A little over three years ago, Kevin Smith saw The Witness on PBS, and the next day he contacted us at Tribe of Heart. Kevin, who spent the last 20 years building a successful Midwest agency representing commercial directors, told us that he and his wife Ramona, who runs a post-production firm of her own, had recently embraced a compassionate lifestyle. Kevin shared with us his interest in further aligning his life with his values by more directly acting on his concern for the fate of our planet, and especially for the plight of the more vulnerable among us, such as the human children considered “unwanted,” and the non-human animals who are viewed as little more than commodities.

     There began a wide-ranging dialog that has led to Kevin becoming more and more involved as an advisor to Tribe of Heart. Along with being a key member of our creative team for the film, Kevin is focusing his skills as a representative and negotiator on developing opportunities that will help our organization gain strength financially and expand the audience for our films.

     If you are interested in supporting Tribe of Heart’s work, or know of potential distribution opportunities, please feel free to contact Kevin at Kevin@ksmithreps.com or (248) 310-8066.

     In 2005, Eric Huang was working as a still life photographer in Manhattan, when he came across a flyer for a screening of one of our films. The screening, organized by longtime activist Marisa Miller, led to an awakening in Eric regarding his connection to other animals. First he started  eating a vegetarian diet, and within a few weeks this evolved into his adopting a comprehensive vegan ethic. Slowly but surely, issues of conscience began to rise up in his daily work, which often involved photographing fashion items made with the skins of animals. While he had refused to take work that involved fur for many years, he now also eliminated jobs involving leather products.

     As Eric became increasingly compelled by the plight of the animals, and more and more inspired by the possibility of making a difference, he decided to refocus his professional life on serving the animals’ cause. "I believe the next revolution to advance humankind, if there is to be one," says Eric, "will be for animal rights."

     Last spring, Eric closed his photography studio in Manhattan, moved upstate to Ithaca, and eventually got in touch with us to offer his help. Eric’s diverse artistic talents and technical expertise have made him an integral part of our daily creative process, including work on the new film.