Harold's Kidney | 1.800.GIVE.US.YOUR.KIDNEY Documentary Film

An inspiring story about one life touching another

“It wasn’t a choice... It was an opportunity.”

Watch The Film

Become A Donor

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An inspiring story about one life touching another

“It wasn’t a choice... It was an opportunity.”

Watch The Film

Become A Donor

View The Film

This inspiring story captures the heart of giving – at a whole new level. An intimate portrait of two strangers – as different from each other as they can be. Watch the differences begin to blur as we hear personal and candid details about one of the country’s first non-designated kidney donations and why one decided to risk surgery to help a complete stranger.

Become A Donor

ABOUT The Film

In this touching short documentary, Harold Mintz recounts his decision to donate one of his kidneys to a complete stranger. In the late nineties, after a series of seemingly unrelated events, Harold inquired about donating one of his kidneys to “whoever needed it the most”, but at the time there were no protocols in place to allow for his unusual request. He was told it would not be possible. Two years and one psychiatric evaluation later, Harold became one of the country’s first anonymous living kidney donors.

The recipient, Ethiopian woman Gennet Belay, shares moving memories of the hardships she faced before the donation, offering us a glimpse into the reality of living on the waiting list. While Harold did not know her name, age or even gender as he went into the operating room, he and Gennet now share not only organs, but also close friendship.

This story of love and generosity encourages us all to lend a hand – or kidney – to others, no matter how different from us they may be.

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ABOUT Harold Mintz

Harold Mintz

In December of 2000, Harold became one of the country’s first “non-designated” living organ donors – offering his kidney to a total stranger – through a pilot program (The Living Donor Registry) of the Washington Regional Transplant Community. We are happy to report that today, both donor and recipient are alive and thriving. A “happily ever after” if there ever was one.

Following his donation experience, Harold became an active advocate for organ and blood donation, speaking to schools and groups around the country. It is Harold’s goal to increase the number of people considering organ donation and in turn, to decrease the number of people currently on the waiting list that suffer from a multitude of life threatening diseases.

After an extremely successful career in Sales, Design, Marketing and Special Events, Harold is now looking to bridge his expertise garnered from the business world and blend it with his passion for the organ donation community.

ABOUT Gennet Belay

Gennet Belay

Gennet Belay was born in Ethiopia and raised in Addis Ababa. Gennet received her diploma from Addis Ababa University College. After she graduated, Gennet worked in Ethiopia for eight years in three different organizations as a Secretary and an Administrative Assistant.

Gennet married Tsegaye Wolde in September 1981 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Gennet was diagnosed with a kidney infection which was exacerbated by her first pregnancy. Her kidney problems got worse and both kidneys failed in 1988, ten months after she came to the United States. Gennet had to immediately start dialysis and went on the waiting list for a new kidney. With her health failing, on December 12^th, 2000, Gennet received a kidney from an unknown live donor. Since then the kidney has been working very well and Gennet's medical problems associated with the kidney infection were completely eradicated.

SCREENING SCHEDULE

PAST SCREENINGS

ArcLight Cinemas, Santa Monica, CA (7:00pm, April 26)

San Juan Independent Film Festival, Montrose, CO (April 14-15)

Olandar Screening, Malibu, CA (April 9)

Mountainfilm on Tour, Henrico, VA (March 24)

Nevada Women's Film Festival, Las Vegas, NV (March 24-26)

Mountainfilm, Telluride, CO - WORLD PREMIERE (May 27-29)

Conscious Good Humanitarian Film Festival, Boulder, CO (Aug 15-24)

Mountainfilm on Tour, Aspen, CO (Friday, Aug 26)

Mountainfilm on Tour, Throckmorton Theatre, Mill Valley, CA (Sept 17)

Mountainfilm on Tour, Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, NY (Sept 17)

Port Townsend Film Festival, PT, WA (Sept 23 @ The Rose Theater's Starlight Room and Sept 24 @ The Key City Public Theater)

Crested Butte Film Festival, Crested Butte, CO (Sept 30 and Oct 1 @ the Center for the Arts)

Awareness Festival, Los Angeles, CA (October 8 @ LA Live Regal Cinemas)

Washington West Film Festival, Reston, VA (Oct 21, 22 and 23 @ Bowtie Cinemas Reston Town Center)

Twin Cities Film Festival, St Louis Park, MN (Oct 26)

Napa Valley Film Festival, Napa Valley, CA (Nov 9-13)

Waimea Ocean Film Festival, Waimea, HI (Jan 2-5)

Mountainfilm on Tour, Savannah, GA (Jan 19-21)

Frozen River Film Festival, Winona, MN (Feb 15-19)

San Luis Obispo International Film Festival, SLO, CA (March 14-19)

2017 DOCUTAH International Documentary Film Festival, St. George, Utah (September 4-9)

Please check back often as we are adding new festivals and screenings all the time!

CREW

SAMANTHA SMITH, Director/Producer

Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Samantha’s passion for meaningful media brought her to Los Angeles where she studied film and television production at Pepperdine University. Samantha has continued to develop her craft working with Academy Award nominated director Lucy Walker on many exciting documentary projects since 2013.

1.800.Give.Us.Your.Kidney, which she directed, produced and edited about the magnificently mustached Harold Mintz, is an uplifting reminder that we are all the same on the inside.

NEIL BARRETT/Cinematographer

JOE RAMOS/Cinematographer

DIMITRI SMITH/Composer

Dimitri Smith is a composer based in Los Angeles who specializes in emotionally driven music for film, television, and virtual reality. His original music has been heard in Mary Kay advertising, and in the MTV shows "Awkward," "Finding Carter," "The Real World" and "Are You the One?”. Dimitri was also the choral arranger for the 2016 major motion picture “Keanu”, starring Key and Peele, and has contributed music to NBC’s "America’s Got Talent," NBC’s "Little Big Shots," and to Iggy Azalea’s upcoming album, "Digital Distortion". He also composes for the trailer music giant RedCola Music, where his music is currently in consideration for upcoming trailers with Sony Pictures. Some of the films Dimitri has scored include the acclaimed documentary “1-800-Give-Us-Your-Kidney," “Birthday Bluff," one of the first narrative virtual reality films, and the comedic web series “Quirky Female Protagonist," which was featured in the 2016 Los Angeles Film Festival. Born and raised in Washington state, Dimitri moved to Los Angeles in 2009 to study composition at Pepperdine University and now resides in Venice, CA.

For examples of his music, please visit soundcloud.com/dimitrismith.

GUS BENDINELLI/Color

TAHNEE GEHM, Digital Effects

ANGELA KWAN, Sound Design

KIM DENNEY, Associate Producer

Schedule A Speaking Engagement Or Screening

Bring The Story To Life

If you would like to experience the power of this story in person, contact Harold to schedule a speaking engagement and/or screening. With so many heartfelt lessons learned through this experience, Harold has tons of impactful stories to share with your audience. Click the button below to contact Harold today!

Contact Harold

Contact Us

Contact Us Today

Phone: 703.629.4440

Email: HaroldHarold13@yahoo.com

Snail Mail: Harold’s Kidney Film, 29500 Heathercliff Road, Space #254, Malibu, CA 90265