About the Film
"Third Timothy" is an original Southern Gothic tale heavily influenced by the style of Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner.
A duo of run-away brothers struggle against loyalties peddling fake holy water on a journey through the rural South in order to fund their escape from an abusive foster home. Their plan is jeopardized when they meet a woman who does not easily fall victim to their con.
From the Director
Hey guys, I'm Julian Walker, the writer and director of "Third Timothy". I'm a filmmaker from Arkansas, currently based in Chicago. I am in my last year of the MFA program at Columbia College Chicago, and "Third Timothy" is my graduate thesis film. I tell stories that are largely influenced by my southern experience and the exploration of family dynamics. These are two things I hold dear to my heart, and both are thoroughly explored in the film.
From the Producer
Hello! I'm Jordan Duke, the producer of "Third Timothy". I grew up in southern Ohio and lived in Tennessee for a while... longer than expected. I like people, art and I love a good story so it only felt natural to pick a career that fused the three together. I have just graduated from Columbia College Chicago's MFA Creative Producing program but they won't give me my diploma until I deliver this thing called a thesis film. I grew up as a pastor's kid and now I live in L.A. The stories dearest to me, the one's I want to tell, have this dichotomy of human struggle against their redemptive value. Young Timothy has a lot to say about hurting people, being hurt, and rising above his current state to help someone with whom he's become very close. I'm sure you've felt a similar experience. So I'm asking you, would you help Julian and I tell this story?
Why Is This Story Important?
After years being raised in the Bible Belt and around individuals who were in abusive domestic situations, Julian felt that this was the proper story to tell to help the world see those situations in a new light. Unfortunately, far too often, individuals in positions of power abuse their power. We've seen this in the form of religion as well as domestic situations. This abuse of power affects countless individuals who put all of their trust in someone only to be let down. "Third Timothy" explores what happens when children are victims of the abuse of power and use abusive tactics they have seen in an effort to change their situation. Children are highly influenceable, so this film calls all of us to consider what we teach them directly and indirectly.
What Your Contributions Will Achieve
We view our audience as collaborators. This comes in two ways: 1. Watching the film and continuing the conversation of the issues that are raised. 2. Directly contributing to help the project come to life. Your tax-deductible donations will help tremendously. In order to tell the story the way it deserves to be told, all of the puzzle pieces must come together to form one beautiful picture. This story can not be told without your generous donations.
We believe in placing every penny possible on the screen. So what you see is exactly where your money went... That and food. A well fed crew is a happy and hard working crew and we like to take care of our people.
How You Can Help
How much we need
We need $8,000 to produce the film, and we would like to raise $5,500 from our audience through Indiegogo. We need funds to finance the production in the form of equipment rentals, trucks, costumes, production design, and food for cast and crew among other costs of production. All of these things are essential in order to accomplish our goal.
Julian and Jordan are putting our own personal funds into the project as well. That's how much we believe in Timothy's story. But we simply cannot do it alone.
Impact
This film will provide a unique way of looking at the issue of abuse of power, specifically framed within issues of child abuse and abuse of religious power. At some point in everyone's life, we are all put in the position to be the power player in the situation. How will you handle it? How will your decisions affect others? Can you sacrifice something you want for the sake of others? Or will you take advantage of others for your personal gain? The film does not aim to answer these questions but to open up the conversation and provide something to think about when presented with these situations.
We are not here to make assumptions. We're talking about basic human responsibility, and it just so happens our story is conveyed through our own experiences within religious circles. So please don't dismiss us based on a term or two (such as abuse of religious power). Jordan grew up hearing a simple phrase, "It's not about religion, it's about relationship." Well, Third Timothy is a story about just that - the relationships between Matthew, Timothy and Josephine.
Julian's past films have been screened at film festivals in Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, and North Carolina. Each film has sparked a conversation and has left a lasting impression on the audience. With "Third Timothy" we want to leave you with an emotional response that opens up a door for you to think about the topics of the film and share those thoughts with others. Through dialogue, either internal or external, we can make our way towards solutions.
Timeline
The campaign will last for 30 days, and we plan to begin shooting in August. In order to make this film come to life we need your help. We want to make something that affects audiences in a lasting way. The film will be an honest heartfelt piece of work that contributes to an important conversation.
If you are not able to contribute to the campaign, don't worry! You can still get involved with the film. We ask that you please share the film with your friends, family, and acquaintances. Don't be scared to click the social networking share links above. Every view helps us get our project out there and puts us one click closer to achieving our goals. We sincerely appreciate your help!
