AIDS Orphan Becomes A Filmmaker With Help From Hollywood Heavyweights

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" weaves tales of urban atrocities that are usually ripped from the headlines. The brainchild of physician-turned-producer Neal Baer, his day job is to churn out story after story for the Emmy favorite, but it's a passion project shepherded by the successful showrunner that he really wants to place center stage.

Baer has thrown his weight behind "Mozambique," a documentary that follows one youngster's quest to find a new family. Created by finalist Alcides Soares, a teenage African AIDS orphan, it will be apart of the 12th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival and shown in theaters, art centers and galleries worldwide.

Beginning Sunday, the festival will showcase 10 short films that will screen more than 500 times over an eight-day period in every U.S. state and a total of 173 cities worldwide. Audiences can vote for their favorite, with the winner to be announced Sept. 29.

"I spoke to him for about half-an-hour and could see that he was a gifted storyteller," Baer tells AP. "I asked him if he wanted to learn how to make a movie in order to tell his story and he leapt at the opportunity." Baer met Soares through his photography project, "The House Is Small but the Welcome Is Big." Baer teamed up with Los Angeles-based nonprofit Venice Arts to bring attention to the AIDS crisis in Africa and prompt action.

Baer also tapped his Hollywood connections for equipment donations and funding, "Law & Order: SVU" stars Mariska Hargitay, Christopher Meloni and the NBC show's writers donated a video camera. NBC Universal and "Law & Order" franchise creator Dick Wolf's donated money. Baer adds, "There is no better insight to what is happening in the world or how the world is feeling than through the eyes, ears and lenses of these short filmmakers."