Why is this Story Important? 

Even with all the social progressions we have made by 2019, there are still millions of people across the world who do not believe in the legitimacy of mental illnesses. When I was 13, before I even knew what OCD was, I found myself stuck in daily obsessive thoughts and compulsions that were eating away at my life. Through the years, I experienced ups and downs. By the fall of 2018, my mental health had deteriorated so much that I was committed to a psych ward for 10 days because I was actively suicidal. After discharging from the hospital, I became a patient for 10 weeks at an intensive treatment center for OCD. 

If anyone were to tell me it was "all in my head" and I just had to "think positively," I would kindly ask them to educate themselves about the biological and chemical evidence surrounding mental illnesses. I would ask them to look around and see the epidemic of depression and anxiety that has overcome our nation. I would ask them to read statistics about how many people take their lives every single day due to mental health struggles. Mental illnesses are not fairy tales that require belief. Mental illnesses are real. 

We are making this documentary to teach our audience about the hard facts surrounding this complex mental illness, obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

OCD and our Documentary

Obsessive-compulsive disorder affects about 1 in every 100 adults, or between 2-3 million adults in the United States according to the National Institute of Mental Health. This is not a small number. On top of that, OCD is a very misunderstood disorder. Our documentary aims to talk about OCD as it actually exists, not how the mainstream media portrays it to be. Take a minute to think about some of the deepest and darkest thoughts you've had. Now imagine those thoughts are running through your brain 24/7 and there's nothing you can do about it. You're just stuck in an endless cycle of your darkest thoughts over and over again, until it feels like those thoughts are now reality. OCD tends to attack the things someone cherishes the most, like children, spouses, health, spirituality, and morals. It can tear apart families, ruin relationships, and take lives. People with OCD are ten times more likely to commit suicide than the general population.

The Impact of Your Help

Why do so many people with OCD not seek help? Many are too afraid to talk to someone about it. What would society think of them? What do these thoughts mean about them? What horrible things might happen if these thoughts come true? There is such a taboo surrounding OCD, especially in the way that the mainstream media makes fun of it. So people don't seek help. They would rather keep their secrets to themselves.

And this is why our documentary is so important. We want to talk about this topic openly, honestly, and with no shame. We want to talk about those difficult topics, because if we can give just one person the courage to not feel embarrassed and seek help, then our documentary would be worth it. By supporting our documentary, you are supporting a very important modern-day movement to destigmatize mental health by openly discussing it, so that we can prevent lives from being lost.  You will be a mental health advocate, fighting for people who don't have a voice. 

The Team

Rachel Immaraj, Director/Producer

Rachel Immaraj has freelanced in the art department for films, commercials, and music videos for five years now, working as a set dresser and art director. She has worked with clients such as Dell, Pepsi, Hugo Boss, John Varvatos, Target, Microsoft, Best Buy, Whole Foods, and more. In 2015, she taught at Shanti Bhavan, a school in India for children from the Dalit (Untouchables) caste. Upon returning, she co-wrote a small book on human trafficking in Houston. She hopes to use her filmmaking skills to create socially conscious documentaries to better our world. Check out her IMDb page here. 

Ivy Chiu, Director of Photography

Born in Taiwan, raised in Texas, Ivy Chiu is a Director of Photography whose work has taken her across the world. She has shot projects in Germany, India, Haiti, French Polynesia, Mongolia, and all over the US. Her cinematography is story-driven and strives to capture the authentic human experience.

Since graduating from the University of Texas, Ivy has photographed numerous commercials, documentaries, and narrative films. Most recently, she lensed Rooster Teeth’s “Encounter Culture,” a Facebook docuseries premiering in August 2019.

Ivy just finished shooting her second feature film “Inbetween Girl,” directed by Mei Makino. Check out her cinematography reel here. 

Kovid Gupta, Producer

Kovid was raised in Houston, Texas, and comes from an immigrant family. As a child he was interested in Bollywood films. He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin, followed by an MBA from Cornell University. Kovid began his career by screenwriting mainstream Hindi television soap operas. He went on to work for Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms, where he authored Kingdom of The Soap Queen: The Story of Balaji Telefilms. He later joined Rajshri Productions to assist Sooraj Barjatyaon on Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. He then worked as head of business development at Vinod Chopra Films and Film Companion. Additionally, he published another book in 2014, Redrawing India: The Teach for India Story. Check out his IMDb page here. 

Natasha Paradeshi, Producer

Natasha Paradeshi graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters of Public Policy (MPP) degree and from the University of Texas with a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Liberal Arts.  While in Los Angeles, she worked for the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking. She is one of the Co-founders of The Landing, Houston’s first drop-in center for survivors of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation, where she now serves as the Executive Director. She is also a co-founder of Solace Media, a company specializing in graphic design and website architecture. Natasha is passionate about creatively filling gaps in society so that more people are able to access the services they need. Check out The Landing website here.

The Budget*

Quality movies take hard work, a talented crew, and a decent budget. In order to complete our project, we are looking to raise $18,000. We have provided a breakdown of our budget, but if you have any further questions about how we will be using our funds, please reach out to us! 

*Budget Update As of 5/12/20

Thanks to so many generous contributions, we have raised $22,110! Since this initial funding round, we have secured the rest of our film subjects and will now need to film in both San Diego and New York. In addition, because of the advocacy component of this film and the increased marketing needs, our total budget is now $34,202. That means we have $12,092 left to raise! We have  submitted a few grant applications, but we know we will still need community support. If you would like to help us bridge this gap, you can still donate on this page. Thank you!

The Perks

Fundraising styles are all different. On Indiegogo, we have the option of providing perks as a thank you for your contribution. On the right, there are different levels of perks you can receive for your donation, such as recognition as a Mental Health Ambassador on our website, credit on IMDb, company logo in the credits of our film, credit as an associate producer, and more! However, we also understand some may want to make a donation without receiving the perks. If this is the case, simply opt to not choose any of the perks when you make a contribution through Indiegogo. 

Your Donation is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. 

Isn't that great news for all of us? Any amount of money you contribute to our film will be tax deductible. 

We have the privilege to be fiscally sponsored by Motion Media Arts Center (MMAC), a 501c(3) non-profit independent film, art, and technology center that supports every aspect of production from creation to presentation. Their goal is to "empower, support and educate emerging artists of all ages to be active participants in shaping our culture and engage communities to rethink the way we view film, art and technology." 

Your contribution will be sent to MMAC directly, which makes your donation tax deductible. MMAC will then grant Mind Games the funds. MMAC is a great organization, and we are excited to be partnering with them. To find out more information about them, check out their website here.  

Additionally, there has been some issues with people paying through Apple Pay. If you opt for this payment method, please make sure that the transaction goes through on your end. Thank you! 

Other Ways You Can Help

If you are not in a place to donate financially, you can still be involved with the documentary! Other ways we are looking for support are: 

• Promotion of our film - get the word out! 
• In-kind donations
• Filming locations
• Consultation/Research
• Connections with further individuals/organizations who can partner with us

Promotion of our film would be a huge help. You can use the Indiegogo share tools to spread the word to your family/friends! The share tools are located in the toolbar next to our pitch image/video.

Connect With Us

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email us at connect@ocdfilm.com.

Thank You

You are a superstar, and we couldn't make this project without you. Thank you for your commitment to help those who struggle with OCD every day.