2012 is now in full swing, and we hope it'll only bring the best for you! We think we can give this new year a bigger theme. For us, it'll be the year of free speech in documentary.
This is not just about our own films. It happens quite often that corporate control freaks threaten independent documentary filmmakers and their livelihoods. Or as Dole's PR company said it: "It is easier to cope with a bad conscience than a bad reputation." Here's another example, an article published this weekend in the NY Times about what happened to Joe Berlinger who had made a film about Chevron's mess in Ecuador.
With the Sundance Film Festival, we're lucky enough to have the greatest possible launch platform for BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!*. What we don’t have is the money to pay for the initial costs of such a launch. We’re still suffering from the loss of all the time and money that went into the fight Dole had brought upon us. Against all odds, we did succeed in making my previous film available to people around the world. But this came at a huge price.
That's why we've decided to reach out and ask for your help. Today, we're launching a crowd-funding campaign on Kickstarter...
We need to raise at least $15,000 in order to launch BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* internationally, most importantly in the United States, the home of the people who tried to silence us. But the obligatory 'errors & omissions insurance' alone will cost us a fortune! And without insurance no distribution... Still, with your help, we can make it all happen. It's just so crucial to get this film out there!
We're offering a ton of rewards for the various amounts you can pledge. Many of them are available right away, given you won't need to wait for us to finish the film first. Simply visit our Kickstarter page and select your pledge.
We know that times are tough, so if you can't spare the money, you can always help us by spreading the word about the campaign. Together, we could really make 2012 the year of free speech in documentary.
Thank you so much for your support!
