By 
February 1st, 2018
Credit: NASA
A new kickstarter campaign is underway to create a feature documentary film about Apollo 8 and the three astronauts that crewed that amazing NASA mission into space.
Director Paul Hildebrandt explains that nearly 50 years ago three astronauts launched from the Earth and headed towards the Moon for the first time. The saga was undertaken by Frank Borman, Bill Anders, and James Lovell, the first people to ever leave the Earth, “and we have their story,” he notes.
True pathfinders
In December of 1968, amongst social strife, campus unrest, and a difficult war in Vietnam, these brave men ventured into unknown territory. They were the true pathfinders of the Apollo program.
“They brought back with them a photograph known as ‘Earthrise’ photographed by astronaut Bill Anders. This photo became one of the most printed and viewed photos in history,” Hildebrandt adds, an image that changed how we viewed our planet.
This documentary is told through their own interviews and rare archival photos and film.
Credit: NASA
Earthrise
If funded, “First to the Moon” will feature exciting photorealistic animations of the Apollo 8 flight, recreating famous moments from the mission, such as the Earthrise photo, and the reading of Genesis.
“The stories of these three men have never been fully realized on screen, and the journey of Apollo 8 has never been illustrated in the way that we intend to bring it to life,” Hildebrandt points out. “We are scanning in many rarely seen film reels from the National Archives and other sources which show how Apollo 8 really happened. These film reels will be painstakingly cleaned and restored in high definition.”
Director Paul Hildebrandt researching film at the National Archives.
Credit: Paul Hildebrandt
Filming is complete, and funds raised will be used for post-production and other tasks to have it released by December 2018, in time for the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 8 Mission.
More information
If you would like to contribute to this notable project, go to:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/420606009/first-to-the-moon-the-journey-of-apollo-8
Also, check out this trailer at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti7xbebAzkg
Posted in Space News
