Transcendence by Campfire Films

My friend Todd Holland send along the following announcement for a new documentary film he's made on the first-ever all transexual gospel choir. Check it out!



Hello Everyone!



Hopefully you have heard about Campfire Films’ groundbreaking documentary, Transcendence. We can hardly believe that almost three years have passed since we started making this film about an exclusively transgender gospel choir—The Transcendence Gospel Choir—dedicated to promoting transgender acceptance in and outside of Christianity.



THANK YOU to all of you who have already given. Your donations have helped in so many ways and we appreciate every penny. If you haven't given yet, well...we're still here!!!



As for gospel, we have some to share:



THIS JUST IN!!!! Two weeks ago the choir received an OUTMUSIC award for Best New Album by a choir or chorus and Ashley, the choir's founder, was nominated for best producer!



Also, Campfire Films has provided footage to two different films that are currently featured in the San Francisco International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.



• We recently launched our website. Please CHECK IT OUT!! For those of you who have not seen our TRAILER, we are proud to say you can now VIEW IT on our website. This trailer premiered at San Francisco’s annual Transgender Film and Arts Festival, Trannyfest, in November 2003, and has been screened throughout the US creating quite a buzz for the project.



• Transcendence was featured in the Winter issue of Release Print, the Film Arts Foundation’s magazine; and the BBC used footage from the film for a documentary aired in the UK.



• Finally, and most importantly, 2003 was a fantastic year for the Transcendence Gospel Choir, and of course for our film. Their presence at the UCC national convention garnered support for a resolution affirming transgender inclusiveness in the church—the first of its kind for a major Christian church in the US. Todd traveled to Minneapolis and captured the historical and groundbreaking events on film during an intensely emotional 3 days.



Todd and Julie are spending sleepless nights editing the film, preparing to submit to festivals in 2005. As we head down the home stretch on the film, WE NEED YOUR HELP! A major funding source for most independent films is friends and family--that’s you! Please consider contributing, $25, $50, $100, $500, $1000 or more. Here’s how:



1. Visit our website: www.campfirefilms.com and click on the “make a donation” button to contribute using your credit card or PayPal account,



2. Make a tax-deductible contribution through our fiscal sponsor by writing a check:



3. Payable to: The International Documentary Association

For: “Transcendence”, Nicole Miller, Producer

Mail to: Nicole Miller

Campfire Films

512 B Sanchez

San Francisco, CA 94114



Your support means more to us than you can even know! We’re so appreciative; we’ll even give you a credit in the film. Don’t forget to check out the website…we’ll keep you posted on our progress. Please pass this email on to anyone you know and let us know what you think of the trailer.



Campfire Films

Todd Holland, Nicole Miller, Beth Burkhart & Julie Griesert



How cool is that? Congrats to Todd and everybody at Campfire!