When Jill Rytie Lutz set out to become a filmmaker, she wanted to tell inspiring stories about real people.

Nearly 20-years later, the 1993 Gordon Central graduate is fulfilling her dreams and making a difference in the lives of those battling Alzheimer’s disease.

Lutz, who now lives in Los Angeles, is currently working on a documentary called “Ageless Art,” which focuses on arts programs for Alzheimer’s disease patients.

“I feel like this is an extremely important documentary, and we are currently looking for funding,” she said. “We will be looking for grants from organizations, corporations, foundations and donations from individuals that believe that our elders suffering from Alzheimers and dementia, and their caretakers, deserve to live with dignity and joy.”

The film explores such mediums as abstract painting, storytelling and music as a means of self expression by seniors with Alzheimer’s.

“Having seem some of my own family members succumb to Alzheimer’s and dementia, I understand the immediate need for research in order to find a solution to these diseases,” Lutz said. “But before we find a cure for Alzheimer’s, it’s important to find ways to help our elders live with dignity, even while suffering from the disease.”

Lutz works as a freelance producer in L.A., “which means that I get hired by companies to produce projects for them on a short or long term basis,” she said.

Lutz began pursuing filmmaking while attending the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunication Arts in 1997.

“I have always been interested in filmmaking, but I really committed to film and television production at UGA,” she said. “I am passionate about documentaries and find that true stories are often more intriguing than fiction. When volunteering as a student judge for the Peabody Awards documentary competition in college, I met award-winning documentary filmmakers and watched some excellent films that got me interested in making my own documentary one day.”

After graduating from UGA, Lutz got her first taste of like in the film industry as an intern.

“Upon graduating from college, I was accepted as one of 30 interns in the prestigious Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Internship program and spent eight weeks learning about all aspects of the television industry from the inside. I made good friends, found work at a production company and started working on a big budget movie as a director’s assistant, so I was hooked.”

From there, she began working on films about people and the challenges facing them.

“In 2006, I traveled all over Turkey with filmmaker Binnur Karaevli to produce a feature length documentary that she was directing called ‘Voices Unveiled: Turkish Women Who Dare,’ about three Turkish women who struggle with traditions and stereotypes to lead the independent lives they desire. The film was finished in 2009 and is still screening in film festivals all over the world.”

This year Lutz has had plenty of work to do as well.

“I’ve had a busy year – for a company called Karga 7 Pictures,” she said. “This year alone I produced a series for Cooking Channel (“The Culinary Adventures of Baron Ambrosia”), a series for Discovery Channel with Mike Rowe (“How Booze Built America”), and I’m currently producing a series for the Science Channel that James Woods is hosting called “This Changes Everything.” You’ll also see me in episode 5 of that series as an actor.”

Lutz has lived in Los Angeles for a long time now and feels at home in Tinseltown.

“I really love LA. I’ve been out here for over a decade, so I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to live anywhere else, to be honest,” she said. “There are lots of negative stereotypes about Los Angeles and California in general, and while some things might be true (traffic), it really is a great place to experience life.

“There is so much diversity here – you meet people from all over the world, all walks of life. It influences art, music, food and everything around you. And being a part of the entertainment industry, you automatically have something in common with a huge portion of the population out here,” she added.

“There’s always something to do and explore in L.A. Not to mention the amazing weather and having the beach and the mountains right nearby.”

Those interested in learning more about the film “Ageless Art” or giving a donation to see it come to fruition can send an email to agelessartfilm@gmail.com