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A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

Help to complete post production on A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME film

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A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME

Help to complete post production on A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME film

Help to complete post production on A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME film

Help to complete post production on A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME film

Help to complete post production on A REFUGEE'S GUIDE TO ROME film

Ted Efremoff
Ted Efremoff
Ted Efremoff
Ted Efremoff
2 Campaigns |
West Hartford, United States
$2,405 USD 27 backers
48% of $5,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 2 Projects Mountain Filled 2 Projects

THE NEED

My name is Ted Efremoff. I am an artist with a filmmaking compulsion and an infatuation with the city of Rome. My affinity for the city began when my family and I spent a sojourn in Rome as we emigrated from the Soviet Union to the US.

For the past three years I have been filming and editing A Refugees’ Guide to Rome to give voice to and enable the rich immigrant community of Rome. My intention for the film is that it will be used as an English language teaching guide in refugee centers around Rome as well as a film for general audiences. At this point I have a rough cut of the film, but I need help from professionals in the film industry to get the film done. To finish the film, I need to raise $5,000. I would love to have your support in finishing this project. 

THE STORY

A Refugees’ Guide to Rome tells the story of Joseph, a refugee from Sierra Leone who guides fellow refugees through the Eternal City in order to acclimate them to a new life and educate them about Roman history, mythology and art pertaining to displacement. Joseph’s story is juxtaposed with the story of Aeneas who as a refugee from the Trojan war is the mythological founder of Rome in Virgil’s Aeneid.

In my eyes, the film is at once a guide for refugees and a glimpse into their lives. We watch Joseph, whose positivity and passion for service  paints all that he does for others. We witness the work of Gloria and Hassan, who run Migrant TV, a how to survive in Italy Youtube channel. We see and hear stories of the treacherous journeys many face in their bid to escape war, famine and political retribution. We also meet Roman citizens such as the musical group Trio Monti, who perform traditional Roman music with mandolin, guitar and voice in support of the immigrant cause. And we follow in the footsteps of Aeneas. 

THE BACKSTORY

At age fifteen while immigrating to the US from the Soviet Union, my family and I  were held for processing for one month in Rome by the US immigration authorities . Most days I lost myself in an aimless walk through the streets of Rome, on a kind of cinematic derive that would always surprise me as it opened up to the next grand piazza, street angle or Pantheon. This heady time is the genesis of this film.

THE IMPACT

With this film I hope to help refugee and immigrant communities in Rome to find the much needed support in their new homeland. Often times this support is not found in government offices and bureaucracies but in the citizens of the city and fellow refugees themselves.

On the other hand I want to expose to general audiences the heartbreaking choices some refugees make through crisis, migration and integration. The burden of survival and enabling the survival of their families is often placed squarely on the backs of those who are forced to or decide to move.

As an artist who works in a variety of media I find film to be at once most complex and demanding, as well as the most collaborative form of art I have encountered. So to make a good film, I will need the support from Critics, Editors, Colorists, and many other professionals in the film world. Your support will help me to engage these experts and enable them to help me create a product worthy of the cause.

And I believe the cause to be a worthy one. As an immigrant I have had to navigate the difficulties of transition and assimilation, but I have never experienced the kind of trauma and stigma that the refugees in this film have experienced. Your contribution will allow them to tell their stories and to build relationships with those who can help them. 

WHAT WE NEED

​This fundraising campaign will pay for professional editing support, expert reviews of the rough and second cut, color grading, graphics support, sound design, promotion and festival submission and all of the complex final touches a film needs in order to move from a rough cut to a vibrant work of art. I hope that you will find value in this project and help to support it. 

THE BREAKDOWN

  1. Purchase of editorial video footage                                                                           $300
  2. Expert reviews: hiring filmmakers to review and suggest improvements     $500
  3. Editing support: hiring a professional editor for final edits                              $1300
  4. Color Grading: hiring a professional colorist to grade the film                         $600
  5. Sound Design: creation of soundtrack and soundscape                                   $1300
  6. Graphics: hiring a graphic artist to create titles and effects                              $500
  7. Promotion                                                                                                                           $200
  8. Film festival submissions                                                                                              $300
  9. Total                                                                                                                                   $5000

If more than the $5000 goal is raised it will go to further promoting the film and entering it in film festivals. If less is raised, it will be used for the most pressing needs, to finish the edit and sound. 

WHAT YOU GET

As a contributor to this campaign you will get fun perks like a Look Book, On Screen Credit or a Sneak Peak at the film.

But beyond that, you will get the reward of raising awareness about some of the most vulnerable communities who are struggling to achieve security and acceptance in a society who often ignores their needs. You will help to expose some of the barriers that refugees are facing both from European powers and their own societies. You will help us to understand what an equitable and inclusive society might look like. And you will help to make a work of art, for which I will be grateful to you.  

 

RISKS AND CHALLENGES

The risk is that the film will flop. But risk taking is inherent to any creative work, as Samuel Becket so aptly puts in his ever tried, ever failed, no matter, try again, fail again, fail better line. The biggest risk is not to risk. 

The biggest challenge is that I don't have a background in film, so many of the tasks I have taken on have a steep learning curve. But that is where your support and the support of professionals I will engage to get the film completed becomes so important. I have a drive to make films and an appreciation for the collaborative nature of the endeavor, which I hope will make for an interesting artwork. 

OTHER WAYS YOU CAN HELP

I understand if you can't contribute, but if you wanted to help out in other ways, please share this campaign with others!! It is much appreciated!!

THANK YOU

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Choose your Perk

Shout out!

Shout out!

$10 USD $15 USD (33% off)
We will give you a Thank You Shout Out on our social media page!
Included Items
  • Shout out!
Estimated Shipping
February 2022
2 claimed
Ships worldwide.
Sneak preview of finished film

Sneak preview of finished film

$25 USD $40 USD (37% off)
We will send you a private link to the finalized version of the film for your viewing pleasure!
Included Items
  • Sneak preview of finished film
Estimated Shipping
March 2022
4 claimed
Look Book

Look Book

$50 USD $70 USD (28% off)
We will send you a PDF Look Book of a collection of the directors sketches and images that determine the look and concept of the film
Included Items
  • Look Book
Estimated Shipping
March 2022
2 claimed
Shout/Preview/Look

Shout/Preview/Look

$75 USD $95 USD (21% off)
We will give you a Shoutout, a Sneak Preview of the film and a PDF Look Book!
Included Items
  • Shout/Preview/Look
Estimated Shipping
March 2022
0 claimed
On screen credit

On screen credit

$100 USD $120 USD (16% off)
We will give you On Screen Credit as a funder of our film!
Included Items
  • On screen credit
Estimated Shipping
March 2022
3 claimed
Shout/Preview/Look Book/Credit

Shout/Preview/Look Book/Credit

$200 USD $220 USD (9% off)
We will give you a social media Thanks Shout Out, a Sneak Preview of the film, Credit as a Funder of the production and the Look Book!
Included Items
  • Shout/Preview/Credit/Look Book
Estimated Shipping
March 2022
1 claimed
Screening and commentary

Screening and commentary

$500 USD $600 USD (16% off)
We will create a private screening for you with live commentary by the film director, Ted Efremoff in person or virtually. You will also receive on Screen Credit as a funder of the film.
Included Items
  • Screening and Commentary
Estimated Shipping
May 2022
1 out of 5 of claimed
Dinner and a movie

Dinner and a movie

$1,000 USD $1,200 USD (16% off)
Ted will make dinner for you and a guest at his home in Connecticut and discuss any and all aspects of the film with you. You will also receive on Screen Credit as a funder of the film.
Included Items
  • Dinner and a movie
Estimated Shipping
May 2022
0 out of 3 of claimed
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