Sarah turns 15 years old today. She looks forward to a few presents, some well-wishes from her friends at school, and maybe some birthday cake. She feels officially like a young woman, hoping for and dreaming of a promising future. But she has a 1 in 10 chance of surviving to her 35th birthday. Sarah is HIV positive. And so is 36.8 percent of her nation’s population.

So begins many of the stories filmmaker Brent Gudgel ’02 seeks to document. Through his work with his production company, Chronicle Project, he not only encounters gripping tales, but also seeks to share them with audiences who are willing and able to help. “People like good stories. Film allows stories to come alive,” said Gudgel. “With film, an audience member can live through someone else’s eyes. The story takes on a life of its own and becomes a tool that God can use however He wants.”

This June, Chronicle Project plays host to one of its largest audiences yet, as Showtime Television airs the company’s feature-length documentary, Dear Francis. Before garnering the attention of Showtime, Dear Francis earned Chronicle Project the Crystal Heart honor at the Heartland Film Festival, Best Documentary at the New York AIDS Film Festival, and Official Selection at the Westwood International Film Festival.

All in all, not too shabby for a guy who planned to study computers. Originally from Agoura Hills, Gudgel did not have filmmaking on his radar when he arrived as a freshman at APU. But after making a short film for fun and hosting an on-campus screening, a nonprofit organization approached him and asked if the then-19-year-old would travel to China to create a documentary.

“I thought, ‘What a great opportunity,’ and went for it,” he said. “I learned that it’s a big world, that filmmaking was something I could be passionate about. The whole thing started the process of God working in me to start caring about social justice issues.”

Now he wants to give current APU senior film students and recent graduates new opportunities for learning just like he had. Chronicle Project invites students to be part of a mentoring program for the summer, helping to make short films on social justice issues. “There is great talent coming out of Azusa Pacific, and it’s really growing now that more resources are available,” said Gudgel. “We would love to have some of those students bring that talent to our projects and learn hands-on.”