About this project
Missing 411 The Movie
$157,812
1,737
A National Park Ranger told 30 year investigator, and writer in the field, David Paulides a troubling story. Over his years of involvement with numerous search and rescue operations at several different National Parks, he had detected a trend that he couldn’t understand.
The Ranger explained that during the first 7 - 10 days of a disappearance he would witness massive Search and Rescue activity and significant press coverage. Following this initial week -long effort there was almost always an immediate halt to the coverage, a discontinued search for the victims and no explanation from the search authorities...
It bothered David enough that he began asking questions yet he got no answers. So he conducted research. What he discovered shocked him. People of all ages have been disappearing from National Parks and Forests at an alarming rate, all under similar circumstances. Victims’ families are left without closure and the Park Service refuses to follow up or keep any sort of national list and/or database of the missing people. Thousands of missing people.
David’s instincts told him this was a story that needed to be told. He devoted six years to investigating missing people in rural areas. The result? The identification of 52 geographical clusters of missing people in North America.
These clusters formed the basis for four Missing 411 books that have garnered widespread acclaim and multiple 5 star ratings on Amazon.com. The story has been featured on several primetime newscasts and on hundreds of radio stations across the country.
But we believe there’s more to the story. The mass awareness and interest a feature film can generate will force the government to show their hand. To tell the real story, so that thousands of families can heal….and thousands of other disappearances can be prevented.
We believe this so strongly that, with the author’s blessing, we have invested thousands of our own dollars to begin filming. The story is so compelling that experts in search & rescue, investigative reporting and a multiple Emmy-winning videographer have dedicated months of their time and talent without pay.
We have interviewed experts, eyewitnesses, victims’ family members and National Park employees to ensure we are telling the real story in order to hold up a lens to reality and portray as accurate a depiction of the situation as possible.
We have interviews lined up with many more experts, eyewitnesses, former park employees and politicians who, taken collectively, will add an unbiased perspective to our movie. Doing this will require traveling across the country, securing permits, buying and renting specialized film equipment and many months of work for our talented crew. It’s more than we can handle on our own.
We need to hire talented people to help accurately depict these stories on the big screen. We have only filmed a single dramatic reenactment so far. If we reach our goal, we can promise 1 or 2 more dramatic reenactments however if we reach beyond our goal, there is no telling how powerful this documentary will be, and how wide a distribution it will get.
If you want to see this movie onDemand or in a movie theater near you, help by spreading the word and taking advantage of the rewards offered.
The Ultimate goal, beyond filming a documentary, is to raise awareness for this issue and to ensure the family's stories are told. If you yourself cannot donate, you can support us by passing this video along to your friends, family and colleagues in order to get the message out there.
In addition to support of this project we are always interested in information and telling as accurate a story as possible. As such, if you have any knowledge about the disappearances that could aid in our investigations, such as contacts within the Park Service or ex-employees who are willing to talk, please do not hesitate in getting in contact with us. We want to hear your story.
Thank you for your time.
Risks and challenges
As documentary filmmakers we believe strongly in clear lines of communication. As such we will keep you regularly informed as to the status of our film.
The Missing 411 Movie will face the typical challenges associated with producing a feature length film -- we expect anything from the NSA hacking us to acts of God interfering with our shooting schedule. No need to fear! We are offsetting these risks with production insurance, contingency plans, and a production team with years of experience.
One of our biggest challenges is coordinating schedules. We only have a few months to shoot and, as anyone who has filmed a feature length documentary will tell you, that is not very much time. We’re going to do our best to coordinate everyone’s availability, from actors to the family members who have lost loved ones. We are putting our victim’s stories above all else and ask you to be patient with us so that we can portray as accurate a picture as possible.
Film festival season is year round, and we are aiming for first of the year submissions. However like all projects, it is up in the air as to whether or not we will make this deadline or if they will accept us as an entrant.
The good news is that there are film festivals all year! This means there is a possibility that we might not be able to get you a copy of the film until after it premieres at one of these festivals. But we can promise that you will get a copy.
Distribution is always a challenge with low-budget films, but our team is confident that once entered into film festivals, the distributors will feel as passionately about this project as you do.
With respect to rewards fulfillment, we will be working diligently to get all your DVDs, digital codes, and other goodies delivered safely and on schedule.
We'll be sending regular updates about our progress to all backers, so you’ll be the first to know about what’s going on.
Important Information About Rewards
· Kickstarter campaign and rewards fulfillment limited to the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Australia.
· Tangible rewards will be shipped via US Priority Mail and shipping costs are based off of this.
· Travel, lodging and transportation to events and set visits not included in any reward bundle
· Must be over 18 or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to attend events (premiere, set visit)
· Some rewards may require additional paperwork (to protect us and you)
· Distribution schedule not finalized, but Kickstarter backers at $35 and above will receive a digital avenue to watch the film within a few days of the theatrical premiere.
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Funding period
- (30 days)