Award-winning filmmakers Allen Moore and Kori Feener today announced the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for a new documentary titled Bea, which will chronicle the life of a girl with an extremely rare disease and illustrate the importance of family advocacy. The crowd-funding campaign will finance the production of this documentary and enable this family’s unique story to be captured on film.

In the U.S., a disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans. Many are difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to treat. Hugh Rienhoff knows this first hand. His daughter Beatrice (Bea for short) has a disease that is so rare, she is the only person in the world known to have it. In a search for answers, Hugh – a clinical geneticist – has devoted his time to exploring the genetic variation that causes her condition, often being referred to as a “biological outlaw” for his unprecedented approach.

This new film aims to share the Reinhoff’s compelling story of science and support. It will follow their journey for more than three years, as Bea matures and new questions arise about the potential impact of her disease.

“Bea is an inspiring coming-of-age film about living with a rare disease and the importance of family advocacy,” co-director and producer Allen Moore explained. “We’ll be capturing both the challenges and achievements that the Rienhoff’s face as Bea grows up.”

“Bea is a rare disease patient but she is also a charming, violin-playing, theatre-performing tomboy,” Kori Feener added. “Documenting her experience is a privilege and we look forward to sharing it with the world once the film is complete.”

Moore and Feener invite everyone to help bring this film to fruition through the Kickstarter campaign. Backers will have the opportunity to skype with the filmmakers, receive limited edition photo prints, and view advanced edits of the film, among other benefits. The campaign deadline is February 28, which is also Rare Disease Day – an annual observance that aims to raise awareness of rare diseases and their impact.

For more information about Bea and to contribute, please visit the Kickstarter campaign webpage, which is accessible here online. You can also follow @BeaTheFilm on Twitter for additional updates.

About the Directors

Allen Moore has been producing, directing, photographing and editing his own documentaries for more than 40 years. Some of his independent films include: The Shepherds of Berneray; Food On Hand; Black Water; and A Sheepherder’s Homecoming. Among the honors awarded to Moore are several state and federal artist fellowships and a Guggenheim Fellowship in Filmmaking in 1982.

Moore has also served as Director of Photography for several of Ken Burns’ films, including Baseball, which earned Moore a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1995 for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Cinematography. His cinematography on The National Parks also helped it earn the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Nonfiction Series in 2010. Also of note, Moore received a second Primetime Emmy Award nomination in August 2000 for his cinematography work on Ric Burns’ American Experience Series New York. For more information, visit Vimeo.com/AllenMoore.

Kori Feener is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who believes in the power of storytelling. In her most recent feature film, Hard Way Home, Feener documented her own attempt to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail and overcome the aftermath of a difficult relationship. Her previous documentary works include: Where There is a Will, a feature about a family’s struggle with the emotional and financial impact of their son’s traumatic brain injury and Off-Season, a short portrait of an elderly woman who takes care of cows on a farm. Feener has also worked as a cinematographer on many narrative shorts that have screened at film festivals across the county. For more information, visit KoriFeener.com.

Media Inquiries:
Michele Clement
MClementPR@gmail.com