"Nickel is a short film for and about inmate families. It focuses on a day in the life of my mother & I going to visit my brother in prison. He's serving a 10-year sentence, and he's on his seventh year now, so he's up for parole. So we're fixing to go through the whole parole process all over again this year, and it's very familiar to us, it's become a reality to us. It's something we're used to now, but it's still very hard. That's what the film is about, the struggles that inmate families go through, and I think it's so important to get this film out there. I feel like there's not enough films, short films, or media in general that portrays the lives of these family members that go to every visitation, put up their money to go through parole hearings, and deal with all of this. Making these issues surface is what Nickel is all about. Starting a conversation about it, getting it out in the open, is really what my goal is."
-Writer/Director Amanda Nicole Reyes
Amanda Reyes is a senior at The University of North Texas. "Nickel" is the first film of the Advanced Film 2015 class to go into production.
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For Your Support
In order to make "Nickel" possible, we need your help. We need funding for rental, set and costume design fees, to feed our cast and crew and to submit "Nickel" out into festivals for distribution.
By donating $1 you will be given a special thanks during the film's credits.
By donating $20 you will receive a free digital download and film credit.
By donating $50 you will receive free digital stills and behind the scenes footage, as well as film credit and a free digital download of the film.
By donating $500 you will receive an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit on the film, in addition to a free digital download, stills and behind the scenes footage.
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The Impact
We hope "Nickel" will be the beginning of something bigger. One out of every one hundred Americans is incarcerated. This effects countless Americans who feel that their stories are overlooked and even neglected by mainstream media. "Nickel" is our way of giving a voice to many innocent families that are silenced by trauma.
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Risks & Challenges
By showing your support through donations or just by getting the word out about our film, you will be giving support to inmate families and the injustices they face on a daily basis from the parole process to the challenges faced during visitation. Inmate families are an easy target for the prison system to take financial advantage of. These families pay fees in order to support their loved ones in prison; from food, hygiene products to medical visits. "Nickel" will be donating any remaining contributions to organizations that provide presents and necessary items to children in Texas who have incarcerated parents and are financially effected by the prison system.
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