“HEART OF THE ANDES” DOCUMENTARY ANNOUNCES SIGNING WITH NYC-BASED PRODUCTION COMPANY

 
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Southern Utah filmmakers of the documentary short film “Heart of the Andes” announces that the film’s national tour will begin Nov. 1 and the recent signing of a national distribution contract. 

The film, which drew both local and statewide attention during the DOCUTAH International Film Festival in September, is receiving interest in many parts of the country. Significantly, producer and director Melynda Thorpe Burt signed papers Tuesday, Oct. 15, with Olive Tree Pictures of New York City. 

A documentary film production company, Olive Tree Pictures promotes first-run documentaries produced both by Olive Tree and other independent filmmakers to audiences internationally. Offering both online and on-demand streaming, “Heart of the Andes” has been picked up to air with the debut of the new Olive Tree Pictures channel on Roku. The company will begin offering the film to Roku viewers Nov. 1.

Additionally, screenings are being coordinated in cities throughout the country including Jacksonville, Fla., New York City, Conway, N.H., Walla Wallam Wash., Seattle, Wash., San Franciso, San Diego, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Cedar City, Utah.

National Public Radio Film Critic Peter Robinson of San Francisco recently published a review of the film in the winter 2013 issue of “San Francisco Books and Travel Magazine.” Wrote Robinson, “The film raises awareness,” he said. “It is a fine example of powerful storytelling that captures the spirit of place.”

Robinson was introduced to the film while covering the DOCUTAH Film festival for his magazine. “I hope to be with the film when it comes to San Francisco,” he said. “With good editing, the film illustrates how much can be conveyed in 13 minutes.”

Co-producer and sound engineer on the film, Keith R. Owen, said the process of making the film was intensive, but it was also purposeful. “We put in a lot of long hours on this project,” he said. “We knew there was something important about the story we were telling, so we all dedicated ourselves to putting out the best work we could produce.”

Owen’s original score for the film is a highlight for viewers.

According to Heart Walk Foundation Co-founder Penelope Eicher, “This film builds a bridge across two continents and takes viewers truly into the heart of the Andes Mountains and into the lives of the indigenous and impoverished Q’ero people.” 

Brian Tenney of the film’s representing agency TCS Advertising and Public Relations said, “Our goal with this national film tour is to help Heart Walk Foundation raise the funds they need to meet the request of the Q’ero tribal leaders for greenhouses.” 

In May 2013, Tim and Penelope Eicher made their annual trek to the high mountain Q’ero villages in Peru where tribal members expressed enthusiasm for the first 7 greenhouses funded by Heart Walk Foundation in 2011 providing vegetables for school children and the elderly.  Embracing the success of the initial greenhouse projects, Q’ero tribal leaders requested 100 more greenhouses so that every family can raise vegetables for improved nutrition.

“One hundred new greenhouses would give every family a garden to grow and tend to,” Penelope Eicher said. “In a country where we have access to so many modern amenities, it is difficult to comprehend how much a gift like this truly means to a mountain community subsisting only on potatoes and tubers for nearly 500 years.” 

According to Tenney, “We are thrilled to be able to assist Heart Walk Foundation and the beautiful people of Peru by taking this film on the road and allowing supporters to participate in this Growing a Mountain Garden yearlong campaign.” 

Written and directed by cinematographer Melynda Thorpe Burt, co-producers Myke Bush and Keith Owen join visual affects and sound engineering with Burt’s gripping story telling and cinematography to share an unforgettable story.

Thorpe Burt’s published writings of the fall 2012 filming trip to Peru are now available online at medium.com/heart-of-the-andes. For more information, call (435) 879-4273 or follow the national film tour at www.heartoftheandes.org. For more information about Olive Tree Pictures, call Gary Denson at (212) 837-1550.