About
Billy Bishop Goes to War: A Gift for our Veterans
CA$ 7,085
112
FINAL 24 HOURS!
We're so close to our $7,000 stretch goal - and now only have a few hours left! Help us give away 1,000 Free DVD's to Veterans and Veterans Organizations. If you're the type of person who waits until the last minute it's now!
You can also help us out during this homestretch by one last tweet, facebook post, or e-mail to friends and family! As always your generosity and support means the world to everyone here! Let's give it one last push!
We asked our backers if there was anything else we could do to say thank you, and many of them asked for these two special perks - especially with the Holiday's fast approaching. Any backer who has pledged at least $5 can get one of these special offers
- Get extra copies of the film (as many as you'd like) for a discounted rate of $25 each!
- A special, Kickstarter-only, "Billy Bishop Goes to War T-shirt" for a flat rate of $25 each!
Deep in my piles of odds and ends from the "Billy Bishop" shoot I somehow acquired the *last* copy of a vintage cast and crew t-shirt from one of the earliest runs of the play (from the tag I'm guessing early 1980s). Since several of you asked about special t-shirts, we're going to make a limited, one time only run of replicas of this amazing piece of theatre history! And because we're printing them only once (and to order) we can make them both Men's and Women's cuts and *all* sizes.
ADD ON INSTRUCTIONS:
- 1) You have to have donated at least $5 to qualify for an add-on.
- 2) Press the "Manage Your Pledge" button above (if you haven't pledged yet, you won't see this button. It appears where "Back this Project" is):
- 3) Increase your pledge in the "Pledge Amount" box by the total of the add on's you want to add (so if you want one t-shirt, increase your pledge by $25, if you want two t-shirts and three DVD's, increase your pledge by $125...)
- 4) At the end of the Kickstarter you will get an e-mail survey where you can specify which add on's you want, and let us know about t-shirt sizes - etc.
THE HISTORY OF BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR
In 1978 John Gray and Eric Peterson created one of the most famous plays in the history of Canadian theatre, "Billy Bishop Goes to War". They have performed this legendary show for over three decades and in 2011 Soulpepper Theatre and Strada Films partnered to create a feature film of this legendary performance so it could be shared with even more Canadians.
ABOUT THIS KICKSTARTER
Over the past five years we have heard over and over how the film and play, have helped generations of veterans and their families talk about their experiences. We have also received hundreds of requests to provide copies of this film to veterans organizations, and veterans care facilities on physical DVD. While we have tried to accommodate as many requests as we could - without a commercial DVD release of the film, we have only been able to help with a small number of the many worthy requests we've received.
To celebrate the 100th Anniversary of World War I, Strada Films, Soulpepper Theatre, and Union Pictures would like to remedy this situation - but we need your help. Completing this Kickstarter campaign will allow us to manufacture and distribute at least 500 commercial-quality copies of "Billy Bishop Goes to War" on DVD to worthy veterans causes.
WHERE ARE THE PROCEEDS GOING?
All proceeds from this Kickstarter campaign will go to the cost of creating, duplicating, and distributing free DVD's, as well as covering the costs of the Kickstarter campaign itself.
Raising more than our goal would allow us to increase the number of free copies of the film we have available and (by getting better bulk rates from our suppliers) would let us stretch every contribution even further!
PERKS
FIRST 72-HOUR BONUS
Help us get off to a strong start! We not only have a limited number of DVD rewards available at a special "early bird" rate but if the campaign is successful, EVERY supporter who made a donation by Sunday, Nov 9th will receive a special download link to a selection of behind the scenes photos from the making of "Billy Bishop Goes to War" as well as two songs from the film as DRM-Free MP3's!
ABOUT THE FILM
Billy Bishop Goes to War is a feature film inspired by the life of the legendary WWI flying ace from Owen Sound. Canadian acting legend Eric Peterson and award-winning writer/composer John Gray reprise their iconic two-man stage play that has captivated audiences for over three decades.
Nearing the end of his life, an aged Bishop (Peterson) recounts the triumphs and horrors of World War One, “the war to end all wars”. Through raucous stories, haunting memories, and vibrant song, Bishop traces his journey from Royal Military College troublemaker to the top flying ace of the British Empire.
A story of the human cost of war on a scale the world had never seen before, this is an intimate and powerful portrait of a man who continues to capture the imagination.
ABOUT JOHN GRAY - The Piano Player
John MacLachlan Gray is a multiple award-winning writer and composer for stage, television, film, radio, and print.
Over the past decades, he has been known for his stage musicals, as a satirist on CBC televisions The Journal, as a radio and TV commentator, a magazine journalist, a screenwriter, a columnist for The Globe and Mail and, in recent years, a novelist.
His awards include the Governor-General's Medal, a Chalmers Award, a silver Hugo, and a a Golden Globe, and he holds honorary doctorates from Mount Allison and Dalhousie Universities. John is an officer of the Order of Canada.
ABOUT ERIC PETERSON - Billy Bishop
Eric Peterson is one of Canada’s most accomplished actors on stage, screen, and radio.
He is renowned for his work in the theatre, both in Canada and abroad, including at Soulpepper, Stratford, The National Arts Centre, and Canadian Stage, to name just a few. He is also responsible for some of the most iconic characters on Canadian television including his portrayal of lawyer Leon Robinovitch in the CBC series Street Legal, and loveable curmudgeon Oscar Leroy in CTV's smash hit Corner Gas.
His awards include the Governor-General's Medal, five Gemini Awards, and the L.A. Drama Critics Award. Eric is a member of the Order of Canada.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FILM
Risks and challenges
Creating and shipping physical rewards always has the potential for unforeseen issues, however this project is partnered with Union Pictures, the Canadian distributor of the film. Union has released numerous commercial DVD and Blu-ray titles and has excellent relationships with suppliers for DVD authoring, replication, and materials printing.
It is our goal to start shipping rewards within three weeks of the close of this campaign. To make this ambitious timeline possible we are doing the following:
- All manufacturing is being done locally (overseas suppliers and shipping being a common source of Kickstarter delays).
- We are limiting the amount of autographed material so as to keep the time required to personalize those rewards manageable.
- Most importantly, all materials required for the project and the rewards are either currently completed, or will be completed prior to the end of the campaign.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterSupport
Funding period
- (21 days)