Director: Producer: Genre: Runtime: Award:

Brent Gudgel, Jason Djang David Mahanes Documentary 63 minutes Crystal Heart Award – Documentary Feature

                                                                                                                                                                                                                            After the UN officially declared the small African kingdom of Swaziland to be the world’s most HIV-infected nation, Lance and Kelly, two Texas college students with high ideals, great hopes, and a bit of naiveté, embark on a most unconventional AIDS prevention program. Dear Francis, puts a face to the AIDS pandemic as it chronicles the personal stories of two strangers and the Swazis they befriend. Through these relationships, they discover that the causes of this plague are much more disturbing and complex than they could have ever imagined. Through this unique story, the film highlights the hope of a nation’s future against seemingly insurmountable odds...one life at a time.

David Mahanes has overseen the production of commercials, documentaries and short films for the last three years. While working for I-40 Films, a film/video production company, he produced several award-winning commercials for Ford and the Carolina Hurricanes. For three years, Mahanes provided leadership to a community outreach program for at-risk high school students in Northwest Pasadena. Prior to moving to California, he spent four years as the personal assistant to Governor George Voinovich of Ohio.

Brent Gudgel is a traveler, filmmaker and photographer who has worked on productions in over 20 countries through often unexpected circumstances- from getting held by the Vietnamese military to hanging out with monks in Tibet. In fiction filmmaking, he won awards for his short film, Athena’s Drive-Through Counseling Center. He also directed the documentary Hood Ranch about a group of at-risk high school students on their first trip ever out of Los Angeles.

Jason Djang began working in editing and post production 10 years ago. He has experience in a wide breadth of formats ranging from short films to big budget commercials for the likes of Nike, Pepsi and Budweiser. He has worked in both Los Angeles and London, and edited the documentary The Big Spin that chronicled the final years of a friend and cancer victim. Dear Francis, is his directorial debut.



SCREENING TIMES

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4:15 / 9:25 PM 10:45 AM / 4:15 / 9:55 PM 1:20 PM 9:25 PM 1:00 / 7:00 PM 4:45 PM 2:00 / 7:10 PM

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