Breast Cancer Documentary stars Celeb Cancer Survivors!

When Namrata Singh Gujral lost two aunts to breast cancer, the 32 year old Indo-American actress realized that she might be at high risk. Time to watch it, she thought! But all the precautions in the world didn't help ward off the big "C" and in 2008 Gujral got the phone call that every woman dreads: You have breast cancer! Furious with the toll that cancer takes around the world, and terrified for herself and her 9 year old daughter, Gujral decided to turn her harrowing journey into a positive outcome. She launched the film "1 a Minute ®" while going through her third chemotherapy treatment, when a support group survivor remarked on how celebrities led charmed lives, while others got the hard road.

The film stars internationally celebrated women from various nations and backgrounds who are also survivors like Olivia Newton-John (Grease), Jaclyn Smith (Charlie's Angels), Melissa Etheridge (An Inconvenient Truth), Diahann Carroll (Claudine), Lisa Ray (Water / Bollywood Hollywood), Barbara Mori (La Mujer de Mi Hermano / Kites), Mumtaz (Iranian Actress / Bollywood), Namrata Singh Gujral (Americanizing Shelley / Kaante), brothers Billy Baldwin (Backdraft) and Danny Baldwin (VAMPIRE$), whose mother is a survivor and finally Priya Dutt, whose mother, the famous Bollywood star Nargis Dutt, died of cancer.

The doc also covers interviews with top Western Oncologists such as Dr. Dennis Slamon whose research led to the revolutionary drug Herceptin, top Eastern medicine practitioners such as Dr. Deepak Chopra as well as experts Ambassador Nancy G. Brinker (WHO; Founder: Susan G. Komen for the Cure) and more.

Narrated by Kelly McGillis (Top Gun), the global docudrama "1 a Minute ®" is an unprecedented push by international women celebrities (who are also cancer survivors) to raise funds for a cure, promote awareness and prevention, as well as, support survivors of women's cancers.

The film follows a woman's journey through cancer, with a focus on Breast Cancer, the most frequent cancer in women worldwide. At each stage of her journey, our stars (survivors from around the world; or affected closely by it), jump in and recount their experiences at that point in time.

GENRE:	Feature length Docu-drama: Hybrid between narrative and documentary styles with interweaves through the picture
TRT:	App. 90 minutes
STATUS:	Releasing 2010-2011 (Rolling): details on Release page
SONGS:	Olivia Newton-John and Beth Nielsen Chapman

If you wanna make God laugh; tell Him your plans. Family. Career. Health. Happiness. Total upswing. I had it all. Oh, what a bubble. I felt invincible. Nothing could touch me. I was charmed.

Rewind to a few years ago. When I lost two aunts to breast cancer, I realized that I might be at high risk. Time to watch it, I thought! And I started getting the gratuitous mammos. And the "all is well" reports. And the "it'll never happen to me" attitude but an inner voice that prompted me to be vigilant anyway.

But all the vigilance in the world didn't help and one June morning in 2008, at a young age, I got the phone call that every woman dreads: You have breast cancer! And just like that: everything changed!

Furious at the toll that cancer takes around the world, and terrified for me and my nine year old daughter, I decided to turn my harrowing journey into a positive outcome. When a support group survivor remarked on how celebrities led charmed lives, while others got the hard road, I launched the film "1 a Minute ®" while going through my third chemotherapy treatment.

I decided to start a movement...take action to at least reduce - if not end - the fact that every minute, somewhere in the world, a woman dies from breast cancer.

I looked for a financier but no one saw this as a good business deal. It was a film on "women and cancer". Now what? Well, some things in life trump "financial profit". So, I decided to make the film anyway. I had a savings account. I had a film production company. But, most importantly, I had great friendships and contacts. And they all came through for me. So, did God's grace! The film is made.

Admittedly, it was tough at times. I would have to lie down between directing takes. I would break into tears when I directed a scene that hit a raw nerve with my fairly fresh experience. But I needed to go on. And now looking back and two years out: I understand that it was also cathartic. And that kept me going.

With 1 a Minute ®, I hope to shed light on the seriousness and urgency of this nasty disease. I hope to raise funds for a cure and I hope to bring awareness to the cause. But mostly I hope to support my sisters (and brothers) who very quickly understand why the fight is called "battling" cancer and why one qualifies as a "survivor" in the aftermath. Simply put, it is a journey that is tough to walk but equally tough to comprehend. So, my hope is to also provide families and friends with a glimpse of their loved ones "real" journey...not a scripted screenplay that some Hollywood writer churned out on a rainy afternoon.

This film is not all pink ribbons and balloons. After all, I was a fresh out of treatment. Battle fatigue and chemo fatigue, Double whammy. As I laid down between directing takes, I felt compelled to tell it as it is.

I did not want to put lipstick on cancer. Cancer is ugly and will remain so.

The film, by contrast, is hopeful, positive and uplifting. The journey is dark; the outcome and message in the film, filled with light. I wanted to be fair and unbiased. Although we have work to do, and the statistics are still unacceptable, we are making progress. And I wanted to showcase that too. There are many more survivors in the world today than just even a decade ago. The updates are so encouraging to hear, from all the experts in the film, with regards to near-future and various types of cancer treatments and how they will affect survivability. In a nutshell, the film comes from a place of healing.

I feel humbled and honored that God would give me this opportunity to help make a difference. My fellow actors have generously shared their stories of hope and courage to inspire and also make that difference. Please give them 90 minutes of your time and help make a difference too. Please come support our endeavor in global theaters, to end cancer forever.

See you at the movies...Namrata Singh Gujral

UniGlobe Entertainment is a Hollywood and Mumbai based entertainment studio with a global mission to foster positive intercultural exchange and growth, between the West and the East, via the medium of films.

The company found major success with their debut comedy feature Americanizing Shelley (with Beau Bridges, Wil Wheaton and Namrata Singh Gujral) which is currently being distributed by Warner Brothers.

The film has opened theatrically around the world with the likes of "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "Slumdog Millionaire" and many other blockbusters. This makes Americanizing Shelley the first Indo-Western crossover film after "Bend It like Beckham" to acquire major studio distribution in the U.S. and second after "Monsoon Wedding". The film boasts one of the highest per screen averages on opening weekend even though it was pitted against Spiderman 3.

UG's upcoming projects include: comedy 5 Weddings, war drama based in Afghanistan titled TIE THAT BINDS and Sci-Fi feature STILL.

More info at: www.UniGlobeEntertainment.com

Kelly McGillis
Top Gun - Narrator

Olivia Newton-John
Grease - Survivor

Namrata Singh Gujral
Americanizing Shelley / Kaante - Survivor

Jaclyn Smith
Charlie's Angels - Survivor

Melissa Etheridge
An Inconvenient Truth - Survivor

Diahann Carroll
Claudine - Survivor

Lisa Ray
Water / Bollywood Hollywood - Survivor

Barbara Mori
La Mujer de Mi Hermano / Kites - Survivor

Mumtaz
Iranian Actress / Bollywood - Survivor

Billy Baldwin
Backdraft - Mom is a Survivor

Danny Baldwin
VAMPIRE$ - Mom is a Survivor

Priya Dutt
Bollywood - Mom died of Cancer

Jasmine Cooper
Mom is a Survivor

Morgan Brittany
Featured

Producer UniGlobe Entertainment

Director Namrata Singh Gujral (Americanizing Shelley / Kaante)

Director of Photography Yasu Tanida (August Evening)

Composer Jay Ferguson (The Terminator, NBC's "The Office")

Music Supervisor Michael Mason (Training Day, The Fugitive)

Sound Supervisor Scott Jennings (The Passion of Christ, Apocalypto)

Editor Namrata Singh Gujral, Maureen Meulen (Five Fingers, 300)

Songs by Olivia Newton-John and Beth Nielsen Chapman

Full Crew List

Produced By
Producer Namrata Singh Gujral
Executive Producer Namrata Singh Gujral, Shabnam Kapur, Jagjit Singh Gujral

Cinematography
Director of Photography Yasu Tanida
2nd Unit Director of Photography Jesse James Smith

Music by Jay Ferguson

Music Production
Music Producer Michael C. Mason

Production Management
Unit Production Manager Alexander Soto
1st Assistant Director Charmaine Kuhn
2nd Unit Production Supervisor Michael Schlau

Camera and Electrical Department
Key Grip Mark Napier
First Assistant Camera Jesse James Smith
Key Gaffer James Dietter
Gaffers Takuro Ishizaka, Bradley W. Haskell
2nd Unit Assistant Camera Justin Sands

Production Designer Bradley Jay Valentine

Hair and Make-Up
Key Make-Up/Key Hair/Key sfx m/u Kristy Horiuchi
Make-Up Artists Karen Kawahara, Myles Haddad, Lorenzo Martin

Art Department
Art Director Mary Coffin
Art Department Assistant Diana Graffius

Post Production Supervisor Linda Walsh

Post Production Coordinator Melissa Libunao

Sound Department Supervising Sound Editor Scott A. Jennings M.P.S.E.
Sound Re-Recording Mixers Scott A. Jennings, Dan Bosworth, Paul Berolzheimer
Sound Mixers Carrie Sheldon, Lisa M. Gillespie, Carlton Diggs, Brandon Huus, Theresa Radka
Sound Editors Taiwo Heard, Ian Blackman, Annie Miles, Greg Meader
ADR Supervisor Sarah Bourgeois
ADR Mixer Beaux Neylon
ADR Facility Coordinator Carlie Bergman

Film Editing
Editors Namrata Singh Gujral, Maureen Meulen
Additional Editor Joshua Rifkin
Assistant Editors Jodi Trocchio, Ryan Sitter, David Collins, Jeremiah Eversull, Steven Roberts, Kevin L. Johnson, Dave Bushore, Brendan K. Davis

Online Editing Scott Cooper, Mark Beutel, Erik Peterson

Graphics Department
Head Graphics Designer Ryanne Higley
Graphics Designer Lisa Brodersen
Website Producer Samantha Limb

Mexico Unit
Production Company Whiskey Films
Director Luis Felipe Ybarra B.
Producer Salvador De la Fuente
DOP Carlos Aldana
Line Producer Humberto Cardenas S.
Assistant Director Gabriela Palacios
PA Erick Pineda
Coordinator Valeria Maauad
Equipment E.F.D.
Sound Pedro Mejia
Make-Up Artist Daniel Lezama

Texas Unit
Director of Photography Dieter Kaupp
Production Manager Beth-Ann Lee
Make-Up Artist Cheryl Gates

Florida Unit
Director of Photography Duane Engstrom
Assistant Director Russell Warner
Assistant Editor Tim Vaile
Key Sound Mixer Tim Vaile
Make-Up Artist Jennifer Farhood

Australia Unit
Director of Photography Tarina Reed
Unit Production Manager Shumita Singh Gujral

India Unit
Line Producer Pooja Gujral
Director Sumeet Sachdev
Director of Photography N. Nataraja Subramanian
Sound Mixer Sohel S. Sanwari
Make-Up Bharat
Hair Doris
Lights Bllitz Cine Equipments
Production Assistant Kawaljeet Singh Anand

Toronto Unit
Director of Photography Pasha Patriki
Make-Up Artist Sandra Young

San Diego Unit
Director of Photography Liz Hinlein

SOUNDTRACK "Let Go Let God"
From Grace and Gratitude
Performed by: Olivia Newton-John
Written by: Olivia Newton-John, Amy Sky and Kim Bullard
Published by: Zargon Music, Latte Music and Corbin Trail Music

"Sand and Water"
Performed by: Beth Nielsen Chapman
Published by: BNC Songs

"Shake My Soul"
Performed by: Beth Nielsen Chapman
Written by: Beth Nielsen Chapman and Annie Roboff
Published by: BNC Songs, BUG Music (ASCAP)
& ALMO Music Corp. (ASCAP)