HOLLY STADTLER ('83) won the 2004 gold award for independent film at the Houston Worldfest International Film Festival. After working for the Discovery Channel and NBC, where she worked every job from mailroom personnel to production secretary to production manager, Stadtler   decided to take matters into her own hands and build her own production company. In 1996, she formed Dream Catcher Films Inc.

Her inspiration for the company came from involvement in producing Discovery Channel's The Making of the Leopard Son. "Being in the field and working with one of the most respected wildlife cinematographers in the world [Hugo van Lawick] was a fabulous experience," she says. "After that I wanted more experience in the field and more time to shape the stories and live with the material on a daily basis."

The best part of being an independent filmmaker, according to Stadtler, is the ability to "live with a topic or project for months and see it through from start to finish." That was the impetus for her independent film, Kilimanjaro for Hope. The film follows the journey of 28 strangers who come together to climb Mount Kilimanjaro as a fund-raising project. Each hiker was required to obtain $5,000 to help fund a pediatric ward for a children's hospital in Southwest Florida and a center for street kids in Tanzania.

Stadtler was the first climber to sign up. "I took along a camera to document the trek," she says. "Normally I hire a professional crew for all of my films. This proved to be a very personal journey, shot like reality TV [to reveal] the raw emotions and pain and suffering of fellow climbers from my point of view."

The eight-day climb was followed by a visit to the center that the climbers
helped fund in Moshi, Tanzania. "This center takes orphans and run-aways off the street and gives them a safe haven, education and socialization skills" says Stadtler. "We took $15,000 of medical supplies, toys and clothing to the kids and got a chance to meet them, play soccer with them and watch them perform traditional songs and dances.

"Kilimanjaro for Hope is a story of triumph and determination," says Stadtler, "and my hope is that, once shared, people would be motivated to do what they can to help others in need."

-- Cheryl Lock ('05)