CONTACT: Lizette Becerra
(310) 204 – 0448 ext 295
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Iraq and Afghan Veterans Veterans Hit the Silver Screen
Veterans Make Films in Operation In Their Boots

Los Angeles – Five Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will pursue their movie-making dreams by becoming the directors and producers of their own films. The documentary series In Their Boots presents OPERATION IN THEIR BOOTS, a paid film fellowship in which five Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will transform their experiences at war into powerful films fit for the silver screen. For the first time, soldiers who have felt and seen the ravages of war lead them and their comrades down the dark roads of PTSD, substance abuse and survivors guilt, will have the opportunity to tell their war stories unfiltered.

The filmmakers of OPERATION IN THEIR BOOTS are currently in the production phases of their projects after having undergone a “Filmmakers Boot Camp.” Each participant will be supported by a professional production team and will be paid a stipend for their work. All production costs are covered by In Their Boots.

In Their Own Words: Veterans talk about their films and inspirations
Please click links to see interviews with participants

• Victor Manzano (http://bit.ly/victormanzanoenglish) will chronicle the harrowing life of fellow Marine Veteran Rudy Reyes. Reyes, who by the age of 17 was raising his younger siblings, became a highly skilled combat Marine and actor who played himself in HBO’s Generation Kill. Manzano is an Iraq/Afghanistan War Veteran, entertainment entrepreneur and father.

• Kyle Hartnett (http://bit.ly/kylehartnett) will explore what it’s like for a Muslim-American to serve in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. He will investigate whether or not they face unique challenges due to their culture and faith. Hartnett is an Afghanistan War Veteran.

• Tristan Dyer (http://bit.ly/TristanDyer) was inspired to produce a film about substance abuse among Iraq and Afghan Veterans after personally witnessing the life of his close friend, and fellow service member, slowly and painfully taken by a drug overdose. Dyer is an Iraq War Veteran and a Maine native.

• Chris Mandia (http://bit.ly/chrismandia)  will explore the culture shock of taking a 180 degree turn from being an armed soldier on the battlefield, to becoming a student on a university campus among students who have no clue what fighting in and surviving war is like. Mandia is an Iraq War Veteran.

• Clint Van Winkle, (http://bit.ly/ClintVanWinkle)  author of Soft Spots: A Marine’s Memoir of Combat and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, will delve into the emotional intensity of the survivor’s guilt felt by a fellow Marine veteran who made the pilgrimage of accompanying his friends body to its final resting place. Clint is an Iraq War Veteran and Arizona resident.

IN THEIR BOOTS is a documentary series about the impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have on people at home. Each episode is available for free online at www.intheirboots.com. IN THEIR BOOTS is produced by Brave New Foundation, a unique organization that creates media that champions social justice. All films from IN THEIR BOOTS are told from a non-ideological, non-partisan perspective, and strictly avoid editorializing about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

###