Our Story

My name is Ebbe Bassey. I am an actor and a second time screen writer and executive producer under the umbrella of my production company, 10Wembly Productions located in the Bronx, New York.  The idea behind 10Wembly Productions is to entertain but educate. I do believe that films should make us feel good but it should expand our minds, elevate us and leave us better people than when we stepped first into the theater. 

My first short film, Siri Oko Fo (Mending Fences) dealt with same sex relationships/parenthood and female gender mutilation from the perspective of a West African-Puerto-Rican family.  In order to produce this film, I borrowed heavily against my 401k, this is how much I believed in my project and the message it sent forth which is that female gender mutilation MUST be eliminated and tolerance.  The response I received was overwhelming especially because many people think that female gender mutilation (female circumcision) is no longer practiced or in some cases people had never heard of this situation until they saw Siri Oko Fo.  The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Urban World FF, Hollywood Black Film Festival etc. At this moment, this film is serving as an educational tool in Social/African-American/Women's study classes at universities such as Rutgers University.

In my second venture, I want to bring attention to how HIV/AIDS is affecting our senior citizens.  This is by no means a new phenomenon but I have noted that there are many movies that speak on the issue of HIV/AIDS from the gay male or the down-low-married-husband-with-children or the teen perspective; however, there has not been any movie to my knowledge that has addressed this issue from the view point of the senior citizen.  I think the reason why this hasn't been the case is because people assume that seniors are not having sex therefore they are not at risk for HIV/AIDS.  

SAVING FATHER will be a short narrative film on a daughter trying to convince her widowed, actively dating father to take an HIV test and his resistance to the idea.  I know that statistics can cause the eyes to glaze over but please bear with me and read the following alarming numbers:

According to the Center of Disease & Control, in the US, approximately one million people are infected with HIV, although an estimated one-quarter to one-third does not know of their HIV infection. It is also estimated that about 40,000 new HIV infections occur every year. Of new HIV/AIDS cases reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, over 15% were in persons 50 years and older while nearly 2% of new diagnoses were in patients over 65 years of age.  Between 2001 and 2005, the estimated number of AIDS cases by age of diagnosis had risen by nearly 40% in persons 50 years and older. During the same time period, the number of persons 50 years and older living with AIDS had doubled, and by the end of 2005, this age group represented close to 30% of the total US population living with AIDS. source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Impact

I truly believe that SAVING FATHER will generate much needed dialogue about the silence surrounding our seniors contracting and dying from this disease and ignorance.  We need to stop the following:

• - Being squeamish about seniors and sex.  Studies have shown that physicians DO NOT routinely assess for HIV risk factors in persons over 50.  The incorrect belief that people over 50 do not have sexual risk factors for HIV is contributing to the incidence of unprotected sex among seniors and the lack of safer sex education directed at people over 50.

       - We need to stop ignoring the fact that older IV drug users exist and they might not be particularly careful in their sexual practices.  Substance abuse programs need to extend the message of safety to the addicted over 50. 

What We Need & What You Get

After all the data and statistics, it all boils down to this simple fact: I NEED YOUR HELP DESPERATELY TO GET THIS FILM DONE.  I have NO other funding sources besides this medium so I am going to depend on the kindness of strangers, family members, the good force of the Universe etc.  In order to make this film, I need $20, 000 which will cover but isn't limited to: Pre-prodution development, Audition/Rehearsal space, Equipment rental (camera, lights, accessories) Locations,  Grip/Electric, Editing, Transportation/expendables, Music, Insurance, Travel, Actors, Director, Producer, Director of Photography, 1st/2nd Assistant Director, Make Up Artist, Production Design, Costume Design, Sound, Food, Production Assistant, External Hard Drive, Film Festival Submissions, Graphic Design, DVDs, Website, Sound Mix, Color Correction, Set Photographer.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOUR DONATION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE - 10Wembly Productions has received fiscal sponsorship from Samori Arts and Culture, Inc.  The Federal Tax Id number to claim your donation in April 2012 is 11-3178712.

IF we do not meet our goal, WE SHALL CONTINUE TO STRIVE ON BECAUSE THIS FILM MUST BE MADE, WE HAVE LIVES AT STAKE AND PEOPLE TO EDUCATE ON THE RISK HIV/AIDS POSES TO OUR SENIORS.

Other Ways You Can Help

Thank you so much!!!

Sincerely,

Ebbe