UPDATE: WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR PRODUCTION FUNDING! Thank you for the amazing outpouring of support, financially and emotionally. We've met amazing people, and feel strongly that this is an important film to make. We plan to produce the film in mid November 2013.
We are still seeking post production and outreach funds, and are accepting contributions online through our fiscal sponsor Fractured Atlas: http://www.fracturedatlas.org/site/fiscal/profile?id=4432
You can also send a check made out to "Fractured Atlas" to Lila Yomtoob, 577 Carroll Street #1, Brooklyn, NY 11215.
A million thanks to all who have donated and supported the film. We look forward to updating you soon with next steps. ~Llia Yomtoob, filmmaker
About the Project
Hello! Thanks for coming by. My name is Lila Yomtoob and I am an independent filmmaker working on a short narrative film called AMERICA 1979. I’ve made a number of films before, but this is the first one I’ve ever made about being Iranian American.
In AMERICA 1979, Regina,a nine-year-old Iranian American girl is feeling the stress of the Iran Hostage Crisis. A racially charged event at school leads her to act out against her older brother, making an already tense situation more complicated for her parents. My goal in making this film is to start dialogues about how the Iran Hostage Crisis shaped the Iranian American identity, and what it means to be first generation American not just for Iranian Americans, but all ethnic minorities in this country. We plan to show the film schools and non-profit organizations, as well as film festivals around the country.
Why Now?
This film is about an Iranian American family during the hostage crisis, because that was my experience, and I feel that there is little out there reflecting the Iranian American reality. But once I realized that the story was still relevant today for Iranians, other Middle Easterners and immigrant families in general, I realized I had to make this film. Substitute Regina with an Afghan girl during 9/11, or a Mexican girl during Arizona’s immigration controversy, and you may have a very similar story to AMERICA 1979. What does it mean to an individual when their ethnic group is being vilified in the media? It adds further complication to a young persons personal narrative – not only are you ‘other’ but you are a bad person too. I wanted to show what the beginning of that process might look like, from the point of view I know best – my own.
Why Contribute?
AMERICA 1979 will help diversify images of Iranian Americans in the media. We want to hear Farsi and see Iranians in situations that are humanizing instead of stereotyped. We want to help elucidate the type of struggles that Iranians went through during this forgotten moment that informed so many lives. Broadly, AMERICA 1979 will also encourage conversations about what it means to be first generation American, a topic that all Americans should have a greater understanding of as our country continues to diversify. We plan to reach small audiences like classrooms and larger audiences like film festivals and television broadcast.
Why should you place your bet on me?
Here are a few encouraging reviews of my past work:
“Performances, language, and technical/design aspects are perfectly honed…certainly bodes well for the future of director Lila Yomtoob and her collaborators.” Dennis Harvey, Variety
“The beauty of ‘High Life’ - apart from the acting, edginess, great score, humor, and pathos is the fact that it got made…the modern artist refuses to die, and Yomtoob never let little things like money or the film industry come between her and her vision.” – John Griffin, Montreal Gazette
I’ve worked professionally in the film industry for the last 15 years as a director, producer, marketing and engagement specialist and previously as a sound editor. I’ve directed a feature film (HIGH LIFE) and 12 short films that have travelled to film festivals and galleries around the country. I know what it takes to make a quality film that people want to see. I am prepared and excited to take on the challenge of making a sensitive and provocative film that will stir hearts and minds.
My current credits as a producer and engagement specialist include “Four Seasons Lodge,” “Mariachi High,” “Hidden Battles,” and “Hitting Rock Bottom.” When I worked in sound editorial for 8 years, I was apart of over 40 films by filmmakers such as Spike Lee, The Coen Brothers and John Cameron Mitchell. I received and Emmy award for my work on HBO’s “Baghdad ER.”
What We Need & What You Get
We have already raised nearly 20% of the films $26,000 budget through a grant by the Brooklyn Arts Council and private donations. Your contribution will go directly toward the remaining $21,500 needed for producing of AMERICA 1979, and will cover equipment rentals, crew wages, costumes and art direction, production vehicles, locations and meals for everyone on the set. Film is a powerful medium, but also an expensive one.
We are so grateful for your donation, that we’ve gathered fun perks for all donors, including limited edition art prints, private yoga and personal training sessions, copies of the film, chances to visit the set, and even have a credit at the end of the film!
We are working hard toward meet our fundraising goal. In case we only come close, we will have to postpone our September shoot and find the rest of the funds. In case we fall very short, all funds raised will go towards creating an online documentary archive of Iranians talking about what how the Iran Hostage crisis affected them and their families.
In case you can’t give, but still want to help, please give us a shout! All support, including your kind words, means a lot to us and helps us move forward. There are other ways to contribute too – maybe you can brainstorm with us about how to spread the word about the film and our fundraising campaign, and give us ideas on places to show AMERICA 1979 when it’s completed.
THANK YOU !!
