes of Thailand”. The last opportunity to raise $17,500 to complete the film, the last chance to claim your donation perks, pre-reserve your DVDs and posters, and your last chance to get your name in the film’s credits.

Your donations of $10, $30 and up are greatly appreciated, and can be made between today and February 28th. In return, donors will receive some very cool “perks” (think of “perks” as cool gifts).

For example, with a $100 Donation, YOU will receive:

1. IMDB Film Credit (that’s right, you would get listed in the film’s ending credits under “Thank Yous”)
2. Personal THANK YOU and Shout Out from me (the Director)
3. DVD or digital download of “The Eyes of Thailand” film & the Film’s Score (when available)
4. Official poster signed by Filmmaker

Plus, your donation is 100% Tax-deductible and 15% goes directly to the FAE Elephant Hospital in Thailand.

Watch the powerful and inspiring trailer, learn more about the campaign and how to donate at: <http://tinyurl.com/TheEyesofThailandMovement>

If you have already donated, please consider donating again, even if it’s $10. It may not seem like much to you, but $10 donations add up quickly and they give us an opportunity to announce our progress online and keep the buzz up.

Another way to help keep our momentum going is sharing the link with your friends and networks and encouraging them to join you in donating to the film.

I hope you will join us and show your support by being a part of “THE EYES OF THAILAND“ and making a small donation today.

With gratitude,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, “The Eyes of Thailand”

We’re helping Mines Action Canada spread the word about their Call for Photos for an upcoming video project. Now’s your chance to get your hands or feet featured in an online video to support the Mine Ban Treaty and survivors of landmines and cluster munitions.  The video will premiere in early March. Photos are due February 6th (next Monday). For more details, please read Erin’s request below:

Hello,

Mines Action Canada needs your help.  We are making a video for our web site
and for the youth campaign that requires photos from our colleagues around
the world.

We are looking for photos of hands, feet, prosthetics and missing limbs
doing everyday things.  Pretty much I’m asking for photos of hands/feet or
whatever you’ve got doing whatever you normally do – walking, playing,
cleaning, writing, cooking etc.  A variety of ages and ethnicities would be
great.  They don’t have to be new photos if you already have a photo that
fits these criteria that’s great….

Photos do not have to be zoomed in too much or anything fancy but the higher
resolution the better.

If you have any photos you would like to include in the video please send
them to me at erin@minesactioncanada.org by February 6th.  The estimate is
we will need about 60 photos so feel free to send more than one.

Please send photos directly to me…so that the video
will remain a surprise for everyone….Thanks!

Take care,

Erin

Erin Hunt
Program Officer
Mines Action Canada
Mobile: +1 613 302-3088
Skype: hunt.erinlynn
Twitter: @erinlynnhunt
<http://www.minesactioncanada.org/>

Thank you for your support and we look forward to sharing their video with all of you in early March.

Cheers,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, “The Eyes of Thailand”

We’re working with Tahnee Gehm, a student at the California Institute of the Arts, studying Character Animation, to create seven (7) animations, including: illustrating how two elephant landmine survivors (Motala and Baby Mosha) arrived at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Elephant Hospital, why the Founder Soraida Salwala decided to open FAE in 1993, and how to build an elephant-sized prosthesis.

“Inspired by Nang Yai, or traditional Thai shadow puppets, the animations were created digitally in a space that emulates a light source that casts shadows,” explains Tahnee. “The moods of the pieces are emphasized with the color of the light. With animation, more cinematic opportunities are available for story-telling than might be available in traditional shadow puppetry. Still, the spirit of shadow puppets was kept alive by creating characters with hinged limb movements.”

Below are three still frames from the film’s animations.

Mother elephant feeding the Buddha.

Many believe the Buddha was once born as a baby elephant. The still frame above shows the Mother elephant feeding the young Buddha.

Buddha's eyes

The Buddha grows up to a majestic elephant, who refuses to eat or drink until he can feed his blind, old mother.

Elephant Triumph

Soraida Salwala stood in front of an armored truck for 25 hours before the authorities relented and released the elephants, who were scheduled to be exported to a zoo.

We look forward to hearing what you think about the animations.

Last year we:

• Edited “The Eyes of Thailand” trailer at Remedy Editorial (If you haven’t seen the new cut, check it out and share it with your friends).
• Edited the film with Gary Schillinger and got to “Picture Lock”.
• Began production on the film’s animation with Tahnee Gehm.
• Began composing the film’s score with Steve Horner.
• Worked with Annabel Nguyen to design a beautiful new poster (which you can receive as a donation “perk” when you donate to the film).
• Updated http://www.eyesofthailand.com with SeenDesigns (If you haven’t seen it lately, check it out!).
• Collaborated with international artist Annabel Ruffel to create “The Eyes of Thailand” painting (another donation “perk“).
• Received an ACE Grant from the Humane Society of the United States.
• Raised over $7,500 through tax-deductible donations to cover the costs of all of the above.

Thank you for all your support and please join us in giving an “Ele-Friend” Shout Out to all of the donors who supported us in 2011!

Aimee Reiss

Alaina Zepeda

Amelie Frank

Anne Wasson

Ashley Martin

Ayumi Ashley

Belinda Ogley

Carlyn Montes De Oca

Carmen Mendieta

Carol & Stewart Kriss

Chanel Brown

Cynthia Pepper & Val Hornstein

Daniela Rible

Dhaivat Shah

Diana Iles Parker

Elephant E-ctivism

Fiona Mackie

Jack Watson

Jacqueline Eichman

James Boyle & Jennifer Kincaid

Jamie Sirgany

Jaqueline Frierman

Jennifer Bradwell

Jennifer Cote

Jimmy Jo Allen

Joel Reger

Josie nedved

Julia O. Tryk

June Billings

Karen Mulligan Linarelli

Karin Kelly-Givens

Kelly Winters

Laura McLennan

Laure A. Wiliams

Lee Holen

Lori & Wayne Aus

Maria Gloria Salinas Picon

Marilyn Eidenberg

Mark Lefko

Nela Fry

Kate Reding Coreson

Patty Coggan

Paul Hannon

Peter Hewitson

Rachel Caplan

Robert & Danuta Vanderbeek

Robert Dove

Ruthie Cassidy

Ruthy Effler

Sarah Kraft

Sarah Schwarzchild

Stacy Miller

Susan Allsbrook

Susan Beckett

Ted Durongbhand & family

William Matheu

Wendy Morgan

And a special thank you to all our Anonymous donors.

Thank you for joining us in our quest to protect Asian Elephants and ban landmines around the world. We could not do it without you!

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Director/Producer, “The Eyes of Thailand”

P.S. 2011 was a banner year, but stay tuned for some BIG announcements coming soon…

SAN FRANCISCO (Dec 9, 2011) – From a rich and diverse field of almost 90 submissions from over 20 countries around the world, The Eyes of Thailand, a feature length documentary by Windy Borman about an inspiring quest to build prostheses for elephants who stepped on landmines, won an Animal Content in Entertainment (ACE) Documentary Grant from The Humane Society of the United States.

A panel of development and programming executives from HBO Documentary Films, Animal Planet, The Documentary Channel, Authentic Entertainment, Screaming Flea Productions, Gravitas Ventures and Green Planet Films selected The Eyes of Thailand to win the $2,500 grant.

“We were amazed at the number of commercially viable animal protection themed documentary projects that were submitted this year – the most we’ve had in the grant’s six-year history and a sure sign that the documentary genre is buzzing with filmmakers with something new to say about animal issues,” says HSUS’ Jonny Vasic, director of the ACE program. “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. We are so happy it was one of the winners of the 2011 ACE Documentary Film Grant.”

The Eyes of Thailand is directed and produced by Windy Borman and produced by award-winning filmmaker Tim VandeSteeg. The Film is currently in the final stages of Post-production and on schedule for completion in spring 2012.

First place in HSUS’ 2011 ACE Documentary Grant competition went to Cages of Shame, a feature length documentary by Martin Guinness about an inspiring mission to rescue Moon Bears from a bile farm in China. The news about both films appeared in Variety earlier today.

The Humane Society was formed in 1954 and has awarded the ACE Documentary Film Grant to select animal-themed documentaries since 2006. Previous recipients of The HSUS’s ACE grant have included The Elephant in the Living Room, a documentary about exotic pet ownership by Michael Webber, which was released in theaters earlier this year, and One Lucky Elephant, directed by Lisa Leeman, about the quest to find a retired circus elephant a home, which also received a theatrical release in 2011 and aired on OWN earlier this month.

Congratulations, Susan Allsbrook! Susan won the Free Trip for 2 in Thailand from Intrepid Travel.

The Trip: Northern Thailand is among the greatest adventure destinations on the planet and this journey reveals why: hiking among hill tribes, sailing its rivers, and calling into friendly and colorful villages along the way. This 15-day journey will take her from the chaotic streets of Bangkok to the serene countryside and offer a glimpse into this fascinating country. Plus, during her adventure, Susan will visit the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Hospital and meet Motala and Mosha, two of the elephants featured in “The Eyes of Thailand” documentary.

As promised, ALL DONORS WHO SELECTED THIS PERK WILL GET TO CHOOSE BETWEEN AN “EYES OF THAILAND” POSTER, T-SHIRT OR WATER BOTTLE. You will receive an email within the week to select your preference.

Thanks to Ele-Friends like you, who donated to our IndieGoGo campaign, we raised over $7,000 for “The Eyes of Thailand” documentary, which will be used toward the Post-production expenses and film festival submission fees. This is an amazing show of support and we look forward to sharing BIG things with you very soon!

About Intrepid Travel: For travelers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world. Intrepid offers authentic travel experiences and its travelers discover real people, real cultures and have incredible real life experiences along the way. Committed to traveling in a way that is respectful of local people, their culture, local economies and the environment, Intrepid helps conserve the areas they visit and bring positive benefits to their host communities.

Intrepid is thrilled to support Windy Borman and her eye-opening documentary, “The Eyes of Thailand”.  Through the Intrepid Foundation, Intrepid is dedicated to supporting non-governmental organizations in the destinations they visit. Intrepid supports projects working in the areas of health care, human rights, child welfare, sustainable development and in environmental and wildlife protection. The Foundation’s projects in Thailand include the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) and select itineraries passing through Northern Thailand make a stop to see the great work FAE and its founder Soraida Salwala are doing with injured elephants.

For more information, please visit: www.intrepidtravel.com/trips/ttsn

Tahnee is currently a student at the California Institute of the Arts, studying Character Animation. Creating a handful of internationally-screened animated short films in as many diverse styles as possible, she hopes to one day start her own animation studio. While art and animation have been life-long passions, she also enjoys playing violin and piano, along with tinkering with technology.

We’re thrilled to have Tahnee on board and look forward to unveiling a sneak peek to some animation stills soon. Stay tuned!

"The Eyes of Thailand" Director/Producer Windy Borman with the cast and crew of The Chiang Mai Project (Thailand, 2007).

In 2007, I celebrated Thanksgiving in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Little did I know that within a week that adventure would lead me to my next documentary project. Armed only with a video camera and an open heart, I visited FAE’s Elephant Hospital and the rest is history.

After three trips, 100+ hours of video footage, countless interviews, and priceless donations from friends and family, we now have a feature-length documentary that will help protect Asian elephants and call for the ban and safe removal of landmines around the world.

Thank you for joining me on this journey and I hope each and everyone of you had a Thanksgiving filled with laughter and love.

Sincerely,

Windy Borman

Producer/Director, “The Eyes of Thailand”

Gary is an accomplished Editor and DP.  His current interests are long walks on the beach and online video.  He has shot and edited short films, sports, news, corporate video, live concerts and events, hip hop dance, and a lot of funny cat stuff.  He is an accomplished musician and composer, writing for national commercials and online campaigns.

Welcome to the Team, Gary!

Motala and Mosha each received newly designed elephant-sized prostheses on November 9, 2011. (Photo credit: Soraida Salwala).

LAMPANG, THAILAND–On November 9, 2011, Mosha celebrated her sixth birthday at the Friends of the Asian Elephant (FAE) Hospital, and to mark the occasion, the staff of the Prostheses Foundation presented Mosha with her seventh prosthesis.

Dr. Therdchai Jivacite of the Prostheses Foundation presents Mosha's seventh prosthesis to Soraida Salwala, FAE's founder. (Photo credit: Soraida Salwala).

Mosha enjoyed her Birthday treats of tamarind, sticky rice, and bananas before test-driving her new leg in her pen.

Mosha test-drives her new prosthesis. (Photo credit: Soraida Salwala).

“Auntie” Motala, joined the festivities, too, when Dr. Jivacite presented her with her fourth prostheses. She walked over to Mosha’s pen to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Motala, wearing her fourth prosthesis, visits Mosha, a.k.a. the "Birthday Girl". (Photo credit: Soraida Salwala).

Mosha and Motala are both elephant landmine survivors and permanent residents of FAE’s Elephant Hospital. Mosha stepped on a landmine in 2006 when she was only 7-months old. In 2008, she received the world’s first elephant prosthetic, designed by Dr. Jivacite. A decade earlier, Motala stepped on a landmine; she received her first prosthesis in 2009. All of their prostheses have been designed by Dr. Jivacite and donated to FAE by the Prostheses Foundation in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Mosha’s and Motala’s journey is featured in the upcoming documentary, “The Eyes of Thailand“, directed and produced by Windy Borman and produced by Tim VandeSteeg. For more information on the film, visit: http://eyesofthailand.com