Soli follows the sun, symbolized by an enigmatic figure, Sole, as he explores the city and illuminates the lives of a series of lonely people.  In a sequence of largely silent vignettes, it contrasts the blackness of their uncertainties with the bright light that investigates and illuminates them.

Sol Invictus, "Unconquered Sun", is the sun as personified in Roman mythology. In Italian, “soli” can mean a number of solo pieces (the English equivalent would be "solos"). Filmmaker and artist Adrienne Marcus Raja's upcoming poetic short film Soli, is inspired by the image of Sol Invictus on the face of a Roman coin, symbolically lighting the darkness of self-destruction that we have in ourselves and the pressure that forces us to make decisions in our lives. 

In Soli the sun, symbolized by an enigmatic figure, Sole, explores the city and illuminates the lives of a series of lonely people. In a sequence of largely silent vignettes, the film contrasts the blackness of their uncertainties with the bright light that investigates and illuminates them. 

The director has a powerful and unique vision of what this film will look like. There will definitely be something off-balance, something bent, something strange about the film and the mood it will create. At a first viewing it will appear to be simple and lucid, but there will be depth to it, and a sense of the unknown. It will be dark and captivating, permeated with an infinitely sad tension. 

The 10 minute film will have almost no spoken dialogue, but will be accompanied by an music improvision. Though the film will be non-linear, the music will serve as its narrative element. 

In March of this year, the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto (LIFT) announced that Toronto-based Kelabit artist Adrienne Marcus Raja would be the recipient of the 9th annual LIFT/imagineNATIVE Mentorship. This annual mentorship was developed to offer an Indigenous artist living in the Greater Toronto Area the opportunity to expand their practice into the realm of film.

Adrienne Marcus Raja is creating Soli in fulfillment of her Mentorship. A cast of local Toronto talent has been assembled, including actors Chris Riley, Brian Young, Anthea Tsoukalas, Daniel Park, Punam Patel, and Melissa Gordon. And pre-production is currently in full swing.

We are now in our pre-production stage and will start shooting in June 2013. The film will be shot on 16mm Kodak color film with a Bolex camera kit. Adrienne Marcus Raja’s goal for this film has been to assemble a collective of creative individuals working together to make this film to showcase their skills and, at the same time, to create a work to be screened on international film festival circuits. 

We hope to reach out to the Indiegogo community, fellow filmmakers, friends, and family to join us on our journey as we embark on this new chapter of our lives.

----------------------------------------------------

# Adrienne Marcus Raja (Director/Set Designer/Editor)

Adrienne Marcus Raja holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University and a BA in Mass Communication from Curtin University, Sarawak, Malaysia. She has taken an interest in understanding the analog photographic and filmic medium as she continues to learn about the process of developing and printing in the darkroom. Toronto-based Kelabit artist Adrienne Marcus Raja is the recipient of the 9th annual LIFT/imagineNATIVE Mentorship for 2013. Soli is her first color 16mm short film. It will premier at the 14th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival running from October 16th to 20th in Toronto.

# Chantel Whitter (Producer)

Chantel Whitter is new to the film industry. After working in sports broadcasting for 2 and half years she decided she needed a change of pace. She worked as production assistant on a BravoFACT short film, "Jesse" in the fall of 2012 and fell in love with the making of film. She has gone on to produce 3 music videos, co-produce an ACTRA short and have the pleasure of being production manager on a live awards show. Her next venture - Soli! And she couldn't be more excited.

# Chris MaGee (Production Manager)

Chris MaGee is an independent writer and film curator based in Toronto. He was the founder of Canada's premier Japanese film website, The J-Film Pow-Wow, as well as the Festival Director of the Shinsedai Cinema Festival. Soli marks his first foray into film production.

# Marcos Arriaga (Director of Photography)

Born in Lima, Peru, Marcos Arriaga graduated from the Communications program at San Martin de Porras University in 1985. He completed his degree from Sheridan College’s Media Arts Film Program in 1995 and a Master Fine Arts in Film Production at York University in 2003. Marcos has completed the following shorts films: "Watching" (1994); "El Barrio" (1998); "The Harris Project" (1998) "Promised Land" (2002), "A Little Square Heaven" (2003), "3x16" (2007), "Tale of Winter" (2008), "Assembly" (2012). As well as a medium length documentary, titled "Maricones" (2005), and a feature length documentary titled "Looking for Carmen" (2012).

# Alexander Ulyanov (1st AC)

Alex Ulyanov is a Mongolian-born cinematographer whose experience lies in film photography, where he has demonstrated his abilities in lighting and composition. In the past 5 years Alex has shifted to motion pictures, operating almost every type of camera as well as working as a focus puller and camera assistant. Previous projects include cinematography on a horror feature film in 2012.

# Ashfaqul Taposh (2nd AC)

Born in Bangladesh, Ashfaqul Taposh came to Canada to study Computer Science in 2003 but eventually found more interest in films and cinematography. Currently working on his own short film.

# Melanie Quigg (Make Up)

After completing the Comprehensive Makeup Artist Program at one of the industry’s premiere institutions, “Complections College of Makeup and Design” in Toronto Canada, Melanie combined her new found resources with her extensive experience in the hospitality industry to catapult herself into her young career. In the first half of 2013, she has worked on several short films including “Vintages” which appeared in the Ryerson University Film Festival, music videos including Canadian star Danny Fernandes “Emotional”, and a multitude of other private and freelance commissions. Melanie’s BA in Theatre Studies from the University of Guelph gives her a strong understanding of many aspects about the industry, making her an adaptable, patient, and understanding artist to work with. Despite a high demand in the bridal and fashion industries, Melanie plans to focus on opportunities within film and television as her career progresses.

# Jordan Mulgrave (Set Dresser) 

Jordan Mulgrave is a Toronto-based television producer and production designer. Jordan is currently attending Seneca College where he will earn his diploma in Television Broadcasting. Jordan has spent most of his time working as a set dresser, general operator and producer for various broadcast networks and independent productions. 

# Jacqueline Hung (Production Assistant)

Jacqueline Hung is currently going into her second year at York University majoring in Film. She wants to explore and learn more about the film industry and gain experience in all mediums of art.

# Jennyfer Sanchez (Production Assistant)

Jennyfer Sánchez is a film producer-in-training and an avid seeker of new experiences. Her passion for the industry began early in life, starting with her background extra work in feature films. Currently, she's rounding up three years as an entertainment publicist. She strives to be well-rounded in the essentials of the industry so that one day, she too can help create good films. She's always open to hearing about how she can be a helping hand and can be found via her new start-up company, Noble Sky Entertainment.

# David G. Martinez (Music Score) 

David G. Martinez is a visual artist and music composer from Mexico City with two MFA degrees, one in Visual Arts from the University of North Dakota and the other in Documentary Media from Ryerson University. His recent musics, improvisations and atmospheres are engaged with theater and video production for different companies in Mexico City.

# Chenxing Liu (Stills Photographer - Analog)

Chenxing Liu is a Toronto-based filmmaker and photographer currently attaining his MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University, with an undergraduate background in Anthropology and Philosophy from the University of Waterloo. Liu is now finishing his first 20-min-long documentary on personal perspectives on Buddhism.

# Jacqueline Chan (Title and Promotional Design) 

Jacqueline Chan is the designer & illustrator behind Whimsy Milieu. Jacqueline spends her time designing and making fashion jewellery & accessories, and illustrating whimsical things that pop into her head. 

# Chris Riley (as 'Sole')

Chris Riley is a Toronto native musician and music instructor. After finishing his education he performed with many musical projects from a plethora of genres playing both the electric bass guitar and the upright bass. He is currently focused on his main project, Axxion, which will have it's first full-length release in the summer of 2013.

# Brian Young 

Brian Young is an educator with an MA in Classics from U of T. During his teaching career, which ranged through all levels from kindergarten to university, he developed courses and fostered the active participation of students of all ages in the creative process of filmmaking. He is a political activist with a strong commitment to social justice and the environment.

# Anthea Tsoukalas

Anthea Tsoukalas holds an MA in Media Production from Ryerson University and a BA in Classical Studies from UBC.  During her graduate degree at Ryerson, she worked with Adrienne to create a film ("Faces of Fashion") about the world of fashion blogging and its effects on the print magazine industry.  Prior to her MA, Anthea lived in Japan for two years and attended Japan Fashion Week for two seasons. She continues to blog and is actively involved in the Toronto fashion industry.

# Melissa Gordon

Melissa Gordon is a photographer from Toronto with an MFA degree in Documentary Media from Ryerson University. Her professional film and photographic work, commonly, feature stage performers from within the Toronto area.

# Daniel Park

Daniel Park did extensive work in theatre and film after studying Theatre at Ryerson. He has worked with acclaimed directors Sook Yin Lee, Clement Virgo, Bruce Macdonald Adam Arkin, Bob Goodwin, and Guillermo del Toro. He has been obsessed with film both on and off the big screen. After spending 6 years in Asia, (Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, China)he immersed himself in Asian cinema and techniques and style. He began writing screenplays at the age of 19, and has written, directed, produced and acted in various shows and films.

# Punam Patel

Punam Patel was very indecisive at a young age, changing from wanting to be a Marine Biologist to a Lawyer to an Advertising Executive. She soon came to realize she could play many roles by becoming an actor. She has an East Indian background and an exotic accent that most people mistake for British mixed with Australian, when it’s “quite obviously from New Zealand” she will tell you. She has come to Toronto to perfect her craft and passion for acting. Punam has starred in many projects from award winning web-series to shorts and feature films. You may recognize her from national commercials to hosting on Fashion and Lifestyle Television or even as a host on a current iPhone app. She is currently working towards becoming a full Meisner trained actor, while also working on filming projects.

------------------------------------------------------------ 

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival

Niagara Custom Labs  

Kodak

Technicolor

nanopod: Hybrid Studio

401 Richmond

MABELLEarts 

Adrienne Marcus Raja and the crew of Soli are hugely grateful for the production support that both LIFT and ImagineNATIVE are providing to this project; but we need more help.

That is why we're appealing to film lovers like you. We need to raise at least CAD$2500 in additional funding.

Where will these funds go?

• construction and rental of props 
• craft services and transportation
• wardrobe and makeup
• location permits and production paperwork 
• indieGoGo fees and shipping of perks 

Producing a film, even a short one like Soli, is a complex and expensive process. With with a donation from you, this unique film will have the chance to come to life. 

It will be a busy summer for Adrienne and the crew of Soli. We will all be working under a tight deadline. Soli is scheduled to premiere at the 14th annual imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival this October!

So make sure to check out the perks for being a friend of the production. Mark October 16th 2013 , the opening of this year's imagineNATIVE Festival on your calendars.

We can all make Soli a reality!

Can I contribute internationally? 

Yes! You can donate in USD, CAD, EUR, and GBP.

What forms of payments are accepted?

You can pay with credit card or a paypal account.

If I contribute do I have to choose a perk?

If you want to contribute but don’t want a perk that is no problem. And you can contribute any amount of money you wish, the perks are just a guideline! 

If you're unable to contribute at this time, you can also help by sharing this campaign with anyone you think might be interested. Every little bit helps with this project. You can help in many other ways. Like us on facebook for regular updates about the film. Tell anyone you know who may be interested, and spread the word through email, Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites. 

Please also check out our updates frequently!

Indiegogo campaign!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Solishortfilm

Twitter: @SoliShortFilm

Website: http://www.solishortfilm.com/ (To be officially ready by August 2013)

 ***You don't need a Paypal account in order to make a donation, however, if you would rather skip the third party process and are not interested in the perks, you are welcome to email us at shortfilmsoli@gmail.com to make alternative arrangements***