When GUNNER PALACE premiered at TIFF in 2004 we asked two soldiers from the unit featured in the film to come up to Toronto for a casual Q&A. One of them, Captain Jon Powers, later became involved with the publicity for the release of the film and spent six weeks on the road doing press, meeting audiences and attending events. Through that exposure, Jon decided to start an NGO to help Iraqi children and actually returned to Baghdad in 2005.
Last week I was in Chicago for the second annual Yearly Kos progressive blogging convention to screen our TIFF 2006 film THE PRISONER. Walking through the lobby I heard a familiar voice call out, "Hey Mike" and I turned around to find Jon Powers decked out in a suit and tie--and most amazingly running for US Congress out of Western New York. (Pictured here with General Wesley Clark).
We all like to think that our film matters, but rarely do we see any direct good come from them. As Powers told me, "That trip to Toronto changed my life."
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