About the Film

The Film Journey We Will Take You On:

Our film seeks to evoke in the viewer a greater understanding and connectedness to people they will never meet – the beneficiaries of the medical mission work. Through evocative story-telling we seek to inspire and move viewers of all ages and backgrounds to ponder and define their own life’s mission.  

Journey with Dr. Glenn Geelhoed, MD (renowned public health expert, surgeon, author, “overlander” and humanitarian) and team on missions to aid the most destitute people living in the most desolate places on earth.  

Much more than a documentary, the film will build a kinship between the viewer and a host of leading characters, some human, some made up of steel and state-of-the-art medical/surgical technology all set against the backdrop of a most formidable character – the sheer geographic topography forged to get to destinations like the “hinterlands” of Mongolia and inaccessible terrain of countries throughout the Continent of Africa and the Phillipines. 

Did you know that worldwide, approximately 5 billion people still have no access to basic surgical care?
  • According to the World Health Organization, 11% of the global disease burden can be treated with surgery.
  • More people from the developing world die from surgical need than AIDS, malaria and other ailments combined.  
One of the BLISS M.S.U.s (Mobile Surgical Unit).
Villagers in colorful garb during the African transect 2019.

Executive Producing Team

We have been provided full access to Dr. Geelhoed, his circles of influence and his work. We will capture the perspectives of medical students, doctors and others who come from all over the world to work with and learn from him – in this way our film will have international appeal and focus. 

Executive Producing Team:

Glenn Geelhoed in the OR, aboard one of the M.S.U.s

GLENN GEELHOED, Founder of Mission to Heal                           

Glenn Geelhoed is one of a kind. He has traveled on so many missions, for so many decades, that some of the nations and countries he has worked in no longer exist. His work is his own, as has touched, befriended and saved thousands of people for more than 40 years. He still works as a professor of surgery at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington D.C. and is a member of numerous medical, surgical, and international academic societies. He is also a widely published author accredited with several books and more than 500 published journal articles and chapters in books.

BART KRUJSEN  Director of Advancement, Mission to Heal      

Bart has a proven track record in the development and growth of business units within complex corporate organizations, strategic large account management and high profile partnerships in service industries. Bart has taken the reigns of the foundation and has been instrumental in the development and execution of the next chapter in Mission to Heal’s work.

Meet the Filmmakers

Frank A. Maniglia Jr. – Director / D.P.

Frank Maniglia, Jr. has a career and pedigree that spans decades. He was President of MVI Post, a top HD facility in D.C. and earned an outstanding reputation across the industry as Producer, Director, Director of Photography, and Editor, creating a dynamic body of work in documentaries, specials, industrial films, PSAs, and broadcast programs.

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 Gary Christian – Producer / Cinematographer / Writer

Gary is an accomplished writer and editor for film projects with more than twenty-five years of experience. He has developed concepts and scripts for Fortune 500 companies, national associations, non-profits, and broadcast networks. 

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Anne Mathis – Producer

Anne is a seasoned institutional fundraising and strategic communications professional. Over the past 17 years Anne has raised close to $140,000,000 in a series of extraordinary fundraising campaigns and major gifts programs. In collaboration with non-profit leaders and board members, she has solicited and secured, via face-to-face meetings, 8, 7, and 6-figure gifts from individual philanthropists and Fortune 500 corporate CEOs. 

Michael Maniglia – Producer, cinematographer, Gimbal / Drone Pilot

Michael comes from a multi-generational family of producers and directors. His career as an award-winning director and producer started as a camera assistant on a TV set. He has directed international ad spots for multi-national clients, documentary feature films, music videos, commercials, and every sort of media between.

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How are we going to do this?

Overall Budget for the Film:

The crafting and distribution of a world-class feature-length documentary can cost a minimum of $250,000 depending on a world of factors. Traveling with Dr. “G” to the most remote places on the planet is, well – expensive.  Our film crew is an award wining team of cinematographers, editors and expert storytellers who “deliver.”   An appropriate level of financial investment in the film’s global community outreach, marketing and distribution are critical.  The return on investment will be the film’s ability to serve as a compelling and long-lasting vehicle to bring greater public awareness to and funding for medical mission efforts around the globe especially those conducted by Mission to Heal.  To address our production costs we’ll seek funding from film grantors, corporate benefactors and like-minded international visionary leaders who see the great value in this film.  We anticipate film distribution and screen event revenue generation as well.

Film Crew conducts an interview with Kerry Pride a M2H volunteer in the Gobi Desert.