IN DEMAND - (pushing the target)
We are so very thankful to have reached our target thanks to all you wonderful people, but we shall keep going and if you still want to contribute that will be marvellous. Potentially our budget is £25,000 so we have £15,000 more to find. We have applied to various funds but of course they are very competitive and subjective, so we may not be successful. So anything more you are willing to give means the less we have to apply for and the nearer to our goal we get. Thank you from all our hearts for getting this far!!!
Story
This story is outwardly about an ageing, Jewish, gay artist who is reminiscing about a doomed love affair and long dead lover from the concentration camps. He is preparing to paint his last portrait and seeks a young model to pose. Something is odd about their whole encounter. It has a dream like quality, or is it science fiction or imagination?
MESSAGE: #RighttoLive #RighttoLove
CAST:
Tony - Simeon Oakes - Hard Words, The TV Series The Fear Index.
Anthony - Ian Lieber - Dramatic Story teller.
Alexander - Niko El Santo Zavero - A Scorched Earth, A Monster's Universe TV Series.
Manfred - Aidan Nicholas Alexander - The Borgias, Struggle etc. Presently studying at East 15 Drama School.
Osh Veda - Prisoner 1 - Various modelling and acting roles.
Camp Kommandant - Chris Wilson - 100's of films and adverts, specialising in army officers, police etc.
Simeon Ian Nicholas
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Chris Niko Osh
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Short Summary
We are making this as a proof of concept short as a stand alone piece and also to raise interest in our feature length version.
We are a successful team of filmmakers, with 44 awards under Lumino Films’ belt, and our cinematographer Ross Yeandle has worked with Prince Charles on Highgrove plus Wolf Hall and many other high-end commercial and film projects.
We are passionate about film and getting messages to a wider audience.
Memento Mori Portrait is a script – which has already garnered 12 awards – by Simon O'Corra, who has already been optioned for Hollywood, and his previous work, No Goodbyes has been shown on US TV.
It is impossible to make films without help and financial backing. By contributing to this project and supporting us you can help us get this film made. The film will generate 5-7 cast roles and 12 crew roles – jobs that are essential to getting the entertainment industry back on its feet. We are in negotiations with a well-known actor for a lead role, although it's not yet finalised.
From the minute Memento Mori Portrait popped into my inbox I knew it was THE ONE.
I have made many short films, and this is not just another one. It aims high and with the LGBTQ theme and its strong message we are looking to enter it for the Iris Prize: https://irisprize.org/. Short films rarely make money but what they can do is make a splash, engage emotions, and reach a wide audience. We are aiming for next level work with Memento Mori Portrait. I have been honing my craft over 9 years, building an inspiring and magnificently talented team around me. The sky is the limit. Memento Mori Portrait should be a huge success and we can only bring it to life with your help – after which more films and more jobs will follow.
We can't make thought-provoking, interesting and entertaining films without your help. We are very grateful to the people who support us and hope that you will consider supporting us again. Be part of our team!
Our Location:
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We are offering some lovely perks but you can donate any amount that is not listed and also do so anonymously if you wish.
https://youtu.be/8UckSEN0yVk look at some of the paintings to be used in the film -
What We Need & What You Get
We have a budget of £25,000 and are asking for £10,000 in this crowdfund but anything over that is welcome.
If we get more that's fantastic as it means we will have to apply for fewer grants.
Where is the other money coming from? We have applied to the BFI, and various other funding bodies. If these applications are not successful we will keep fighting and applying until one is successful. Several film funds open in November including Stephen Spielberg’s film fund. So the more generous you are here, the easier our funding hunt will be.
We have some unique perks and hope you will be excited to support us.
The funds will never be spent on anything else but this film. They will be put in a holding bank account until we realise the target fund.
The Impact
First and foremost we want to make films that get a message to a wider audience. We like to weave a poignant story into a film drama. In this case the inclusivity and diversity values we adopt as empathetic humans are sadly not shared by everyone. Gay people are often ostracised, marginalised and treated inhumanely. This is a wake up call for the audience, providing valuable information about LGBT history for present and future generations to learn from.
We want people to see that the suffering at those points in history and today such as in Afghanistan may touch hearts.
Afghanistan- Lgbtq people hounded and even shot dead on the streets by the Taliban.
UK - Conversion Therapy still legal.
Russia- Russia’s 2013 “gay propaganda” law is a classic example of political homophobia. It targets vulnerable sexual and gender minorities for political gain.
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anti Putin and gay propoganda demonstration
USA - LGBTQ harrassed by far right and some Christian churches in various states think being LGBTQIA and out are not fit to worship. Hate crime and discrimination particularly in the deep south and bible belt states is rife. Anti lgbtq discrimation laws do however exist.
Countries where Homosexuality is illegal:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Antigua & Barbuda ,Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Brunei, Burundi,Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Cook Islands, Dominica, Egypt,Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea, Guyana, Iran, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lebanon, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritania,Mauritius, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nigeria, Occupied Palestinian Territory (Gaza Strip), Oman, Pakistan Papua New Guinea, Qatar, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Sudan, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Togo, Tonga, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
The only way to shut down homophobia is to educate, inform and make discrimination illegal worldwide.
Risks & Challenges
We may not get all our funds quickly, but we are very driven to find them somewhere, from some grant, sponsor or altruistic person who believes in the theme of this film or believes in us as film makers.
Money will be put in a bank account and kept til we reach our target.
Over 20 films we have maybe taken a while to realise the film BUT ALWAYS got there in the end.
The quicker we realise the funds the quicker we can get the film made.
anti Putin and gay propoganda demonstration
