Short Summary
What if what happened to Japanese Americans during World War II happened again today to Muslim and Arab Americans?
Summary
Writer/Producer and former executive at the Japanese American National Museum Koji Steven Sakai and filmmaker/cultural anthropologist Mustafa Rony Zeno, producer Phinny Kiyomura, and Executive Producer Peter Shimamoto are looking for your help to fund their newest film Executive Order 13800. This is a project that touches upon both of their passions for social Justice and for telling compelling human dramas.
Executive Order 13800 is inspired by the internment of Japanese American during World War II. But instead of happening 75 years ago, it is happening today with Muslim and Arab Americans.
EO13800 follows an Arab American family after a second major terrorist attack to hit the United States in one month. President Trump issues Executive Order 13800 which gives all Muslim Americans two weeks to report to a government site to register. During those two weeks, the family's world turns completely upside down. With the executive order, they instantly lose their civil rights -- such as new curfew laws prohibit them from going out after dusk, they are no longer able to gather or pray together, they can’t express their faith publicly and not to mention the constant threat of violence against them.
Both Koji and Mustafa have been working on this project for the past year. However, they abandoned it a year ago because it seemed too far-fetched. However, because of the results of the recent presidential election, they both now see that the scenario found in EO13800 could actually happen. Koji, being a descendant of a camp survivor, believes this is one of his most important projects he's ever worked on. He has made it his life's work to educate people about the camps and to ensure that what happened to his family never happens to anyone ever again.
What We Need & What You Get
We are looking to raise $50,000 to shoot Executive Order 13800. This is a passion project for both of us and we guarantee every penny we raise will go to making the best movie possible.
Please check out some of the perks we are offering. You can get a copy of the script, a DVD (once it's completed), poster, tickets to the premier, producer credits and more!
But don't worry, if we don't reach our goal, we will still shoot our movie with the money we get.
The Impact
This is a very time-sensitive story that needs to be told RIGHT NOW. At a time like this when our future is so unpredictable, we need to do everything we can to pool in our resources to prevent history from repeating itself.
Who We Are?
One of the strengths of the project is the team behind it. We have a talented group of filmmakers with a strong track record and experience. You can be confident that once we've established funding, we'll make a quality independent film with minimal resources
KOJI STEVEN SAKAI has written five feature films that have been produced, Haunted Highway (2006), The People I’ve Slept With (2009), Monster & Me (2013), #1 Serial Killer (2013), and Dying to Kill (2015). He also served as a producer on The People I’ve Slept With, #1 Serial Killer, Dying to Kill and Dwayne Perkins: Take Notes (2015), a one hour comedy special. His screenplay, Romeo, Juliet, & Rosaline, was optioned by Amazon Studios. Koji’s debut novel, Romeo & Juliet Vs. Zombies, was released by Luthando Coeur in February of 2015, his Amazon Kindle World novella, Operation Survive, was released in the October of 2016, and his graphic novel, 442, will be released in November of 2016 by Stela, a new online comic book company. Finally, he is the featured writer for an innovative news based app, SpeakBeat.
MUSTAFA RONY ZENO is a filmmaker, photographer, cultural anthropologist and educator raised in Syria and living in his birthplace, Los Angeles. his work focuses on fringes and the spaces between, especially in culture and religion.
PHINNEAS KYOMURA a playwright, screenwriter, actor and former skate punk from Long Beach, CA. His plays (Lydia in Bed, Figure 8, Woods) have been produced at Theatre of NOTE, Padua Playwrights and Sacred Fools, among others. He is a FIND Screenwriters Lab Fellow (for his feature BEDS AND GRAVES), an ABC Disney Writers Lab Fellow, and was a staff writer on TWISTED (Freeform). He will appear as an actor in upcoming features KILL, ME DEADLY and AFTER WE LEAVE.
Risks & Challenges
Independent movies are difficult to pull off. We'd like to go into production as soon as possible after we are fully funded and fulfill all our rewards. However, keep in mind that sometimes it is out of our hands.
Understanding that, we do promise to get the film completed and to fulfill all our reward obligations as soon as humanly possible.
Other Ways You Can Help
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