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My Name is Emily

MY NAME IS EMILY is a feature film by Simon Fitzmaurice, an award winning Irish film-maker with MND (ALS) Produced by Kennedy Films and Newgrange Pictures

My Name is Emily

MY NAME IS EMILY is a feature film by Simon Fitzmaurice, an award winning Irish film-maker with MND (ALS) Produced by Kennedy Films and Newgrange Pictures

1 Campaign |

Dublin, Ireland

$55,073 USD $55,073 USD 923 backers

25% of $215,909 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal

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MY NAME IS EMILY is a feature film by Simon Fitzmaurice, an award winning Irish film-maker with MND (ALS) Produced by Kennedy Films and Newgrange Pictures

***THANK YOU TO ALL OUR DONATORS!!! In 30 days we raised €118,000! The combined total of both direct and indiegogo donations! if you would like to donate to the project please visit www.MyNameIsEmilythefilm.com***

MY NAME IS EMILY

A new feature film written by award-winning Irish director Simon Fitzmaurice.

EMILY is a teenage girl who runs away from her foster home on her 16th birthday.

With her school friend ARDEN, they take an old yellow Renault 4, and set out to rescue Emily's Father, a visionary writer, locked up in a far-off psychiatric institution.

Along the way, driving across Ireland.. Emily and Arden fall in love.

In the end, Emily learns she must face her Father's madness to find happiness.

Simon Fitzmaurice

Writer & Director with MND (ALS)

Simon Fitzmaurice was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) in 2008 – just after his film THE SOUND OF PEOPLE screened at Robert Redford's Sundance Film festival.

At the time, Simon was the father of 2 children, his wife Ruth was pregnant with their third, and he had been heralded as “Ireland’s most promising film-maker” by Film Ireland

But Simon refused to allow his disease to affect his drive towards becoming a feature film director. In the face of this adversity he wrote the script for MY NAME IS EMILY.

Simon Fitzmaurice began writing the script typing with his hands, and as he lost all physical function, he persisted, finishing it by typing on an iris-recognition screen, with his eyes.

We want to enable Simon to direct his feature film in Spring 2014.

Click here:

Listen to this inspirational PODCAST with Simon & Ruth Fitzmaurice, it will change your perspective.

HOW CAN YOU SUPPORT?

Film-making is a very expensive, challenging and time-consuming process.

Motor Neuron Disease (ALS) means that Simon needs more support and more time.

WE WANT TO ENABLE SIMON TO MAKE HIS FILM

The traditional production model for a feature film has to be adjusted to support Simon and enable him to make MY NAME IS EMILY. We have to challenge the norms to find a way for Simon to do his job.

Here's our plan for achieving this and how YOUR DONATIONS will help:

PRE- PRODUCTION SCHEDULE

Preparation is key. The more we can map out in prep, the easier it will make the challenge of shooting MY NAME IS EMILY.

Typically there are 8 weeks prep on a feature film.

Due to Simon's condition MY NAME IS EMILY will need at least 12 weeks. This then translates across all departments and crew.

KEY SUPPORT CREW

SUPPORT DIRECTOR - Simon will have a Support Director who will be with him every step of the way as back-up and support. The Support Director will be a facilitator to Simon's vision at all times.
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - Simon's creative partner Ivan McCullough will begin full-time preparation with Simon at a much earlier stage then on a usual production. Together they will work closely with a STORYBOARD ARTIST mapping out every frame before they go to shoot.
FIRST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - Our 1st AD will also begin prep much earlier working out shooting schedules and timetables that can work for Simon.
LOCATIONS MANAGER - While searching for locations that suit the film, the Locations Manager will also have the additional and important task of ensuring all locations are accessible for Simon

PRODUCTION

A typical low budget feature film shoot is 5 weeks. MY NAME IS EMILY will be at least 8 weeks, allowing for shorter shooting days, but with more of them.

Simon’s mobility and access to set is hugely important. He will need special transport, ramps, Eye-Gaze screen hardware and batteries, weather protection gear.

For example, we will be aiming to have a specialised van which can serve as Simon's base when on set. A place for Simon to have TV monitors to watch the performances on set while the camera is rolling, as the sound from Simon's ventilator means that he can't be next to camera at these times.

Filmmaking is an incredibly physically and mentally exhausting challenge. But with the right amount of preparation and supports in place, we will ENABLE SIMON to achieve this film, but he needs your help.

With all of the above to consider, we have to allow EXTRA BUDGET and these extra support requirements equates to the 200,000 euro we want to raise on indiegogo.

OUR SUPPORTERS!

Thank you for your much needed support!

About Our Team

Simon Fitzmaurice - Writer & Director

Simon Fitzmaurice is an award-winning writer and film director. His films have screened at film festivals all over the world and won prizes in Ireland and abroad, including Best Short Film at The Cork Film Festival and The Belfast Film Festival (twice), the Grand Jury Prize at the Opalcine Film Festival, Paris, The Jimmy Stewart Memorial Award at The Heartland Film Festival and Jury Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. His short film The Sound of People was selected to screen at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival.

Kennedy Films & Newgrange Pictures

MY NAME IS EMILY will be co-produced by Kennedy Films, a new up and coming Irish production company, and Newgrange Pictures, a long established production company who have produced feature films such as STELLA DAYS with Martin Sheen, KINGS with Colm Meaney, and the soon to be released A THOUSAND TIMES GOODNIGHT with Juliette Binoche.

Kathryn Kennedy - Producer

Kathryn Kennedy launched her company KENNEDY Films Ltd in late 2012 with a short film Just Saying, which turned into a viral sensation overnight, to widespread national and international acclaim. A few months prior to that, Kathryn had received the script for Simon Fitzmaurice's My Name Is Emily. Such was her passion and belief in the project that she decided this was to be the first feature film produced through her company. Being her first time financing a feature, Kathryn approached a well-established Irish production company Newgrange Pictures who have been developing the project with herself and Simon over the past year.

Lesley McKimm - Producer

Lesley McKimm runs Newgrange Pictures alongside producer Jackie Larkin. It’s one of the leading production companies in Ireland, producing distinctive, innovative and high quality Feature Films, Documentaries and TV drama for the International Marketplace. Recent feature films include Stella Days with Martin Sheen, Kings with Colm Meaney, and Happy Ever Afters with Sally Hawkins. They also co-produced Television dramas, Whistleblower and No Tears for RTE 1.

Ivan McCullough - Director of Photography

Ivan McCullough is an IFTA nominated Director of Photography, nominated in 2010 for The Eclipse. He has shot all of Simon Fitzmaurice's short films along with four features to date - The Eclipse, Good Vibrations, The Halo Effect, and Last Days in Dublin.

SIMPLE PAYPAL TIPS FOR EASY DONATING

DISCLAIMERS

€5,000 EUR

Two tickets to our official premiere & after party. You will also receive a Limited Edition DVD of the film, plus access to the production blog and a special thank you on the facebook page.

0 out of 10 of claimed

Associate Producer

$8,636 USD

€8,000 EUR

For this extremely generous donation to our film we are rewarding you with an Associate Producer credit on the film. You will get a set visit (transportation and accommodation not provided) and two tickets to our official premiere &amp; after party, IMDB.com credit, your name &amp; title in final credits of film, a copy of the screenplay and Limited Edition DVD.

Estimated Shipping

September 2014

0 out of 5 of claimed

International Reward

$8,636 USD

€8,000 EUR

This is a special reward for our generous International funders. We will fly you to Dublin, put you up in a hotel for 2 nights and you will get an exclusive visit to the edit suite. You will sit in on the edit with director Simon Fitzmaurice and see the magic happen. Plus the dvd and all digital downloads.

Estimated Shipping

December 2014

0 out of 2 of claimed

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