Clear the List - Anniversary Update
Today marks 2 years since the 14- way paired kidney exchange featured in our documentary, “Clear the List”. We would like to congratulate all the recipients and the donors on this special day! As we think back on that week, we are so grateful for each person who participated and allowed us (and the cameras) into such a special time in their lives- thank you so much! When Ashley first had the idea for a documentary, she was still in the hospital bed after her transplant in 2019. She shared the idea with me and little did we know where the Lord would bring us over the next several years. With the help of Dr. Matemavi, we were able to tell this beautiful story. After over a year of filming, we were left with the clay in our hands. With so much amazing footage, it was certainly hard to edit it all down. The editing process took several months, right up until the night before our premiere in April of this year! What an incredible time that was.
Since then, we have further refined and improved the documentary to give clarity to those who aren’t directly involved in the transplant world. Our hope is that the documentary will soon reach as many potential living kidney donors as possible! And of course be an encouragement to all those still waiting- to see the joy and hope that so many were given that week back in December ‘23. It’s been a big learning process for us attempting to distribute our first feature-length documentary. We are not the type of people to give up, despite facing what seems like obstacle after obstacle. Although we’ve hit a few bumps in the road along the way, we believe God has a big plan for this documentary and the best is yet to come.
There has been a lot going on behind the scenes, and this project is so complex. It’s been a long time coming and certainly has required a lot of patience on our end. In our everyday work as filmmakers, we are used to filming a video, editing it, and releasing it all within a few months time on our corporate projects, so this feature-length documentary has been a big learning curve for us. Even with nearly nine years of working full time as filmmakers, the mainstream film industry is just a whole different game when it comes to distribution and networking. Here’s a little timeline of our documentary story and recap of how far we’ve come:
August 2019: Ashley receives a kidney transplant from her living donor (my dad, Roy Chisholm!) and shares the idea of a documentary with her surgeon, Dr. Felicitas Koller, while still in the hospital at UMMC.
2020: While recovering from her transplant, a global pandemic occurs - halting nearly all of our projects.
March 2021: Dr. Praise Matemavi of UMMC Transplant works on grant applications to produce the documentary with the mission of increasing awareness in living kidney donors for Mississippi.
April 2022: With a grant secured for the project, we meet with Dr. Matemavi and Dr. Koller to formulate documentary plans. RD comes up with the name, Clear The List.
May 2022: Dr. Matemavi works to get hospital permissions, grant requirements, medical release forms, board approvals, legal forms, media access, and all things necessary to complete before filming — a huge undertaking is an understatement, and we are so thankful for her hard work to make this happen.
October 2023: Everything is approved! Living Donor Coordinator, Nikki Little, recommends reaching out to dialysis patient, Coach Herbert Davis to participate in the documentary.
October 2023: Ashley & RD officially begin filming, starting with MRA Football Coach, Herbert Davis.
November 2023: Coach Davis and his donor agree to participate in a 14-person kidney exchange.
December 2023: 7 donors and 7 recipients are filmed in a week-long kidney exchange. This historic event for UMMC becomes the heartbeat of the documentary — we will forever be grateful to everyone involved.
January 2024 - March 2025: continued filming of follow-up interviews, events, additional hospital scenes + beginning the editing process + planning for a premiere release event + building a website/ branding materials + keeping up with our corporate client work — a juggling act for sure!
March 2025: Interviews with the transplant surgical team are captured and integrated into our editing. The official trailer is released! We meet with UMMC media executives and transplant team for a rough draft, private viewing of Clear The List (there was not a dry eye in the room)
April 2025: After working through most of the night to finish editing and render the fully edited documentary, our computer crashes. On the morning of the premiere, we had to get a new computer to temporarily use. As we were setting up chairs for our premiere at the venue, Duling Hall, the video was rendering and finally finished a few hours (and several prayers) before the event started! Thankfully, the red carpet premiere was a great success and was one of the most memorable events in our lives.
May-June 2025: We begin submitting to Film Festivals, reaching out to possible distribution partners for broadcast/streaming options, and having a couple of local showings with our participants’ communities.
July 2025: Clear The List is selected for the JXN Film Festival and nominated for Best Feature Documentary and Best Picture.
August-December 2025: With some feedback received by a few of the film festival judges, we begin work to update the documentary’s edit by cutting it down in length, adding a few contextual scenes, and a few small details to make it more understandable for a wider audience. We also filmed another interview with UMMC Transplant Nephrologist, Dr. Pradeep Vaitla and additional footage around the state of Mississippi to add in. In this time, we have also submitted to more film festivals and broadcast executives.
What’s Next?
Looking forward, we are excited at the opportunity to show the documentary to as many people as possible. With the help of Dr. Matemavi, we will be taking Clear the List ‘on tour’! Our goal is to show it in as many churches, venues, and community spaces as we can in 2026. If you know of a church or event space that would like to show the documentary- please let us know! Another goal of ours is to have the documentary in a few theaters and ultimately out to a wider streaming audience! Stay tuned for updates on this front. If you have any leads or connections to distributors, we’d love to connect as this is our current hurdle we are navigating.
If you would like more information about hosting a screening, click here and scroll to the form at the bottom of the page: https://www.clearthelist.com/events
We ask and thank you for your prayers as we continue to work to bring this documentary to as many as we can. After witnessing the beautiful miracles of the kidney exchange week and beyond, we know anything is possible!
Again, congratulations to everyone on 2 years! We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
-RD and Ashley
Clear The List Sold-Out Documentary Premiere
Executive Producer, Dr. Praise Matemavi with Film Directors, Ashley Thaxton Chisholm and R.D. Chisholm IV
Clear the List Premiere: A Moving Tribute to the Power of Organ Donation
On Friday April 4, 2025, Duling Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, was filled with emotion and inspiration as it hosted the sold-out premiere of Clear the List, a documentary that tells the extraordinary story of a seven-person kidney donation chain—the largest in Mississippi history. Created by R.D. Chisholm IV and Ashley Thaxton Chisholm of Pioneer Productions, this film explores the profound impact of living kidney donation, showcasing the generosity of donors who selflessly gave to save lives. Clear The List honors the strength and resilience of recipients as they face the challenges of kidney disease, dialysis, and the hope for a life-saving transplant. The documentary also highlights the dedication of the doctors and medical staff who facilitated the internal kidney exchange at Mississippi’s only transplant center, the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC).
From left to right: Kidney recipient Herbert Davis, recipient Jim Windham, recipient Tamira Harvey, donor Leah Cox, recipient Jason Smith, donor Kim Smith, filmmakers Ashley Thaxton Chisholm and R.D. Chisholm IV, recipient Brysun Redmond, donor Petrina McGee, donor Jennifer McCaffrey, and donor Rosemary Windham. Not pictured: donors Tammie Decker, Christopher Boone, Patrick Johnson; recipients Linda Boone and Erica Griffin.
The Story Behind the Chain
The heart of Clear the List lies in its focus on seven donors who gave kidneys to seven strangers in December of 2023 at UMMC. Two of these donors gave altruistically, while the others donated on behalf of family or friends who needed a transplant but were not direct matches. This paired exchange allowed every recipient to receive a compatible kidney, creating a ripple effect of hope and healing. Every participant, from the recipients and donors to the producers, gave all the glory to God for this miraculous, historic event. One recipient was MRA (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) Head Football Coach, Herbert Davis, whose journey was featured in the documentary.
The film’s co-director, Ashley Thaxton Chisholm, has a personal connection to this story. In 2019, she received a life-saving kidney donation from her father-in-law, Dr. Roy Chisholm. of Cumberland, Maryland. The surgeries were performed at UMMC by Dr. Praise Matemavi and Dr. Felicitas Koller, who also helped bring the documentary into existence. Having an intimate experience with the transplant process, Ashley's personal journey inspired the filmmaking duo to create the documentary, aiming to bring awareness and support to others facing similar challenges.
A few members of the UMMC Transplant Team came together to celebrate the premiere, marking a moment of joy and recognition for their life-changing work. (more pictures below)
A Night of Celebration and Reflection
The sold-out premiere brought together an audience that included UMMC staff and transplant team, donors, recipients, families, and advocates for organ donation. The Mississippi Organ Recovery Agency (MORA) was present, hosting a table to promote organ donor registration and raise awareness about the importance of becoming a donor, enhancing the evening's focus on organ donation and transplantation. Guests traveled to Jackson from across the country, including states like California, Wisconsin, Maryland, and others, demonstrating the national interest in the project. Living donor advocate Lynn Scotch, co-founder of The Organ Trail, also attended to support the film’s mission of raising awareness about living organ donation.
The evening began with an exciting welcome by transplant surgeon and Executive Producer, Dr. Praise Matemavi, and concluded with a heartfelt message of gratitude from R.D. Chisholm, the film's co-director. Ashley Chisholm, the other half of the Pioneer Productions duo, supported both appearances, walking hand-in-hand with each speaker as they took the stage. UMMC Transplant Nephrologist, Dr. Pradeep Vaitla also spoke words of gratitude for the overwhelming support. The atmosphere was electric as attendees celebrated not just the medical achievement but also the human stories behind it. The documentary captured moments of courage, gratitude, and connection that resonated deeply with everyone present.
The premiere of Clear The List at Duling Hall in Jackson, Mississippi, drew a sold-out crowd, prompting the rental of additional chairs just hours before the event to accommodate more than 250 attendees.
The Importance of Living Kidney Donation
Living kidney donation saves lives, as filmmaker Ashley Thaxton Chisholm can attest from her own experience. In the United States, over 90,000 people are waiting for life-saving kidney transplants. Tragically, many people do not survive on dialysis (the temporary treatment option that filters patients’ blood) while waiting to receive their kidney transplant. By showcasing stories like those in Clear the List, the filmmakers hope to inspire more people to consider becoming living donors and help “clear the list” of those waiting for transplants— particularly for Black patients who desperately need living donors to step in.
The paired exchange featured in this documentary is a testament to what’s possible when people step forward to give the gift of life. It demonstrates how one act of kindness can set off a chain reaction that saves lives and impacts countless others.
Tamira Harvey, a kidney recipient featured in Clear The List, experiences a rollercoaster of emotions as she watches the documentary with loved ones—moments of laughter and tears reflecting the powerful impact of the film.
Future Screenings and Impact
Although Friday’s premiere was sold out, future screenings are being planned to ensure this powerful story reaches broader audiences. The filmmakers aim to spark conversations about organ donation and encourage more people to take action—whether by registering as living or deceased donors or spreading awareness about the need for organ donation.
“I am humbled and overjoyed by the overwhelming outpouring of support and enthusiastic feedback we have received following the premiere. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who allowed us to film them during such a vulnerable point in their lives. Our hope is that this documentary helps to save the lives of many more who are on the transplant waitlist.” - R.D. Chisholm IV, co-director of Clear The List.
Filmmakers R.D. Chisholm IV and Ashley Thaxton Chisholm — The husband and wife duo live in Crystal Springs, Mississippi and have operated Pioneer Productions, their video production company, full time since 2017. They specialize in creating story-driven media and have produced commercials for global brands such as Save the Children, TJ Maxx, AARP, and Home Depot. Clear The List marks their first feature-length documentary.
How You Can Save Lives
If you would like to sign up to be tested as a potential living donor candidate at UMMC Transplant in Jackson, Mississippi, contact their Living Donor Coordinator at (601) 984-5065 or fill out this screening form: https://umc.edu/Healthcare/Transplant/Kidney%20Transplant/Living-Donor-Screening-Form.html
Through MORA, you can sign up to be a deceased organ donor: https://msora.org/register
Registering with MORA ensures that your wish to be an organ donor after death is honored. You do not have to have the organ donation heart symbol visible on your driver’s license to participate if you wish to keep your decision private.
Filmmaker & Kidney Transplant Recipient, Ashley Thaxton Chisholm, with her Donor & Father-in-Law, Dr. Roy Chisholm at UMMC in August of 2019.
Final Thoughts
The premiere of Clear the List was more than just a film screening—it was the launch of a movement. The documentary not only honors those who participated in this historic kidney chain but also serves as an urgent call to action for everyone to consider how they can help save lives through organ donation.
Pioneer Productions would like to thank all contributors as well as fellow sponsors of the event: Central Nephrology Clinic, Madison-Ridgeland Academy, UMMC Transplant, Drew Dempsey Photo & Design, and End of August Etsy Shop. To see more Pioneer Productions projects, visit pioneerproductions.org.
Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming screenings or visit clearthelist.com for more information on how you can support this important movement.
Event photos by Drew Dempsey & CT Adams.
