nbsp;

Want to be the first to know about upcoming casting calls, screenings, or events? GET INVOLVED in "Hamill" the Movie by joining our mailing list.

Wins the National Championship at RIT Gold Medal Winner at the Pan American Games
Featured Athlete in Sports Illustrated

Attends Purdue University on a Wrestling Scholarship

Winner of two Gold Medals at the Deaf Olympics Attends Rochester Institute of Technology and the ‘Hammer Chant’ is Born
Falls in Love with Kristi

The Matt Hamill Awareness Fund is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts organization. This project has been set up to help raise development funds for the feature film currently entitled Hamill.
Contributions to the Matt Hamill Awareness Fund may be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. All funds will be applied to the development costs of this project and will help us in reaching physical production.
Contributions can be made online with a credit card.

We’re introducing a new genre to Hollywood: THE DEAF FOREIGN FILM. Hamill has been created by the hearing and deaf, for the hearing and deaf, in hopes to bridge the gap between these two communities. Hamill will fully capture the colorful visuals of American Sign Language and the intricate layers of Deaf Culture and put them up on the Silver Screen for everyone to see in unison, deaf and hearing. Shot in the same vein as Million Dollar Baby but with a Rudy ending, and inspired by the life of deaf Ultimate Fighter Matt Hamill, Hamill tells the story of what it takes to be a champion, on and off the mat. After two years of development this production team is looking to propel this narrative film into Hollywood’s limelight. But we need your help! It’s time to GET INVOLVED in the Matt Hamill Movie and help us create THE BUZZ…

Comment On Our Message Boards.
We want to hear from our future audience and so do the Hollywood distribution companies.

Be A Blogger.
How do we know if we’re on the right track if you don’t speak up? Become an active member in our weekly blogs and get yourself recognized by the production team. Who knows, the next Guest Blogger could be YOU.

Join Our Mailing List.
Interested in learning about exciting job opportunities, casting calls, or upcoming red carpet events? Then join our mailing list and we’ll keep you “in the know”.

Make A Donation.
Just like your favorite politician we need development funds in order to get this film elected! Donate now and see your name listed in the movie’s credits.

Did you know that there are 6.5 Million Deaf Americans who have not been provided with the opportunity to see a mainstream feature film in their language within a theatrical setting? Did you know that American Sign Language rivals French as the third most used language within the United States other than English? We didn’t, until now.

For the last two years we’ve followed Matt Hamill around the country and submerged ourselves into the different facets of his life. We’ve gotten to know him as a fighter in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, as an inspirational speaker at several Deaf Events, as a coach to young wrestlers with disabilities, as a son, as a father to his daughter and as a friend. We, also, set out to infuse ourselves into Deaf Communities, both on the East and West Coasts, in order to better understand the culture. In the process, we developed working relationships and friendships with the Deaf, as well, as learned their language, the intricacies of their culture, and the factual information regarding their demographic. The product of these two years is a well-crafted, truthful, inspiring story that will, undoubtedly, resonate with hearing and deaf alike.

However, Hamill is not a Silent Film specifically created for the deaf audience. This is a film in which the deaf and hearing can view the theatrical release in unison. So in essence, Hamill will be introducing a new genre to mainstream audiences, The Deaf Foreign Film, and we plan on doing this by employing the following elements:

- The use of subtitles throughout the film allowing the Deaf to enjoy the cinematic experience alongside the hearing.
- Employing a unique cinematography style which captures the ASL and remains visually stimulating.
- Finding interesting and artistic ways of depicting the Deaf Perspective while keeping the hearing community involved.
- Giving several Deaf Actors a chance at showcasing their talents on the big screen.

Inspired by the life of deaf UFC fighter, Matt Hamill, Hamill tells the story of what it takes to be a champion, on and off the mat. Hamill is a coming of age drama depicting the struggles and successes of what it takes to become a champion. Raised among those with the ability to hear, Matt later finds himself no less an outsider amidst the Deaf Community. But through sheer determination, he uses his 'perceived' disability as an asset, and becomes not only the first deaf wrestler to win a National Collegiate Championship, but an inspirational force to both hearing and deaf alike.

Our story begins at a doctor’s office in Loveland, Ohio, where mother, Janet, and stepfather, Mike, learn that their 8-month-old baby boy, Matt, was born deaf. She and her husband are left to ponder a very difficult decision: follow the doctor’s advice and send Matt away to a specialized school for the deaf, or keep him in Loveland and preserve the family unit. Much to Janet’s disapproval, Mike stubbornly opts to keep Matt at home. Consequently, at the age of six, Matt is thrust into school for which he is unequipped with the necessary tools to communicate.

Mike, determined to raise Matt’s self esteem and not let him remain an outsider, aggressively trains him in the skill of lip-reading and, by pulling a favor with the coach, lands Matt a spot on the elementary school’s wrestling team. It is here that Matt discovers his innate fighting ability.

It is Matt’s proficiency as a lip-reader that allows him to excel academically, ultimately winning him a one-year scholarship to Purdue University. Finally, Matt has a ticket out of his awkward Loveland adolescence and heads into a world in which he can pursue his dream of becoming a world-class wrestler.

Unfortunately, Purdue proves to be harder than anticipated. The highly educated, swift mouths of his professors, coupled with the complicated signs of his interpreter are too much for Matt to keep up with. After losing his scholarship, Matt drops out of college and finds himself back in Loveland, questioning not only his ability to accomplish his dream, but his family’s decision to keep him sheltered from this silent reality.

However, Mike, determined not to let his step-son accept defeat, uses the last of the family’s savings to send Matt to the National Technical Institute of the Deaf within Rochester Institute of Technology.

Now surrounded by the largest deaf population in New York, Matt discovers that this community has its own set of prejudice and that his sloppy sign language skills and lip-reading background makes him an outsider amidst his new peers. Determined not to fail again, Matt allows this frustration to fuel his wrestling and he quickly becomes a dominant force on the team. As the National Championship approaches, the RIT community embraces the potential of having the first Deaf Wrestling Champion. Eventually Matt finds acceptance and also falls in love with the woman whom he eventually marries. But it’s not until the sudden death of his stepfather that Matt realizes the truth behind why he’s fighting and for whom, and discovers what it takes to be a true champion, on and off the mat.

JOSEPH MCKELHEER, Director/Writer/Producer
Best known for his starring role in cult favorite, The Hamiltons, Joseph McKelheer has, also, had the privilege of working alongside Mary Tyler Moore, Cuba Gooding Jr, Clifton Collins and Eliot Gould. He made his directorial debut with festival favorite, Geldersma, starring Dan Butler of Frazier, Tamara Feldman of Dirty Sexy Money and Linda Park of Star Trek. As well as actor and director, McKelheer adds producer to his list of talents with the feature film, Something's Wrong in Kansas, due to release on video at years end, Karma Café, hailing ten festival awards, and the Warner Brothers Video, Static X’s Destroyer. Most recently, McKelheer can be seen starring in Sony's spring release, April Fools Day starring Josh Henderson of Desperate Housewives and Scout Taylor Compton of Halloween. Currently, McKelheer can be found in Los Angeles directing the feature documentary, Commandante Cero, based on a Nicaraguan Revolution during the Iran-Contra Affair or in development on three upcoming feature films. After three years of developing and writing the script for Hamill, McKelheer is thrilled to be directing this unique, revolutionary film and hopes to not only contribute something truly original to today’s cinema, but help bridge the gap between the hearing and Deaf Communities. Joseph McKelheer graduated from Colorado State University and holds a degree in Finance. He is part-owner of Quality Time Productions.

EBEN KOSTBAR, Actor/Writer/Producer
Eben Kostbar grew up in Maryland where he played competitive football and wrestling before moving to LA to pursue his passion for acting. He immediately started working professionally on films such as Shackles, starring D.L. Hugley and directed by Charles Winkler, and Dog Lovers Symphony; both available on DVD. He’s appeared on the primetime television series, The Unit, Danny, as well as, filmed two series regular roles on the television pilots, Wrigleyville and Cockblockers. No stranger to behind the scenes filmmaking, Eben also wrote, directed and acted in the short film, Karma Cafe, winner of ten awards from film festivals nationwide. Together with his business partner, Joseph McKelheer, he’s produced films such as Geldersma and the music video, Destroyer by the band Static-X. Eben Kostbar is part owner of Quality Time Productions.

K’DEE MILLER, Producer
K'Dee Miller, originally from Alaska, has produced several films most notably, Bread Alone, due for distribution by the Ukrainian Genocide Foundation this Fall, An Inconvenient Head starring Chris Pine, which is currently making the festival rounds, Morning Departure, starring Nate Corddry and Lindsay Sloan, premiering in Atlanta this Spring and the documentary, Namaste Nepal, in which she is currently in post production. K’Dee Miller has, also, spent the last three years working for the cutting edge distribution company specializing in online media distribution, Cinemanow, Inc, a subsidiary of LionsGate Entertainment. K'Dee Miller is the founder and president of Get Reel LA and K'Dee Miller Productions. She is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College and The Juilliard School.

INMAN YOUNG, Line Producer
Inman Young moved to Los Angeles in the spring of 1999 to pursue his desire of becoming a filmmaker, leaving behind a career in commercial real estate development. He immediately gravitated towards the business side of the industry, working as the Sales/Marketing Manager of Last Unicorn Publishing, a Paramount subsidiary. Moving toward producing, Young went to work at the well respected talent and literary agency, Don Buchwald and Associates. After gaining agency experience, Young’s next step was physical production. In 2001, Young left Buchwald to associate produce the independent feature, Samuel Clemens Boys. Following, Young accepted a position at Burkhardt/Griffith Productions, an independent film production company. It was with Burkhardt/Griffith that Young produced his first feature, Thank You, Good Night. Upon the successful completion of the film and wanting a more grass roots understanding of production, Young joined the world of freelance production. For the next three years, Young held various positions in film, television, commercial and music video projects, performing almost every job on set in an attempt to gain as much experience as possible. During that period, Young produced film, television, and DVD projects including the Showtime/Netflix feature, Comedians of Comedy – The Movie, and the Lava Records DVD, Franky Perez – As Live as it Gets, while, also, working as a freelance production manager for a number of television series. They include VH-1’s The Surreal Life, Cartoon Network’s Tom Goes to the Mayor, and the indie film, Something’s Wrong in Kansas. In May of 2005, Young and his two partners started Sixth Way Productions. In the two years following the business’s inception, he produced two comedy DVD projects for Netflix starring Joe Rogan and Zach Galifianakis, two Sony music videos for Bette Midler and Fiona Apple, the Comedy Central television series, The Comedians of Comedy, the independent feature, Suffering Man’s Charity, directed by and starring Alan Cumming, the comedy DVD Comedians of Comedy-Live at the Troubadour, the HD feature Bohica, and the documentary, feature Super High Me, starring comedian Doug Benson due to premier in March 2008. Currently, Young is producing, Speed Freaks, a pilot for Comedy Central staring Zach Galifianakis and A.D. Miles. Inman Young is a graduate of The Georgia Institute of Technology and currently resides in Hollywood, California.

ELSA RAMO, Lawyer
Ms. Ramo is an entertainment attorney, representing many corporate clients, as well as, individual writers, directors, and producers in the entertainment industry. Elsa graduated from University of San Diego School of Law, and moved into entertainment law with Davis Dixon Kirby LLP. She has established her presence on the Universal Studios backlot, among the clientele she represents. Her specialties span the spectrum of entertainment legal needs: Corporate/Entity Representation, Contract Negotiation, Review and Drafting, Producer/Writer Representative Services, Trademark and Copyright filing and litigation, and Corporate Formation, Acquisition, and Mergers. Outside of membership in the four Bar Associations (California, American, Beverly Hills, & Los Angeles), Elsa is also a member of IFP (Independent Film Producers) and Women in Film and has been a panel speaker at Boston University School of Law and the San Diego Film Festival. She has provided production legal services for such productions as, Unbeatable Harold with Henry Winkler, Dylan McDermott, Taryn Manning and Charles Durning; Chasing Ghosts, with Michael Madsen, Gary Busey and Shannyn Sossaman; Cult, with Rachel Miner, Taryn Manning, and Joel Michaely, Ghost Game, Tied Up, Gene Generation starring Bai Ling; the critically acclaimed short, On The Low; Clean Stand Up Comedy Tour, Comedians Of Comedy, the Stephen King adaptation Creep Show 3; Hack! with William Forsthye and DanicaMcKellar; the official documentary about the Minute Man organization, The Month Of October; Toxic starring Susan Ward; and most recently completed, Suffering Man’s Charity, starring Alan Cumming, David Boreanaz and Anne Heche. More information about Elsa can be found at The Law Offices of Elsa Ramo.

TERRI PLEDGER, Sign Language Coach & Producer's Consultant
Terri Pledger is a mainstreamed Deaf American who is proud to be involved with creating the "Hamill" phenomenon. Terri was introduced to the world of theater and film through Paramount and KCET Studio's program, Performing Arts Theater for the Handicapped. He's since studied with Bob Baker, founder of The Bob Baker Marionette Studio, and feels privileged to have acquired such wisdom regarding all aspects of art, culture and performance. Under Bob's direction, Terri has gone on to develop as a painter, sculptor and puppeteer. Currently, Terri is highly involved in the creation of puppets, with a focus on marionettes, and is creating an experimental SciFi/Fantasy performance piece in which his marionettes will perform. Terri's artwork and puppets have been shown at galleries and art exhibitions such as Barnsdall Park Festival, Carnation Promotional Events, Eleven Seven Gallery, The Second Saturday Art Walks, and Numerous Co-op Art Shows at Orange Coast Art Festivals.

LEXI MARMAN, Producer’s Assistant
Lexi Marman graduated from Cal State Northridge in Film/Television and has directed numerous projects throughout the years. Not only is she an actress, she currently works at Universal Studios as a casting director and is a studio tour guide. Even though she works with the television industry, her first love and passion is the theater. She formerly was an Entertainment Host at Disneyland and has done several modeling/print projects. Born Hearing, Lexi became Deaf due to medicine she received when she was a couple hours old. She wears a hearing aid and is fluent in American Sign Language and proficient in speaking. As former Miss Deaf California, Lexi has been very involved in the Deaf Community and is looking forward to being a part of this amazing project!

JASON (JAY) JORGENSEN, Production Interpreter
Jason (Jay) Jorgensen began his journey in the deaf community with a very early exposure to ASL, and learning to sign came naturally and quickly. After many years of immersion and many schools later, Jay found his passion in interpreting for the deaf communities of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo Counties. He began professionally interpreting at the college level as an educational interpreter and moved on to Community interpreting and Free-lancing almost four years ago. Currently he resides in Northridge, CA with his girlfriend, consequently who is deaf, and is an Interpreter for the California State University at Northridge. Jay has been a production interpreter for stage plays, including “Children of a Lesser God” and other commercial productions. He hopes to better himself and affect as much positive energy on the project as humanly possible. This opportunity has the potential to change lives.

CATHERINE JOELL MACKINNON, Producer’s Consultant
Catherine was born Deaf but wasn’t diagnosed until she was two and a half years of age. Originally from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Catherine graduated from Ryerson University School of Image Arts with a BFA in Film Studies. Recent film production work includes, the five time award winning short film entitled “I’m Not From Hear” in which she wrote and directed, USC Graduate film “Glee!” in which she produced, and AFI film “Everything in Azure” in which she assisted the production designer. As a performer, Catherine participated in the “Vagina Monologues” with Vanessa Vaughan, Rachel McAdams and Shirley Douglas, as well as provided atmospheric vocals in “Silent Hill” starring Sean Bean, Radha Mitchell and Jodelle Ferland. She’s worked with world-renowned theatre company, The Canadian Stage, providing theatre workshops for Deaf and Hard of Hearing youths. Catherine has also worked with marblemedia in association with their production of deafplanet.com and “SportsVillage,” as well as several other television projects over the years. She was co-founder and Festival Director of Toronto International Deaf Film and Arts Festival, which is associated with the Ontario Cultural Society of the Deaf. Currently, Catherine is developing a documentary short, “Unheard Voices,” in which she will direct and produce alongside the National Film Board of Canada-Ontario Production Centre. Catherine feels that, as a creative artist and director, it is important to gain as much life and career experience as possible in order to tell a well rounded, authentic story. Because of that belief, Catherine is thrilled to be a part of the HAMILL team. Catherine currently resides in North Hollywood.