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  • "A very inspiring film. It's the kind that makes you want to get up and do something."

    Laila Deyo (Vimeo Review)

  • "A tremendous accomplishment… I know the film will have have lasting impression on my own outlook on the world."

    Travis Keune, We are Movie Geeks

  • "This documentary has enormous potential to rattle a complacent public into action."

    Lisa Swain, Production Supervisor (Big Fish, Anger Management, Three Kings)

  • "I haven't been able to stop thinking about the film - the most powerful and thought-provoking thing that I've seen in a very long time."

    Julie Graul, Prof. Of Psychology - STLCC

  • "It’s a call to action, and one that viewers will want to answer."

    Kristie McClanahan, The Riverfront Times

  • "What Matters? has no limits as to where it could go if enough people see it."

    Cliff Froelich, Director of St. Louis International Film Festival

Screenings

  • 2016

    April 18, 2016 7pm, Central Michigan

    April 13, 2016 7pm, Western Carolina

    April 12, 2016 6pm, Tennessee Wesleyan

    April 5, 2016 7pm, Northwest Missouri State Univ. (MO)

    Feb. 2, 2016 7:30pm, Univ. of Minnesota–Morris (MN)

    2015

    Dec. 7, 2015 7pm, Kansas State Univ

    Nov. 20, 2015 7pm, Fontbonne University (MO)

    Nov. 17, 2015 7pm, Aurora University (IL)

    Nov. 12, 2015 7pm, Iowa State U

    Nov. 11, 2015 11:30am, Salt Lake Community College (UT)

    Nov. 3, 2015 7pm, SUNY–Adirondack (NY)

    Nov. 2, 2015 9pm, SUNY–Oneonta (NY)

    Oct. 19, 2015 7pm, Berry College (GA)

    Oct. 15, 2015 7pm, Brandeis University (NY)

    Oct. 9, 2015 9am, Volunteer State (TN)

    April 23, 2015 Univ. of Missouri–Columbia (Mizzou)

    April 9, 2015 University of North Iowa

    April 2, 2015 Wesleyan University

    April 1, 2015 St. Louis College of Pharmacy

    March 27, 2015 Volunteer State CC (Gallatin, TN)

    2014

    Nov. 13, 2014 Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)

    Nov. 6, 2014 9am, Columbia State CC (TN)

    Nov. 5, 2014 Dyersburg State CC (Dyersburg, TN)

    Nov. 4, 2014 Dyersburg State CC (Covington, TN)

    Sept. 11, 2014 7pm, Providence College (RI)

    Sept. 10, 2014 7pm, Western Illinois University

    Sept. 8, 2014 Barton College (NC)

    April 28, 2014 7pm, Schlafly Bottleworks Operation Food Search Fundraiser Screening (Maplewood, MO)

    April 25, 2014 8:30pm, Camp Mihaska Salvation Army Midland Youth Conference

    April 23, 2014 11am, Moraine Valley CC (IL)

    April 15, 2014 St. Charles Community College (MO)

    March 26, 2014 7pm, Regis University (CO)

    March 6, 2014 9pm, Le Moyne College (NY)

    March 6, 2014 6:30pm, Studio Movie Grill City Centre (Houston, TX)

    March 5, 2014 7pm, SUNY Oswego (NY)

    Feb. 25, 2014 West Chester Univ. (PA)

    Feb. 24, 2014 7pm, Clarion Univ. (PA)

    Feb. 18, 2014 6:30pm, AMC Esquire 7 (St. Louis, MO)

    Feb. 7, 2014 11:30am, Pellissipi State CC (TN)

    Feb. 6, 2014 6pm, Roane St. Community College (TN)

    Jan. 25, 2014 2pm, Winona State University (MN)

    2013

    Nov. 25, 2013 1pm, Rivier University (NH)

    Nov. 23, 2013 8pm, St. Joseph’s College of Maine

    Nov. 21, 2013 6pm, Seton Hall, New Jersey

    Nov. 20, 2013 7pm, University of New Hampshire

    Nov. 19, 2013 8pm, Hofstra University (Long Island, NY)

    Nov. 18, 2013 9pm, Quinnipiac Univ. (CT)

    Sept. 23, 2013 Springfield College

    Aug. 23, 2013 The Word at Shaw

    July 16, 2013 Missouri History Museum (Avenues of Activism)

    April 30, 2013 6:30pm & 8pm (2 screenings), Rutgers University Newark (Newark, NJ)

    April 24, 2013 IL State University

    April 18, 2013 University of Wisconsin Madison (Madison, WI)

    April 11, 2013 8pm, Ramapo College of NJ (Mahwah NJ)

    April 9, 2013 7pm, Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)

    March 28, 2013 Lyndon, VT

    March 27, 2013 Shippensburg, PA

    March 26, 2013 Kutztown, PA

    March 25, 2013 Colby-Sawyer College (New London, NH)

    March 22, 2013 Dickinson, PA

    March 21, 2013 Philadelphia, PA

    March 20, 2013 St. Josephs University

    March 19, 2013 UMSL (St. Louis, MO)

    March 18, 2013 7pm, Maryville University (St. Louis, MO)

    March 11, 2013 Springfield, MA

    March 6, 2013 Univ. of Central Arkansas (Conway, AR)

    Feb. 28, 2013 Emmanuel College

    Feb. 26, 2013 Bridgewater MA

    Feb. 25, 2013 Suffolk University (Boston, MA)

    Feb. 21, 2013 Brookdale Community College (Lincroft, NJ)

    Feb. 20, 2013 Lesley University

    Feb. 20, 2013 Rutgers (Camden, NJ)

    Jan. 24, 2013 Shepherd U (Shepherdstown, WV)

    Jan. 23, 2013 Penn State/Abington (Abington, PA)

    Jan. 16, 2013 Northeastern State Univ. (Tahlequah, OK)

    2012

    Dec. 6, 2012 Fort Lewis College (Durango, CO)

    Dec. 3, 2012 River College (Nashua, New Hampshire)

    Nov. 28, 2012 SUNY Alfred State (Alfred, NY)

    Nov. 27, 2012 SUNY Geneseo (Geneseo,NY)

    Nov. 15, 2012 Applachian State University (Boone, NC)

    Nov. 15, 2012 St. Louis Community College Meramec (Kirkwood, MO)

    Nov. 13, 2012 University of Illinois Springfield

    Nov. 12, 2012 Lincoln Land Community College (Springfield, IL)

    Oct. 3, 2012 University of North Texas (Denton, TX)

    July 21, 2012 The Merge (Saint Peters, MO)

    June 26, 2012 Kirkwood Station Brewing CO (Kirkwood, MO)

    June 18, 2012 The Gathering (Indianapolis, IN)

    May 5, 2012 Awareness Film Fest (Los Angeles, CA)

    April 26, 2012 SEMO (Cape Girardeau, MO)

    April 13, 2012 University Of Evansville (Evansville, IN)

    April 5, 2012 Lafayette High School (Wildwood, MO)

    March 29, 2012 Midwest Institute (Private Event)

    March 28, 2012 SLU Film Studies Program (St. Louis, MO)

    March 15, 2012 Broadway Bean (St. Louis, MO)

    March 11, 2012 Les Film Fest (New York City, NY)

    March 10, 2012 Omaha Film Fest, 2pm (Omaha, NE)

    Feb. 29, 2012 University of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, OK)

    Feb. 24, 2012 Africa World Documentary Film Fest (St. Louis, MO)

    Feb. 23, 2012 Overflow Coffee Bar (Chicago, IL)

    Feb. 9, 2012 Webster University (Webster Groves, MO)

    Jan. 13, 2012 RedTree Church (St. Louis, MO)

    Jan. 10, 2012 Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (St. Louis, Missouri)

    2011

    Dec. 15, 2011 St. Louis Scholarship Foundation (St. Louis, MO)

    Nov. 18, 2011 Skepticon Athiest Conference (Springfield, MO)

    Nov. 17, 2011 Missouri State University (Springfield, MO)

    Nov 16, 2011 Vista Alternative High School (Webster Groves, MO)

    Nov 15, 2011 St. Dominic High School (O’Fallon, MO)

    Nov. 12, 2011 St. Louis International Film Fest (St. Louis, MO)

    Nov. 9, 2011 St. Louis Community College (St. Louis, MO)

    Nov. 4, 2011 Biola University, Los Angeles, California

    Oct. 24, 2011 William Woods University (Fulton, MO)

    Oct. 19, 2011 Greenville College (Greenville, IL)

    Oct. 15, 2011 Heartland Film Fest (Indianapolis, IN)

    Oct. 11, 2011 St. Louis Community College (Wildwood, MO)

    Oct. 8, 2011 All Souls Church (Atlanta, GA)

    Sept. 28, 2011 St. Louis Community College (St. Louis, MO)

    Sept. 27, 2011 Missouri Baptist University (St. Louis, MO)

    Sept. 26, 2011 U City High School (St. Louis, MO)

    Sept. 23, 2011 St. Paul’s Evangelical Free Church (St. Louis, MO)

    Sept. 21, 2011 St. Louis Community College (St. Louis, MO)

    Sept. 17, 2011 Washington University (St. Louis, MO)

    Aug. 14, 2011 St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (St. Louis, MO)

    June 23, 2011 Chesterfield Presbyterian Church (Chesterfield, MO)

Take Action

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Micro-Loan

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Child Soldiers

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NGO

Human Trafficking

Help end the purchase, sale, and exploitation of human beings

Team

  • Dan Parris

    Director/Producer/Co-Editor/Subject

    Dan Parris, owner of Speak Up Productions LLC, is the filmmaker/activist/goofball whose lingering questions after returning from Africa serve as the fuel for the film What Matters?, Dan has a B.A. in Film Production from Biola University and is currently pursuing the dream he has had for nearly a decade, to make feature films that will have ground-breaking impact in the world.

  • Rob Lehr

    Assistant Producer/Subject

    Rob Lehr is an offensive, yet delightful filmmaker and friend whose passions include hunting, poetry, and sharing his views no matter how you may feel about them. He has a degree in Business from Missouri State University, and currently resides in Springfield, MO. Rob’s ability to be open and raw as the skeptic of the journey provides much of the drama and comedic relief of the film.

  • David Peterka

    Assistant Producer/Subject

    David Peterka is an experienced activist and traveler with unbreakable optimism. He has his degree in Intercultural and Urban Missions and is developing his own non-profit, “When the Saints”, whose goal is defending, rescuing and maintaining the rights of the weak, poor and oppressed, focusing on victims of sexual exploitation and trafficking in Malawi.

  • Tim Peterka

    Cameraman

    Tim Peterka can’t remember how many times he almost died. Our cameraman and a career student who has traveled extensively and worked a variety of photography jobs including one as professional aerial photographer. Like Rob, he grew up in the church, but fell away in high school and is now an agnostic atheist. His travel knowledge will be put to the test in Africa. Oh, and he also boils a great pot of rice.

  • Tony Mungai

    Translator/Guide/Health Worker

    Tony Mungai unknowingly played a key part in the What Matters? story from the very beginning, serving as a guide during Dan’s first visit to the Kibera slum. Their conversations heavily impacted Dan’s perception of extreme poverty, and in turn, helped mold his life’s dream to irradicate it. With a diploma in Community Health and Management of HIV/AIDS, he recently embarked on his dream by starting the MTAANI VCT Center. The center offers desparately needed HIV/AIDS testing and counseling services in the Kibera area and provides referrals for medication, health care treatment, and specialized counseling for clients living with HIV/AIDS.

  • Ian Perry

    Music

    Ian is a freelance composer in the L.A. area, writing for both film and the concert stage. He graduated from Biola University with his bachelor’s in composition, and having worked extensively with the film students there, continues to make scores for short films and various projects. Ian likes electronic music, John Cage, good avocados, and large amounts of sleep. He also thinks it’s a great idea for everyone to try writing something at some point, because music, no matter who it’s made by, is full of joy and fun.

Full Credits

Press

We are Movie Geeks (2/13/2014) – WHAT MATTERS? Documentary on Poverty Screens in St. Louis February 18th

Fox2 (2/10/2014) – Filmmakers try to live on $1.25 a day in “What Matters”

KSDK Channel 5 (8/14/2011) – St. Louis plane crash survivors debut film at home

St. Louis Beacon (8/22/2011) – Filmmakers hope to illuminate and engage

KSDK Ch. 5 – “Sometimes even the best scripts need a re-write”

St. Louis Post Dispatch – Movie on area men’s plight in Africa set for debut

St. Louis Post Dispatch – St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase will premier 7 homegrown films