About
Riverment :: A movement that isn't evolving, isn't moving.
$21,050
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Riverment
As Civil Rights activists, Maureen and her husband Kenneth have seen and experienced many things. To cope with what she’s encountered, Maureen spends her time in her favorite place of peace, on the riverbank. Maureen enjoys bonding with her granddaughter Tyna here, where she shares stories about her past experiences.
Now 19 years old, Tyna has become a freedom fighter in her own right, tackling inequalities and discrimination occurring on her college campus. When Tyna decides to take her activism outside the proposed safe boundaries of school, Maureen is opposed to it out of fear for Tyna’s safety, and sanity.
By using the dynamic relationship between a grandmother and a granddaughter, “Riverment” centers Black women and showcases how women have been, and will continue to be in the forefront of all movements. The film is set present day during the brink of a new age revolution against police brutality. It is a compelling and timely film that exhibits an unbiased dialogue from both parties while promoting solidarity between the different generations. We believe that by achieving solidarity, we can strengthen and grow support of the movement and bring concrete results that will benefit future generations.
Twitter/IG: @RivermentFilm
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Rivermentfilm
Website: www.rivermentfilm.com
The goal of this film is to showcase an unbiased dialogue from both parties while promoting solidarity between the different generations. We believe that by achieving solidarity, we can strengthen and grow support of the movement and bring concrete results that will benefit future generations.
Inspiration For This Film
My grandparents, Evelyn Thompson and Joseph Thompson Sr. were never coy about their experiences growing up in South Carolina during the 50s & 60s. They both owned thriving Black businesses, and my grandfather, once a Black caddie who wasn't allowed to play golf, started a Black golfers club called "Black Jackets" after the integration of golf courses across the South.
Many conversations with them about their past experiences sparked my interest in racial issues, however after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin which sparked the start new movement, our conversations changed. Though supportive, safety was the main concern. This sparked the idea in me to create "Riverment," and discuss the post traumatic stress that African Americans experience simply by living as minorities in America.
Filmmakers
Riverment will serve as Shayla Racquel's third major film project. Her first film project was a webseries entitled "Quarter Century," which highlighted the quarter life crisis experienced by African Americans living in DC and New York. The series went on for two seasons and was highlighted in prominent blogs such as For Harriet and Vibe. Her second film project was a short film entitled "Life's Checklist" which follows two people as they experienced pre-wedding jitters before their big day. The film was accepted into seven film festivals and won awards in four, including Phenomenal Women In Film - Best Short Film.
Lindsey currently works as a scriptwriter and production coordinator at production companies in DC (WILL Interactive & Fluent Visual). As an aspiring writer, she can not wait to help bring this important and extremely relevant story to life with Shayla at the helm of the ship. In her free time, she recounts embarassing stories on the web, shamelessly endorses sweatpants as an acceptable form of outfit-ry, and enjoys an occasional glass of House Red.
Mitra I. Arthur is a native of both Upper Marlboro, MD and Columbia, SC. Mitra has a background in Performing Arts Management & Education, Event Producing, Grant Writing, and various Theatre Arts areas including Performance, Dramaturgy, and Stage Management after time with various theatre companies, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Capital Jazz Productions. After several years in the live arts, she has begun exploring the cinematic arts and is currently pursuing her Masters of Fine Arts in Film and Electronic Media at American University. Mitra received her Bachelors of Arts in English and Music from Columbia College, SC.
X. D. is a blogger, social commentator, and digital content creator from New York City by way of the San Francisco Bay Area. X. D. takes his social commentary to his podcast “Jade & X.D.” on iTunes. On the business front, X. D. has owns his own Digital Creative Services agency under The X. D. Experience umbrella and represents some of the leading entities on the web. He recently sat as producer of the My True Colors Art & Film Festival featured in New York City. X. D. also presented at TEDxPSU as a featured speaker for the 2015 Push To Start Conference at Penn State University. D'Leau executive produced the award-winning web-series Quarter Century in it's second season. He’s also been featured on TheRoot.com, The Grio, Mused Magazine and panels such as the infamous BasseyWorldLive founded by Def Poet, Bassey Ikpi and the National Urban League.
Ross Godwin is an award-winning filmmaker from Washington, DC, and an MFA graduate of American University. A writer, director, and cinematographer, Ross has worked on a variety of different projects across genres and across the globe; from Alaska, to Czech Republic, from Mexico to the Isle of Saba, and everywhere in between. His directorial debut, What You Sow, went on to win best student short at the Indie Gathering Film festival, while other projects, such as Forgotten River and Stow Away were official selections at the Environmental Film Festival and Escape Velocity respectively. His most recent film, 9 Seconds, is nearing completion and is expected to premier in the summer of 2016. Ross and Shayla teamed up most recently in 2015 on the award winning film, Life's Checklist. The two team up again for the much anticipated civil rights inspired film, Riverment.
Jay Sweet is a filmmaker hailing from Chicago, IL. In 2012, Jay graduated from Florida A&M University with a Bachelor's of Science from the School of Journalism and Graphic Communications. He is a former commercial producer at ABC 27 in Tallahassee, Fl. He produced his first short film "Chain Music" in 2014. He currently resides in Nashville as a producer for his film company Take Heed Films. His latest work can be found on iamjsweet.com.
Why We Need YOU!
Are you excited about the project yet? We are! However this film cannot be made without your help. In order to ensure that we make a high-quality film worthy of film festivals, it is a necessity that we meet our funding goal.
Budget Items Breakdown:
- Crew
- Cast
- Camera Rental Equipment
- Lighting Equipment
- Sound (Equipment/ADR/Sweetening)
- Music/Score
- Costumes & Wardrobe
- Production Design
- Locations
- Coloring
- Food
- Marketing/Publicity
- Film Festival Fees
Filmmaking isn't cheap, however when something is your passion, you will work tirelessly to make it happen. No contribution is too small and any donation would help our project tremendously. If you are not able to support financially, we completely understand! Please share this Kickstarter and the website with family and friends. The more eyes the higher the chance for us to get to the prize! Thank you for your support!
If you have any inquiries or if you just want to show us love and support, feel free to contact us at kokonalite@gmail.com or leave a comment on our website's Production Blog. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like our page on Facebook.
Thank you for trusting me with this story. A story that belongs to us all.
With Love,
Shayla Racquel
www.shaylaracquel.com
Risks and challenges
I find beauty in taking risks and huge leaps. We've acknowledged that by embarking on the journey to make this film, will come face to face with many obstacles that we have already consciously decided won't deter us from telling this important story. The script is ambitious as we prepare to replicate a 1960s sit in, as well as modern day protest. Locations and extras will be our hardest obstacle, however we will be in contact organization leaders on various colleges/universities to help us make this film as authentic and beautiful as possible. As a filmmaker, challenges serve as a motivator,s and we expect to nothing less than to hit our goal, tell a compelling story, and deliver an heart wrenching film to our audience.
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Funding period
- (41 days)