“I Must Go” is an independently made documentary about the Pacific Crest Trail and the people on it. The team behind the film is a group of passionate, intelligent young twenty-something's that want to show a totally different view of the world.

We know what you're thinking: I can't wait to see shot after shot of mountains and rivers. And while that would be an interesting film, what we want to do is provide an in-depth look about what life as a thru-hiking nomad is like by capturing footage and interviews from right there on trail, each step of the way.

Niche Veraldi is a recent graduate of Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi's Media Production program and is an up-and-coming writer/director. His films have been screened internationally from Texas to Australia and his unique perspective of the world helps him stand out in the crowd. In addition, Niche has hiked on the Lone Star Hiking Trail and Big Bend National Park in Texas, Mount Haleakala in Hawaii, and Roatan in Honduras. By combining his love of hiking and filmmaking together, he hopes to show others the joy of being out in nature.

Right now, we are in the fundraising phase of “I Must Go”, which began December 17th and continues until April 1. This phase involves sending personal letters to private donors, using crowdfunding tactics to secure funding, and applying to film grants to cover other costs.

The money obtained from this stage will be used for gathering gear necessary for hiking, lightweight and quality camera equipment, anything else necessary for the hike, and first-rate post production equipment. Once this money is secured, we can be assured that the film we intend to make is of the highest quality.

In addition to helping us make this amazing documentary, you get some awesome perks at each donation level!

No matter what level of donation you choose to give at, you will receive a Thank You Note from director/hiker Niche Veraldi detailing his appreciation for your donation. 

At the $5 donation level, you'll receive a one-of-a-kind sticker that is custom designed by Katherine Holmes Art! (http://katherineholmesart.com/) Below is the design for the sticker:

At the $10 donation level, you'll get the sticker AND your name in the credits at the end of the film! For a $20 donation, you'll not only receive a sticker, but also a custom designed 16x20 poster for the film! Below is the design:

A donation of $25 will earn you the official "I Must Go" t-shirt! Below is the design for the shirt:

At a $50 donation, you'll receive a physical DVD copy of "I Must Go" for your home enjoyment! 

To receive all of these amazing creations, you can donate at the $100 level and get one of everything!

For those of you who want to directly affect the production of the movie, a $250 donation will earn you an Executive Producer credit and full recognition in the credits sequence of the film. This is a great opportunity to get your foot in the door in the film industry.

And finally, if you like what you've seen from us and need something shot, for a $500 donation you can have director Niche Veraldi come to you and shoot anything for a one day long shoot! Whether it's weddings, a recital, a game, or a commercial, Niche will give his full attention to the project INCLUDING editing together a final project. This is a GREAT way of getting high-quality production work done!

According to a recent Forbes poll, the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs. While this may not be news to most, the shocking thing is the amount of people who refuse to leave their work situations to experience a life-changing trip. Marketwatch.com’s 2016 survey found that 55% of Americans don’t take all of their vacation days, and news outlets like NPR and The Boston Globe are reinforcing this phenomenon. So what does this have to do with our documentary?

What we hope to accomplish with our documentary is to inspire the working class people around the country to take a break and experience something life-changing. Right in our backyard is an amazing journey that has the ability to completely change someone’s life, if we only would take the chance to experience it.

Obviously it’s one thing to SAY we’re going to shoot a documentary while thru-hiking, but it’s quite another to actually DO it. High quality camera equipment can be difficult to carry if it’s not the right weight and size, off-loading footage that has been captured on trail and backing it up is difficult, and the weather is not forgiving of the fact that camera equipment runs on electricity. This is where your help aids us tremendously.

By buying a lighter, smaller-sized camera and lightweight camera gear, Niche will be able to stow away everything in a waterproof sack in his hiking pack. In addition, the donations will also help in sending packages back to Texas where the rest of the team can download footage that has been shot on trail and organize it for when Niche returns. Having these options are only possible through your donations, so please help us out!

We understand that money can be hard to come by, and that making a monetary donation may not always be possible. That’s okay! There’s another way you can help us that impacts us just as much. Share our campaign! The most helpful thing you can do is share this on your social media accounts, and help spread the word about the campaign. The more people that visit our page is the better chance of not only getting our project funded, but getting the awareness of the Pacific Crest Trail out to the public.