About the film
Black Mold Exposure follows Michael Roland Williams, filmmaker, and Karen Noseff, founder and designer of Fortune Denim, struggling to regain their livelihood and well-being after they were unknowingly exposed to high levels of various molds that had infested Karen’s apartment. The entire 264-unit apartment community was evacuated and closed indefinitely. Michael and Karen claim to have developed allergies and sensitivities to virtually everything, causing them difficulty in finding “safe” housing as well as numerous other bizarre problems that have continued over the last five years.
A growing number of people from all ages and walks of life claim mold made them ill while physicians, lawmakers, and medical associations dispute the validity of these claims. Most of the symptoms of those claiming illness from mold can be caused by, and diagnosed as, any number of other illnesses. There are no standardized methods to measure what molds, at what exposure levels, over what period of time, might cause any given person to become ill.
BLACK MOLD EXPOSURE explores the bizarre illnesses associated with exposure to toxic mold and the film participants’ difficult task of regaining their health and lives in an atmosphere of political and social intolerance and disbelief.
BLACK MOLD EXPOSURE is a first-ever look into the lives of those claiming to be ill from mold and the controversial and volatile climate surrounding it.
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Katie, a former resident of the Dallas apartment community in which Michael and Karen lived, did not get ill. However, she says her infant son Sam was on numerous medications while living at the community, and one night while being fed he stopped breathing and was rushed to the emergency room.
Melinda Ballard, who won a record 32 million dollar judgment against Farmer’s Insurance, bulldozed her 10,000 square foot home due to toxic mold growth. Dr. David Straus, a microbiologist from Texas Tech University, says when he entered the home prior to its destruction, he became violently ill with vomiting and hearing loss within half an hour.
Due to health concerns his family believes to be toxic mold related, Colin, a secondary school student, has been unable to return to school. He was unable to return without his lip splitting open and bleeding as well as manifesting other symptoms. He’s been home-schooled for the past two years.
Jonathan moved out of his apartment in order to avoid illness. He’s been homeless and living in his car and a tent for over two years.
Two San Diego elementary schools were destroyed and rebuilt after numerous teachers claimed the buildings were making them ill. The school district denies there was ever a mold problem at the schools.
A limited number of physicians are treating illness from mold exposure, while others believe it’s impossible to become ill from it. Some are writing position papers for medical associations while at the same time being hired by the defense as expert witnesses in mold litigation cases. Laws that have been passed regarding mold are either unfunded or only refer to structural damage and do not address the health issues. Prior to the Hurricane Katrina disaster, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is the US federal authority on health, had very little information on their website about mold.
Black Mold Exposure Premiere and Release Dates
Below are the screenings dates and links to the appropriate theatres. More screenings will be added to the website as they become available.
Tickets will be available online at a discounted price three weeks prior to the screening at the appropriate theatre. We highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance as seating is limited.
WORLD PREMIERE
“Black Carpet Premiere”
Dallas, TX
April 15 Landmark Magnolia Theatre
(by invitation only)
Dallas, TX
April 21, 22 The Magnolia
(Filmmaker will be in attendance.)
Austin, TX
April 28 Dobie Theatre
San Diego, CA
May 12 La Jolla Village Cinemas
Boston, MA
May 14 Kendall Square Cinema
Seattle, WA
May 19 Metro Cinemas
Houston, TX
May 26 River Oaks Theatre
Chicago, IL
June 16 Century Centre Cinema
View the trailor – BlackMoldExposureMovie.com
Black Mold Exposure Cast
MICHAEL ROLAND, filmmaker, and KAREN NOSEFF, designer and founder of Fortune Denim, ill from mold exposure in Karen’s apartment. The apartment community was evacuated and stayed closed for five years.
CONGRESSMAN JOHN CONYERS, JR., Representing Michigan’s 14th District.
RORY SCHOLL, narrator, New York based comic.
MELINDA BALLARD, her 10,000 square foot Texas home was bulldozed due to mold infestation that caused her family to become ill. President, Policy Holders of America.
COLIN, secondary-school student, fell ill while at school and is unable to return to school without becoming ill. He now becomes ill in other locations as well.
STEPHEN REDD, M.D., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
JONATHAN, homeless and has lived outdoors for over 2 years. Became ill in his apartment and now becomes increasing ill when he remains indoors.
SUSAN BRINCHMAN, former teacher that became ill in an elementary school that was later destroyed. Director, The Center for School Mold Help.
HOLLY, a young California teacher who became ill while teaching in school, and is now unable to work due to her medical condition.
SHARON KRAMER, California real estate agent and mold activist.
Dr. DAVID STRAUS, Professor of Microbiology, Texas Tech.
University
Dr. NICHOLAS MONEY, Professor of Microbiology, Miami University,
author Carpet Monsters and Killer Spores.
DEBORAH ORTIZ, California State Senator.
WILLIAM REA, M.D., physician, Environmental Health Center of Dallas.
GEOFF SCOTT, M.D., UK physician, consultant microbiologist at University College London Hospitals.
RITCHIE SHOEMAKER, M.D., Maryland physician, specializes in treating biotoxin illnesses. Has made a number of national television appearances.
SNOOPS, canine mold inspector
and more.
Katy's Exposure 
my sister Phyllis Burchfield of 820 Columbia avenue apt 1 Benton, AR lived in a big old house in Benton where there was so much black mold she could not live there any longer, yet her land lord would not let her leave because she was on housing Benton housing HUD , she has been very sick bleeding from the lungs coiffing up blood, doctors do not know what is causing all the blood I know if from the black mold, the apartment she is now living in also has mold, how or where can she get help with this problem my name is William berry, snuffey48@gmail.com thank you she needs help, so badly,
It is really sad how corruption is the new normal. Lets continue to fight the good fight of faith and bring justice to this corrupt system.
After reporting the black mold conditions to the landlord, and illnesses occurring, we were served with the results of the air test ( highest level of mold possible) and an eviction. This took place in La Mesa , CA . The owner tried to cover up the fact that we even had mold conditions, by having his workman come in and remove the toxic black mold from under the sink and clean up the back bedroom walls. They then took pictures after the fact. However, I took pictures before they removed the evidence. Found out that the County of San Diego, does not test for mold, even if the alot of the tenants have reported to me that they have seen, smelt and reported the black mold to the owner, and then receive threats of eviction.
From 1996 until 2003, I was exposed to black mold, asbestos and sick air along with 9 other teachers and hundreds of children, kindergarten through 3rd grade in a small building that was part of a Detroit public school. As I write this, November 16, 2009, I have been ill for almost 10 years with Fibromyalgia, CFS, EBV and related disorders. As far as I know, the 9 teachers also have auto-immune diseases ranging from MS to Lupus, scarring in the lungs and other health problems. Two custodians and one teaacher who worked in this building have died.
The school was closed along with many others due to
“decreased enrollment”. The toxicity of the planet affects millions each day. Agent Orange, Love Canal,
the firemen who went back to volunteer at “the pile” after 9/11 have been “murdered” and thousands permanently disabled. No city, state or national governmental agency will accept responsibility in any of these cases.
Mankind has turned our planet into one huge toxic waste dump.
You say you got that building closed down? My family and I had been exposed to high levels of Mycotoxins in our section 8 subsidized town house for 2.11 years and we are ill, with me being the worse of all. I am trying to shut this place down because people are getting ill and are even dying. Michigan has no mold laws and I am on a mission to change this. A friend of mine, brought together by Mycotoxins in her town house unit now has Stage 3 breast cancer and her once bright daughter grade 7 is learning at a third grade level. Her lawyers forced her to settle threatening to withdraw as her councel if she did not settle only two days before her case set to trial. The judge even took her to his chambers telling her to settle because her case would never see the courtroom. Didn’t he violate her rights to trial under the United States Constitutional Rights? and her rights under Civil Rights? Did this judge overstep his bounderies? and can he be sued right along with her lawyers selling her out. She only have a 9th or 10th grade education and is legally blind, yet her lawyers didn’t see fit to get her help in reading and understanding her rights and litigation aspects of her case. The other party in her case settled at $55,000 (white) and she was forced to settle at $40,000 (black), I am on my third lawyer as my second lawyer tried to ruin my case, but thankfully I found me a Mold Lawyer who straight up said, “I know exactly what he has done”. I believe (my second lawyer) he sold us out and as well as to my friend (her lawyers). We were all in good health before moving into this dump and a city in oakland county building and code as well as too DPW merely slapped them on the wrist. The only good thing is that other tenants are now coming forth, thanks to me and two other tenants and they have evicted other tenants who demands that their units be detoxified. I need an expert witness who will not charge me two arms and a leg upfront for his/her services. I am now on oxygen and my lungs are failing. I have one condition on top of another none of which I had prior to moving into that toxic waste dump. $55,000 will not buy me a new house, replace our belongings, our health and happiness, our car and or anything else. Michigan has no mold laws but I am going to change this…neglectful persons need to be exposed for the slumblords they are and MSHDA/HUD need to be exposed for their corruption and political bullcrap that is costing families to lose the very thing they hold dear and that is their lives. thankfully I got over 300 pics of their crappy town home unit with the mold staring us right in the face and out in the open in our basement directly under where our phone hang up in the basement. I definately want to go to trial and sue the shorts off of these creeps.