About this project
THE FILM:
Each week on New York City's Wards Island, ten to twelve homeless men come together with a group of volunteer coaches and players to play soccer as part of a national group called Street Soccer USA (SSUSA). The hope is that being part of a competitive soccer team will help the men re-integrate into society, obtain a job, and find permanent housing -- all through the transformative power of sports. My documentary, HOME GAME, will explore the lives of the homeless players and how SSUSA uses soccer to create positive change in those lives.
I started the documentary as my senior thesis film at NYU. Since last fall, I have been filming the team both on and off the soccer field, with a focus on three of the players. My goal is to portray all it takes to field a competitive team as well as the players' struggles to find a job and end their homelessness. I hope to finish shooting HOME GAME at the Street Soccer USA Cup, a national tournament which takes place at the end of July in Washington D.C. This footage will provide an natural ending for the film as the team completes its season and the players move forward with their lives.
In our society, it is easy to make negative generalizations about homeless people. Hopefully HOME GAME will give audiences a different and perhaps more realistic view on why some individuals are homeless and what they are willing to go through in order to recover stable lives and achieve permanent housing.
STREET SOCCER USA:
The organization behind the soccer team is Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), a non-profit organization devoted to providing support and assistance to homeless people through soccer. The Street Soccer USA Cup is held every July in Washington D.C. This year, 200 players from across the country will come together to compete in the tournament.
http://www.streetsoccerusa.org/
http://blog.streetsoccerusa.org/
WHAT WE NEED:
Most of the principal photography for HOME GAME has been completed with NYU's equipment. But now that I have graduated, I no longer have access to the equipment. To film the Street Soccer USA Cup and complete the documentary, I need funds to rent camera and sound equipment. I also need funds to help cover travel expenses to the tournament for me and my crew of three. If you help me reach the goal of $2,500, we will be able to create more awareness of homelessness and how influential Street Soccer USA is in people's lives.
SUCCESS!
Thank you all so much for helping me reach my goal of $2,500. For others who still want to make a pledge, your donations will definitely be used to fund this documentary and help to make it even better than expected.
THANK YOU!
FAQ
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
54
Backers
$4,121
pledged of $2,500 goal
0
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on July 23, 2010.
Pledge $10 or more
You'll get a "Special Thanks" credit at the end of the film.
Pledge $25 or more
You'll get a "Special Thanks" credit and a DVD of the finished film.
Pledge $50 or more
You'll get all of the above, PLUS an invite to the wrap party on an awesome Brooklyn roof.
Pledge $100 or more
You'll get all of the above, PLUS credit on IMDB.
Pledge $250 or more
You'll get all of the above, PLUS two tickets to the first screening.
Pledge $500 or more
You'll get all of the above, PLUS a one hour soccer lesson with a Street Soccer player.
Pledge $1,000 or more
You'll get all of the above, PLUS an Associate Producer credit.
Project By
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Originally from Memphis, TN, Suzannah Herbert graduated in May 2010 with a BFA in Film & Television Production from New York University. At NYU, she focused on all aspects of documentary film production, with emphasis on both directing and editing. Her latest documentary, "Central Park: The Park at the Center of the World," was recently accepted into the First Run Film Festival where it won an audience award, the Manhattan Film Festival, and New Filmmakers New York. The documentary is also scheduled to premier on Memphis’ PBS station in September. She is currently working at Jim Brown Productions, a documentary production company in New York.
