Become a Genius Movie Producer and you'll be among the first to help make this film a reality

We're proud to be making this film and believe you'll be proud to have supported it. 

Four of five crew members (Sarah, 'Aqua', Max, and Mattia) together  with Frances Mayes , far left, while filming an interview at Bramasole,     the author's home in Cortona made famous by 'Under the Tuscan Sun'   (photo by Ed Mayes)

Come Join Us!

You Can Help Us Move Forward

You'll Be Making a Movie with a Message

If you want to know more about the film, read on! 

[note: this might be far more than you'll want to read, but it's a big project and we feel we should provide ample information]

Sundance, Here We Come!

We're a goal-oriented society so we better tell you right away about one of our objectives. We're aiming to début 'The Genius' at the ultra-prestigious Sundance Film Festival in January 2013. 

We fell in love with Sundance when we went in 2010, very early in our 'Genius' filming process. During our week in Park City, Utah we decided that that we'd do everything we could to début our finished film there. While at Sundance, we had a great opportunity to talk about 'The Genius' on the morning show dedicated to Sundance films. 

There are 4 details (several of which inter-connected) that stand between us and our Sundance 2013 début:

All that said, we're giving it everything we've got. Won't you be excited to see the film you've supported start getting public exposure?

You can help us stay on track by contributing now and suggesting that your friends do the same! 

Check out our perks, all meant to share with you a little bit of Italy's 'genius'  -- we hope you'll find something that fits your tastes... and your wallet!  Each one of our perks is 'stand-alone' so mix and match to your heart's content! 

We All Care for the Genius of a Place (We Just Don't Always Know It)

Over the last century we humans have lived with a dizzying pace of change. Although we might not focus consciously on this rapid evolution, when we think about it, we realize that places we love have changed both for better and for worse within the last few decades. Many seem to be losing their 'genius' and their sense of community.   (Photo courtesy of Prof. Duilio Peruzzi)

Back then the town seemed lost in time, living in a simpler way. That now seems like a distant memory. Today the town overflows with visitors, eateries and boutiques. Artisans have disappeared and so have most stores that served local residents. Population in the town center is dwindling as locals sell to foreigners willing to pay high prices for a vacation home. Residents feel disenfranchised and no longer collectively care for their community the way they did in the past. It risks becoming a no-man's land, with no one looking out for its long-term interests.

We're Telling a Story of Change

The story told in THE GENIUS OF A PLACE has already begun touching the chords of people around the world. We get messages all the time from people in places as seemingly different as Thailand, Canada, Portugal, Croatia, Wales, Sri Lanka, and the United States saying that they recognize the story of their own beloved place in our trailer or clips. Modernization has accelerated the pace of change around the world and often has led to places of exceptional beauty being harmed or even ravaged. People only realize what has happened when it's already too late. That's why THE GENIUS OF A PLACE will encourage viewers to act as stewards of their own communities, safeguarding their resources and treasures before they are ruined or destroyed. 

Looking at pictures from fifty or one hundred years ago we are shocked to see what we've subsequently done to these places. As an example, look at these rare archival images of daily life in Cortona in the late 1950s and you'll see how quickly we have changed the world around us. 

We've paved over fertile land to make parking lots, built massive highways, constructed sprawling factories and strewn the world with a tangle of electrical lines. In 1924 Burton Holmes referred to this as the 'disturbing hand of progress'.  It's far more evident today than it possibly could have been then.  Yet we tend not to notice it or think about it. Sure, we're all looking for economic growth but who's paying attention to the hidden costs? Who's working to develop a place while considering the long-term interests of the place and the people who live there? 

We're Making a Film with a Universal Theme

THE GENIUS OF A PLACE uses Cortona, an ancient hill town in Tuscany as a symbol for communities all around the globe. In today's world, where places quickly become globalized, it's a struggle to find a balance between development and conservation of all that makes a place beautiful, unique, livable and sustainable.

In THE GENIUS OF A PLACE we chose to photograph this global phenomenon through the experience of one specific place. In the case of Cortona, the single largest catalyst for change was the bestselling book then Hollywood movie 'Under the Tuscan Sun'.  Thanks to the notoriety that they bestowed on Cortona, 400,000 visitors now flock each year to admire the beauty of this little place. This massive influx of people has created a dizzying pace of change in this once sleepy, semi-isolated town. Most residents don't know what to make of it. The place they've always known and loved is slipping away from them. Through the story of one place we feel we'll tell the story of many. 

Want to Know Even More?

Want to Know Our Story?

We five crew members have pooled our skills to explore a topic that we find both fascinating and important. Together we're capturing some of the complexities involved in taking care of a place in a mobile world, where people are far less rooted, committed and involved than in the past.   (photo by Antonio Carloni)

To date, we have self-produced all of our work. In other words, we have paid all our own expenses and we have received no pay for all the time we have dedicated to the project. We each have our own reasons for doing such a seemingly crazy thing but there are some common denominators. The main one is that we all believe deeply in the project and in the film's message. The second one is that we see the 'Genius' as a great way to expand ourselves creatively and professionally. 

While motivated by enthusiasm for the subject and belief in the film's potential, it hasn't always been easy. If you want to see some our many mishaps during the filming process, check out Behind-the-Scenes. 

Now we've finally finished filming and just want to lock ourselves  in the editing room so we can distill our footage into a 90 minute film. As you will have gathered, this campaign is to help us secure TIME TO EDIT OUR GENIUS FOOTAGE.  

We've Got Great Footage

We feel we've done a lot under our own steam. Finishing all our filming was a huge undertaking for us, requiring seven shoots in which the crew spent several weeks on location, spread out over two years. We feel we've got plenty of great footage and we're ready to do all the work (called post-production) to turn our raw material into a finished product. 

We've had the good luck to interview dozens of thoughtful people including legendary actors Jeremy Irons and Anthony Hopkins, Frances Mayes, author of 'Under the Tuscan Sun', director Abbas Kiarostami, Italian superstar Lorenzo 'Jovanotti' Cherubini and Australian rocker Nick Cester. On top of that, we've recorded the actions and perspectives of dozens of people who form a representative mosaic of what's going on in this community. 

During our filming process, we gathered a wide variety of view points, speaking to elderly farmers and the Mayor, merchants and shoppers, retired people and young people, local folk and foreigners who are there for a visit or who now live there all or most of the year. We also spoke to a sprinkling of celebreties who visited Cortona. (photo by Antonio Carloni)

Jeremy Irons

Anthony Hopkins 

Frances Mayes
love them or lose them

things change

big city lights

trailer

This is just the tip of the iceberg of our footage. It's like showing you a sketch of what will become a vast mural. It gives some vague sense but cannot substitute or fully convey the finished work. That's why we need you!

You Can Help Us

Now we need your support to finish the film. Making a film is a gargantuan undertaking. One crucial part of this process is editing.  Transforming raw footage into a film translates to untold hours in the editing room and also the services of many professionals (ever noticed how long closing credits are on a film?). We've already begun our editing process but progress has been slow and uneven because we've been doing it in scraps of time between paid work.

To really pull it all together and finish our rough cut, we need to dedicate large chunks of time exclusively to this project. That's what it takes to achieve "unity" in a creative work. And yet we're not in a position to close down the production company to work on an unpaid basis. Niggling irritants such as paying the rent and utility bills get in the way. 

That's where you come in. You can become a Genius supporter. Right now you can help us get the time we need in the editing room. By doing so, you will be helping us transform our raw and semi-edited footage into a finished, cinematographic quality film. Whether you give $10 or $10,000, you'll be a Movie Producer. 

So Go Ahead and Brag!

As soon as you make a contribution, feel free to brag to all your friends that you're helping produce a movie filmed in a gorgeous and cool location and featuring such legendary actors as Jeremy Irons and Anthony Hopkins. We hope you'll make your friends writhe with envy, so they too want to become Genius supporters!

If you happen to be the tree-hugging, conservation-minded sort (like Sarah!), you can also talk about how this is a film with an eco-message. You'll identify with Sarah, the leading character and yet anything-but-famous person worried about the long-term effects of rapid development in a place she loves... and wondering if she has the power to do anything about it. Through Sarah's eyes you'll see the residents of Cortona grapple with the trade-offs between development and conservation. We think you'll recognize aspects of a place you fear is changing beyond recognition or repair.  You and other viewers will contemplate how powerful mechanized mankind has become, rendering places of beauty ever more vulnerable. 

What's more, you'll be able to use the finished film as a tool to marshall support for conservation efforts in your own special place. That's because THE GENIUS OF A PLACE is a film that encourages viewers to take care of the places they love, wherever they may happen to be and no matter what type of development they are pursuing. That's a pretty cool message, isn't it? 

How It Works

We're running our TIME TO EDIT OUR GENIUS FOOTAGE campaign here on IndieGoGo through December 31, 2011. During that time, we'll work to raise at least $20,000. We'll be doing all we can to get the word out via friends, fans, blogs and the press.  We'll ask you to help us spread the word.  

We see this as a great opportunity for us. We know that the more money we raise, the more quickly we'll be able to finish the film. It's that simple. 

We're a small group of people and while we have abundant complementary skills, we can only do so many things at once. That means that if we have to dedicate lots of time to fund-raising, then we have practically no time for working on the film. The flip side is that if we raise a fair amount of money, we can and will switch gears instantaneously, investing all our time, energy and funds into finishing 'The Genius'. 

You Can Help Us Reach the Tipping Point

You are far more important in this process than you realize. In crowdfunding, every little bit counts. It's one of those cases where "little things can make a big difference". If enough people start actively supporting a project, it can reach a 'Tipping Point'.  When that happens, it just takes off and everybody wants to hop on board. Then success breeds more success. How great is that?

When a project reaches a tipping point in crowdfunding, it improves the chance of receiving funding from other sources since funders understandably like to see that a project is receiving public support. Of course, competition for funds is incredibly competitive.  A 'hot' crowdfunding campaign sends a strong signal to funders that a project is both credible and appealing. 

This all means that by contributing to our crowdfunding efforts, you can help us position ourselves to raise funds more effectively in other spheres too.  Again, how great is that? 

The Film's Approach and Impact

We see THE GENIUS OF A PLACE as a virtual piazza, a place where you can hear what others have to say about what's going on in town, which you'll then mull over and decide what is relevant to your own situation.   It'll expose you to a wider range of perspectives than when you talk to people in your own circle.

Once the film is finished, people and groups will be able to use it as a tool to spark dialogue and civic engagement in their efforts to hone in on the 'genius' of their own communities. They can use the film to start or strengthen their own grassroots movements. Now that we're done filming we're starting to connect with people and non-profit organizations that feel affinity for our mission and messages. By the time we're ready to release the film we envision having a host of people all around the globe excited about using THE GENIUS OF A PLACE to encourage others to discover, nurture and protect the Genius of their little corner of the world. 

Doesn't planetary and human health depend upon us all taking care of our own little patch of the earth? Is there any other way?  If you agree that there isn't, you'll want to be involved with helping us finish this film and getting it out into the wider world. The messages conveyed by THE GENIUS OF A PLACE are universal, timely, important and urgent. Yet the style is engaging and enjoyable. How great is that?  

Wouldn't you be proud to help a film like this be made? We certainly hope so. We can tell you that we're proud to be making it!

Tax Deductibility

Contributions made by US tax payers are deductible because THE GENIUS OF A PLACE has been granted a Fiscal Sponsorship by a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Fiscal sponsorships serve as incubators to community-oriented projects which in the start-up phase almost inevitably don't have the size and structure to venture out on their own. Fiscal Sponsorship is the norm among American independent films. Every project is a start-up seedling that requires outside support and care to grow into a finished film. Subsidies in this realm are scarce so Fiscal Sponsorship act as indirect subsidies to the Arts or, in this particular case, towards the realm of independent filmmaking. 

Our Fiscal Sponsor, From the Heart Productions, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to funding films that "are unique and make a contribution to society". It was founded in 1992 by Carole Dean, an experienced film professional. Carole delights in helping "make films that might otherwise never have been made".  THE GENIUS OF A PLACE is one of the lucky films to be supported by Carole, and she has promised she'll mentor us all the way through distribution. 

A Few More Things

Please know that:

1.) we will apply all the funds we receive to completing THE GENIUS OF A PLACE as quickly and as well as possible;

2.) we consider your hard-earned money to be precious and we'll use it responsibly and wisely;

3.) we're 'seven months pregnant' and we're going to make this film no matter how much money we raise;

4.) and finally, if we were to exceed our $20,000 goal, even substantially, that simply means that we'll be able to dedicate much more time to finishing the film than to the fundraising process. And take our word for it: that is any filmmaker's dream come true. 

If you want to contact us

If this project is kind of growing on you and you want to contact the filmmakers, please contact us by:

We want to hear your thoughts and ideas! 

What If You Don't Feel Like Making a Contribution

It's alright if you don't feel like making a contribution. We won't hold a grudge. Besides, there's another vital way you can help: by spreading the word! 

Be a Genius Megaphone!

The secret of crowdfunding success lies in the number of people reached by a campaign so it's incredibly important to us that you take a few minutes and spread this message as widely as you possibly can. By doing so, you'll be magnifying our voice. This can be decisive in helping speed THE GENIUS OF A PLACE towards completion. 

We thank you. So will our lovely planet and future generations who will inhabit it. May the Genius be with you!