Charity event a success

Saturday night's Charity event at the Action on Film Festival, the screening of "Swan, One Man's Journey", was extremely successful. Over 300 people turned out from all over to support The Lung Cancer Foundation of America. The movie itself turned out well, of course I'm biased but it seemed to have the audience's attention for the entire 60 minutes. It had funny parts and some "tough" spots when it touched on the subject of cancer. I really enjoyed it. Most people don't ever get a night like this, or a movie like this made about them, at least not while they are still alive. It was really fun for me to see friends I've made over the 13 years I've been in LA openly talking about how they felt about me as a person. It has inspired me. Any time I get down now, I can pop in the DVD and see some friends and get myself ready to fight the cancer again. My Dad has always told me that cancer is a roller coaster of emotions, and it certainly is. Some days I get down, I cry, I get upset. Some days I feel great. I couldn't ask for a better support group of family and friends to help me fight this battle than the group that I am so fortunate to have, many of whom were amongst the 300 people who came to the screening. And I know there were a bunch of people who wished they could have made it but couldn't. I would like to post the end credits from the film to thank the people who worked so hard to put it together. And I need to thank Jen, Zadrina, Sherry, and Trudy again as they put in so much time and effort to make it all happen.

Here's a link to see some footage from the night:

http://www.minglemediatv.com/YourCausesSpecialSeries.html

Here's the credits:

Directed by

TRUDY SARGENT

Created by

ZADRINA EISENMANN

Narration Written by

RAMIN NEMATOLLAHI

Produced by

SHERRY SIMS

Produced by

TRUDY SARGENT

Produced by

JASON BERNERO

Executive Producer

ZADRINA EISENMANN

Executive Producer

AL EISENMANN

Edited by

MATTHEW CASSEL

Original Music by

CONAN SKYRME

CRIS BERNERO

Additional Music by

VANACORE MUSIC

Narrated by

JOE MANTEGNA

Featuring

(In Alphabetical Order)

ED BERNERO

JASON BERNERO

PARKER BOLEK

PAGET BREWSTER

AJ COOK

AL EISENMANN

HANNAH EISENMANN

STONE EISENMANN

ZADRINA EISENMANN

ROBERT FIGLIN, MD

LEAH GOODMAN

ARIKA KAY GRIFFITH

JILLIAN GRIFFITH

STEVE GRIFFITH

MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER

ALUN KINSELLA

ISABELLE KINSELLA

AMANDA KOITER

JASON B. LITTEN, MD

JENNY LIVITZ

OLEG LIVITZ

JOE MANTEGNA

JENNIFER MARKS

ERICA MESSER

SIMON MIRREN

SHEMAR MOORE

HANNA MOURAD

MICHELENE MUNDO

KIM NORRIS

WILLIAM PROCTOR, JR.

MARK RAPPAPORT

JENNIFER SWAN

NICHOLAS SWAN

GREG TAYLOR

DONNELL TURNER

KIRSTEN VANGSNESS

DEL WESTON

IAN WOOLF

RICK A. “FLEA BAG” YOUNG

Post Production Producer GIGI COELLO-BANNON

Post Production Supervisors KIEGAN DOWNS

JENNIFER KETELSEN

Title Design ANTHONY WONSOFF

Video Playback DAUV MCNEELY

Post Production Sound TECHINICOLOR CREATIVE SERVICES

Supervising Sound Editor DAVID M. BEADLE

Music Editorial MICHAEL DITTRICK

MICDI PRODUCTIONS, INC

Music Mixer TOM SKYRME

Re-Recording Mixer ANDRE PERREAULT, C.A.S.

Graphic Design By SHERILL WATTS JUSTO

PROP GRAPHICS

Production Assistants BRANDON GALVAN

MALI GILBERT

TESS GILBERT

Publicity STEPHEN MITCHELL

JEFF ALBRIGHT

THE ALBRIGHT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP

Web Page Design WENDY SCHOEF

ENTERTAINMENTSITES.NET

“MATTHEW GRAY GUBLER: THE UNAUTHORIZED DOCUMENTARY”

Footage courtesy of Matthew Gray Gubler & Andy Swan

“NOT QUITE HEMINGWAY”

Footage courtesy of Oleg Livitz

Photographs of Andy Swan

Courtesy of

The Swan Family

The Griffith Family,

Action On Film International Film Festival

A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO

ED & BARB BERNERO

THE CAST & CREW OF CRIMINAL MINDS

ACTION ON FILM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

DEL WESTON

And the AOF TEAM

THE SWAN FAMILY –

ANDY SWAN

JENNIFER SWAN

IRENE & BOB SWAN

TIM SWAN

MARK MARCOM –

QUIXOTE STUDIOS

CREATURE EFFECTS, INC.

INDEPENDENT STUDIO SERVICES

HAND PROP ROOM

RICH TABACH

NATHAN DEVORE – DAVID VANACORE MUSIC

MIKE LEONE – LION VISUAL EFFECTS

KIM NORRIS – LUNG CANCER FOUNDATION OF AMERICA

RACHEL SCHWARTZ – PR ADVantEDGE, INC

LEE ALLPORT – MySentimentexactlee.com

STEPHANIE PICHE – MINGLE MEDIA TV

STICKAM.COM

DAN RAMM—ACQUAVIVA PRODUCTIONS

JIMMY HILL

CINDY, MACY AND KATY CASSEL

JASON KOITER

BRIDGET COHEN

STEVE GILBERT

MELISSA BROWN

MARY AND LEO WEBER

FILMED ON LOCATION IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

COPYRIGHT ©2010 AREA 9 Productions

In LA, physical therapy starts

I'm back in California for the charity screening at the Action on Film Festival and to start packing for the move to Boston. I started physical therapy and am I sore. But hopefully it will help my back feel better. Overall I feel pretty good. I think the Tarceva is continuing to work. I will find out in August back in Boston.

Looking forward to seeing those of you who are going Saturday!

Interview from local Boston channel

Check out this clip from Fox's coverage of Tim's swim:

Small World Big Hearts

Hi all,

A quick note from the East about today's visit to DFCI, I know a lot of folks are waiting for an update. Andy started early today at Dana Farber. He had a full body scan to check on how the Tarceva is doing against the cancer, and then met with Dr Janne later in the morning.

The treatment is working on the tumors in his soft tissue (lung, liver) but not as effective for the metastases to his bones. The Dr is encouraged that the tumor in his lung, as well as the lesions in his liver, appear to be getting smaller, and we are all grateful for this good news. The tumors on his bones in his spine, ribs appear to either be stable or growing a bit, so we are taking two new approaches to his treatment.

The drug dosage will be increased to battle those sites that are not responding. He is also going back on Zometa, a drug that is delivered by IV to help bulk up his bones as he fights the cancer. Andy received his first infusion today and will receive infusions every six weeks; he responded well to this when it was administered as an adjunct therapy during his chemo regimen in the spring.

I was struck as I always am at DFCI by everyone who cares for the patients, from the valets, to the secretaries, to the nurses, researchers, doctors - everyone - has a huge heart. It is such an amazing place, you feel blessed to be there getting treated by some of the best and smartest people who truly want to beat cancer as much as the patients do.

And today I was also struck by how small this world is. I received an email this morning from a woman who I had met on a cancer website; she had reached out to me early in Andy's fight to let me know about her daughter's very similar (mid 30s, nonsmoker, Stage IV NSCLC) battle, and to recommend the genetic mutation testing. I learned as we were getting Andy started with DFCI that her daughter has consulted over the past year with Dr Janne on her treatment. Emily is also from the West Coast - and it being a small world was in Boston and at DFCI to meet Dr Janne today. Emily, her husband Todd and I met up after Andy's appointment and before hers - it is always nice to talk to other folks who are going through this, and was especially poignant as I feel like in some ways we have been on similar journeys with her and Andy's battles. Emily looked great, she is also responding well to the Tarceva and it provided hope to meet her.

I'm sure we'll write more in the next few days -

Tim

Please help in these two charity events!

There are a couple of charity events coming up that I would like to make everyone aware of. The first one is a swim that Tim does every year to benefit cancer research and is a big reason I am getting the care that I am at Dana Farber. It's called Swim Across America and info on the event can be found through my brother's page at the following link:

http://www.swimacrossamerica.org/timswan2010

If you are able to help reach the goal thanks in advance. If you are unable to donate financially, good thoughts and prayers are welcome!

The other event is going to be hosted by the Action on Film Festival, one of the largest and fastest growing film festivals in America. On July 24th they are showing a film that centers around my experiences as an independent filmmaker. They are also showing some of my work at the event. There will be an after party that sounds like it's going to be a blast. Proceeds will go to both the festival (to pay for hosting) and the remainder will go to The Lung Cancer Foundation of America. Tickets can be purchased at the following link:

https://www.aoffest.com/store/Area-9-Andy-Swan-Visualizing-Films-To-Life-6p44.htm

Thanks for your support!

I am back in Boston safely for my scans tomorrow. I will post when I hear the results. Keep your fingers crossed for good news!

Back in the saddle again

Good news! I was directing again on Sunday, the day after I arrived in LA. We (Area 9 Productions) were shooting a teaser for a feature film we are going to make. It went well and felt good to up and working again, creatively with my friends. I think the teaser is going to be scary and effective.

Another note, clear your calendars those of you who live in LA. On July 24th there is going to be an event hosted by the Action on Film Festival showcasing a film about a filmmaker's plight trying to make it in hollywood (the filmmaker is me). So please come show your support! 100% of the proceeds from the ticket sales will go to the Action on Film Festival and Lung Cancer Foundation of America. It promises to be a good time and will be a charitable event. Here is the link to buy tickets:

https://www.aoffest.com/store/Area-9-Andy-Swan-Visualizing-Films-To-Life-6p44.htm

Please come out and show your support!

-Andy

Back in Cali

Well I've returned to California after about a month in Boston. I'm feeling good. I still have back pains and I am tired a lot, but other than that I'm much better then I was. The tarceva appears to be doing wonders. I'll find out when we next do scans, on July 8. I return to Boston on the 6th. The scans will let us know what's going on with the tumors. It's a huge day for me.

I'll be in Boston until the 18th. My brother swims in a cancer research fund-raising event called Swim Across America, and I'll be on his boat, rooting him on. I can't wait.

Hopefully I'll have time to catch up to my west coast friends while I'm here, but please forgive me if I don't. It's been crazy lately and I have no endurance.

Thanks again for all the support!