On April 7, 2005, the Canadian premiere of the movie "Black Cloud" will be held to raise money for Ghost River Rediscovery, a non-profit organization that offers outdoor and cultural education programs for young people based on Aboriginal traditions and values.

Join honorary hosts Colleen Klein and Mel Benson, along with "Black Cloud" actors Rick Schroder (lead and producer/director), Russell Means (lead) and Nathaniel Arcand (lead) to help Ghost River Rediscovery raise money to buy wilderness space for a new home.

Goal: to raise money Ghost River Rediscovery’s land acquisition/new facility development.

Date and Location: Thursday, April 7, 2005, Eau Claire Market Cineplex Odeon Theatre (former IMAX Theatre)

Tickets: 300 seats in theatre, Early Bird before March 18: $95, March 19 – April 7: $125 - To purchase tickets: 270-9351 (and ask for Sheila), or download the purchase form.

Ghost River Background: Ghost River Rediscovery is a charitable foundation that supports youth of all ages to find their place in the circle of life drawing on the wisdom of indigenous traditions. The organization is in desperate need of a new home, one that allows the organization to serve the growing number of individuals exploring their true nature and potential, deepening their connection and reverence toward the natural world and promoting cultural understanding and mutual respect amongst cultures.

Reason for Fundraiser: Ghost River Rediscovery has operated as a guest on land where pipelines, flaring and SUV's now threaten their existence. After 10 years of work locally and internationally, Ghost River is launching a fund raising campaign to purchase land – a permanent home that allows the organization and its volunteers to better control its destiny. The land and new facilities will cost approximately $5 million to develop, a level of fundraising that demands wide support.

Opportunity: The launch of the award winning film "Black Cloud" is an appropriate and interesting opportunity to gather supporters of Ghost River Rediscovery and the work they do. Friends of Ghost River can meet to watch the film, reflect upon the valuable work the organization contributes to our community and celebrate the exciting future the organization has by contributing to the successful completion of the Ghost River Rediscovery Centre. "Black Cloud" is a valuable film in its own right. By working with Ghost River Rediscovery, the film goes beyond the affect it has on the audiences to actually become a catalyst for changing the disturbing experiences people of many cultures experience in our communities today.

"Black Cloud" Overview:

Synopsis: Directed by former "NYPD Blue" star Rick Schroder and starring country musician Tim McGraw in his acting debut. "Black Cloud" is a story of an Aboriginal youth who is struggling to succeed in a world where his heritage simultaneously provides both his inner strength and biggest challenge. Living on a reservation in Arizona , this young Navajo has already experienced enough prejudice and hatred to last a lifetime. His ambiguous ancestry and uncertain future keep him adrift and aloof from the world until he finds his mentor and spiritual guide in Bud, a boxing coach who helps him sort through the jumbled chaos of his life. His road to self-destruction is interrupted as he deepens his connection and reverence toward the natural world. "Black Cloud" fights his way into a spot on the US Olympic boxing team during this arduous journey.

A revealing look at the frustrations and joys of a young aboriginal man finding his way in the world, "Black Cloud" in an inspiring tale of talent and triumph that has already been embraced by festival audiences across North America.

Russell Means, an Oglala Lakota, served as the first national director of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and became one of the organization's best-known spokespeople. Means was one of the Indian activists who in 1969 occupied San Francisco's Alcatraz Island in a landmark AIM-led protest that lasted 19 months; in 1973 he helped lead the AIM takeover of Wounded Knee. Both events brought worldwide attention to the injustices and privation faced by American Indians past and present. As an actor, Means has appeared in such films as The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Natural Born Killers (1994) and provided the voice of Powhatan in Pocahontas (1995) and Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998). In 2004, Means ran for president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, but was defeated by Cecelia Fire Thunder, the first woman to be elected to that office.

Nathaniel Arcand - actor
Born: November 13, 1971
Birthplace: Edmonton, Alberta

Nathaniel Arcand is Plains Cree (Nehiyaw), from the Alexander First Nation Reserve. He was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Nathaniel was bitten by the acting bug at age five when he first saw a Bruce Lee movie at the drive-in. He was discovered by a talent agent who saw something in Nathaniel and decided he would take a chance with him. Only two weeks later, Nathaniel landed his first gig, also his first speaking role. His first small break in film was the role of Tree-Climber in a movie called Savage Land starring Corbin Bernson, Graham Greene and many other notables. It wasn't until he landed a role in the television series North of 60, playing William MacNeil, that his career really took off. From that point on, Nathaniel's resume has built into something to envy, working with the likes of Lord Richard Attenborough, Kathy Bates, Pierce Brosnan and many rising stars.

Most recently, Nathaniel had a lead role in a television pilot for The Lone Ranger as Tonto. This makes Nathaniel the youngest Tonto in history. He brings a new flare to this character by using his fighting arsenal, martial arts. In the pilot, this Tonto does not use a gun like Tontos of the past. In its place are a knife, a tomahawk and two flying feet!
When Nathaniel is not training in martial arts, he is being dad. He has three children: one daughter, Trisha, and two sons, Jaden and Griffin. He is very proud of all of them. Nathaniel's youngest son, Griffin, is following in his father's footsteps. He landed a speaking role in an upcoming mini-series called Dreamkeepers as the character Thunderboy.

In the movie Black Cloud, Nathaniel plays Jimmy, the protagonist’s best friend. Based on his performance in Black Cloud, Nathaniel is well on his way to high-profile stardom.

In 1979 Rick Schroder began his career in the film industry fulfilling the role of TJ in the movie "The Champs". It has been described as the most poignant love-triangle of all - a father, his son (Rick Schroder), and the woman who came between them, starring Jon Voight and Faye Dunaway. After various other films, he landed the role which made him famous at the age of 12 on the TV sitcom "Silver Spoons". This series ran from 1982 to 1985.

In 1993 he played Newt Dobbs in "Return to Lonesome Dove" where he re-joined Jon Voight as his on-screen son once again along with a star studded cast. Also that year he began his role as Det. Danny Sorenson in the TV drama series "NYPD Blues".

In 2002 he played the role of Brad in "Poolhall Junkies" as a new hot-shot player who is up against Joe, a shady hustler. Joe is bent on revenge for the beating he took when the main character rescinds his position as ace of the "game world", and soon he has a new protégé, Brad (Rick Schroder) who is just as good if not better then Johnny. The drama is exciting and riveting!

Various other films were completed by Rick, which brought him to his screen writing and directorial debut of "Black Cloud". Funded by tribes in California, Minnesota and Oklahoma, "Black Cloud" has won several awards, including the Best Picture Audience Award at the 2004 Phoenix Film Festival.

FILM REVIEW (click here to the view trailer)

BLACK CLOUD  

***1/2

Starring Eddie Spears, Russell Means, Rick Schroder, Julia Jones, Tim McGraw, Peter Greene and Wayne Knight. Directed and written by Rick Schroder. Produced by Karen Beninati, David D. Moore, Andrea Schroder and Rick Schroder. An Old Post release. Drama. Rated PG-13 language, violence and sexual innuendo. Running time: 97 min.

Age-old clichés and time-honored sentimentality fall mercifully to the wayside in actor Rick Schroder's exceptionally impressive writing and directing debut, "Black Cloud," the story of a young Native American and his determined quest to find peace and redemption through boxing.

Up-and-comer Eddie Spears stars as Black Cloud, a Navajo youth struggling to cope with the mixed-up feelings of reservation life. When his emotions are channeled into the boxing ring, he's unbeatable. When his frustrations are released elsewhere, he invariably gets himself into trouble. For Black Cloud's mentor and father figure, Bud (Russell Means), the greatest challenge isn't so much teaching the boy how to fight others, but to stop fighting himself. Indeed, Black Cloud often doesn't seem to appreciate the best things in his life, particularly the devotion of long-suffering girlfriend Sammi (Julia Jones), a single mother whose previous relationship with a hell-raising rodeo cowboy
(Schroder) proves to be a much greater stumbling block for Black Cloud than for her. It's only after an Olympic scout (Peter Greene) offers him a chance at making the U.S. Olympic team that he's forced to finally take stock of his life and confront his demons.

It's always something of a risk when a story is framed around the sport of boxing--comparisons to both "Rocky" and "Raging Bull" become inevitable, and rarely turn out favorably for the contenders. But Schroder's film more than holds its own, its dazzling, gut-wrenching fight sequences marvelously contrasted with earnest, sensitively-acted drama. This is clearly something of a passion project for Schroder--a personal, heartfelt hymn to the human spirit and its infinite capacity to triumph against seemingly insurmountable odds. Even jaded sports film snobs are likely to find this effort both richly rewarding and profoundly inspirational.

Not to be overlooked here are Schroder's talents as a writer, particularly with respect to the depiction of reservation life and such aspects of Native American culture as Shamanism. But Schroder is careful to neither fetishize nor sensationalize the practice (as many often do), integrating it organically into the broader narrative so that it reinforces, rather than distracts from, the central thematic concerns.

Given Schroder's career trajectory from child star to adult star to filmmaker, it's a foregone conclusion that some will attempt to draw parallels to the career of Ron Howard, although the sheer mediocrity of Howard's 1977 directing debut, "Grand Theft Auto," gives Schroder the clear edge in any such analogy. Not only is "Black Cloud" anything but mediocre, it's an exciting harbinger of even greater things to come.

-Wade Major