Snoopy spotted yesterday holidaying by the Bay
 

'Tis the night before Christmas' and just about everyone I know is hunkered down in a retreat of one kind or other.

Me? I'm in my own little retreat reflecting on what an incredible year 2012 has been and how blessed my life is. It's been a year full of extraordinary opportunity and hard work, of sad goodbyes to beloved friends, warm hellos and welcomes to new colleagues and returning co-workers all helping shape the bright new future of Frame of Mind Films.

First, we say goodbye to one of my oldest and dearest friends Rev. Dr. Winston Ching.

 

 

Many will remember Winston as an advisor to Frame of Mind Films as well as a beloved spiritual brother to me. Winston passed away in a tragic accident in the summer leaving us all in shock. He leaves an important legacy in the global interfaith community. His generosity, kindness, and wisdom blessed all who knew him.

 

My profound gratitude goes to two longtime partners: financial advisor and accountant Jim Jourdonnais and financial consultant Padma Holland. I greatly appreciate everything they did for me and Frame of Mind Films and wish them good fortune in all their future endeavors.

 

Warm hellos go to Aram Fischer and Holly Hine as we welcome them back into the Frame of Mind Films fold. Aram, fresh from a successful stint in New York, came back to help me "clear the decks" and lay the foundation for the work ahead. Holly continues to telecommute and has done a stellar job on our media management and social media front until we can bring her back from Indiana to work with us full time. Thanks to Holly and Larry Molina (Cintrex AV), we now have almost 20 years of priceless footage catalogued and safely archived on LTO tape. A new board of directors and council of advisors is in the making and I will be introducing all these wonderful colleagues once all is finalized in the New Year.

 

Some of you may recall around this time last year I announced a monumental new project in collaboration with His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Details are still under wraps and I will keep you posted as things develop. That being said, 2012 has been full to capacity with research and development.

 

February saw Peter McCandless (my cinematographer) and I back in Dharamsala, India to record an extensive series of research interviews with His Holiness.

 

 

During our time there we also interviewed Tenzin Geyche Tethong, His Holiness' former private secretary, and Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile.

 

In July and August, His Holiness travelled to Jammu, Kashmir and then on to Leh, Ladakh and Zanskar. I followed on to research life in a place so closely connected to Tibet. Easy to see why His Holiness is so at home there.

 

 

In October, it was off to Syracuse, New York to attend and observe His Holiness at the Common Ground for Peace seminars and watch as he became a 'rock star' at the One World Concert For Peace.

 

 

In between all the travel, there's been plenty to do including completing the Tibetan Language versions of 'A Quiet Revolution' and 'The Great Mother,' and setting up a new administrative office for this massive project. More details on this in the New Year...

 

All in all 2012 has been a very good year setting the stage for a fantastic 2013. I leave for South India and a Mind and Life summit before meeting Peter in Delhi in mid-January. We will travel up to Dharamsala for more research interviews with Ngari Rinpoche, and if his schedule permits, more time with His Holiness.

 

Special thanks go to Sheryl Leach, Sunny Shine, Kevin England, Lynn Hays and so many others who have helped make all this possible. You have helped to make all the difference. Thank you for supporting Frame of Mind Films in so many different ways. I hope you will continue on this extraordinary journey with us.

 

With love and appreciation,