• a deeply moving introduction by world-renowned author and lecturer, O. Carl Simonton, M.D.
• phenomenal nature imagery showcasing the beauty and serenity of the Garden Isle of Kauai
• an uplifting musical score by Max Highstein, L'Esprit and Shardad Rohani, the Conductor, Arranger and Orchestrator for Yanni's "Live at the Acropolis"

Mind-Body VIDEO Wins Top Awards at the American Medical Association's 23rd Annual International Health and Medical Film Festival

(Meadville, PA November 10, 1997) The late Norman Cousins’ statement, "Beliefs are biology" is finally catching on! The video program, Affirmations for Getting Well Again with O. Carl Simonton, MD by TouchStar Productions recently took leading honors at the AMA's 1997 Annual International Health and Medical Film Festival. In addition to receiving the coveted first place award in the Wellness category, TouchStar's film was chosen from over 600 entries from 20 countries to receive the Robert E. Wise award for best cinematography, one of the Festival's three highest achievements.

Barry Bittman, MD , TouchStar's CEO and Medical Director and Lee S. Berk, PHd, the company's medical consultant were presented with two "Freddy" awards, named for the Festival’s visionary founder, the late Dr. Fred Gottlieb. Dr. Bittman, neurologist and director of the Mind-Body Wellness Center of Meadville, Pennsylvania addressed the audience by extending gratitude to the AMA for their commitment to "whole person" medicine that integrates mind, body and spirit.

Affirmations for Getting Well is a 40 minute video program based upon the pioneering biobehavioral approach for cancer patients created by O. Carl Simonton, MD. The program, filmed in Hawaii, California and South Carolina features soothing nature cinematography by Emmy Award winning producer, Jan C. Nickman and Dr. Bittman. With a calming, yet uplifting soundtrack by Max Highstein, L'Esprit and Shardad Rohani, the conductor, arranger and orchestrator of Yanni's Live at The Acropolis, the program is designed to help individuals tap into their inner healing potential. Complemented by a series of positive visual statements that appear on the screen at various intervals, and an "eyes closed" guided imagery journey by the ever-so-soothing voice of Erin Sommerville, Affirmations for Getting Well promotes a state of inner peace conducive to maintaining or reestablishing the gift of a healthy life.

Dr. Lee Berk of Loma Linda University School of Medicine commented, "this program is based upon extensive medical research in the field of Psychoneuroimmunology, the science that addresses the intricate links between nervous, endocrine and immune function. Our pilot research, presented at this year's annual Society of Behavioral Medicine meeting clearly demonstrated our video's potential to positively impact the biology of individuals suffering from cancer and chronic pain syndromes."

Dr Bittman emphasized that this is not a "new age" approach; but rather a practical and effective means for uniting mind, body and spirit in a manner supportive of traditional medicine. And when it comes to addressing the person as a whole, Bittman is not alone. SmithKline Beecham, one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies, is distributing Affirmations for Getting Well to cancer specialists throughout the US for use with their patients.

The Festival’s black-tie awards ceremony took place on November 8th at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. Scheduled to be televised at a later date, it was hosted by actors Paul Sorvino, Tim Curry, John Ratzenberger and ABC’s Good Morning America medical correspondent, Nancy Snyderman.

The Festival’s special awards to honor excellence and achievements were announced by former Surgeon General Dr. C. Everett Koop and four-time Academy Award winner, Robert E. Wise, who presented the cinematography award to Dr. Bittman.

Among the other distinguished winners were HBO, ABC News, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the United Nations, Time Warner, PBS, Fox, Glaxo Welcome, the American College of Chest Physicians, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute.

Here you can buy this award winning video program, Affirmations for Getting Well with Dr. O. Carl Simonton .