IMPACT MEDIA
We use the power of storytelling to catalyze collaboration, unlock funding, and amplify regenerative change.
Stories are seeds for systems change.
We believe media can do more than inform—it can mobilize.
Cinematic storytelling is a powerful tool for inspiring action, building trust, and showing the return of impact.
Through short-form Impact Stories and a full feature Documentary, we’re helping communities, funders, and partners visualize what's possible and take part in building it.
BLUEPRINT APPALACHIA
A feature documentary about place, resilience, and possibility.
Immerse yourself in the blueprint. Follow the story of how Blueprint for Impact began, the regenerative models we’re piloting, and the real-world outcomes of our Collaboration Portfolios.
DOCUMENTARY OVERVIEW
BLUEPRINT APPALACHIA
Where disaster met possibility, a new blueprint began to form.
After Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina - stripping 40% of its tree canopy and revealing deep gaps in disaster response -communities across the region began asking bigger questions:
What does it take to build a resilient community in the modern era?
Blueprint Appalachia is a cinematic journey through that question. This feature documentary explores the roots and rise of Blueprint for Impact, tracing how a moment of crisis gave way to a growing movement of collaboration, innovation, and cultural restoration.
Through powerful interviews with Indigenous leaders, organizers, and local visionaries, this film explores how Appalachia’s identity, resilience, and relationships are shaping a new regional future.
It’s not just a story about recovery, it’s about reclaiming stewardship, forging unlikely partnerships, and putting our blueprint into action.
WHAT THE DOCUMENTARY COVERS
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ECOLOGICAL
IDENTITY
The Story of Place
We begin by grounding in the Appalachian landscape, its ecological memory, ancestral histories, and enduring spirit. This foundation helps frame the regenerative models that follow.
COLLECTIVE
RESPONSE
The Birth of Blueprint for Impact
You’ll witness how an organization formed in response to disaster, and how its founding team began building cross-sector coalitions to create place-based, people-powered solutions.
REGENERATIVE
ACTION
Collaboration Portfolios in Motion
From wildfire mitigation to local food systems and trauma-informed care, the film spotlights real projects being implemented through the Blueprint model and the people making them possible.
COMMUNITY
WISDOM
Voices of the Region
Through powerful interviews with Indigenous leaders, cultural workers, organizers, and local visionaries, the film weaves together the diverse perspectives shaping a new regional narrative.
SCALABLE
SOLUTIONS
A Model for the World
Ultimately, Blueprint Appalachia invites viewers to see the South not just as a place of challenge, but of innovation—and to consider how this collaborative model can be adapted across other regions facing ecological, social, and economic transition.
LOCAL STORIES
OF APPALACHIA
DIRECTOR & PRODUCER
KERESEY PEARL
BRIANA POND
PRODUCTION COMPANY
MSPEARL PRODUCTIONS
EDITOR
SARAH WOODWARD
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
SARAH WATKINS
MARK MONCHEK
MARTIN BOYD
CINEMATOGRAPHER
BRIANA POND
KERESEY PEARL
CREATIVE STRATEGIST
DAVID
MILLER
IMPACT STORIES: BLUEPRINTS IN ACTION
These aren’t just stories—they’re proof of concept.
When people see the work in action, they’re more likely
to fund it, join it and replicate it.
This is how we build momentum.
Each short film is created to elevate the work within our Collaboration Portfolios—and move it forward.
Designed to:
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Build visibility for our partners and solutions
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Anchor our collective funding packages
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Show exactly what support will unlock on the ground
Mobilize Support
Stories that activate funding.
We use media as a tool to engage investors, grantmakers, and donors.
Inspire Replication
A model for other regions.
Each story shows how our framework can be applied to solve real problems elsewhere.
Illuminate the Vision
Help people see what’s possible.
We turn ideas into lived experiences through visual storytelling.
IMPACT STORY
REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK & RESTORE FORESTS
What if the key to our climate future was buried in the ashes?
After Hurricane Helene devastated Appalachia’s forests, communities faced a rising threat of wildfire, erosion, and ecological collapse. This impact story follows the innovators turning dead trees into living solutions—transforming waste into biochar to restore soil, store carbon, and heal the land.
IMPACT STORY
KIDS IN PARKS
NATURE BASED HEALTHCARE
What if nature was your doctor?
In this impact story, we explore a playful prescription with serious impact. Kids in Parks is flipping the healthcare model by getting families off screens and into the woods. Follow the journey of a movement that’s healing communities one trail at a time—and reshaping the future of public health.
IMPACT STORY
STRENGTHEN SOIL & LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS
Can cows help reverse climate change?
In the rolling hills of Western North Carolina, a farming revolution is underway. With support from the Savory Institute, Hickory Nut Gap is proving that regenerative grazing isn’t just better for the soil—it’s better for our food, our farmers, and our future. This impact story digs into how holistic land management can rebuild entire ecosystems.
IMPACT STORY
LOAM MICRO ECONOMY
Can creativity save a city?
Amid rising rents and vanishing storefronts, a new model is taking root in Asheville. LOAM is more than a retail space—it’s a biophilic blueprint for economic resilience and community healing. This impact story follows the makers and visionaries reclaiming the economy from the ground up.
IMPACT STORY
PRESERVE ARTS & CULTURE WITH LEAF
How do we keep culture alive when the funding disappears?
For nearly three decades, LEAF Global Arts has built bridges through music, dance, and education. Now, with federal funding pulled, their future is uncertain. This impact story steps inside the rhythm of a movement fighting to preserve global culture in the heart of Appalachia.
IMPACT STORY
PRODUCE TO THE PEOPLE FOR HEALTH & WELLNESS
What if your local food market was your healthcare provider?
Bounty & Soul is proving that access to fresh food, movement, and cultural connection can transform communities. In this impact story, we meet the team nourishing lives through food-as-medicine—and redefining what wellness really means in Appalachia.
Support Impact Media. Amplify Local Voices.
We are a team of Asheville-based filmmakers, storytellers, and community builders.
Our vision is to grow this project with the incredible creative talent in our region, hiring local filmmakers, editors, musicians, and artists to bring these stories to life.
By supporting our Impact Media efforts, you're not just funding content, you're investing in community, creativity, and the future of regenerative storytelling.
Help us expand what's possible, one story, one collaboration, and one blueprint at a time.