“Our Stories” Film Festival to Shine Light on Nonprofits’ Inspiring and Healing Work With The Most Vulnerable in Our Society
Please enjoy: “What I Know Now” by Elly Michaels, CTR – Featuring #HighFivesAthlete Trevon Ferguson
“Our Stories” is a campaign that’s meant to inspire, empower, and shine a far-reaching light on the power of these organizations and their impact on our community and our planet. I’ve always believed in the power of storytelling, and after all, Charlotte’s Web is born of a story.said Malek Asfeer, Senior Producer, Charlotte’s Web Inc.
About the Film
Imagine this is your life: you are an immigrant in the United States, you join the U.S. Army and receive a traumatic brain injury, you lose several fingers in a work accident, you lose your mother, survive cancer, survive suicide, and are now regularly subject to seizures and PTSD. Can you imagine who you are now? Trevon Ferguson is a High Fives Foundation athlete who believes that everyone is here for a great and divine purpose. Not only have his unique experiences shaped who he is today, but more importantly, his reactions to those experiences. He is a fighter with the purpose of helping others to overcome their own obstacles and experience the lives that they deserve. This story will be told in Trevon’s own words. By narration, he will guide us through important moments in his life as he reads a letter that he has written to his former self. This letter is a reflection of who he once was, and who he has become.
Supporting visuals will include snapshots of his life, from Trinidad and Tobago, to the U.S. Army, to his newfound strength via The High Fives Foundation. The film will illustrate the tools he now uses to prevent seizures, such as mindful breathing exercises.
It will also depict the ways in which HFF has helped him via surfing, biking, exercise, etc. The imagery will be intercut with flashbacks to his upbringing, or former “self,” through Trevon’s personal home videos and photos. Major underlying themes of this film are self-identity, mental strength, the importance of our reactions, and the common phrase, “if I knew then what I know now.”
I’ve been working with High Fives Foundation for years in my role as CSR Director for Charlotte’s Web. To say I’m deeply moved and inspired by High Five’s benefit to those in need is an understatement. We wanted to bring stories of strife, strength, and overcoming obstacles to the public during this time of ongoing uncertainty. In this film we witness that healing is possible, especially with the kind of support HFF provides to those who are vulnerable and suffering.said Matt Lindsey of Charlotte’s Web Inc.
About the The Charlotte’s Web “Our Stories” Film Festival
- # of documentary films: 4
- # of independent filmmakers/storytellers: 4
- How many months in the making: 12
- Locations for filming: Colorado Springs, CO, Denver, CO, Dallas, TX, and Truckee, CA
About the Filmmaker
Elly Michaels is a Denver-based filmmaker by way of Texas. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Radio, TV, Film from the University of North Texas, Elly and her cameras moved to Colorado with the intention of finding new stories to tell. She spent five years as a cinematographer and editor for a health and wellness company, and in 2019, took a leap into starting her own video production business, Broad Pictures. The same year, she produced a TV pilot with Denver Film Company entitled OFFLINE, starring names such as Michael Madsen, Mathilde Ollivier, and Jay Chandrasekhar. You can also find Elly filming for Denver8 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Levitt Pavilion, and various other concert venues. She began working at Charlotte’s Web as an editor, producer, and storyteller in October of 2019, where she remains motivated to make a positive impact in the world through filmmaking.
More Info
Pioneering hemp CBD brand, Charlotte’s Web Inc., is dedicated to serving as a compelling and inspiring storyteller, fulfilling its mission to heal the planet and all who live upon it. The company has chosen the medium of documentary film and selected four independent filmmakers for its inaugural “Our Stories Film Festival.” “Our Stories” highlights poignant stories of healing that profile true heroes in these uncertain times. These films also raise awareness of each nonprofit organization’s mission to bring hope to the formerly hopeless in our communities and society at large. Charlotte’s Web’s “Our Stories” Film Festival will highlight the courage of athlete Trevon Ferguson and the work of the High Fives Foundation the week of Oct. 5 thru 9, 2020. The public is encouraged to view the documentary film “What I Know Now” by Elly Michaels prior to a free and live Talk Back and Filmmaker Q & A on Oct. 8th, 2020 at 5:30 pm MST through a Zoom webinar. To view all four “Our Stories” documentary films featuring High Fives Foundation, Denver Urban Gardens (DUG), Adaptive Athlete Foundation and Realm of Caring, visit https://www.charlottesweb/bcorp
