Comedy heals tragedy as homeless children in Guatemala City learn the art of clowning to discover hope.
Want to join us in Becoming Fools?
You can still join the movement and make a difference!
For more info see BecomingFools.com.
Sign up for our bi-monthly newsletter to receive updates.
Give a tax-deductible donation through BecomingFools.com/donate
WHAT IS THIS ABOUT?
Imagine yourself for a moment as a kid again. But this time, your parents are gone, quite possibly by choice. You’re completely alone with no place to call home, other than the band of kids who have nothing and no one just like you. It’s a painful thought. But it’s also a reality for many kids on the streets of Guatemala. They live in that pain. Now imagine you had the power to help these kids find a way out. Here’s the thing, you do.
'Becoming Fools' is a documentary that follows homeless children in Guatemala, and the man who stepped in to bring them hope. It centers around the vision of Italo, a professional clown who spent years working with a group of street kids. Italo dreamed of a holistic youth center that would provide hope and opportunity, and he began to teach the art of clowning to provide the kids a source of income. Sadly, Italo's life was cut short when he tragically drowned in February of 2011. Both Guatemala and these street kids lost a hero.
Thankfully, friends and colleagues are carrying Italo's mission forward. Families are fostering abandoned children. Organizations are providing family support services. Orphanages are casting vision of adoption. And we’re excited to honor Italo’s life by telling this beautiful story of struggle and hope.
In Becoming Fools, we'll document the lives of these street youth as they learn the art of clowning to perform at parties and events. We'll also interview leading family experts who are fostering children in Guatemala. These plots will all converge at a public event next spring when the community is invited to watch the kids share their hearts, and perform with professional clowns.
See our film site for more information: http://BecomingFools.com
Director Scott Moore shares why clowns are important to this story:
About the Film Production Company, Athentikos
Athentikos is a non-profit film production organization with the goal of exposing need and inspiring hope through the art of story. Scott & Amelia Moore started Athentikos in 2008 as a way to use their talents to give back to Guatemala, the birth country of their two adopted sons. (Scott is a video producer and Amelia is a photographer.) They took three trips to Guatemala with volunteers in 2009 / 2010 to produce the feature-length documentary, ‘Reparando’, which released in fall 2010.
In 2011, Athentikos was established as non-profit 501(c)3 and is now in pre-production for this second film project 'Becoming Fools'.
Help us tell this story!
We need you… your passion and your partnership. Together, we can produce a documentary film that will make a difference.
Our goal is to raise $150,000 for production costs through Kickstarter. This money will be used to purchase equipment, pay for production in Guatemala and the US, edit the film, and produce the music score.
$150,000 may seem like a lot of money, but in reality this budget is fairly low for a feature-length documentary of this production caliber. We work hard to keep the costs low, but film making takes a lot of time and money. We also hope to generate additional funds through our current documentary, 'Reparando,' BUT the foundation of this film's funding will come from people like you!
How else can I help?
Spread the word! You can help us by sharing “Becoming Fools” with your friends through Facebook, Twitter, blogs and even good old fashioned face-to-face conversations. You can also link to our Kickstarter campaign on your Facebook profile and in your Twitter feed.
Please sign up for our Street Team at BecomingFools.com/street-team to receive weekly updates about the project to communicate to your peers.
"Like" us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterCheck out our website for more news about the project, at BecomingFools.com.
Any other questions?
Just ask us. We’d love to hear from you.
*Becoming Fools World Premiere Contest prize winner depends on a successful Becoming Fools Kickstarter Campaign - raising a total of at least $150,000 by Oct. 5, 2011.
FAQ
-
We plan to start principle photography this fall and will film through next spring to document the story. Our primary crew from the US will take a few trips to Guatemala during this time to capture footage. We'll work alongside our Guatemalan Crew who will provide additional footage.
We'll edit in the summer of 2012 with an estimated completion date in October 2012. Athentikos will organize a screening tour in 2013 to premiere 'Becoming Fools' in Guatemala, The United States and Canada. After the premiere season, individuals and organizations may host their own screenings.
-
It’s super easy. Choose the amount you’d like to donate along with the gift you’d like to receive. Once funding is completed, pledges will be collected, we will list your name on our website and you will receive the digital download gift. When the project is completed in 2012, you will receive all the physical items via mail. If we raise all or more than our Kickstarter goal before the deadline, we get to keep the whole amount (minus the Kickstarter fee). Funds will go to Athentikos. All donations are tax deductible.
-
We need your help in spreading the word! You can help by sharing this with your friends through Facebook, twitter, blogs and even good old fashioned face-to-face conversations. Sign up for our Street Team at www.BecomingFools.com/street-team to receive weekly updates about the project to communicate to your peers.
The success of this fundraising campaign depends on the grass-root effort to get the word out. Because you believe in this project, you can personally email your friends and family to encourage them to donate, or just to let them know about the project. You can spread the word by linking to our Kickstarter campaign on YOUR Facebook profile and YOUR Twitter feed. Together we can exponentially spread the word.
"Like" us on FacebookFollow us on TwitterCheck out our website for more news about the project, at www.BecomingFools.com.
-
YES! Once you donate to our campaign, you may want to change your incentive reward to a different one or increase your pledge amount. To do so, go to Kickstarter and sign in. If you go to our campaign page, the green “Back This Project” button has been replaced with a blue “Manage Your Donation” button. Click it and you can enter a new amount or choose a new incentive.
-
The incentives are our way of saying in a really loud virtual voice "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!" Seriously, we wish it could be so much more. Your partnership in this project means so much to us. So with every financial donation, you will receive a gift from us.
-
All incentives, big and small, will only be given if our goal is met. After we meet our goal, we will send you a Kickstarter message (which automatically forwards to the email address you gave Kickstarter) requesting all the necessary information, from shipping and email address to t-shirt size to Skype chat scheduling. The digital gifts (other than the Digital Download of 'Becoming Fools' - which will be delivered upon completion of the film) will be sent immediately; the physical product will be sent once the film project has been completed.
-
We believe films are called motion pictures not only because they are pictures that are moving, but also because they have the power to move people. We're partnering with several organizations who are responding to the needs of street youth. And our documentary project has the potential to expose this issue and inspire a global audience to get involved. Check out BecomingFools.com for more information about our partnership organizations.
-
Funds will be used for production of the feature length documentary, 'Becoming Fools': several months of film production in Guatemala and the US, travel, lodging, gear rental, some gear purchases, music production, editing, post production ... and ... all of the incentives.
492
Backers
$95,055
pledged of $150,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Unsuccessful This project reached the deadline without achieving its funding goal on October 5, 2011.
Funding period
Aug 16, 2011 -
Oct 5, 2011
(50 days)
- First created · 5 backed
- Scott Moore 705 friends
- Website: BecomingFools.com
Pledge $1 or more
21 backers
EVERY PLEDGE will receive an INSTANT FREE SONG DOWNLOAD from our dear friend AMY STROUP (http://www.amystroup.com). You don't have to wait until the end of the campaign. You can get the free song today! (If you have already backed he project, we will send you information on how to receive the free song.)
Estimated delivery: Oct 2011Pledge $25 or more
70 backers
Your name listed on our Thank You page on BecomingFools.com and an HD Digital Download of 'Becoming Fools' Documentary upon completion of the film.
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $25 or more
45 backers
ALL PLEDGES OVER $25 will receive: Your name listed on our Thank You page on BecomingFools.com and an HD Digital Download of 'Becoming Fools' Documentary upon completion of the film ... PLUS A BONUS .... THE FILM SOUNDTRACK! (If you have already backed this project for more than $25 you will automatically receive this BONUS).
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $50 or more
82 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: an HD Digital Download of 'Reparando' Documentary as soon as this kickstarter campaign is successful.
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $100 or more
98 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: your name listed in the "Thank You" film credits and a 'Becoming Fools' Poster.
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $250 or more
30 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: a 'Becoming Fools' Poster autographed by Director and a 'Becoming Fools' DVD (Blu-Ray).
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $500 or more
23 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: and a 'Becoming Fools' Tee Shirt, a 'Becoming Fools' DVD (Blu-Ray) autographed by Director and listed in the "Special Thank You" film credits.
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $1,000 or more
10 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: a Metallic Print and an Associate Producer title in film credits.
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $2,500 or more
4 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: an hour-long skype with Director & Crew, and 2 VIP tickets to premiere & dinner with Director & Crew (travel not included).
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012Pledge $10,000 or more
0 backers
All incentives from the previous level, PLUS: a private screening with Director and a Producer title in the film credits (travel not included).
Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
