VT has been in touch with independent film director Fernando Beltran who has a film in production simply called P.T.S.D. Our collaboration with Mr. Beltran began when we asked copyright permission to use his attention getting images with our articles on PTSD in exchange I promised to research, review, and promote his efforts to spread public awareness about issues surrounding PTSD.
Of note, the film P.T.S.D. is not exclusively about Veterans or Troops with PTSD, although one of the main characters is a Veteran coping with PTSD. The production is intended to explore PTSD on a much broader public front that hopefully does much to put a dent in social stigma towards those with Mental Health issues, and PTSD in particular.
To Veterans, I can only say that Mr. Beltran assures us that his presentation is anything but a Rambo image of the crazed Vet with PTSD. When we read the synopsis of his film and understand his intent to create an accompanying non-fictional documentary on PTSD that covers Veterans with PTSD, we can see he is taking an entirely positive and different approach than what mainstream media and motion pictures did during and after Vietnam.
Go to Facebook and check out P.T.S.D. the Movie
Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired VT News Network
P.T.S.D. Movie Synopsis
PTSD is a fast-paced, reality-bending psychological thriller that tells the story of four patients, suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), who decide to participate in a breakthrough scientific experiment searching for a cure. Instead of finding a cure, the experimental technique takes an unexpected turn and unleashes the inner personality of PTSD sufferers, with unwanted and fatal consequences. The four patients come to realize that there may be an unknown evil force wreaking havoc and, ultimately, threatening their own lives. They will all come face to face with evil and have the opportunity at personal and spiritual redemption.
What is the movie about?
P.T.S.D. is a fictional psychological thriller, based on an original screenplay, about four patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. On their quest to be cured, they decide to become part of a breakthrough experiment developed by a doctor who has spent many years treating P.T.S.D. patients. The experiment is unique in its approach and very promising. However, as soon as it begins, things begin to gradually turn wrong and patients and doctor confront and unknown force (in the realm of their subconscious) with the intention of destroying them. The patients need to regain strength and battle this entity before their fear takes over their sanity and their lives.
P.T.S.D. is on the vein of successful movies, such as “The Cell” and “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”; not because of their subject matter, but because of their visual style, atmosphere, and the interaction between their characters.
Is the movie about Veterans with P.T.S.D?
Only in part. One of the heroes in the movie is a war veteran, and he must find the strength to lead his fellow patients through this ordeal.
Why a psychological thriller? Why not a Documentary or Biopic? Wouldn’t that be more objective and effective in raising awareness?
We don’t believe so. We always wanted to make a psychological thriller but needed a compelling reason to do it. P.T.S.D., give us the opportunity to tell that story. In addition, we believe a psychological thriller will be many times more effective than a documentary or a biopic/drama in raising awareness about P.T.S.D. among mainstream audiences.
As documentarian Michale Grosee wrote once: “Issues are often too impersonal to engage audiences, especially if the issue is new to — or far removed from — the audience. Instead, [filmmakers] often focus on engaging audiences by telling the stories of people affected by these larger issues”.
P.T.S.D. sufferers don’t need the awareness, is the public in general who needs to be aware that P.T.S.D. is very real and affects people’s lives (patients and their loved ones alike) in a major and destructive way.
In addition to making the psychological thriller, we will (based on the availability of our budget) produce a companion documentary that we will include in the Special Features section of the DVD when the movie is released. In this documentary we will attempt to present some of the facts about P.T.S.D. and showcase a few compelling stories (too many to include them all). The scope of this documentary has not been decided yet, but we believe it would be an excellent educational piece to accompany the psychological thriller and further help those groups and people affected by P.T.S.D. to continue raising awareness and promoting their cause.
How is P.T.S.D. going to be depicted in the movie?
We believe P.T.S.D. is being presented in a fair and realistic way. The four patients depicted in the movie acquired P.T.S.D. for various reasons and not only due to war. We are non judgmental about their condition and neither do we present them as lunatics. Rather, we depict them as human beings with the desire to be cured and we show a glimpse of their symptoms as there are certain events in the movie that will trigger their response to P.T.S.D. Without giving any spoilers we can say that, despite the fact the mental (and spiritual) strength of the protagonists will be tested, the movie ends on a positive tone and with a message of hope.
Is the movie going to be controversial?
When it comes to movies, it is practically impossible to please everyone. P.T.S.D. in itself is a controversial subject matter. There is always the possibility that a percentage of those audiences may not like the movie or be offended by it. We hope they are in the minority though. There is also the possibility that some of the images presented may be too intense for some people, especially those who suffer from P.T.S.D. When the movie is finished and we see the end result we will let you know how intense we think it is. Also, we are hoping to shoot the movie with a PG-13 rating in mind (although we may end up with an R-rating).
When and where will the movie be shot?
That really depends on when our funding efforts are completed. We could be shooting as early as the summer of 2010 or later. We will most likely shoot the movie in the DC metro area or the Mid Atlantic area. We could go as far as West VA, Pennsylvania, or New York.
Who stars in it?
Casting for the movie hasn’t begun but we will attempt to bring on board at least one recognizable star. Giving the limited budget for our production we may not be able to attract the highest-paid stars. However, we believe the script is strong and we may be able to attract, say, a raising TV star. We will also hold auditions to find new talent. We may even hold auditions online through Facebook or via our partner IMadeAMovie.com
When is the movie coming out?
Again, that depends on when we shoot the movie. We are confident we will make a great quality movie and if that is the case we want to promote the movie at film festivals around the world. We could spend at least a year (if not more) after the movie has been finished, touring film festivals and other venues, before the movie can be made commercially available. However, those who sign up at iMadeAMovie.com as Associate Producers may receive a personalized DVD of the movie a lot earlier.
How do you plan to fund and promote the movie?
P.T.S.D. will be funded through a combination of traditional funding and a revolutionary new method known as “crowd funding”. We are partnering with www.IMadeAMovie.com
to raise a good portion of our funding and generate awareness through their PR machine. With IMadeAMovie, anyone can sign up for a nominal fee and become an “Associate Producer”. These Associate Producers will not get equity on the movie but they will get access to a password protected area where they will be able to interact more closely with the production team (Think of it as a Facebook on steroids). They will also receive their free DVD (included with their subscription) before anyone else, as well as other goodies. We believe we are pioneers in the industry when it comes to this new business model for movies and our “Associate Producers” will become the first generation of this new trend.
How can I get more involved with this movie?
There are two ways you can do it, one is to sign up as Associate Producer at http://www.IMadeAMovie.com/ and participate in a more direct way and obtain additional benefits during and after the movie has been made.
The other way to participate is via Facebook, Twitter and the other social networks we will be soon establishing presence at. If you like what you see recommend us to your friends and keep an active participation. If you don’t forget us we won’t forget about you and we will continue taking care of you.
When the movie is finished we will plan screenings in different cities where we may be able to bring some of the cast and crew (no promises made but we will try!). We are hoping this movie can become a great PR tool for those who suffer from P.T.S.D. and need to raise awareness in society. Join PTSD Movie on Facebook
Production Update – May 2010
What a year for our movie project! We began 2010 with just under 100 fans and in less than three months we grew to over 1,500 fans. That’s a tall order for an independent film that hasn’t even entered the Pre-production phase! So we want to thank you all for your support. We have a thriving community that comprises of PTSD sufferers, film lovers, and people in general who want to be part of this journey.
P.T.S.D. the movie is quickly becoming a niche film and I say it in a very positive way. PTSD is a very misunderstood condition and only the people suffering from it (and their loved ones also affected by it) really understand its severity. That’s why I have become so passionate about this project.
Although Facebook is our main bastion of fandom, we are also establishing presence in other social networks, including Twitter, YouTube, MovieSet, and MySpace, and we will continue reaching out to more people in order to generate awareness about the movie and about PTSD.
The Development Phase (getting the money to shoot the movie)
Initially, our intent was to shoot this movie with a micro-micro-budget, but the passionate response from the fan base has forced us to reconsider and now we want to shoot with a much larger budget (albeit still small by Hollywood standards). A larger budget will help us attach recognizable stars to the project and produce a more compelling film with higher production values. Our budget is way under $1 million dollars.
We are in the process of raising funding for the movie and talking with investors. Due to securities law, we cannot publicize our investment offering so we are working through our network or friends to get additional investors on board and in order to sweeten the deal we are offering associate producer fees to our friends who recommend us to investors. We are keeping the investment units (the minimum amount each investor contributes to the project) very low, in order to allow more people to participate on this project and eliminate the barriers or entry. We believe our business plan is very solid and attractive. We are confident we will be able to raise our budget within a reasonable amount of time. However, investing in a movie is considered “high risk” and no return on investment or profits can be guaranteed. That, unfortunately, is the nature of the film business.
We are hoping to raise a portion of our budget via the “crowdfunding” model, in association with IMadeAMovie.com. As we have explained before, when someone joins P.T.S.D. on IMadeAMovie as Associate Producer (for only $50 dollars), a significant part of their contribution will go toward our production. That’s why it is so important for us that as many of our fans as possible join P.T.S.D. as Associate Producers on IMadeAMovie. The more APs we have, the sooner we will be able to move our project to the next phase of production.
Next in our list will be to bring on board an experienced Line Producer. This person will help us refine our budget and put in place a schedule we can begin executing as soon as the funding is complete. We will also hire a casting director to begin identifying recognizable actors we want to attach to the project. Given the size of our budget, our best bet is to approach TV actors that may also have international appeal. We are hoping to get at least two starts attached to the project.
While we finalize our fund raising effort, we continue rewriting and strengthening our script. We believe we have a riveting story with a great plot and characters. We are also working on the concept art and storyboards and we will soon be in talks with several directors of photography.
Please be aware that due to copyright and other legal aspects, we cannot accept any ideas or suggestions in terms of the story, characters, art, etc. However, from time to time we will be asking for your feedback. Also, be aware that our Associate Producers on IMadeAMovie.com will be getting unprecedented access to the production of the movie. Once again, please consider joining as AP.
The PTSD Documentary
P.T.S.D. the movie is a psychological thriller based on a fictional story. However, we will be launching a parallel project to produce a mini-documentary about PTSD (with the possibility of turning it into a full-length documentary) to be included in the Special Edition DVD of P.T.S.D.. Our objective will be to produce a documentary that will give audiences the opportunity to learn the real side of PTSD. As soon as we hit 2,000 fans on Facebook, we will begin the pre-production process on the documentary and we will be doing fact-checking on all of the potential candidates to be interviewed for the story. If you want to be considered for the documentary you have to add your name HERE.
In order to be able to produce the documentary we need additional funds. Most likely we will use one or more crowd-funding web sites to fund the documentary. This is your chance to get more involved with our movie project.
All in all, our progress is great and we are moving on the right direction. We need your help to continue increasing and strengthening our fan base and creating awareness about the project.
Please consider joining our project as an Associate Producer in the movie and invite as many of your friends as you can to join us on this incredible journey ahead of us. Feel free to reach out to me at info@leviathanblue.com if you have any questions. Thank you,
Fernando Beltran
P.T.S.D. Producer and Director
About the Director
Fernando Beltran y Puga’s directorial debut, Terminal, was the Winner of the 2008 Special Jury Award at the Orlando Hispanic Film Festival, Official Selection of the prestigious Festival Tous Courts in Aix-en-Provence, France, Official Selection of the 2007 Pensacola International Film Festival, the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, and other festival venues.
In addition to his film making experience, Beltran y Puga has performed as an actor for the TV series Missing Persons Unit on TrueTV (formerly Court TV).
Directors Influences: The five Directors that have most influenced me are; Park Chan Wook (Korean Director), David Fincher (USA), Zhang Yimou (China), Tarsem Singh (India/USA) and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñarritú (Mexico).
List of Work:
- Fernando Beltran y Puga has produced three movies to date, including Terminal (Director and Producer), the independent feature film Eleven (Executive Producer), and Reversal (Executive Producer).
Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.
My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.
Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.
I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.
I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.
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