Operation In Their Boots (OITB) is a unique filmmaking fellowship in which Brave New Foundation commissions five veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to produce and direct their own documentary films.

This is a rare opportunity for these veterans to communicate directly, through the powerful medium of documentary film, what they have witnessed and experienced, on and off the battlefield, and how these experiences have impacted their lives and the lives of people around them.  The films these veterans are producing reflect a range of styles, tone and point-of-view.  Whether their films are character-driven, autobiographical or focus on a specific subject, the filmmakers and will express what it’s really like to be In Their Boots.

 Meet the 2010 Operation In Their Boots Filmmakers.

Watch the films:

The Guilt - produced and directed by Clint Van Winkle. Two Marine Veterans of the Iraq war tries to help a fellow Veteran who is tormented by survivor’s guilt as a result of the battlefield death of his best friend.

No Religious Preference - produced and directed by Kyle Hartnett. An Afghanistan war veteran confronts his inner struggle with prejudice toward Islamic-Americans.  So to work through his prejudice, he sets out to meet Islamic veterans of the U.S armed forces.

Enduring Erebus - produced and directed by Tristan Dyer. Four Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans self-medicate to escape their horrifying wartime memories.  But instead of healing their wounds, they find themselves in cycles of drug and alcohol abuse.

The Academic Front - produced and directed by Chris Mandia. Two Iraq war veterans struggle to adjust to life on a college campus while grappling with their battlefield experiences.

Rudy Reyes, The Way of the Warrior - produced and directed by Victor Manzano. Marine Special Forces veteran, Rudy Reyes, fights to overcome the personal demons that led him to the military where he was trained to carry out special wartime missions that compound his torment.

 

Operation In Their Boots is funded by a generous grant from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact Fund (IADIF) of The California Community Foundation and is produced by Brave New Foundation. The participating filmmakers receive stipends and Brave New Foundation covers the production expenses of their projects.

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