Our Story

'The God Illusion' is a short film about the connection we all share but rarely see. Focusing on the story of Lenny, an orphaned visual projection artist governed by fear and self loathing, and Beatrice, a young woman recently diagnosed with a rare and fatal neural disease seeking hope and solace through meditation and human interaction.  When Lenny is called into the office of neuroscientist Dr. Forsythe and given a recording of the last things his mother saw before she died, the video helps propel him into a downward spiral as his life falls apart around him.
This sounds heavy, and borderline melodramatic or cliche or over-the-top, but it's not. Writer/Director Evan Cutler Wattles has made sure of that. This script, in the works for many years now, has been drafted and redrafted with the suggestions and criticisms from countless friends, professors, professionals, and real life neuroscientist Pascal Wallisch, who is acting as the scientific supervisor for the film.

At the heart of the film, it's a story of connection. Between Beatrice and Lenny. Lenny and his late mother. Beatrice and you and me and the rest of the world. It's about how basic and simple that inherent connection is, and how rare it is to see. 'The God Illusion' sees it.

We started out as Evan Cutler Wattles, the film's writer and director, then grew to encompass Jake Holm, our wonderful producer, Nona Catusanu, our brilliantly talented director of photography, Adam Drosin, our equally talented production designer, Dan Mecca, our outstanding assistant director, and more who've helped turn this dream of Evan's into a growing dream of over twenty different people (and counting).

Our production, fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas as a non-profit (yes, that's correct, we are not doing this for any financial gains), will shoot from September 14th through September 28th in and around New York City.

The Impact

Tangible:

The obvious and immediate impact of this campaign will be the production of a great film. A passion project of many, the creation of this film means a great deal for all those involved. It will sweep the festival circuit, allowing the names of the young (and not so young) talents working on 'The God Illusion' to get the attention they deserve, and as more people see it, there exists a great chance of the right eye catching the film and optioning it for expansion into a feature film -- which it very well could be. Mind you, these are all possibilities that lie many many months down the road, and all focus on material and tangible gains this film may offer.

Abstract:

On a deeper level, this film is a catalyst for thought. What separates us from our neighbor? From our parents or strangers in the street? How does one weigh one life against another? Is there something beyond this material world? And what, exactly, is 'The God Illusion'?

Getting It Seen:

As mentioned above, this film is a non-profit venture. Any leftover money will go towards distributing the film in our guaranteed distribution plan. This means we will be offering the film, free of charge, to any and all people, places, and organizations for which it could be useful. Given its neuroscience focus, it will be sent to various members of the field to show in classrooms and lectures where the science behind the film can be researched and discussed. The film's focus on live music and visual projection art makes this a prime subject for screenings at various music festivals beginning to have a focus on cinema (such as the Bonnaroo music festival, Coachella music festival, and writer/director Evan Cutler Wattles' own Desiderata Music and Film Festival in upstate New York). This plan insures the film we be seen outside of the festival circuit, and comes as great news to anyone interested in Product Placement, Sponsorship, Associate Producing and Special Thanks credits. Your name or company's name and logo is guaranteed to be seen around the country.

Ideas:

Ideas are contagious. And in a time ruled by media, entertainment is the most effective way of voicing new ideas (the revolution will be televised...). By helping this film see the light of day, you'll be helping to broadcast new and necessary ideas on the bond between man and fellow man, and where technology, science, and the unseen fits in that bond.

What We Need & What You Get

First, what we Need:

Food:

Our cast and crew of amazingly talented individuals must be fed, and this means seeking meals, snacks, beverages, and all things edible from people and businesses in and around New York City. If you can cook and feel like donating a day or two or twelve of your time to the film, contact us about putting your talents to good use. Do you run a deli, restaurant, company that deals with food or drink? Donate some of your product and get a special thanks and 'sponsored by' credit in the film. For larger donations, we are fiscally sponsored as a non-profit, so donations are fully tax deductible. Contact us at thegodillusionfilm@gmail.com for more information.

Videos:

The film contains assorted 'death montages' (where 'The God Illusion' finds its namesake) consisting of short clips of memories from a lifetime, shown from a first person point of view. We have already received a great deal of submissions from people with their very own 'death montage' and assorted first person filmed clips of things they might see at the end. For more information, see our Collaborative Video Project tab on our website at www.thegodillusion.com.

You:

If you live in or around New York City and want to be featured as an extra in the movie, let us know! We have three different scenes in a sold out concert venue and can use as many people as we can get. Join us and get screen credit along with a free concert experience like no other.

Funds:

We have this wonderful story to tell, and over twenty people working hard for no pay to tell it, but it can't come to fruition without some financial backing. All the money we raise goes toward: the camera we're renting (the new Arri Alexa); the equipment we're renting (in addition to a generous allotment given to us by NYU's film and television department, courtesy of the department's chair); the set design and art decoration we'll require (which will be a great deal considering the scope of this art-heavy project); fees for location insurance and city permits; the transportation to and from locations for cast, crew, and equipment; lodging for all those joining us from outside the New York City area (because despite its comfort,  two weeks is a long time to spend on the director's couch); make-up and special effects for the set; the costs of festival submission fees; and various other costs that are bound to accrue over the course of this production. Leftover money and profits from the film will be donated to various charities focused on the research of visual perception (similar to the experiments in the film) and finding a cure for Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. For more information on where your money goes, contact us directly and we'll send you our top-sheet budget. 

Second, What You Get:

Aside from the unparalleled joy of knowing that your money is going toward the creation of a beautiful, dream fulfilling, thought inducing, life celebrating film of music, man, and connection, there's some interesting tangible perks you receive for your donation to the film. All donations come with a digital copy of the film upon its completion in the late Fall of this year. Larger donations come with a unique, hand drawn piece of art from the director (who sells and publishes his drawings when not making films). Others receive a special thanks in the credits, a personal thank you note from the director, hi-res photographs from the production, a "Guide To Modern Meditation" video featurette with the cast and crew, Associate or Executive Producing credits in the film, product and logo placement, behind the scenes footage, DVD and Blu-Ray copies of the film, and more depending on the amount donated.

Other Ways You Can Help

Tell your friends, family, acquaintances, enemies. Anyone and everyone who might be interested in hearing what we have to say. Send them to our website at www.thegodillusion.com, have them send us an email at thegodillusionfilm@gmail.com, find us on facebook at tinyurl.com/godillusionfacebook, follow us on twitter at twitter.com/godillusionfilm, or subscribe to our youtube channel at youtube.com/thegodillusionfilm.