The above, is a sizzle reel for fundraising purposes. We can make this film with your help! Please check out the perks below to see what you will receive for joining our team. Every dollar counts!  PTSD needs a voice, and our goal is to give it one through our film!

Short Summary

Hello, my name is Kenny DeSoto Ramoz, screenwriter of “Burden of Freedom”. This film is a timely, powerfully charged, and emotional story of a brave young Army Captain who earns the Silver Star Medal of Valor, for his gallantry in action during the Iraq War, only to come home to fight an even bigger battle with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, also known as PTSD.

The Cause

The purpose of this campaign is to socialize globally the importance and magnitude of the premise of our film.  "Burden of Freedom," reveals the difficulties caused by PTSD, and its devastating affect on our American military men and women, their families, and friends. The damage to Americans as a result of this issue is nothing short of disastrous, and could have a long lasting and negative impact into the foreseeable future. In addition, this campaign seeks your support and financial contribution toward our cause, which will enable us to accomplish production of this hugely important, epic, and dramatic film. Your support and contributions will make this possible!

Why Must We Do This?

We must renew and revisit this discussion, so that we can reevaluate, reprioritize, and reemphasize the horrific damage inflicted upon our heros as a result of their participation in the war on terrorism. By filming and presenting "Burden of Freedom," the world will redirect its attention to this issue, and will espouse it through global discussion, and debate, and as a result positive change will occur. Most importantly, the attention will provide the needed help for our military men and women.

You Can Help Us Drive Change

It is our conviction that through awareness, we will reveal the devastation caused by PTSD, and the potential it has to undermine and destroy the lives of countless American families. With your support, you can help us reach our our goal in bringing awareness to this issue on a global scale,  thus driving change through renewed consideration, and ultimately improve programs for our soldiers, which we believe has the potential to save lives.

Thank you, and God bless you for your support and contribution to our cause.

In Love and Peace,

Kenny DeSoto Ramoz / Screenwriter    

What We Need 

  "Burden of Freedom" is a grass roots film, and we need YOU!  We need YOU to be involved in the making of our film.  Together our shared passion for this film and its message, will make "Burden of Freedom" possible. We plan to create positive change with our movie, and we are exited to have you become a part of it!  With your help, we plan to raise approx 20% (250,000) of our overall film budget.  Thank you!

  

The Impact

 Our screen writer Ken Ramoz described it best when he said:," If, after over 3 years of tirelessly working hundreds of late late evenings, and into the early mornings, with phone calls, meetings, more writing, and more phone calls, and reaching out to thousands of people - if after all of that, we can somehow, someway, in some form, help to save at least one soul, one life, through our message of hope contained within our film, "Burden of Freedom"………It will have ALL been worth it……Every bit of it."

A recent statement from veteran, Michael Gifford, USAR 1997-2005 drives that message home.  He states:  "Very powerful clip, just took a look at it.  We need more films like this that highlight the PTSD struggles our vets deal with.  Every single one of the veterans we've worked with has been affected by PTSD, and it's a problem that I'm afraid is only going to get worse.  But drawing attention to it with a film like Burden of Freedom is an incredible way to keep it fresh in the minds of the American public. Always wish we could do more with these kind of film projects; in the long run, they might serve our wounded vets better than cash ever could."

The Players Involved. 

Brian Daniel is a young married man, and is a veteran of the war in Iraq as a Captain of the 101st Airborne Division. After being wounded in battle, he returns home, only to combat PTSD, and the horrific wartime memories that haunt him. Brian has dreams of moving to Southern California, and making a fresh start. Living in a small run down rental house, and barely scraping by, he just manages to eek out a living. Brian is an honest, loving, and hardworking family man, who desperately wants a stable life, in new surroundings, in order to forget his wartime horrors, and to conquer his PTSD.

 Capt. Brian Daniel will be played by: 

Kyle Hester ...actor/producer

Kyle Hester was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to a professional football player father and a cheerleader/model mother, one would assume sports to be the future for Kyle Hester.

Kyle however found his passion for acting very young, while watching "Fame" on television. He said, "That is what I want to do!" (at 12 years old). Mr. Hester found The High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas and the rest is history.

Kyle has had the honor of working with award winning directors John Frankenheimer, Bruce Beresford and Mark Shelton to name a few. His film career has taken him to both sides of the camera including building the 1/3rd scale sets for "Team America" and being the art department lead man on the T.V. show "Wipe Out".

Kyle has appeared in feature films such as “Last Dance” with Sharon Stone, and the TNT made for Television mini series “Andersonville” directed by legendary Film Director John Frankenheimer.

Mr. Hester is thrilled to be a part of this important project with so many passionate, talented people. "Burden of Freedom" holds true to Kyle’s desire to uplift, inspire and speak the truth through film.

Kyle Hester IMDB

Lance Harrison will be played by  Peter Murnik

Peter is best known as Clark Palmer in the series J.A.G, where he appeared in 7 episodes, including the special episode Ghosts of Christmas Past, where he played the young Thomas Boone (Terry O'Quinn is the Thomas Boone from "now" in the TV-series).

After his last appearance in J.A.G in 2003, it took him 2 years to make his next guest appearance as, Detective Wilson Estep in the series Miracles, which lasted only one season.

In July 1999, Peter became the proud father of his son Max.  On September 11 2001, he welcomed his second child, a daughter, who he named Ruby.

Besides his family, friends and acting, he loves his cars!

Peter Murnik IMDB

Debra Harrison will be played by Eileen Grubba

Eileen is a lifetime member of the world renowned Actor's Studio where she has worked on stage with many of today's most skilled veteran actors. She was trained by such greats as Allan Miller, Barbara Bain, Mark Rydell, Lou Antonio and Martin Landau. On stage she has tackled many challenging roles in plays such as Arthur Miller's "After The Fall" and "Some Kind Of Love Story", Tennessee Williams's "Kingdom of Earth, and "The Glass Menagerie", David Mamet's "Reunion", John Patrick Shanley's "Four Dogs and a Bone", John Bishop's "The Trip Back Down" and leads in many musicals including "Cinderella", "The Little Shop of Horrors" and "Dracula". Her favorite stage partner, veteran actor, Carmen Argenziano, refers to Eileen as "a force" on stage and on screen. Her stage work has been compared to theatre greats such as Geraldine Page and Kim Stanley, by many members of The Actor's Studio.

Perhaps what is most unique about Eileen is her extreme life experience and what she does with it. She overcame a deadly form of polio developed during childhood from a vaccine, and then beat cancer. As a child, she was told she'd never walk again, but today Eileen hikes mountains, and with her indomitable spirit, is a constant inspiration to others, and an advocate for seriously challenged patients. A fighter all her life, she refuses to give up her quest to make a positive difference in the Entertainment Industry. She draws on her heavy life experience to create dramatic characters with gut-wrenching emotional depth and compassion, on stage, on screen, and in her writing. She is developing a sitcom called "She's A Trip" that finds humor in the tragedies of life which she hopes will inspire others who are faced with tremendous obstacles. She has also developed an inspiring medical drama with a team of world leaders in medicine. She has also produced several films and a pilot.

Eileen Grubba IMDB

Sheryl Daniel will be played by Alicia Lara

Alicia attended St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA. where she received her degree in Business, graduating with honors. While finishing her college degree she began her acting training with teacher Shelley Mitchell (The Actors Center of San Francisco.) After moving to Los Angeles she continued her training with teacher Sal Romeo and at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. She most recently has studied with the accomplished teacher Barbara Bain.

Alicia has been a vegetarian since she was a child. Her passions are animals and their welfare, traveling, and film.

In 2007 Alicia formed her production company Green Thumb Productions to produce her first short film "The Track", which she also wrote, directed and starred in. She plans to continue producing projects that speak to her in some way.

Alicia Lara IMDB

Major Mike Johnson will be played by Pete Freeland actor / producer

Currently Pete is featured on shows for Discovery, Discovery Science, Speed Channel, SpikeTV, and the National Geographic Channel in addition to several national commercials including the recent Taco Bell Superbowl commercial. His movie credits include the thriller “Visible Scars” with Tom Sizemore, lead in the feature film “Justice on the Border” (currently on iTunes) and in the award-winning "Payphone" music video for Maroon 5.  Pete also has extensive experience as a producer, with his projects completing on time and on budget, and going on to win awards including the coveted “Gold Remi” at the 2010 Worldfest Houston international film festival.

Pete currently has 2 other feature films and 2 TV show pilots in process and can be regularly seen on TV hosting award show events in conjunction with the MTV Video Awards, Emmys, and the Oscars as well as a public spokesman for the shuttle Endeavor at the California Science Center.  He stars alongside Eric Roberts, John Ratzenberger, and Robyn Lively in the upcoming family film “The Ten: Vain” due out this Fall. An accomplished writer, Pete has several current columns including "The Actors Voice", develops aerospace engineering textbooks, and will be coming out with a motivational book in 2014. 

Pete is keenly interested in Burden of Freedom for various personal reasons.  As a combat veteran, he can relate to what his fellow veterans are going through, and this film provides a way to help those that cannot help themselves.  He is passionate about this project, and will work to keep the story real and relateable to veterans from all conflicts.

Pete Freeland IMDB

Major Karen Howard will be played by Ellen Dubin

In NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, the multi award winning Sundance Film Festival favorite and one of the most popular film comedies of all time, Ellen plays theTupperware-loving mom of Napoleon’s potential prom date. 

A Gemini Award nominated actress for her series regular role Jeri Slate in the Leo Award winning supernatural drama THE COLLECTOR (airing now on NBC affiliate COZI TV and in 65 countries), Ellen is also a cult figure in the sci-fi world for playing the wild alien cannibal Giggerota the Wicked in the international cult hit LEXX. She has the distinction of doing all four seasons and playing four different characters in this very popular show. Ellen played the first female Pope in sci-fi history in LEXX.  Her affinity for the unusual has also lead her to starring roles in THE DEAD ZONE, BLOOD TIES, MUTANT X, A WRINKLE IN TIME and HIGHLANDER: THE RAVEN where she is the only female to have a broad-to-broad broadsword fight in that shows' history. 

She is also the go-to-girl for a host of movies on the Lifetime Network. She stars in THE WIVES HE FORGOT opposite Molly Ringwald, LIES AND DECEPTION with Madchen Amick and SECOND CHANCES with Melissa George, all airing now on LIFETIME. Her Hallmark Hall Of Fame Presents/ CBS Emmy nominated movie of the week THE LOIS WILSON story (opposite Winona Ryder) is among her favorites.  Ellen voiced many characters in Time Magazine’s #1 PC video game of 2012 GUILD WARS 2 and Ultimate Game of the Year ELDER SCROLLS V: SKYRIM. She is also the voice of the highly acclaimed Disneyland attraction THE WORLD OF COLOR.

Ellen is honored to be the spokesperson for the Make A Wish Foundation in Toronto and Central Ontario, volunteers at the Los Angeles Mission and sits on the board of Kids With A Cause in Los Angeles.

Ellen Dubin IMDB

Suzanne Derosa will be played by Rosana DeSoto

Rosanna DeSoto was born San Jose, California who has starred in film and in television. She is best known for her role in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country as Azetbur, the daughter of Chancellor Gorkon. Her other well known film roles include La Bamba (1987) as Connie Valenzuela, Stand and Deliver (1988) and Family Business (1989).

Rosanna has starred in television, her first TV role was in the TV series A.E.S. Hudson Street (1978) as Nurse Rosa Santiago and starred in the short lived TV series The Redd Foxx Show

(1986), she also starred on some TV movies too. She has made guest appearances on many TV series, some of those appearances range from Cannon, Kung Fu, Barnaby Jones, Barney Miller, Melrose Place, and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Rosana DeSoto IMDB

Who We Are

Director... Gary Hubb  

Gary Hubb is an American writer, director, producer and production manager.  His first film experience was in 1997 acting in a highly authentic Civil War docu-drama entitled Antietam.  It was this experience under a detail-orientated director with an eye for authenticity that shaped his style of approach.  The film was shot on the actual historic battlefield depicting a conflict that killed over 21,000 people in just one day.  By depicting these large-scale battles on the actual battlefield and recreating the army crossing the Potomac River in neck high water, thus his appetite to make truly realistic style films was molded.

Gary has produced, written and directed several short films and documentaries about the Civil War, WW2 and the Old American West.  His most accomplished film was about the war in Afghanistan entitled Reactionary.  It has earned him several film festival nominations and the Special Jury Prize Award at the 2011 Action/Cut Film Competition.  This film has earned him a distribution contract through IndieFlix. 

To craft his directing skills, Gary studied acting for 4 years under Michael Cole Dinelli at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood.  On set he’s been in front of and behind the camera on multiple shows for CBS, ABC, FOX, TNT, Discovery, History, National Geographic, MSNBC, Smithsonian TV, etc. 

Gary Hubb IMDB


Writer / producer..... Ken Ramoz

Kenny has written several original screenplays including“Route 66”, an epic historical/drama/love story set in the incredibly breathtaking scenic desert road-side town of Seligman, Arizona, in 1957.

Next, Kenny wrote “The Boys from the Bronx”, a beautiful drama/love story/historical original story of four rough, tough, troubled brothers in 1941 who love baseball, the Yankees, hate the Red Sox and other rival gangs in the Bronx, cause enormous trouble, then enlist in the US Navy and participate in the most important Naval battle of the Pacific Campaign during World War II!

Kenny also wrote “Burden of Freedom”, an original epic drama/historical screenplay which tells the story of a former officer of the famed 101st Airborne Division who led his men during the fierce Battle of Najaf, during the War in Iraq. It’s the gripping story of the soldier’s return home, and the difficulty he faces as he battles PTSD.

In addition Kenny is developing the original screenplays for “The Legend of Lost Hills”, “El Californio”, and “Le Maqui”.

Kenny participated in the filming of  TNT’s “Gettysburg” (1992),  TNT’s “Andersonville” (1994), “Getting Even with Dad” (1995), “Antietam” (1997), and The History Channel’s “Civil War Combat” (2001).

Ken Ramoz IMDB              

Cinematographer.....Sam Rosenthal

  

Sam Rosenthal is an award winning cinematographer with experience shooting a wide variety of features, short films, documentaries, and viral video. 

  Since graduating in 2006 from Boston University with a degree in film and television production, Sam has had the opportunity to film projects around the world ranging from documenting circus performers trekking through Nepal to being locked in one of Louisiana’s high security prisons. 

  Sam has been the director of photography on over 20 narrative films and has won awards in response to his efforts in lighting, camerawork, and ability to use a positive and productive work ethic.  His recent awards include Best Cinematography -at the 2010 Los Angeles 48hr film project and Best Short Film – 2010 Los Angeles Film and Script Festival.

Visual Effects & Producer ………Mark Shelton

Mark started as a production assistant who had heavy personal experience in still and motion photography and learned the ropes of the business by working in a number of different departments learning from some of the best practioners in each.  He has worked as a lighting technician, grip, driver, prop maker, wardrobe wrangler, assistant director, production manager, and others before settling in during the past 15 years to become a sought after director of photography, visual effects supervisor, and, more recently, as a producer and director.

His first professional studio feature job was on "A Star is Born" with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson.  He did 9 features at the aforementioned Roger Corman studios where he worked alongside other future prominent filmmakers like Joe Dante, Gale Ann Hurd, and James Cameron. Balancing career along with being a dedicated family man raising three children, over the years he has worked with or for such notables as Steven Spielberg, Robert Altman, Blake Edwards, Clint Eastwood, Burt Reynolds, Robert Mitchum, Dar Robinson, John Badham, William Friedkin, Gore Verbinski, Ron Underwood, (and many others) and has worked closely with James Cameron on 6 of his features or ride film projects.

As a member of the Producer's Guild of America and the Visual Effects Society he now enjoys meeting, working with, and fraternizing with some of the top movers and shakers in the industry. His visual effects team at 4Ward Productions has garnered 4 Oscar Awards (all for Jim Cameron movies) as well as a fifth nomination (for Tim Burton's "Batman Returns").  "Titanic", "The Abyss", "Aliens", "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" (all Cameron's), "Mousehunt", "Hard Rain", "X-2: X Men United" and "Tremors" are just a few of the visual effects laden films Mark has contributed to.  Mark has produced a PBS concert event starring Diahann Carroll, numerous music videos, and an award winning action short "A Day in the Life of Plain Jen" (which he also directed and photographed) which is being set up as a feature project.

Producer.... Rae Davis

Rae was born in Castro Valley Ca., to Ron and Carol Fields.  She has one sibling, a brother, Chris Fields currently living in Montana with his family.  When Rae was nine years old, her family moved from the bay area to the little town of Rail Road Flat in Calaveras County.

After she married in 1980, she and her now ex-husband, remained in Calaveras County,and moved to the idyllic town of Murphys. They had 2 children, Dan and Carissa Waters.  Rae and her husband Mark Davis, still live there today.

During the 1990's Rae went into a floral design business with her mother, and owned Duffy's Florist in downtown Murphys.  They had a thriving wedding business for many years.  During that time, Rae began to reenact with The National Civil War Association, a living history group based in Northern California.  For 10 years, Rae enjoyed teaching the public about the medical practices during the American Civil War.  Although no longer reenacting, she continues to lecture on 19th Century medicine in front of school children, and periodically for fundraising events.  In 2001, at the age of 39, Rae returned to school, earning her B.A. in American History at Sacramento State University in 2006 and continues to study medical practices during the American Civil War.  Today she owns a wedding planning and design business, Silver Leaf Events, in Murphys, Ca.

Mark Davis    Producer

Mark Davis is currently a Senior Vice President-Operations with a global environmental services company managing all aspects of a $30 million dollar business supporting fortune 50 companies located in the Western United States. He started and developed a program with the company to hire returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan into field and management positions. This program is very successful and is expanding company wide.

Mark was born in San Diego, CA and graduated from California State University Fullerton with a BA in Anthropology. He has a great interest in human culture and American military history from the colonial period to today. Mark has extensive knowledge of military medicine from the Civil War period through the development of modern Mobile Army Medical Hospitals (MASH) units.

Since graduating from College he has worked for two global companies and held positions in the United States and overseas. He has extensive experience in Operations Management, Finance, Project Management, Project Cost Accounting, IT systems development and rollout, Research and Development, Procurement, Business Development, and Contracts Management.

 Other Ways You Can Help                                                         Please share our Indiegog campaign to friends, co-workers, family, etc.  Every dollar counts!  If you would like to keep up on our progress, please visit our website at:  www.burdenoffreedomthemovie.com   .

If you cannot help monetarily, you can help us spread the word about our film by directing friends to our Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/burdenoffreedomthemovie 

or join us on twitter and help by re tweeting to get the message out.

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