Bart Vandever Pro

I have recently graduated from the University of Kansas Journalism and Film programs, and am a current documentary filmmaker. I started Apollo in 2008, and have completed two documentary films thus far (both around 40 minutes). My first film, 2008’s "An Improvised Life..." followed Katrina survivor and jazz legend Loren Pickford. "An Improvised Life..." was chosen out of over 1,000 films as an official selection of the Hot Springs Documentary Festival and was also selected as a finalist in the Fort Lauderdale International Film festival (this film is also seeking further distribution). For my follow up film, I've just completed a forty four-minute cut of “Side Effects” after more than 9 months of shooting, writing and editing with virtually no budget. Armed only with a Canon XHA1 camcorder, a laptop computer, and help from a few family and friends, “Side Effects” was made to explore the marketing efforts of drug companies, the infrastructure of the FDA, and the vital Levine vs. Wyeth Supreme Court case before ultimately presenting a solution to the problems facing the industry (including the implementation of personal consumer responsibility and FDA reorganization). At this point, there are still a few pending copyright questions (including the rights to some popular songs as well as news/information/comedy bits) that must be resolved before the film could be released on a large scale. We are hoping to secure a distribution deal for the film in a screening format that would both suit this project, and would be successful in getting “Side Effects” viewed by as many people as possible. Any ideas as to where to best screen/present this film would be helpful. We feel that this film carries a message that would truly speak to people from all different age groups, income levels, and backgrounds all across this country.