About this project
$9,660
251
Thank you for visiting our Kickstarter page. Although "Letters From the Big Man" is my fifth feature film to be released, it is my first experience with crowd funding. It is especially rewarding to be able to connect directly with this film's audience, which for far too long has had to suffer through countless second-rate genre films on the subject of sasquatch. We believe that our film addresses this subject more carefully and accurately than prior productions.
The screenplay was begun in early 2005, and several years were spent developing the material and figuring out an optimal way to execute it. The main unit shooting took place in autumn of 2009 in southern Oregon -- the Illinois Valley, the Rogue Valley, the Kalmiopsis Wilderness, and the coastal range. Additional shooting took place in 2010 in Oregon and Los Angeles.
The challenges of this particular production encompassed creating believable special effects makeup on a limited budget (handled masterfully by designer Lee Romaire and actor Isaac C. Singleton, Jr.), and shooting in remote locations with a tiny but superb crew led by cinematographer Rob Sweeney. In addition to Isaac, we were blessed with the formidable acting talents of Lily Rabe and Jason Butler Harner in the leads, and such solid supporting cast as Jim Cody Williams, Fiona Dourif, Don McManus, and Karen Black.
The film opened at Sundance 2011 and subsequently played numerous other U.S. festivals, after which we began a small theatrical self-release. The reaction I have observed from these audiences has been extremely heartening. While the production itself was financed on a shoestring by a handful of dedicated backers, its release has been unfunded, as the film remained unsold despite mostly favorable reviews, some of which are excerpted below.
That is the reason we are now undertaking a direct-to-fan DVD and (with the help of the Sundance Institute) a VOD release, by which the film will reach a larger audience. However, this also means that the costs of distribution must be borne by us, and that is the reason for this Kickstarter campaign. The proceeds of the campaign will be used to pay for: authoring, design, and manufacture of the initial pressing of discs; creation of bonus materials; purchasing errors and omissions insurance required for the VOD release; purchasing ads on Facebook and elsewhere; and fulfillment of campaign rewards. The campaign goal we have set is the minimum required, and if more is raised, it will be applied to obtaining the services of a publicist and marketing efforts.
Thanks in advance for your assistance at any level.
"Letters from the Big Man will mystify some, please others with its serenity, and be unlike any Bigfoot movie you have ever imagined.” –Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
“An original and affecting take on the sasquatch legend. . . . . This is clearly not a film made for everyone, but for a fortunate few, it will feel like a cleansing in nature.” –Hollywood Reporter (James Greenberg)
"Letters from the Big Man sustains its deeply felt love of nature’s mystery—and majesty." –Artforum (Melissa Anderson)
“Letters isn’t a spoof, a horror movie or a new-age metaphor. . . . It’s closer to a fairy tale that retains its hold on the adult imagination.” –Film Comment (Amy Taubin)
"Lovely, delightfully idiosyncratic." –New York Times (Manohla Dargis)
“Graceful, uncynical and transporting, Letters is an original and a beauty.” –New City, Chicago (Ray Pride)
"A remarkable film." –The New Yorker (Richard Brody)
“[A] powerful meditation on the environment without the heavy handedness of a Greenpeace ad.” –Brooklyn Based
“Director-writer Christopher Munch just wants to tell a light-handed, low-key story about several people who like the woods, while he photographs those woods lovingly enough to make us fall for them as well. There happens to be a sasquatch in the background, but he never channels King Kong.” –The Province-Vancouver
"A beautifully realized tale of the bond that develops between a sasquatch and a female scientist." –Filmmaker Magazine (Damon Smith)
http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/movies/letters-from-the-big-man-stars-lily-rabe-review.html
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/movies/2011/11/letters-from-the-big-man-at-ifc.html
http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-11-09/film/letters-from-the-big-man/
http://artforum.com/film/id=29343
http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2011/11/christopher-munch-letters-from-the-big-man/
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- (25 days)