**UPDATE on 23.02.2017**
Dear friends, supporters and well-wishers,
We announce that we have decided to refund all contributions to the project, to honour our integrity and commitment to you, as we have not been able to fully reach our full campaign fundraising goal.
While our priority and focus has been to plan filming, research and media licensing etc., we have not been able to dedicate time to promote our campaign fully. In addition, while we attribute no blame, we were unable to respond to the number of changes and resets to our banking features and closure of PayPal functions early on in this campaign platform.
Although our campaign video has reached more than ten thousand views online - which is more than many campaigns here that have raised twice our fundraising target in some cases, closure of PayPal has deterred many potential supporters, as is preferred in the online democratic space. This has been an issue of concern for us.
We are likely to re-launch this campaign in the future, with a dedicated team assigned. We will keep you posted!
Thank you all very much for you generous contributions and kind words of support.
Eastern Ventures
Our Documentary
This documentary series will aim to comprehensively showcase Russia to an international audience. It will cover a range of different aspects of Russia, including:
• Doing Business in Russia
• Russia as an International Power
• The Russian Economy
• Russian Culture
• Russia’s Foreign Policy
• Religion in Russia
• Russia’s Development
• Education in Russia
• The Future of Russia
What We Need & What You Get
We have decided to crowdfund this project to ensure the impartiality of this series and because we are aware there is a public interests in seeing this documentary. Our audience are aware that many media outlets regularly bend facts to display Russia in a negative light, and we are looking to tackle this. Hence it will be a project produced by the public and in the public’s interest.
A Brief, Non-Exhaustive Outline of Costs/Spending:
To successfully execute this project, and achieve our designated goal (providing viewers with a thorough and direct insight into Russia), we need to raise $90,000. Any further contributions are appreciated, and will further help us achieve our objectives.
We offer a range of perks for loyal supporters - you can find specific details on the right-hand side of the page.
Money raised will go towards:
· Research Interviews
· Filming
· Editing
· Distribution & Broadcasting
· Promotion
Impact
In the current political environment, it is very rare to find accurate and unbiased media coverage of Russia. We aim to address common misconceptions about Russia in an impartial and unbiased manner.
This is a large project, that has the potential to show the international community the "real Russia", as there are no conflicting interests.
![]()
Our Team
The film will be made by a highly-skilled team, who possess relevant experience in their respective fields. Syrian Girl has produced the first campaign video inviting other online personalities and supporters to promote this campaign. This team includes an expert in multi-disciplinary communication, and a diverse range of international interviewers and researchers. We will be looking to involve our contributors and promoters in start-up phase.
Our team’s expertise will allow us to produce a high-quality, comprehensive documentary series, which dispels myths about Russia.
Risks & Challenges
The main challenge for making this series is accessing, and filming in Russia. However, as a member of our team is part of the Russian Embassy’s diplomatic club in London, we can discuss and resolve any risks or issues as they appear.
Other Ways You Can Help
Although providing a donation is the best way to help, there are others ways to help us. We would appreciate it if you shared our campaign on social media or tell your friends and family about us, to help us reach our fundraising goal.
