I am thrilled to announce that in less than a month we’ve raised over US $2,000 for “The Eyes of Thailand” through our IndieGoGo campaign!  Thanks to donations from our “Ele-Friends” like you, we’re well on our way to securing the US $75,000 needed to complete the Film and submit it to film festivals this fall.

If you haven’t visited our IndieGoGo page, yet, please read the details below and then click here to make your tax-deductible donation today and learn how to share it with your friends.

Our Goal & Donation Perks

Director/Producer Windy Borman filming in Thailand (2009).

Director | Producer Windy Borman began filming “The Eyes of Thailand” in 2007. Thanks to your support over the last 4 years, the filming is complete and we’re ready to begin the Post-production phase. After approximately 16 weeks, the Film will be complete and ready to submit to film festivals.

We need US $75,000 to complete the “The Eyes of Thailand” and get it ready to submit to film festivals by the end of 2011. The current funds sought will be allocated to the Post-production costs of the Film, which include: crew wages; celebrity narrator; editing; visual effects; music composer/score; animation; color correction; transfer costs; music and stock footage rights; lab fees; film festival submissions; producers’ and director’s fees; and business, insurance and legal expenses.

We know it’s a big goal, but we also know we can do it with your help! Plus, we’ve gathered some GREAT perks for our Ele-Friends, including:

Win a FREE 15-day Trip for 2 in Thailand from Intrepid Travel

• Posters
• T-shirts
• Artisan chocolates by Choclatique
• Fine art photography by Jodi Frediani and Suzanne Roland
• Invitations to the Film’s Sneak Peeks
• A private screening with the Filmmaker for you and 25 friends, and
• A CHANCE TO WIN A FREE 15-DAY TRIP FOR 2 IN THAILAND from Intrepid Travel.

For more information on the Donation Perks, please visit http://ht.ly/5Wntb . We’ll add to it as more perks are available, so check back often.

NOTE: ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE thanks to our fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society.

If we don’t reach our fundraising goal of $75,000, we will still push the Film through to completion; it just may take longer to complete, which means delaying the impact we can make to protect endangered Asian Elephants and pressure all governments to sign the Mine Ban Treaty.

If we exceed our Fundraising Goal, we will apply the funds toward the Film’s Marketing and Publicity budget so we can make a bigger splash when we hit the film festival circuit in 2012.

Our Impact

Soraida & Mosha at FAE. Photo by Jodi Frediani

Our social and environmental goals for “The Eyes of Thailand” are to:

• Educate and inspire viewers to protect Asian Elephants, and
• Encourage all governments to ban the use of landmines

Our ultimate hope is to convey the added sense of urgency for people and organizations worldwide to pressure Thailand to change its laws to protect the dwindling number of Asian Elephants. If nothing is done, the species will become extinct within the next 50 years, producing devastating effects on the environment, as well as the social and cultural structure of the country.

Other Ways You Can Help

In addition to donating to “The Eyes of Thailand“, you can help spread the word by joining our Facebook Page, following us on Twitter and suggesting us to your friends. There are some handy “share” tools on IndieGoGo to make this easier, so please check them out, too.

If you really want to be a Social Media Star, you can help promote “The Eyes of Thailand” fundraising campaign to your network. Email friends, give us shout outs on Facebook and Twitter, mention us in your Newsletters and Blogs, and add a link to the Film on your website.

15-piece Choclatique Collection, including a dark chocolate elephant

Not feeling techie? No problem. You can also host a Party with a Purpose for your “Ele-Friends” in honor of “The Eyes of Thailand”.

1. Host a dinner party, dance party, game night, etc. and have a suggested donation at the door.
2. Play “The Eyes of Thailand” trailer, which you can find on our website and YouTube.
3. Ask your friends to donate to “The Eyes of Thailand” film.
4. Pool the donations and make a large donation online.

In fact, if you donate $5,000 or more, you qualify for a Private Screening with Director Windy Borman for you and 25 friends!

Our Story

"The Eyes of Thailand" Poster

D.V.A. Productions, in Association with Indiewood Pictures, is producing the powerful and hard-hitting feature documentary “The Eyes of Thailand“, a true and inspirational story of one woman’s quest to help two elephant landmine survivors—Motala and Baby Mosha—walk on their own four legs. Treating their wounds was only part of the journey; building elephant-sized prostheses was another.

Told in the style of “The Cove” (2009), “Born into Brothels” (2004) and “Gorillas in the Mist” (1988), “The Eyes of Thailand” is a touching and uplifting story of how far one woman will go to ease the suffering of an endangered species.

The Film is Directed and Produced by Windy Borman and Produced by award-winning producer Tim VandeSteeg.

“The Eyes of Thailand” is getting ready to launch its next fundraising campaign and we’re thrilled to announce some delicious treats for our donors.

Choclatique is the Authentically American chocolate company producing hand-crafted truffles, bars, and tapestries, plus premium chocolate ingredients, baking mixes and nut brittles and toffees.   Twenty-five (25) lucky donors will be eligible to receive a box of the Choclatique Collection (shown above), a 15-piece sampling of some of the most loved selections, including our 76% cacao solid dark chocolate Elephant!

Director/Producer Windy Borman first met Choclatique at the San Francisco Chocolate Salon in 2009 when she saw they had elephant-shaped chocolates. Let’s just say it was “love at first bite” and we’re thrilled to have Choclatique partner with “The Eyes of Thailand” film.

The online donation campaign for “The Eyes of Thailand” begins the Week of August 8^th on IndieGoGo. Our goal is to raise $75,000 for Post-production expenses in order to finish Film and submit it to film festivals beginning in September. This means the Film could premiere beginning in 2012.

We’ll post the donation link once it goes live, but until then, Elephant Lovers should mark their calendars for the August 8^th donation launch—and Chocolate Lovers should watch for Choclatique, 150 Simply Elegant Desserts by Ed Engoron, released by Perseus Books September 26, 2011. [UPDATE: THE DONATION LINK IS LIVE. CLICK HERE TO GET YOUR CHOCLATIQUE COLLECTION AND SUPPORT "THE EYES OF THAILAND" FILM].

Thank you to everyone who attended The Eyes of Thailand Work-in-Progress Clip premiere at King of Thai Noodle, viewed the clip online, and participated in the 3-Day Buy Chocolate, Save Elephants online fundraiser through Choclatique.

The fundraising results are in and I’m happy to report we raised:

$615.00 from donations at the door

$115.95 through chocolate sales at Choclatique

All donations are tax-deductible through the film’s fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society, and go toward the post-production costs of editing and distributing The Eyes of Thailand documentary in 2010.

Based on the success of the fundraiser and requests from our Facebook group members, I will re-release the Work-in-Progress clip (with a new link and password) in November 2009.  In order to receive the password, please join The Eyes of Thailand Facebook Group. Please stay tuned for more details…

Thank you again for all your support!

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. To learn more about the film, view the trailer (different from the work-in-progress clip), and make a tax-deductible donation to the film, please visit http://www.eyesofthailand.com

Add some Good Karma to your Halloween with a 3-Day Online Fundraiser by The Eyes of Thailand and Choclatique!

The Eyes of Thailand is hosting our 2^nd Buy Chocolate, Save Elephants online fundraiser October 22-24, 2009.

Choclatique will donate 25% of the sale price for their 30-piece Elephant Chocolates—and 15% on all other items—purchased between October 22-24 using the The Eyes of Thailand Event Code: EOT092410.

To order:

1. Visit Choclatique’s web page
2. Select “30-piece Chocolate Box” or another box size on the left side.
3. Select “Elephant Chocolate—Seriously Strong Dark Chocolate” or the Halloween treat of your choice.
4. Select the quantity and ribbon color, then click “Add to cart”.
5. Click “Continue Shopping” to add more goodies to your cart—the more you buy, the more Choclatique donates to save the Asian Elephants!
6. When finished ordering, click “Checkout”.
7. Enter EOT092410 as the Event Code (different than the “Promotional Code”).
8. Finish your order and savor the sweet taste of philanthropy!

Our chocolate fundraiser in April 2009, netted a $57.60 donation. I know we have a bigger sweet tooth than that, so mark your calendars NOW to Buy Chocolate, Save Elephants∫!

For more information about The Eyes of Thailand documentary film, to view the trailer or to read the production blog, please visit http://www.eyesofthailand.com

Elephant Wishes and Chocolate Dreams,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

Come celebrate an amazing year with the friends and crew of The Eyes of Thailand documentary film!

King of Thai Noodle

1268 Grant Ave

(between Fresno St & Vallejo St)

San Francisco, CA 94133

(415) 391-8219

7pm: Start the evening with a Thai-inspired cocktail, order some savory treats, and sample the delicious Elephant Chocolates by Choclatique.

8pm: World Premiere of the new work-in-progress clip of “The Eyes of Thailand”, featuring the August 16, 2009 footage of Mosha and Motala—two elephant landmine survivors—walking on their new prosthetic limbs!

A brief Q&A with Producer/Director Windy Borman will follow, then it’s time for cocktails, mingling and dancing.

Suggested donation: $10.00

Please note that the production phase of the film is complete and we’re actively raising the “finishing funds” to edit and distribute the documentary in 2010. All donations made at the event, or online through our fiscal sponsor, the San Francisco Film Society, are tax-deductible.

If you cannot attend the event—or wish to make a tax-deductible donation ahead of time—please visit The Eyes of Thailand web page and Click the “Donate Now” link. It will connect you to the secure online donation page for the SFFS.

To learn more about the film, read the production blog or view the trailer (different than the new clip we’re unveiling at the party), please visit www.eyesofthailand.com

You can also follow our progress on Facebook,  Indiegogo and Twitter.

Thank you for all your continued support and I hope to see you there!

Best,

Windy Borman

Producer, Writer and Director, The Eyes of Thailand

P.S. For those of you outside the San Francisco Bay Area, I will post the new clip on Vimeo for 24 Hours and release the password after the October 21^st event. Please stay tuned!