Local (Watertown, NY) star power set for potential documentary on organ donation

[Clark]

http://centralny.ynn.com/content/news/watertownnorth_country/705597/local-star-power-set-for-potential-documentary-on-organ-donation/

Local star power set for potential documentary on organ donation
By: Brian Dwyer

With movies like 'Ghost Rider 2,' 'Gamer' and the 'Crank' series, Watertown's Mark Neveldine has become known as one of Hollywood's wildest writers and directors. But the next film he hopes to work on is one that he hopes inspires people to help save lives. As our Brian Dwyer reports, one of those lives would be one of his good friends, a fellow Watertown native.

Joe Mitchell says sometimes you've just got to laugh.

The 33-year-old Watertown native is hoping a video on Kickstarter will help him raise enough money to produce a full documentary on his story of needing a new kidney. It would be a story of his life and the lives of others on 'The Waiting List'.

"People don't want to think about depressing stuff," Mitchell said about the style of a potential documentary. "So If I can figure out a way to do it in a more lighthearted way, a lighthearted way seems to touch people more."

Mitchell first got a kidney at the age of sixteen. It was from a man who died, a family he didn't know. But now, 18 years later, it's failing. He needs another.

"I need help, you know?" Mitchell said about the teaser video in which he's playing hoops on a court without a ball or basket. "I'm missing something, but I'm going to keep playing."

Now Mitchell, who does short documentary films regularly, certainly has the skills to pull this off, but it doesn't hurt to have friends in high places.

Mark Neveldine, who directed movies like the 'Crank' series and 'Ghost Rider 2,' also happens to be from Watertown. Having known Mitchell for 10 years, he wanted to be involved.

"He's doing this for all the right reasons, because he wants to help people," Neveldine said of Mitchell. "He's like, 'Hey, If I'm not the guy who gets the kidney at the end of the day, I don't care, that's cool. Let's just get 100,000 people kidneys."

Even if enough money doesn't come in through Kickstarter, the fight doesn't end. The real goal is the awareness, convincing people to look into signing their donor cards.

"We could make this great documentary that a lot of people could see, but in the meantime, we're getting the word out," Neveldine said.

"It's very important, the more people that sign their organ donor card, the better," Mitchell added.

You may have recognized the woman in the beginning of the teaser video. Alison Lohman, Neveldine's wife, has starred in 'Matchstick Men' with Nicolas Cage, 'White Oleander' and the horror hit 'Drag Me to Hell.' She says she'd love a chance to help even more.

"If there's any way we could raise money to make this documentary, I think that Joey has a fighting chance," Lohman said. "Of course we want to be there to help him."

There's still nine days to help reach the funding goal. Mitchell says either way, somehow this project will get done.

To learn more about 'The Waiting List,' visit www.kickstarter.com.