This movie will be a classic in the healing arena - along the inspirational lines of Christopher Reeves. Hope for all new paraplegic cases. These men meet with 27 other challenged athletes in the raw terrain of Alaska where they push their wheelchairs and their spirit, 50-60 miles each day.
There are 11-Million paraplegics in the world, and each year, only 30 have surmounted their challenge by committing to this grueling annual display of insanity and human truimph.
Multi Grammy-Winner Clint Black is on board, donating a song: On behalf of Equity Music Group, gratis permission to include the sound recording, "A Better Life", in your independent film, CHALLENGE ALASKA (working title). Permission from the copyright owners (Blackened Music & Black In The Saddle Songs) of the musical composition.
267 miles, 6 days and 28 Wheelchair-Bound Heroes
"They must have wings." ~Tamara Henry, MA / associate producer
These days, our impression of what constitutes a hero may not encompass what defines the true heroes that walk among us. One form of heroism that is often overlooked is distinguished courage or ability, particularly in the face of adversity.
Filmmaker Steven C. Barber has captured the journey of an awe-inspiring group of heroes; paraplegic and quadriplegic adults, set out to win a rather remarkable race, in their wheelchairs.
Despite considerable physical disability in the form of permanent paralysis, these individuals accomplish more in the course of six days than many others do in a lifetime. They cross 267 miles of rough terrain, one-third of which is uphill, in the Denali Mountain Pass between Fairbanks and Anchorage, Alaska, participating in the longest wheelchair race in the world – The Alaskan Challenge.
For many of the participants, it is a journey of self-discovery, of strength and a demonstration of will and determination. It is also a message to countless individuals with physical limitations worldwide.
Barber is on a mission to reveal the untold story which spans the course of the Extreme Paraplegic during this race and chronicles the lives of these heroic individuals. Barber had no initial idea of how large this project would become. Accordingly, he did not anticipate the gravity of its potential as more than a movie, but as a monumental homage to heroism and a message of hope to countless disabled individuals worldwide.
This film will exceed theatrical distribution, as it is Barber's intention to release it in hospitals and rehabs all over the world, in addition to box office sales like the film MURDERBALL, Winner of the Documentary Audience Award - which now stands at #51 on the all-time documentary chart.
http://www.VanillaFire.com clip 01 (6minutes)
PART 1 http://ie.youtube.com/
PART 2 http://ie.youtube.com/
Bio: Dan Aykroyd was part of the Toronto comedy troupe Second City before he became a star as one of the original cast members of TV's Saturday Night Live in 1975. Aykroyd was adept at playing stern-minded squares and hopped-up TV pitchmen, and was particularly known for his parodies of presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. After leaving SNL, Aykroyd began a film career and had two huge successes: The Blues Brothers (1980, with his good friend John Belushi) and Ghostbusters (1984, with another SNL alum, Bill Murray). Both movies spawned sequels and became moneymaking franchises. Aykroyd and Belushi were good friends and an unofficial comedy team until Belushi's death in 1982. Aykroyd has appeared in dozens of other films, in both comedic and dramatic roles, including Trading Places (1983, with Eddie Murphy), Driving Miss Daisy (1989, Oscar nomination as best supporting actor), Sneakers (1992, with Robert Redford), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997, with John Cusack) and The House of Mirth (2000, with Gillian Anderson
