Crowdfunding Push: Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film

Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film crowdfunding project is definitely very self-explanatory. As the title suggests, it's aiming to raise money for the production of one of the first (if not the first) epic fantasy films which will be entirely created in the region of Southern Serbia. The project's official Indiegogo page states:

Dark goddess Morana and her bastard son, lord of blizzards Mrazlo Mecavnik bring eternal winter in Sorabya lands. The gods send rune in the tunnels of time and chose young warrior Zvezdan (Starborn) of Wildern to kill the evil lord and save his land. His companions are wizard Saladin from Devil Hamlet, leader of ancient, secret Order of Thunder chroniclers, werewolf outcast Kraguly the Damned, Elven druid Vilindar, Peruns son, half/god Zlot and Dwarven rogue Runvid the Pickpocket. They will travel across the devastated lands, to find flame sword Thunderfang and win in the biggest battle of the ancient world.  If they succeed, they will save the land of Sorabia from icy and dark destruction by his hand...

The film is based on a book written by Milos Petkovic, now already a veteran of Serbian epic fantasy fiction. At the same time, the project is really ambitious because, alongside of it, an entire new production house was created. The company called Thunder Production, hopes to ignite a small but potent film industry in the same region. I think this initiative is solid, mainly because like the regions of Check Republic after the collapse of the USSR, this part of the world has a huge cinematic potential which is completely untapped by the western movie industry. As far as the Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film, the campaign is looking for a hefty $50,000 and is currently passed 1% of its goal.

Check out the Thunder Chronicles Epic Fantasy Film Indiegogo page and see if you can help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: iSyndrome

A new interesting crowdfunding campaign is looking to make a short science fiction film with the topic of terrifying psychological disorder called iSyndrome. The film plans to focus consciousness and the way it is represented in the minds of individuals, but also in a wider cultural context. The iSyndrome official Indiegogo page states:

iSyndrome is a 20-minute narrative short film about a young and brilliant brain researcher suffering from Depersonalization Disorder, losing his mind. His wife, a post-materialist researcher, tries everything she can to save him, even if it means reaching the end of life, and going to the heart of consciousness. 

Barak Shavit, an Israeli filmmaker is the man behind this film and it’s impressive to see him go for the mixture of science fiction and hard-hitting drama. Films like these are usually difficult to pull off because most see Sci-Fi as a collection of tech gimmicks and visual amazement that is not primarily cerebral in nature, where the added drama often feels forced and unnecessary. But, Shavit seems to have a clear vision and has already measured up the atmosphere he desires to achieve, making iSyndrome seem very promising.

Currently, the film raised around 30% of its target. Visit the film's Indiegogo page and see how you can help make iSyndrome come to life.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: Black Angel

Epic fantasy is something that is currently really popular in many formats, especially video games. But, at the same time, apart from Peter Jackson’s not so brilliant Hobbit trilogy and many fringe, sort of fantasy young adult adaptations of successful novels, there aren’t many movies that delve straight into this territory. Now, there is a crowdfunding campaign aimed at funding a film called Black Angler that is going for the full epic fantasy feel. The film’s Indiegogo page states:

Think Game of Thrones meets Valhalla Rising, Excalibur meets Lord of the Rings. A powerful tale of ancient Celtic magic and Nordic Paganism, it’ll be gritty, dirty and heroic – everything great fantasy should be. The story follows a knight as he journeys deep into the dark underworld with the daughter of a rival king, to meet the face of evil itself and fight the Black Angel in combat. Full of drama, action and heroism, pure light is pitted against eternal darkness and damnation.

The film will be created by Roger Christian, who worked on projects like the original Star Wars and Alien. With this experience, he plans to reimagine his short film by the same name made in 1980 into a full, feature-length epic adventure. The thing which I really like in Christian’s presentation is the vintage fantasy feel that many of its concept art pieces carry with them, but the project as a whole does not seem like a futile push to bring back the “good old times”. The recent Mad Max: Fury Road is a perfect example of how modern cinema definitely has a lot to learn from the semi-forgotten approaches of the previous decades, I’m certain that Black Angle can turn out to be a really good action adventure.

The film campaign started out really well and it’s currently close to 90% of its goal. Check out the film’s official Indiegogo page and see how you can help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: The Chair

The Chair, a new horror that focuses on the gritty, dark corners of a human mind is currently looking for funding on their Kickstarter campaign aimed at completing its post-production tasks. It states:

Richard Sullivan (Tim Muskatell) is an innocent man struggling to escape his fate on death row. Witnessing the brutal killings of his fellow inmates (played by Ezra Buzzington, Jacob Banser, and John Siciliano) at the hands of the prison's sadistic and psychotic Warden (Bill Oberst Jr.) and his crew of guards (played by Roddy Piper, Noah Hathaway, Zach Galligan, Derrick Damions, and Kyle Hester), Sullivan decides that the only way to survive is to fight back. But as he's forced to match the brutality occurring in the prison, Sullivan is pushed to the brink of madness.

As a film that includes both the always awesome Bill Oberst Jr. who recently had an amazing role in The Retrieval and Roddy Piper (yes, that Roddy Piper), this has to become an all-out horror extravaganza. Their Kickstarter campaign currently managed to reach around 60% of their intended goals, so check it out here and see if you can help make The Chair a completed film.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: Spectrum

Mystery movies are probably one of the most engaging film genres. At the same time, they are also a genre that is notoriously hard to pull off without seeming goofy, predictable or plain bad. A new IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign is looking to develop a surreal mystery film that will from the get-go embrace its funnier side. This film is called Spectrum and its official page states:

Charlie wakes from a coma into a world seemingly run by the corporation ‘Spectrum’, who offer personality implants to those willing to pay. Not funny? Buy an implant. Want to stop caring? Buy an implant. Reassembling the pieces of his lost life, Charlie is faced with the tough decision of whether he wants to remember who he was or joining the new world, where he can pay to be anything he wants. Occasionally, he finds, the decision will even be made for him.

Michael Henry is the man behind this project and the artists that inspired this film include David Lynch, Paul Tomas Anderson, and Terry Gilliam. At the same time, the film was also influenced by darker things like the Rupert Murdoch and the global trend of corporations intruding into private lives. Watching the trailer, I also noticed bits that resemble the broad feel found in things like the UK TV show Utopia, Upstream Color and maybe even a few hints of the classic TV show The Prisoner. In total, Spectrum seems like an ambitious project that deserves a chance, especially because of its humor and a really modest asking budget. Its IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign just started, but you can check it out here and see how you can help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: The Price of Love

In this crowdfunding campaign called The Price of Love, a documentary examines the harsh nature of immigration laws currently in place in the UK. The film's official Indiegogo page states:

Thousands of British citizens have lost the right to have their non-EU husband or wife live with them in their home country, simply because they do not earn enough money. The level set at £18,600 per year is considerably higher than the the national average wage, meaning that many Brits have effectively been told they cannot afford to fall in love.

Tragically, this rule has meant that many young children are being kept apart from a parent for prolonged periods of time.

The Price of Love takes a closer look at these rules and asks whether it is morally just to keep families apart based purely on income.

The film is a creation of Don McVey, a director who first noticed this story in 2012, but struggled to find the funding for it. From the looks of the shots in the promo, it dives deep into this problem, but also into the phenomenon of subtle (and less subtle) immigration fear that continues to grow in the European states and shows the human cost of it all. The campaign is currently in its final hours, having reached almost 90% of its goal. Check out The Price of Love Indiegogo page and see if how you can help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push - Extinction: Prologue

A new post-apocalyptic short film is looking for crowdfunding help in realizing its vision of a deserted and destroyed planet Earth. The film’s Indiegogo page states:

Twenty-five years after a cataclysmic event killed most life on Earth, a lonesome wanderer discovers an abandoned housing complex in the middle of a forest. There he meets another survivor – a weird old man who constantly talks about a long-lost friend called "Matthew". When the hermit is willing to share his greatest treasure, the wanderer decides to stay for a while. However, there is more to this strange place than meets the eye, since the apocalypse unleashed something that was hidden for a very long time...

Although it is not too original in its setup, Extinction: Prologue is being produced by the Avenir Film Company and judging their ambitious teaser, they seem really capable of making a nice post-apocalyptic story (especially in the area of photography and how they position and operate the camera in the shots). Also, they are aiming for more films in the same narrative universe (another sign of ambition). Currently, their campaign crossed 30% of the funds they are looking for, and if you think you can help them, check out their official page.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: Bad Acid

Mixing hard drugs and horror tales already sounds like a good idea, but when you throw a washed-out hypnotist in the mix, you get the basic outline of a very promising short film called Bad Acid. The plot of the film goes like this:

Marvin Maskelyn is a hypnotist and magician whose success has come and gone leaving him a bitter divorcee with nothing in the bank and a penchant for getting stoned. After a performance that went from bad to bloody awful, Marvin acquired a black eye but lost his beloved prop of a genie lamp. Visiting an antique dealer friend who pities him, Marvin is given an antique lamp with a chequered past and a secret stash of LSD blotters within. With nothing left to lose, he takes one.

The man behind the crowdfunding campaign that aims to make this film a reality is David Chaudoir, who wrote the script and plans to direct it. Chaudoir explains that he has gathered a lot of filmmaking experience, but that now, with Bad Acid, he desires to make something truly his.

While LSD and supernatural elements seem to fit perfectly into a horror tale, I am really impressed with the Bad Acid pitch on their Indiegogo page. By the looks of Chaudoir presentation and underlining (and a very natural and unforced) passion, I can’t see how this film can turn out anything else by awesome. Bad Acid crowdfunding campaign began on this very day, so the film has 30 days to find the money. If all of this sounds interesting to you, check out the film's Indiegogo page.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: The Fastest, Most Romantic Love Yet

With the title like The Fastest, Most Romantic Love Yet there should be little doubt that this Kickstarter campaign is aiming high when it comes to the plot of the film it was designed to support. Regarding its core narrative, its official page explains the plot like this:

Phoebe has a Tinder date in an hour and a half. Keith has a Tinder date in an hour and a half. Can you guess where we're going with this one? In a cafe, bubbly Ashlee explains to the shy MIT grad student Phoebe the Text Delay Theory and past relationships. At a bar, apparent writer Clay and frat bro Keith discuss the discovery of America and its relation to dating; their favorite porn genres; and the Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Along the way, others drop in on them: a surly bartender, a rational Neo-Nazi, a couple excited of Beats from out on the road, a hypocritical preacher, an intellectual feminist, a scientifically-illiterate MIT humanities professor, and a barfly philosopher.

Interspersed are interviews with couples who met through the decades of the twentieth century, from exchanging letters during the Korean War to meeting online. All leading up to the Tinder date. This is: "The fastest, most romantic love yet."

The film was imagined by Shane Butler, a young filmmaker who recently made an interesting indie feature-length comedy called Down the Cape. Now, he desires to make something through the influences of people like Kurt Vonnegut and Richard Linklater, while placing the plot (I’m guessing this) in a Seinfeld-like environment. Currently, the film’s crowdfunding campaign passed the 10% mark, and the initial goal is focused on getting the right sound recordist, which is a very smart move by Butler (and a necessity for a film like this to work).

If The Fastest, Most Romantic Love Yet seems interesting to you, check out their official page on Kickstarter and see who you can help it out.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: Albion

After We Are Soldier, here is another Sci-Fi short that seems really interesting. It includes crash landings and ancient relics, which is a solid starting point while adding the Arthurian legend sprinkles even more flavor onto it. This is what the official Albion Indiegogo page states:

A long friendship will be put to the test when Arthur and Eric crash on the continent of ALBION. They are occupied in the search for an ancient artifact, but when they stumble across a native of the hostile world, a struggle for power will come to the fore and both of our heroes will have to decide – who returns home, and who DIES. This is the origins of - KING ARTHUR.

Albion - Indiegogo Campaign Video from Joshua Eley on Vimeo.

Although the notion of Sci-Fi in the woods isn't too exciting, the feel of the pilot for this short film has a few things going for it, including the crucial atmosphere of danger and discovery, along with a welcomed focus on the characters. Albion just began their campaign and have currently passed a few percent of their targeted budget of 1000 British pounds (which is pretty modest). Check their Indiegogo page here and see if you are interested in helping out.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: We Are Soldier

Military science fiction is a genre where independent films of the 21st century really entered a new domain of possibilities. Recently, I wrote about a miniature masterpiece of effective cinema called Mis-Drop and it perfectly shows indie potential when it comes to these kinds of stories. Now, a project about a similar militarized dystopian future needs help with its completion. The official We Are Soldier Indiegogo page states:

A former violent criminal, forcibly reprogrammed to be a mindless Battle Drone, regains his self-awareness in the heat of battle and must escape the clutches of his own forces whilst maintaining his newly-found humanity, or die trying.

This is the story of We Are Soldier, an ambitious, independent Sci-Fi thriller set in the not-too distant future.

Led by myself Lee Asquith-Coe (Writer, Director), we have assembled a crew of the finest quality armed with years of experience and talent. From our DoP, to our Armourer, our VFX Supervisors, Prosthetics, Production Design and Pyro, our team is a skilled and committed one with a shared vision - to create an exciting and dynamic movie that can hold its own against the big boys.

The existing short trailer shows promise when it comes to pacing and cinematography, which is especially evident in the combo of low light and menacing music (done really well for the promo video). Currently, the crowdfunding campaign reached 25%, so check out how you can help if We Are Soldier looks interesting to you.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: Divine

Contemporary Berlin is the setting for this short film, and two completely opposite characters are examined in it, both coming from the Russia. The official Indiegogo description explains the film like this:

Divine is a short film that follows two young, very different, Russian expatriates living in Berlin with an aim to explore how our unfulfilled dreams and desires soon catch up with us. Alina, forced into the dark work of prostitution, finds herself speaking to Anna, a well kept woman, after she answers a ringing telephone booth phone. Faced with questions of her aspirations, she is left with a two-pronged path and a decision to make.

 

I noticed this film mostly thanks to its minimalistic elegance, and an almost creepy but still somehow emotionally stinging soundtrack. By the looks of its current production state, it has a great chance to become a strong drama about the sadness of modern global nomadic lifestyles filled with loneliness. Currently, Divine crossed 70% of its target on Indiegogo campaign, so check it out if you would like to help it see made.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: PLEASED TO EAT YOU!

This is a short film about a lifeboat scenario that includes cannibalism. Oh, and it's a musical.

Naturally, I am very interested in any art form that covers isolation, gruesome death by starvation and the possibility of eating human flesh. But, when all of this is provided in a musical setting, a genre that definitely lacks cannibalism (among many other things), I have no doubt that this crowdfunding project needs to be supported. The official PLEASED TO EAT YOU! description states:

Pleased To Eat You! is a a short musical comedy film set in an art-deco style fantasy world.

Stranded on a raft at sea, John (Oliver Lansley), Tom (Anthony Spargo) and Vinnie (Lee Ravitz) are starving. When Vinnie croaks it, John and Tom’s imaginations go into overload as they dream up some questionable and very musical ways to consume him.

Influenced by the golden age of Hollywood musicals, Pleased To Eat You! is a homage to their design, sound and imagination, but one we're pulling into the 21st century with digital technology and visual effects.

Apart from a really cool and funny setup, the film presents an interesting visual style, which is a bold move by the director Adrian Hedgecock. He could have easily gone for a low budget approach and the film would still work - now, Hedgecock and his team are looking for funds on Indiegogo to make PLEASED TO EAT YOU! happen. Currently, they reached 35% of the funds they are looking for. So, if you want to help this film, find out more here.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding push: CONCLUSIONS

CONCLUSIONS is a short film about suicide. While many already have a strong opinion on this subject, recent events that included well-known figures taking their life have shown that there are conflicting thoughts about this act.

Like art should, CONCLUSIONS explores the issue, but does this from a slightly different perspective. Its short summary states:

Conclusions is a drama which deals with the subject of suicide to promote suicide prevention by giving the viewer something to think about. This is aimed towards people who may actually be going through depression or suicidal thoughts. It will follow the story of a young man and everything that makes him decide to end his own life. Then the story jumps back and tells the story from the perspective of another character which shows the real tragedy of his decision and what would have happened to him if he had not of jumped to CONCLUSIONS.

The key issue for me in this film is the fact that it deals with the ripple effect that any suicide has on its surroundings; while reality might be unimaginably hard for anyone contemplating this act, the fact is that other people will be significantly impacted by it. That is why I believe that CONCLUSIONS should be offered its chance to present this notion. The film's author Rodney Stewart began looking for funds through Indiegogo campaign, and is currently at around 10% of its goal. If this project sounds interesting, see how you can help Rodney here.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: The Criminal Audition

From the first sentence, The Criminal Audition seems like it has all that is needed for a cool movie. Its simple plot is original (to my knowledge) and instantly I started developing storylines set in its narrative, which is a sign of a great and expandable idea. The core concept of the film is this:

The Criminal Audition follows a crime organisation who specialise in keeping their wealthy clients out of prison. 

The Organisation finds someone, usually down on their luck and desperate, who is willing to frame themselves for the perpetrator’s illegal activities in exchange for large sums of cash. For some, crime really does pay.

Although the notion of powerful exploiting the less fortunate when it comes to crime and violence isn’t new and fresh (Purge: Anarchy is one of the recent examples), I like the fact that the film moves this notion to the real world. The main character Ryan is a man who encountered this organization earlier in his life, which lead to his imprisonment, but now, the same people want him back. As a script for a neo-noir thriller goes, The Criminal Audition has what it takes.

The film creators started a crowdfunding proces on Indiegogo, and have currently gathered around 7% of their intended goal. Check out their campaign here and see if you can/want to help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: Vagina Bug

This short movie was already shot in August 2014, but now its author Michelle Dyer, who directed it, needs funds to compete its post-production. Vagina Bug describes its plot like this:

20-something Edith attends a perfect baby shower and struggles with the unrealistic expectation of women today. As her own anxieties push their way to the surface, Edith undergoes a shocking transformation that will leave herself, the women at the shower, and the audience fundamentally changed.

From the Indiegogo promotional video, it’s clear that a lot of effort went into this piece, especially its visual perspective. The scenes and the entire scenography setup look great, bordering on hallucinogenic, which will probably serve as a fine counterpoint to the things that occur later on (I’m guessing, not really pleasant ones). Now, Vagina Bug is looking for help through its Indiegogo campaign, currently securing only a few percent of their goal. Check out the campaign here and see if you can help.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.

Crowdfunding Push: The Girl from the Wilderness

Here is a short post-apocalyptic films set in the frozen, post-WW3 landscape that recently began their crowd-funding campaign. It is called The Girl from the Wilderness and its summary states:

The Girl from the Wilderness is a live-action sci-fi dystopia about a worker who is influenced by a prisoner girl to rebel against their leader and to open a box that may contain their last hope for survival.

The Girl from the Wilderness concept art

The page offers a pitch video that begins with a “nuclear montage”, accompanied by a narrator who delivers a short and foreboding monologue. Although it is not much, the atmosphere of the intro is enough to paint the picture of where the production is going, and it looks melancholic and very dark. But making it live action will definitely be a challenge for this small crew.

The Girl from the Wilderness currently past their 30% mark so check out their Kickstarter page and decided if you want to help them make this film happen.

If you're looking for exposure for your film-related project, contact me right here.