Respected Tallahassee business leader and philanthropist Rick Kearney, whose charitable works have helped provide meaningful solutions to the region’s homelessness issues, has agreed to serve as the executive producer of “The Man in the Mangroves.”

The animated film project brings to life the true story of a homeless man, captured in a famous poem by local poet Donna Decker.

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The accomplished filmmakers of the project have announced that Kearney and his non-profit charitable foundation Beatitude have joined “Team Mangrove” as executive producer of this local film project.

The film, about a homeless mathematician living in a Key West mangrove, grew out of the poet Decker’s poem “The Man in the Mangroves Matters to Sleep.”

James A. (Andy) Moorer, a Tallahassee native, composer and Oscar and Emmy winner, created a 13-minute voice synthesized score from Decker’s poem, which is the basis of the film , currently in production.

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The duo are joined by Pixar co-founder and award-winning “Toy Story” producer Ralph Guggenheim to elevate this work through animation. Sopchoppy musician Frank Lindamood provides the voice of the narrator from which Moorer developed the digital opera novel.

Decker, Moorer and Guggenheim, who refer to themselves as “Team Mangrove,” presented a preview version of the 13-minute film — called “animatic” — at the Challenger Learning Center Planetarium on April 6 as a pre-event. festival for the annual Word of South music and literature festival.

Decker wrote the poem in Key West in the summer of 1996 after meeting a former mathematician living in a mangrove. She explained that audiences seemed to sympathize with the character at the center of her poem, a once accomplished man who found himself homeless.

Raise the “in distress”

“A viewer says ‘The Man in the Mangroves’ is the story of every man and woman, every person, as we are challenged to answer life’s big questions. Audiences also responded with feelings of ‘there, but for the grace of God, go ahead’.”

“I predict great human compassion generated by this piece. It uplifts the homeless and those in distress,” says Faith Eidse, writer and former program chair of the Tallahassee Writers Association, which has partnered with Team Mangrove.

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Entrepreneur and philanthropist Kearney heard about the film from friends and offered to help fund the creative effort significantly, based on his sensibilities and involvement with homelessness issues.

Kearney is also chairman of the board of the Comprehensive Emergency Services Center, also known as the Kearney Center, which works with his nonprofit Beatitude Foundation, funding many local projects. Since his teens, Kearney has worked on behalf of the homeless, using his considerable professional success to improve the lives of those who find themselves homeless and struggling with poverty.

Help educate about the “chronic problem”

“I have spent much of my life solving homelessness issues and we are all challenged to find a way to help others in need,” Kearney said. “This project appealed to me on many levels – and I believe this story of a homeless person will help educate the public about this deep and chronic issue.”

The filmmakers raised initial funds through a Kickstarter campaign, private donations, and a Florida Cultural Affairs Fast Track grant. Kearney’s contribution brings them much closer to their projected budget goal for the project.

“We are deeply grateful to Rick and the Beatitude Foundation’s support and recognition of the themes of this project,” says Guggenheim.

As a thank you, Moorer and Decker are planning a show this fall for an audience at The Dwellings, Tallahassee’s only “tiny house” residential community that helps homeless people move toward more independent and successful lives. Additionally, Team Mangrove donates 5% of donations on behalf of homeless people in Tallahassee.

Squawk Productions, the artist-animators of the project, begin production of the final animation this summer. The filmmakers plan to complete the film in 2023, at which time they plan to hold a screening of the finished work to benefit local homeless groups in the Big Bend area.

“The Man in the Mangroves” is produced in partnership with the Tallahassee Writers Association and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, the Department of State, the Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.

For more information, visit mangrove-man.com.

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