Experiencing Interruptions?

Fighting For The Underdog

Kirsten Burkhart, the executive director at AIDS Resource, eliminates discrimination and stigma in the Williamsport community. Kirsten lost a very close friend to AIDS and his family pulled away from him when he got AIDS because of irrational fears and misconceptions that it’s an easily spread disease. When she witnessed this first hand she knew that something was seriously wrong, so she took over at AIDS Resource and made some huge changes. As of 2017 she was awarded “YWCA’s Wise Woman of the Year”. This is due to her ability to make things better than what they were. Over the years she has accomplished to run another non-profit called West House. This is a personal care home where no one with AIDS or HIV will get turned down a place to live. Her fight continues to inspire many and she will continue to eliminate the stigma and discrimination that the AIDS and HIV clients deal with.

  • Andrew Gipe
    Director
  • Andrew Gipe
    Producer
  • Kirsten Burkhart, Gary Burkhart, Jay Grandis, volunteers at AIDS Resource
    Actors
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 9 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 4, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Canon DSLR
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Andrew Gipe

Short films:
Fighting For The Underdog - “Based on Kirsten Burkhart of AIDS Resource”
Accepted - “It’s never too late to make a change”
Defined by Music - “A Levi Stover Story”
Father - “The demon within”

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Everyone has their own life story and unique life perspective and visually capturing this fascinates me. After making my first documentary I fell in love with it. Hook, line, and sinker. People are truly amazing, no matter their current situation, and this gives me the opportunity to connect, create, and share their story.
The process of making film is interdisciplinary by nature, so any knowledge or new perspectives I gain in life will only make me a better producer. Thus, I am constantly interested in all areas of life, from how to make wine (my hobby!) to the relationship between fungus and plants (interesting stuff!). Sometimes my best ideas come from reading books and nerding out.
In the near future I have intentions to create marketing videos for local businesses, documentaries, model photography, wedding videos, and much more. But, whatever the endeavor, I will always listen to my gut feeling and gain all the experiences I can.