"Victory Over Darkness" makes Arizona Premiere in Sedona on Feb. 5

Sedona Film Festival teams up with Sedona Marathon to present inspiring documentary

SEDONA, AZ - Jan 28, 2008 - The Sedona International Film Festival is proud to team up with the Sedona Marathon to present the Arizona Premiere of �Victory Over Darkness,� an inspiring new documentary playing to rave reviews across the country. There will be two screenings of the film at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. on a special night, Thursday, Feb. 5 at Harkins Sedona Six Theatres.

�Victory Over Darkness� is the triumph of three blind individuals who defy both circumstances and boundaries society has imposed on the visually impaired. The film explores love, perception, acceptance and purpose through the goal of achieving history as the first blind athletes to compete in the Ironman Triathlon. �Victory Over Darkness� is a complex, heartbreaking and deeply rewarding film that will challenge preconceived notions of living in darkness.

�This film will inspire you to your very core. You will be filled with the kind of emotions that will make you want to stand up and cheer,� said film festival director Patrick Schweiss. �It is an honor to partner with the Sedona Marathon and bring such a moving, triumphant film to our city to kick off the big marathon weekend.�

Producer/writer/director Donnie Eichar, producer Matt Miller and one of the blind athletes featured in the film, Charlie Plaskon, will be in Sedona to host the Thursday screenings and conduct Q&A discussions. Plaskon will run the half marathon on Saturday, guided by Miller.

�This will truly be an inspiration to all of us, and particularly the runners in the marathon,� said Karen Livesay, Sedona Marathon founder and coordinator. �It truly proves that through determination and perseverance, champions can be made, no matter what the obstacles.�

Victory Over Darkness provides an intimate, heartfelt look into the profound world of the blind as three individuals � Heidi Musser, Charlie Plaskon and Dave Bigoney � set out to make history as the first blind athletes to compete in the Ironman Triathlon. The Ironman is considered the most grueling one-day sporting event in the world. It consists of three consecutive events; 2.4mile swim, 118mile bike and a 26.2-mile run all in under 17hrs. The event had never allowed a blind athlete to compete.

Heidi Musser was born 41 years ago into complete darkness. Educators thought she was retarded and wanted to put her in an institution (she now has a B.A degree). It was later discovered she has perfect pitch and she has become a concert pianist. In order for Heidi to attempt the Ironman she had to learn how to run at the age of 37.

Meet the Filmmakers:

DONNIE EICHAR

Director/Producer/Writer Donnie Eichar is a Florida native brought up in a family of great storytellers. After formal schooling ended he traveled the world surfing financed by working in front of the camera before he landed in Los Angeles and realized he wanted to be a filmmaker. After six months studying at UCLA film school he realized he needed to pursue his own vision and become a film director. Six months after leaving film school he had his directorial debut, the short documentary film �Blind Faith� which world premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival garnering rave reviews.

Donnie's strong sense of storytelling through visual imagery led him to move on to music videos and TV spots. Donnie then began working as an in-house producer/director for the Emmy Award-winning Global Television Network Current TV. His short form documentaries and promos have won many awards including the Silver Telly and Platinum Remy. In 2006 Donnie's short form documentary "Seeing With Sound" was awarded best film on the Current TV network.

MATT MILLER
Matt spent several years traveling the world and competing as an elite amateur triathlete. During his sojourn he realized there was more to life and humanity than what people saw on the outside, and became determined to change society's outward-judging preconceptions.

This became Matt's mission when he met blind, would-be triathlete Heidi Musser, who, through her pluck and courage, further opened Matt's eyes to the difference between positive thinking and living proactively.
Inspired by the bond they developed as guide and athlete, and the reactions he witnessed from those on the periphery, Matt set out to prove that he could shift society's deep-rooted prejudice of the visually impaired, one athlete at a time.
Driven to bring Heidi's inspiring story to the screen and that of other blind triathletes, to help these brave champions achieve their farthest-reaching goals and dreams, �C Different� and �Victory Over Darkness� were born.

Charlie Plaskon was born with severe macular degeneration. Charlie was a high school teacher for 35 years, never having the ability to see a facial expression. Charlie kept his level of blindness hidden from the school system fearing he would not be accepted. Charlie�s vision is declining into complete darkness. The film explores how and why he felt he had to hide his blindness from the world.

Dave Bigoney was born with perfect vision. Ten years ago, Dave went to sleep with sight and woke up two days later in the hospital without sight and had no recollection of how he ended up there. Dave was told he was shot in the head, his father was killed, and the person who did it was his stepmother who committed suicide. Through the film we discover his newfound perception of the world, living in complete darkness.

�I loved this film because filmmaker Donnie Eicher gave me something even better than all of that stuff we can see coming from a mile away. He gave me three very strange, very interesting portraits that will stay with me for a long, long time,� said Elizabeth Blozan from International Documentary Magazine. �Somehow, the filmmaker managed to make it a film about victory over the mortal coil. What's so moving about each of the three main characters is not their super-human qualities, but their super human qualities: their frailty and humanity.�

The title sponsors for the event are the Sedona Marathon and Coffee Pot Restaurant. The series is also made possible by a grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and National Endowment for the Arts and the City of Sedona.

�Victory Over Darkness� will be shown at Harkins Sedona Six Theatres on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $10, or $8 for Film Sedona members, and will be available starting at 3:00 p.m. in the Harkins lobby. Cash or checks only. Seats are limited. Film Sedona members can purchase tickets in advance at the Sedona International Film Festival office, 1785 W. Hwy. 89A, Suite 2B, or by calling 282-1177.

For more information, visit: www.SedonaFilmFestival.com.