One of the many people I got to spend time with at TIFF 2015 this year was a woman named Angela Barnhardt Thomas.
Angela Barnhardt Thomas and Me at TIFF 2015
She is the producer of Waiting for Mamu (2013), a doc that travelled world wide to raise money for Mamu's school.
Social issues docs have the power to educate, demystify, and bring awareness to an otherwise ignorant viewer. This doc has since successfully raised over 1 million dollars.
This is the power of cinema! And it is achievable when hard working / passionate people like Angela are a part of the team.
Being fairly new to the industry and using TIFF as a platform to meet with established film professionals, I was blown away at how approachable and knowledgable Angela was. Not only did she patiently answer all my questions, but she even made script suggestions and helped me understand the industry better.
It was a true pleasure attending TIFF programming with her and we were able to discuss a variety of topics on break. Angela and I also talked about her current project, a doc about Charles James, and I am so thrilled to see that subject bloom into a feature length video.
Click HERE for more info from the MET exhibit from 2014.
Sometimes it is about these chance meetings in life that really provide us the support and inspiration we need to be successful. And it is the people we surround ourselves with that help us define who we are and where we are headed.
I am happy to call Angela a friend and look forward to future meetings together. NYC here I come!
- Jenn