Dan Parris, a Biola film graduate has big dreams. He wants to make a documentary about a trip to Africa, where he plans to live on a dollar a day. His project, “Give a Damn?” is ambitious, but Parris is passionately pursuing opportunities to make his dream a reality. One of the best places to find funding and support for independent projects like “Give a Damn?” is the Sundance Film Festival. Parris made his way to Park City, Utah this interterm to see films and make industry connections, bringing with him a lofty goal: raise $10,000 and solidify support for his documentary.

Parris’ ambitious trip to Africa originally found its origins in his trip to Sundance two years ago. Having just transferred to Biola, yet to attend a class in La Mirada, Parris was invited to Sundance with hopes he would develop relationships with film students and plug into the program. Through the Windrider Forum, and films like “The Devil Came on Horseback” Parris began to realize his passion for Africa. The Forum held discussions about the realities of African Poverty, as modeled by the documentary, and the reality began shape Parris’ worldview. He came to Biola with a dream and has spent the following years pursuing it.

He returned to Sundance this year as a graduate, and instead of merely seeing films, came to connect with other filmmakers and get the word out about his project.

“It’s cool feeling like you are their equal,” said Parris in regards to his Sundance conversations with professional documentarians.

“You never get that kind of access. You can sit down right next them and really all it takes is believing you are filmmaker, that God has given you a gift. You learn to see them as people, and see yourself as important, whether or not the world sees you as important.”

Leading up to this year’s Sundance trip, Parris’ documentary has seen immense growth since his graduation form Biola. He hasn’t yet made it to Africa, but the project has really taken off.

“Over the last six months, we’ve done eight speaking engagements, raised $15,000 from four different fundraisers and online donations, bought most of our HD equipment and interviewed world-renowned activists,” Parris said.

It has been an uphill battle for the project trying to recruit crew and raise money, but Parris has grown immensely through the difficulties.

“I have really high expectations, I’m an idealist, an optimist and I had huge dreams going into this project,” Parris said. “We didn’t reach those dreams, but through the process, with aiming so high, once I stopped and rested, I realized how much we’d done. When I sit back and look at it, I am amazed by what we’ve done.”

In his Sundance trip, Parris experienced many exciting opportunities for “Give a Damn?” by connecting with a few wealthy producers and pitching his story. His film was even mentioned in a Q-and-A following a documentary screening. Parris also pitched his project to representatives from Creative Capitol, a large investment group that represents and distributes documentaries worldwide. They were very interested in his project, but were unwilling to donate money.

With “Give A Damn?” Parris hopes to travel to different parts of Africa and experience extreme poverty first hand. He plans to document himself living on just a dollar a day for as long as he can. He then plans to return to the states with his film, and use it as a way get people interested in helping organizations to strife to end the travesty. But all this can only happen if he raises the money he needs.

“People say it’s not much, but then they don’t even give you a dollar,” said Parris, expressing the difficulties in finding funding for his film.

Parris sees the $15,000 sum he has raised since graduating as a huge success, but realistically knows he needs $10,000 more before he heads to Africa.

When all was said and done at Sundance, Parris walked away with a few business cards, a couple Web site URLs, but no money. But the trip was not in vain, and Parris is sure to return again.

“It’s an invaluable experience. After two years, I have not had any money, but I feel like I understand the system better, and I’m planting myself more and more in that world for the time when I am ready,” he said.