Jeremy is an award-winning short film by writer/director, Brian Faye. It got it's start on Indiegogo and has recently begun it's worldwide film festival run. We need YOUR HELP to make it a big success. By investing in this film, you will be part of a professional-grade, 35mm short film that is already making waves and gaining traction towards being made into a full-length feature film.
A few notes on Jeremy:
*Jeremy just recently beat out nearly 500 films from 160+ film schools worldwide to win the prestigious Angelus Student Film Festival's "Triumph of the Spirit Award" in Hollywood, California. As part of the awards ceremony, Jeremy was screened at the Director's Guild of America on Sunset Boulevard at the end of September. The last film to win this award, Gregg Helvey's Kavi, went on to be nominated for a 2010 Academy Award for best live short film.
*Our film was just recognized with the Leo Freedman Award, which provides a grant in partnership with Deluxe Laboratories in Los Angeles to strike an official 35mm film print of the film.
*Jeremy was announced as one of three films to be screened at Chapman University Film Conservatory's "First Cut" ceremony, to be held at the DGA in Hollywood this October and again in Manhattan, NY in the spring of 2011.
*Jeremy won the "Best Picture" graduate thesis film award at Chapman University's 2010 Cecil B. DeMille Awards in May.
*In addition to winning second place at the Angelus Student Film Festival in Hollywood, Jeremy
has been officially selected at two other film festivals thus far:
-The Heartland Film Festival (Indianapolis, IN) - Heartland is the largest inspirational film festival in North America. Jeremy was picked out of 835 submissions to screen at the festival and was in the final pool of 30 short films this year to be up for one of seven prestigious Crystal Heart Awards.
-The Bend International Film Festival (Bend, OR) - Bend recognizes independent films from all over the world.
Jeremy needs your help!
Hi, I'm Brian Faye, director of Jeremy. My team is currently trying to mount a campaign to get an independent production deal to finance Jeremy as a full-length feature film. To do this, we must travel to important film festivals where the film is received and pitch the film to potential distributors and funders. For example, an upcoming festival I want to attend, The Heartland Film Festival, is famous for being attended by these types of distributors, people who are looking for content. Unfortunately, to get the attention we need, we need distributors to watch the film first. And we cannot get them to watch the film unless we have the funds to attend the festival, work the parties, and litter the town with posters and flyers. In fact, just a few days ago, Heartland emailed me, requesting posters and postcards showcasing our film. I was pretty disappointed to find out that 50 posters would run about 800 dollars. And most poster companies will make no fewer than 50, otherwise costs start to skyrocket for them.
I'm a risk taker. I think that this film is going to do big things. I want you to know that I've laid it all on the line to make this film and have gone broke several times in the process. My wife and I even liquidated both our retirement and savings accounts back in February just to finish paying for the film's production. While I was able to raise almost $2,000 in our initial Indiegogo run, I had to take out a $15,000 loan to finance the film in addition to the donations we received and personal finances I dispensed. Needless to say, money is tight once again. We recently won a cash prize at the Angelus film festival, but the funds there are already spent on travel costs and film debts. Such is the life of a passionate filmmaker.
The simple fact is this. This film is close. It is starting to get into big film festivals. It has most certainly been an audience favorite thus far where we've screened it. I know there's a market for this film. We started from nothing and somehow, a year later, have a beautiful short film on our hands. In fact, the Angelus Festival has so much faith in the film that they are talking about taking it to Sundance this year to screen as part of a side-symposium they do each year. But I need more money to maximize all of these opportunities.
I estimate that we need about $5,000...and anything you can donate will be a blessing to this film's success!
Mostly right now, we need press materials. We have no posters, postcards, flyers, or window cards. I don't even have a business card. And these things are essential to make such an independent film successful at the next level. We also feel like we may need to hire an affordable press agent, who would promote the film for us at festivals. So add it all up and you'll understand why I'm doing Jeremy Round II on Indiegogo, this time for $5,000. I estimate that this will go very far to putting us on track.
In exchange, I'd like to invite you aboard the Jeremy train...
I love making films. But I hate when locals and loved ones lift a filmmaker up and get him or her going, only to be forgotten one day by the filmmaker, whose ego gets the best of him or her. I'm not that guy. I awarded three Associate Producer titles to our biggest Indiegogo donors on the first go-round of fundraising. Their names are listed with the film now on IMDB and have played in front of hundreds of people every time the film has screened. I no longer have credits to offer for the short film, but let's be friends anyway and work towards the feature!
1. Watch the Thanksgiving Scene Clip on here. Get a feel for the film.
2. Add me on Facebook
(if you're nice, I'll even send you a link to watch the whole film online)
3. Call me!
3. Donate to the film
4. Join me if Jeremy screens at a festival near you.
NO DONATION IS TOO SMALL!
On the first go round we received many smaller, "non-perk" type donations. We're grateful for each and every one of them and they all add up! Please give, even if you feel that your donation is small. Yes, we do need larger donations. But when someone sacrifices and gives me $20 and I know it's hard for them, or they just want to help out, I feel very touched and humbled by their kindness. Having said that, if you are in the mood for a perk, or just want to be generous, check out what we're offering. We could use a few generous donations, to be sure.*
*All perk donations that offer movie credit are contingent upon the feature film being made, which obviously, is the aim here.
Last but not least...
Thank you. Thank you for helping us. Thank you for joining our team. I consider each one of you my friends in the film community. As I said before, no donation is too small. We need you. This film is special. Please get the word out by telling all your friends and by joining our campaign!
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Jeremy short synopsis:
In their last visit together, Jeremys father tells him to find Godeven though Palmdale seems like the last place God would be.
Forty miles from anything, and seemingly a million miles from heaven, fourteen year-old Jeremy struggles to find happiness after learning that he can no longer pay weekly visits to his incarcerated father. When his dad is transfered to a less crowded but more distant prison, Jeremy faces life alone with his obese, game-show addicted mother and his two disparaging older half-brothers.
In the most desperate trailer town west of Texas, Jeremy must somehow find light in a world that isnt used to giving any.
Brian Faye
Ian Coad
Stephanie Berman
Andrew Hellesen
Josue Fleurimond