OMAHA, Neb (KMTV) — Thursday night was the first night of the Omaha Film Festival and they're kicking things off with the tale of two people who made a huge donation with the help of a well-known investor.
The idea behind the film is that one gift can change the world.
It shares the story of an incredible family, who through smart investments built a massive fortune. A fortune that they would use to try to make the world a better place than they found it.
"I've always said that I want to leave this world a better place than it was when I got here," said Ellen Marcus, daughter of Lottie and Howard Marcus.
Ellen Marcus and her parents’ story is one of incredible generosity that began with humble beginnings.
"My parents were both refugees from Germany. They both left very early at the very beginning of Hitler’s regime," said Ellen.
Lottie and Howard Marcus would both make their way to the United States where the two would meet and eventually marry.
Then in the early 60s, the couple would meet with a young upstart investor in New York who had just graduated from Columbia University.
"My parents, they had scrimped and saved because they both started out very poor. They invested everything they had with the young Warren Buffett," said Ellen.
It isn't hard to guess what happened next. Buffett and his savvy investments would turn the Marcuses initial investment into a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
As they grew older, Ellen's parents began to think of what they wanted to do with their vast fortune.
"As a documentarian, we can only tell the stories that are put in front of us. We rely on everyday heroes like Ellen and her parents," said Matthew Mishory, the director of "Who are the Marcuses?"
Matthew Mishory is the creative force behind a new documentary following the story of Ellen's family and their historic donation.
After leaving enough for their daughter and granddaughter the couple donated the lion's share of their fortune, $400 million, to Ben Gurion University of the Negev in Israel. The university is a leader in the development of desert technology and renewable water resources.
Mishory's film, "Who are the Marcuses?" began its production in Omaha and is now returning to premiere at this year's Omaha Film Festival.
The man behind the Marcuses investment, Buffett himself, is expected to attend.
"We are obviously honored. He is definitely one of the busiest people in the world so the fact he can take some time out to see the movie and share his experiences with philanthropy is incredibly gratifying," said Mishory.
While the film focuses on the Marcuses' gift, Mishory says the film is about much more than that. He hopes it inspires others to give back as the Marcuses have.
"Almost every person in the world, everyone who has a reasonably comfortable life can participate philanthropically at their level. For some people, like Ellen, they participated at a simply mind-blowing level," said Mishory.
“Who are the Marcuses?” is just the beginning of an incredible week of films being screened at the Omaha Film Festival.
One of those films also premiering on Thursday night, “Look Like Somebody” will also feature Nebraska legend, Tom Osborne.
The festival will run through Sunday and a full schedule of the screenings can be found on Omaha Film Festival’s website.
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