Independent filmmaking is tough. And one key factor is money or lack thereof. Here's your chance to make a difference for one film made right here in San Diego.
What a studio spends on coffee could be what an indie film spends on an entire production. The trade off, though, is the freedom to make whatever film you want. A pair of former SDSU film students -- producer Ron Najor and writer-director Destin Cretton -- made the film they wanted in "I Am Not A Hipster." The scored well at Sundance, and you can check out my coverage of their trip to Park City. Now they want to distribute it themselves. But that costs money -- money to promote it, to travel with it, to rent theater space... well you get the idea. In order to help finance distribution, the filmmakers have set up a KickStarter online fundraiser to raise $27,500. There are only 6 more days to go and only a few thousand let to raise, but with KickStarter, if you don't get fully funded for the goal set, you get nothing. So Najor is sweating a few bullets as the fundraiser winds down.
Cretton has this to say about his film and the attempts to get it out into the world:
At the beginning of last year, Ron Najor sat me down and said these words (I’m paraphrasing): "I want to make a movie with you. I don’t care if it sucks, I just want to make something." I’m not sure if he realized this at the time, but that statement was the most freeing thing he could have said to me. I felt free to take chances, to try something I haven’t tried before, to write a story without boundaries or fears.
"We weren’t trying to make something that would make money, or reach a mass audience, or even play at Sundance. We were only trying to make something. It just so happens, that something premiered at Sundance this January and it was one of the most frightening and amazing experiences of my life. When the first frame of our film popped onto the screen in a sold-out theater in Park City, I literally thought I was going to die. But while listening to the reaction at the credit roll, and talking to people after the screening, I’ve never felt so proud to be a part of a team that decided to take a chance.
About a month ago, we decided to raise funds to release this film in the same way it was created. So, we launched a Kickstarter campaign where people can see some clips from the film and our time at Sundance, hear our story and decide whether or not it’s something they’d like to support. As a thank you to those who do support us, we’re offering rewards ranging from a pre-order of the DVD/BLU-RAY and soundtrack to a private screening and music performance in your home.
