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Logline

In the heart of Atlanta, best-selling author, stroke survivor, and wheelchair user Katherine Wolf transforms a 1990s Italian restaurant into Mend, a new coffee & retail concept intentionally built to offer people with disabilities meaningful community and dignified employment.

Synopsis

Persons with disabilities are the largest minority group in the world, representing 20% of the population, and they experience poverty, loneliness and isolation at higher rates than those without disability. Yet, our spaces are often built with accessibility and an inclusion as an afterthought

But Katherine, a wheelchair user who miraculously survived a stroke at age 26, and her husband Jay imagine a world where accessibility and inclusion are at the forefront of design and inter-ability communities thrive, starting with Mend – a coffee and retail concept in the heart of Atlanta, .

To bring their vision to life, Katherine and Jay lease a retail space that formerly housed a 1990s Tuscan Italian Restaurant. It will require a major overhaul, capital campaign and imagination to transform the space into the fully accessible, design-forward coffee concept they imagine. They assemble a diverse team of architects, contractors, universal design accessibility experts, interior designers, and coffeeshop consultants – many of whom live with disabilities of their own or care for family members with disabilities.

As Katherine and Jay navigate the challenges of construction and prepare for the grand opening of Mend, Katherine travels throughout the country on her speaking tour. Although a stroke upended the world Katherine once knew, her story of hope and healing sends her across the country meeting compelling individuals who challenge assumptions about disability.

Finally, the transformation is complete and the doors open to welcome people of all abilities to Mend, Katherine and Jay’s truly visionary, design-forward, beautifully accessible community gathering space and a model for entrepreneurs the world over.

With Katherine’s irresistible charm and humor, discover how inaccessible the world truly is, and journey with her as she reimagines an innovative, design-forward space that welcomes everyone to the table.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Jaye and Adam Fenderson – Directors/Producers
An award-winning husband/wife filmmaking team and the founders of Three Frame Media, the Fendersons are passionate about harnessing the power of film and television to advocate for issues of social justice and mobilize audiences to affect change. Together their credits span feature-length documentaries, commercial & branded content, and acclaimed shows for ABC, NBC, FX, Lifetime, and MTV.

Jaye launched her television career with the ABC primetime docudrama, The Scholar which she co-created and produced along with Executive Producer Steve Martin. Filmed on the University of Southern California campus, contestants in the series received over $500k in college scholarships through the generous support of the Eli Broad Foundation and Wal-Mart.

The Fendersons directorial debut First Generation was made possible in part by Lumina Foundation. The documentary feature was an official selection at festivals across North America and had its world premiere at Heartland Film Festival where it was nominated for a Crystal Heart Award. It won “Best Documentary” and “Best Soundtrack” at Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema, and a “Special Jury Award for Social Impact” at Napa Valley Film Festival. With over 1000 grassroots screenings and press coverage in The New York Times, CNN, USA Today, and Politico, First Generation and the Wells Fargo sponsored “Go College!” impact campaign sparked a national conversation about college access and success.

Their follow-up feature Unlikely investigates America’s college dropout crisis and features LeBron James, Howard Schultz, and our nation’s leading voices in education. Funded in part by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Lumina Foundation, ECMC, and Strada the film reframed the conversation around student success and how institutions advance social mobility.

The Fendersons are currently in post-production on their forthcoming 6-part docuseries The Class from Executive Producer Daveed Diggs with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation and John M. Belk Endowment.

Katherine & Jay Wolf – Executive Producers
Originally from the South, Katherine met her husband Jay in college, married, and moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career. Their son James was born in 2007 and just six months later, Katherine miraculously survived a catastrophic stroke caused by a congenital brain defect she never knew she had. After a sixteen-hour brain surgery, forty days in the ICU, a year in neuro rehab, and eleven operations, she continues her recovery to this day.

As advocates, Katherine and Jay now disrupt the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life and bring hope to millions of people and families affected by disability through their speaking events, best-selling books, social media presence, and Hope Heals Camp. Katherine’s memoir Hope Heals has been adapted for the screen, and she signed a new 3-book deal with Harper Collins, the first of which will be released in Spring 2024.

John Gardiner – Director of Photography
With over a decade of experience in theater, film and television, John started his career in Hawaii as a writer/performer for a local television show on Oceanic Cable 16. John earned his BA in Film and Minor in Theatrical Arts at Emerson College in Boston. Moving to Los Angeles John worked with the non-profit organization Film Independent for several years, aiding in the production of the Los Angeles Film Festival and Independent Spirit Awards. As a full time freelancer John has shot music videos, narrative films, commercials, and documentaries and his work has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, ESPN, NFL and Dreamworks.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.