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Emmitsburg Filmmaker Premieres New Documentary

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Film Raises Awareness About PTSD in First Responders

More than 400 people filled a darkened theater in Irving, Texas on November 3, 2022, for the world premiere of PTSD911, the most recent film from Emmitsburg resident, Conrad Weaver. PTSD911 is a relevant and timely documentary exploring the post-traumatic stress in first responders, as well as the importance of providing resources and training necessary to equip first responders with the tools they can use to mitigate the impact of the traumas they experience on the job.

The comments after the premiere in Texas were very positive. Samantha Horwitz, a former Secret Service Agent and now the co-host of A Badge of Honor Podcast, said, “Wow! Wow! Wow! The emotion, vulnerability, and reality of what [Conrad] captured was astounding. You could feel it in the theatre last night.” Her comments were echoed by Monica Million, former president of the National Emergency Number Association, “Thank you for the care with which you told this story.  It was very moving and impactful.  All in our community need to see it, including decision makers.”

Weaver began working on the film after spending time with local law enforcement and emergency service agencies while shooting his previous film, Heroin’s Grip. After a few ride-alongs, he began to research how traumatic scenes affect first responders and uncovered the issue of PTSD within the first responder community.  He discovered that the risk of suicide among first responders is exponentially higher than among the general population, and many first responders are afraid of losing their job if they ask for help. These experiences inspired him to create this film.

“We expect first responders to show up when we call and take care of us on our worst day, but many times—more often than not—the first responders themselves are not doing well. We must do better. We can do better, and we show that in this film,” said Weaver.

PTSD911 follows the wellness journey of three first responders: a firefighter from Anaheim, California; a dispatcher from Boston; and a former Frederick City Police officer.  Their stories are the backbone of the film, but Weaver also weaves in stories from other first responders, as well as commentary and informative content from mental health experts who work with first responders. Weaver captured b-roll footage for the film from several Frederick County agencies, including from the 9-1-1 Emergency Call Center and the Vigilant Hose Company in Emmitsburg.

The goals of this film are to:

1. Raise Awareness

Most civilians don’t know or understand the issue of post-traumatic stress in first responders. The goal is to educate the viewer and stimulate change in people’s behavior and attitudes toward our nation’s first responders. First responders are heroes who not only deserve applause, but also deserve to have access to the support networks that can help mitigate the ongoing stress that trauma can bring.

2. End the Stigma

To help first responders realize it’s okay to ask for help. The case studies featured in the film depict individuals and agencies who are helping their members realize that it is okay to raise one’s hand and ask for help.

3. Inspire Systemic Change

No one should get fired just because they are struggling with the traumas they have faced, and they have asked for help. It is vital to implement healthy changes and training within first-responder agencies so that their members get the mental health help they need and can continue to be productive in their public service to our communities.

Weaver and his team are now bringing the film to cities all across the United States, including a multi-city Bike and Film tour in the summer of 2023. Weaver and his friend John will ride bicycles from Astoria, Oregon, to Ocean City, Maryland, stopping at 25 cities along the way to show the film. They will be coming through Frederick County on July 13, when they plan on showing the film at a local venue. Tickets for the Frederick County screening will be available on the website: ptsd911movie.com.

Following their film tour, Weaver will release an educational toolkit, which will contain the film and additional video footage, as well as resources for first-responder agencies. The film’s production was sponsored in part by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, Lighthouse Health and Wellness, and the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation among other organizations and hundreds of individuals from around the globe.

To learn more about the film, watch the trailer and learn where it can be seen, including the bike and film tour. Visit www.ptsd911movie.com.

Conrad Weaver (left) with Tom Morris Jr, LIVE-PD, who Emceed the Premiere Q&A.

Principal cast and producers of PTSD911.

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Conrad Weaver (left) during a PTSD911 ride-along with Anaheim Fire in 2021.

Maryland Filmmaker Launches Documentary on Heroin Crisis

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The story of Frederick County’s heroin crisis will soon be shown on the big screen in a documentary film, being produced by Emmitsburg, filmmaker, Conrad Weaver.

“The heroin and opioid epidemic has devastated hundreds of families, individuals, and businesses all across our county. We see it in the news nearly every day, and it’s easy to think that it’s someone else’s problem. We think that it’s a Frederick or Baltimore issue. It’s not! It’s in our neighborhoods. My neighborhood. My small town. It’s our community’s problem, and we must work together to solve it. I couldn’t simply stand by and watch; I had to get involved. That’s why I’m making this film,” said Weaver.

The film is being called Heroin’s Grip and will tell the story from a variety of angles. Weaver intends to interview current addicts, healthcare and mental health workers, officials from the law enforcement community, as well as families whose lives have been shattered by heroin and opioid addiction.

“We need more documentary films like this so that you become a part of the solution,” said Charlie Smith, State’s Attorney in Frederick. Smith was interviewed for the film to include his perspective on the epidemic.

Filming began in early February and will continue through the spring months. Weaver hopes to complete production by early September in order to submit the project to a number of major film festivals around the country. He plans on releasing a DVD version, along with educational materials related to the film sometime in 2018.

Weaver is not working on this alone. He’s recruited Caressa Flannery, a Frederick entrepreneur and mother of a heroin addict who’s in recovery. Together, they have partnered with the Maryland Heroin Awareness Advocates, who will help manage the fundraising efforts for the film.

Weaver is launching a Crowdfunding campaign on IndieGoGo to raise money for the production of the film. Interested donors should visit the film’s website at www.HeroinsGrip.com for more information.

Weaver is an award-winning filmmaker. Most recently, he received a Mid-America Regional EMMY© Award for his 2014 documentary, The Great American Wheat Harvest.

Film About Ukrainian Orphan Launches Funding Campaign

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Maryland film producer, Conrad Weaver, and a collaboration of award-winning film makers, have launched a crowd-funding campaign on IndieGoGo.com to raise development funds for a new film project called Scars of an Orphan. The film will tell the true story of Diana Prykhodko, a young orphan girl who survived—yes, even thrived—against insurmountable odds. Fleeing the wrath of her abusive mother, Diana took to life on the streets of Kiev, Ukraine. But through a series of unlikely events and encounters with loving people, she discovered a very different identity. Scars of an Orphan will tell her remarkable story.

Weaver and his team hope to raise $25,000 in order to launch the film project and enable them to begin the process of writing the script and developing the business plan and marketing for the movie. “People need to see this story. That’s why we’re asking generous donors to partner with us by making a contribution!  It’s the most important film project I’ve ever worked on; the film will shock you, inspire you, and motivate you to help orphans around the world.” Weaver and his team believe Diana’s story will help shed light on the plight of orphans in Ukraine and around the world, and they have committed to donate a portion of the profits from the film to organizations who help orphans.

The film was inspired after Weaver attended the Christian Alliance for Orphans Summit in Orlando, Florida, where Diana told her unbelievable life story to an audience of orphan advocates. Following her talk, Weaver spoke with Diana about the possibility of making a film based on her story, and has since signed a story-rights agreement with her.

Weaver has partnered with a couple of award-winning production companies to make the film: Panama-based Seedling Media Productions, and Star Wipe Films based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. “We plan on casting actors from the United States and Ukraine to make this a truly international film. Our goal is to produce a movie that garners national and international attention in order to see worldwide theatrical distribution. This is a story that simply must be told,” said Weaver. He hopes to begin production in the fall of 2017.

The IndieGoGo campaign was launched on November 13 and will run for a month. You can visit the campaign page at https://igg.me/at/scarsofanorphan. Weaver is the executive producer on the film project and can be reached for comment, interviews, and other media inquiries at 301-606-7794, or via email at conrad@conjostudios.com.

Arts and Entertainment

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Thurmont Thespians Hold Auditions for 2015 Fall Show

The Thurmont Thespians are proud to announce auditions for their fall show, God’s Favorite, a comedy by Neil Simon and directed by Matthew Bannister.

Auditions will be held at St. John’s Lutheran Church, located on 15 N. Church Street in Thurmont, on Tuesday, September 1, at 7:00 p.m. and Wednesday, September 2, at 4:00 p.m. The audition will consist of cold reads from the script and some improvisation scenarios.

God’s Favorite is based on the biblical story of Job and takes place in a Long Island mansion. One night, a messenger from God, Sidney Lipton (with a big G on his sweatshirt) arrives and, as in the biblical story, goes through all manner of temptations to get Joe Benjamin to renounce God. When he refuses, he is visited by all the afflictions imaginable. He stands firm and the messenger has to admit defeat. The household consists of a pious, God-fearing tycoon named Joe Benjamin and his family: a long-suffering wife, Rose; a prodigal son, David; a pair of kooky twins, Ben and Sarah; and the maid and butler, Mady and Morris.

All roles are open. For more information, please contact Matt Bannister at 240-626-8178 or by email MattJB75@outlook.com.

The Great American Wheat Harvest is Nominated for a Regional Emmy Award

Frederick area film maker, Conrad Weaver of ConjoStudios, LLC, just announced that his 2014 documentary film, The Great American Wheat Harvest has been nominated for an Emmy Award! On Thursday, August 7, 2015, the Mid-America Chapter of National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees for the 2015 Regional Emmy Awards, and The Great American Wheat Harvest was nominated in the documentary-cultural category.

The film aired on WQPT (Quad Cities PBS) this past February and consequently qualified to be submitted for the nomination. As one of nineteen regional chapters of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, the Mid-America Chapter is the standard-bearer for excellence in the television broadcasting industry and the gatekeepers of the prestigious regional Emmy Awards. Mid-America represents the most experienced and talented television professionals from all disciplines of the industry in the region.

“It’s really an honor to be nominated for an Emmy Award; it’s the culmination of a lot of hard work and persistence in getting our film to an audience who needs to see it. This nomination is also a tribute to the farmers and harvesters who work hard, year in and year out, to bring food to our tables,” said Weaver.

The 39th Mid-America Emmy Gala will be held on Saturday, October 3, 2015, at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri, and Weaver hopes to come home with the golden statue.

Weaver is looking for more opportunities to air the film. Any television station programming director who would like to feature The Great American Wheat Harvest, should contact him at 301-606-7794, or email at Conrad@conjostudios.com or on Twitter: @conjostudios. The film is also available on DVD through the website: www.GreatAmericanWheatHarvest.com.

Weaver and his company, along with another Frederick company, Archai media, are currently working on another documentary film, Thirsty Land. This film will tell the story about the drought in the American west and its impact on agriculture and communities. Learn more at www.thirstylandmovie.com.

Hometown Author to Sign Books at Blue Ridge Summit Library

Hometown Author, Allison B. Hanson, will be signing books on Saturday, September 12, 2015, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., at the Blue Ridge Summit Free Library, located at 15055 Summit Plaza in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania.

Come out to meet the author as she introduces the first book in the Blue Ridge Romance Series, When Least Expected. Visit her website at www.allisonbhanson.com.

 

 

ConjoStudios and Archai Media Collaborate on Documentary

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Will there be enough water to survive? Thirsty Land is an exciting new documentary that tells the story of drought, its impact on agriculture, communities, and the global food supply.

Two Frederick production companies are collaborating to produce this film. Frederick County filmmaker, Conrad Weaver, is already well-known for his award-winning documentary The Great American Wheat Harvest. His work with farmers and harvesters has led him to turn the focus of his company, Conjostudios LLC, exclusively to agriculture, and now he’s focusing on the drought that’s strangling our landscape.

“Those of us living East of the Mississippi River very rarely think about the amount of water we use. That’s why this story needs to be told! The drought in the American West ultimately impacts all of us, and I want to make the audience think about it every time they take a drink of water, enjoy a shower, or water their lawn,” said Weaver.

Weaver recently collaborated with Archai Media in Frederick to provide production support for the documentary project. Sam Tressler with Archai Media has taken on the responsibilities of Director of Photography for the film that takes the team across the country from the Central Plains to the Central Valley of California.

“I’m excited to be involved in this important project,” said Tressler. “Working with Conrad and helping him capture the story has taken us to some of the most beautiful parts of this country. I’m really looking forward to helping to bring this film to the big screen.”

Weaver is excited to have Archai Media involved, “Tressler’s experience and expertise in shooting in High Resolution 4K is what really made it exciting for me to collaborate with Archai Media. It’s been fun so far to have him along and capturing the story; he’s making my job so much easier,” said Weaver.

Production on the project began in April and will continue throughout the summer and fall months. The film is scheduled for completion in spring 2016. Weaver plans on a Frederick premiere screening once the project is completed. To see the film’s trailer, visit www.thirstylandmovie.com.

For more interview requests and for more information on the making of the film, contact Conrad Weaver at 301-606-7794 or email conjostudios@gmail.com.

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Sam Tressler (left) and Conrad Weaver (right) look over the dry California landscape on a recent trip.