Kickstarter

The Deadline is a lighthearted satire about the most difficult aspect of the American immigration process--getting a Green Card. 

In this film, the U.S. government has announced a ‘Green Card’ video contest—Whoever produces a compelling "Why I Deserve To Be An American" video is granted a U.S. immigration visa. The video contest immediately becomes a global phenomenon and prompts many around the world to make a video. The film features 4 characters, each with a different motivation for wanting to live in America—Melissa, a Filipino factory worker; Tanaka, a Japanese dairy farmer from Fukushima; Liu, the son of a corrupt government official in China; and finally, Miranda, an illegal immigrant already residing in the United States.

This film is about how the allure of becoming an American affects individuals telling stories about themselves. The characters are very ordinary people, but when faced with such an opportunity, even the most shy person decides to pick up a camera and record a little speech to put online. 

The humor of the film centers on the incongruous relationship between individual ambition, self-perception, self-representation, language, and the many intended and unintended results when these components are put together into a personal narrative.

The plan is to film on-location in each character's country. So far we have already filmed in Japan and the Philippines. About 60% of the film has been shot already. 

The funds raised from Kickstarter will not only ensure that we can finish shooting all the footage needed for the film, but also help us get professional quality post production work so this film can be presented in the best way possible to audiences around the world. 

Finally, we have been able to garner a very good cast for this film. Our cast members include:

Kanji Furutachi -- veteran Japanese actor active in theater, film and TV. His film credits include Kantai (2010), Woodsman and the Rain (2012) and My Back Page (2010)

Mercedes Cabral -- talented young Filipino actress, made her film debut in Brilllante Mendoza's Serbis (2008) since then have become one of the Philippines' top young actresses. 

Sue Prado -- another very talented and award-winning Filipino actress. She made a name for herself in Raymond Red's Manila Skies (2008) and has since also become one of the brightest stars in Filipino independent cinema. 

Dhaya Lakshiminarayanan -- Dhaya Lakshminarayanan is an Indian American stand-up comic, storyteller, and TV host. She has performed all over the U.S. and at comedy festivals such as the SF Sketchfest. She is a frequent storyteller on NPR’s “Snap Judgment” and hosted the Emmy-award winning “High School Quiz Show” on PBS affiliate WGBH Boston.

Joseph Nguyen -- Joe is an LA-based stand-up comic. In 2009 he won the Russian River Comedy Competition and has appeared on KOFY TV. He has toured nationally with the comedy group Mahatma Moses and performs regularly in San Francisco and Los Angeles.