Posted Friday February 10, 2012 – 9:00am

Last month, the art and healthcare communities came together to celebrate neurosurgery and learn about the brain. More than 130 guests attended the kick-off dinner for the “Neuro-Cinema & Beyond” a film series focused on the brain, cancer and physicians involved in treating these conditions.

The series marks the first collaboration of St. John’s Health Center, the John Wayne Cancer Institute (JWCI) and the Topanga Film Institute (TFI), a division of the Topanga Film Festival.

“This series allows us to not only bring attention to independent films that explore important issues, but also gives us the opportunity to educate the community about these conditions and get them thinking,” said Daniel F. Kelly, M.D., director of St. John’s Brain Tumor Center and Pituitary Disorders Program and faculty member at JWCI, who is speaking at several of the screenings. “Programs like this help educate the public on complex medical issues, such as the advances and limits of healthcare and the capabilities of both the brain and body to recover from illness.”

The series kick off featured a screening of The English Surgeon, a film about the experiences of neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh while working in poverty-stricken Ukraine, followed by a Q&A over Skype with Emmy-winning filmmaker Geoffrey Smith.

“Neuro-Cinema & Beyond has provided a dynamic platform to shed light on the humanitarian efforts of neurosurgeons, such as Dr. Marsh,” Smith said. “I am thrilled to have been a part of it.”

• The next screening in the series will be at 2:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 19. Jonna's Body, Please Hold, is a dark comedy directed by Adam Bluming that explores the film’s producer, writer and actress Jonna Tamases’ own experiences with breast cancer.

Winner of Audience Award at the Ashville Film Festival and part of TFI’s “Beyond” series, the movie’s stunning visuals and hilarious characters take viewers on a wild and sometimes bizarre ride into the realm of health, illness, joy and the beauty of life. Following the film showing will be a Q&A with Tamases and Saint John’s surgical oncologist and breast specialist Dr. Maggie DiNome, who will offer insight into breast cancer and treatment options.

• The third movie in the series is Marwencol, a documentary by Jeff Malmberg, about Mark Hogancamp, a man who is left brain damaged and broke after a vicious attack. Hogancamp seeks recovery in “Marwencol,” a miniature World War II-era town he creates in his backyard.

Winner of the South by Southwest Film Festival Grand Jury Award , the film will be shown at 2:15 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 25 and followed by a Q&A with Malmberg and a discussion about brain injury and recovery with Dr. Kelly.

• The final film will be Moving Forward by Conor and Danny Toumarkine (time, date and location of filming still being decided). The film follows Danny Toumarkine after he suffered from a traumatic brain injury last year.

For 15 years, Danny and his brother had shared a dream of creating a season-long snowboarding video.

After starting a production company called Shreddy Times in 2007, together they documented Danny's path to stardom within the snowboard industry. While filming in Montana, with a group of close friends, Danny fell on a routine jump and sustained a severe head injury. After nearly two weeks in a medically induced coma and four brain surgeries, Danny was discharged from the hospital 33 days after his fall.

The film takes the audience through the ups and downs of his recovery process. The film will be followed by a Q&A with Conor, Danny and Dr. Kelly.

To RSVP for any of the free screenings at the Martin Luther Jr. Auditorium in Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd. call 1-800- 785-6467 or visit www.new stjohns.org/neurocinema.aspx.

http://bhcourier.com/article/Health/Health/St_Johns_Topanga_Film_Institute_Strive_To_Educate_Community_Neuro-Cinema_Beyond_Series_Gains_Momentum/85449