The 96 minute documentary, previously awarded Best Doc at San Luis Obispo, tells the story of
one man’s mission to provide free healthcare to millions of Americans with nowhere else to turn.
Film Trailer: https://vimeo.com/448707955
Tomorrow marks the beginning of the 22nd annual Newport Beach Film Festival, scheduled to run
October 21 – 28 as a live in-person event for the first time since May 2019. The popular festival sees
the return to California of award-winning documentary feature, “Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story”,
having previously won the Best Doc prize at San Luis Obispo International Film Festival earlier in the
year. The film, which follows the life and mission of free healthcare pioneer Stan Brock, is also
simultaneously screening at Stanford’s United Nations Association Film Festival.
British-born Brock, best known for his role as the star of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom” in the late
1960s, was also the founder of Remote Area Medical- RAM® — a major nonprofit organization that
operates free pop-up clinics delivering quality dental, vision, and medical care to underserved
communities and under/uninsured individuals across the United States.
RAM has provided free clinics serving thousands of people in need across California over the years,
including recent clinics in Glendale and San Bernardino, and the documentary itself unfolds in the midst
of a flagship 3-day clinic held at Sacramento’s Cal Expo in 2012.
The idea for RAM originally came about in the 1950s when Brock was employed as a cowboy on the
world’s largest cattle ranch, living in a remote Amazonian savanna amongst the native Wapishana
people. After sustaining a life-threatening injury, Brock realized that he found himself stranded 26 days
on foot from the nearest doctor. He made a promise in that moment that if he survived, he would make
it his mission to deliver basic medical aid to people in the world’s most inaccessible regions.
However, fate intervened when Brock was discovered by American TV producers in the mid-1960s, and
he ended up starring alongside Marlin Perkins in “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom”. Brock became
one of the most recognizable faces on television, with 32 million weekly viewers tuning into “Wild
Kingdom” at the height of its popularity, before going on to collaborate with Ivan Tors on several naturethemed action films and TV series throughout the 1970s and 80s.
In 1985, following a crisis of conscience, Brock made the decision to eschew fame and wealth and finally
make good on his long-standing promise to the Wapishana people. He founded RAM with the aim of
flying medical aid to remote communities around the world, and went on to carry out several successful
volunteer-led medical relief missions across Latin America.
In 1992, Brock came to realize that the need in some of the rural communities surrounding the
organization’s HQ in Knoxville, TN was just as great as it was in the most remote regions of the Amazon,
with thousands of people having no access to healthcare. RAM subsequently held its first ‘expedition’
in the United States and has not stopped ever since, seeing demand increase nationwide over the years,
and not just in rural areas.
Today, Remote Area Medical finds itself being the healthcare provider of last resort for millions of
Americans across the country with nowhere else to turn for help. The major non-profit has operated
more than 1,000 free pop-up clinics to date, providing more than 863,000 individuals with over $174
million worth of free dental, vision and medical services, delivered by some 172,000 volunteers.
The award-winning documentary feature, directed by British filmmaker Paul Michael Angell, has already
shocked, angered, and inspired audiences from coast to coast at notable film festivals including DOC
NYC, Cinequest, and Heartland. The film recounts Brock’s extraordinary life story, tracing his journey
from anaconda-wrestling TV star to free healthcare provider of last resort for countless Americans, and
offers a unique perspective on the US healthcare crisis as seen from the front lines.
Angell, who spent nearly a decade helming the production, stated, “Our only hope is that this film will
show people what is really at stake when talking about healthcare provision. People need to realize that
there are Americans out there who have no choice but to camp out in parking lots overnight to get their
teeth pulled in sports halls and fairgrounds. This happens every weekend, all across the United States.
Healthcare is fundamentally a human issue and should not be treated as a political football. That was
always central to Stan Brock’s beliefs, and I hope that is people’s key takeaway after seeing this film.”
The film’s producer, Vladimir V Daniel, added, “I think a lot of people in the US do not realize just how
desperate things are for many of their fellow citizens right now. The need has been increasing for quite
some time, and the pandemic has only exacerbated the situation. Millions of people are being
overlooked.”
“Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story” will be screening at Newport Beach Film Festival on October
25. To purchase tickets, head to nbff2021.eventive.org/films/614a9fb26265de0023ad0ad5.
To request an interview, a press screener, or any further information, please contact the Producer,
Vladimir V Daniel, at [email protected]. You can also access a full EPK via this link.
About Medicine Man: The Stan Brock Story: A documentary feature about the incredible life of British-born
Amazonian cowboy turned US TV star, Stan Brock, who sacrificed everything for his unwavering mission to unite
a nation and resolve the US healthcare crisis. Over 8 years in the making, this feature debut by Paul Michael
Angell is at once a heart-warming tribute to the unifying power of volunteerism, and an exploration of a perennial
outsider’s search for meaning through giving of himself. The film has screened coast to coast at notable festivals
including DOC NYC, Cinequest, and Heartland, garnering awards at Sedona, Chagrin, San Luis Obispo, and
Footcandle Film Festival. To view a trailer and learn more visit medicinemanstanbrock.com.
About Newport Beach Film Festival: Founded in 1999, Newport Beach Film Festival has emerged as the largest
international cinema event in Southern California, attracting over 56,000 attendees to Orange County every year.
Committed to enlightening the public with a first-class international film program as well as providing a forum for
cultural understanding and enriching educational opportunities, the Festival focuses on showcasing a diverse
collection of both studio and independent films. The 22nd annual Newport Beach Film Festival will take place
October 21 – 28, 2021 and is set to feature over 300 films from more than 50 countries around the world. To learn
more and purchase tickets visit newportbeachfilmfest.com.
About Remote Area Medical – RAM® : RAM is a major nonprofit organization that operates pop-up clinics
delivering free, quality dental, vision, and medical services to underserved and uninsured individuals. Since RAM
was founded in 1985, more than 172,000 volunteers – comprised of licensed dental, vision, and medical
professionals, as well as general support staff – have treated more than 863,000 individuals, delivering over $174
million worth of free healthcare services. Since 2019, RAM has held clinics in Tennessee, Louisiana, Idaho,
California, Colorado, Florida, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma,
South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Guyana, Haiti, and the Bahamas. To learn more visit ramusa.org