LOCAL MEMBER OF WOMEN IN FILM AND VIDEO PRODUCES DOCUMENTARY WITH STUDENT FILM-MAKERS, RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT HOMELESS VETERANS

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  

 

HERNDON, VA (September, 5 2008) – Nancy E. Mantelli, a member of the Washington, D.C. Women in Film and Video, founder of WHI Productions and third-year teacher of Professional Television Production at West Potomac  Academy in Alexandria, VA employed three of her award-winning student graduates, Cory Jones, Marcus Clarke, and Nathan Baer to produce Beyond the Wall: The Homeless Zone, a documentary that seeks to explore the contributing factors that relate to and/or lead to homelessness among veterans. 

 

For Mantelli, a member of WIFV since 2001, the experience to work with the trio of award-winning students on such an important project was deeply gratifying. 

 

Over 150,000 American veterans are homeless; living in shelters, temporary housing, or on the streets, comprising nearly twenty to twenty-five percent of the overall homeless population in this country.  We not only verify the methodology that accounts for this statistic Beyond the Wall: Homeless Zone reveals the first-hand experiences and knowledge of the Americans providing support to these displaced former servicemen and women, and the journey of a displaced veteran seeking to rebuild his personal and spiritual foundation. 

 

Relevant, real and raw, Beyond The Wall: Homeless Zone is a social documentary that takes an un-skewed look into the issue of veteran homelessness, depicting the stories of veterans living in a Washington, DC shelter and sharing insights gleaned from interviews with organizations, charities and individuals providing crucial support to better understand the factors that contribute to and/or increase the risk of homelessness among veterans.

 

Written, directed and co-produced by Alivia C. Tagliaferri, author of Still the Monkey, What Happens to Warriors after War, the documentary is scheduled for release November 11, 2008, Veterans Day, on a platform website that includes corresponding journalism and a digital library of interviews.

 

The Woodrow Wilson Center for International Studies is hosting a screening of the documentary and sponsoring a light reception to follow in early November.

 

Stressing the importance of providing professional work and mentorship opportunities to her students to guide them at such a critical time in their budding careers, Mantelli believes the opportunity will greatly benefit her former students as they pursue higher degrees in film and media production and later, the work force.

 For more information, visit the project blog: www.beyondthewallmovie.wordpress.com

 

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Media Contact:

Alivia C. Tagliaferri

Ironcutter Media, LLC

Ph: 570.220.0026

Email: alivia@ironcuttermedia.com