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Since this Indiegogo for Phantom of
Winnipeg ran over the holiday season and many die-hard Phantom fans have
reached out to us saying
that now that the gifts have been bought and credit card bills have been
paid off they really wished they could get in on this project, we set up a new mini-gogo for folks to donate. We also
didn't
have Pay Pal set up on the last round and we really want to make sure
anyone who wants to be involved can be a part of this wild ride.
So check out the new campaign and DONATE HERE
What is Phantom of Winnipeg?
In 1974 acclaimed film director
Brian DePalma took an artistic gamble and created his own version of
the classic tale Phantom of the Opera. Phantom of the Paradise is an
over- the-top glam horror comedy movie musical, featuring a starring
role and songs from musical legend Paul
Williams (the award-winning writer behind classic songs like
“Evergreen”, “We've Only Just Begun”, “Rainy Days and
Mondays,” and “Rainbow Connection”).
On release, the film landed with a
mighty thud and quickly disappeared back from whence it came...
... this would be where the story
ended if it weren't for the brave denizens of the small and frigid
Canadian city of Winnipeg who didn't get the memo. Instead local kids (shockingly between the ages of 9-13) turned the film into an enduring phenomenon with local box office
grosses larger than the studio blockbuster Jaws.
These little Winnipegers did this by buying up
thousands upon thousands of tickets, sending the soundtrack up the
charts and even flying in Williams for a concert where he was treated
like a member of the Beatles by the mobs of teens assembled. An entire
generation of kids grew up on The Phantom of the Paradise and they
continue to keep the cult around the film alive today with sold out
screenings and events still happening in Winnipeg to this day.
Phantom of Winnipeg tells the story
of the unique fan community that sprung up around the film and the people
whose rock and roll obsessions are still going strong decades later. This
documentary will be an exploration of an outsider community and the very
DNA of fan culture itself told via the true life stories of those fateful Winnipeg kids who just got it, the cast and creative team behind the original film who saw it all go down first-hand and the famous artists who swear that Winnipeg was definitely on to something.
"Old Souls"
This dusty old band of rockers is lead by Faust himself, award-winning Sundance/SXSW/AFI Docs alumni documentary director/producer Malcolm Ingram, the man with behind such hits as Small Town Gay Bar, Continental, Bear Nation, and Out To Win. He is also known to some as the golden-voiced former host of SModcast's Blow Hard podcast.
Joining him on this track is his motley crew of unwashed rock and roll confidants including Matt Thomas (Producer), Sean Stanley (Editor) and Doug Carlson (an original Winnipeg Phantom fan and Consulting Producer).
"Life At Last"
Our team has been hunkered down in the catacombs of our own personal Paradise, patiently waiting in the wings while feverishly putting together our own revolutionary cantata in the form of Phantom of Winnipeg.
We had the chance to visit Winnipeg this fall during a Phantom fan event where we shot some truly amazing folks, some of whom you see in the teaser clip above. We knew as soon as we got back from this trip that the time for Phantom is now.
Funding from this campaign will go towards helping pay for the travel and production costs associated with going back to visit those intrepid Winnipegers this winter along with interviewing more of the original cast/creative team behind Phantom of the Paradise and the famous fans the film has collected over the years, both in and outside of Winnipeg.
Additional funds above and beyond our goal will help us with our post-production expenses and to pay for gigantic killer neon lightening bolts to smite our enemies with.
"Somebody Super Like You"
We know we need you... you cinematic-fiends... you Phantom fanatics. It's the only way to get this film in the can and onto a screen near you.
In celebration of this and for the final days of the campaign, we've added Indiegogo exclusive special edition, signed Blu Ray and DVDs of Phantom of Winnipeg along with digital downloads of the finished doc and some t-shirt combo packages to our perks. We only have until midnight on Sunday Jan 3, so help us spread the word. It's what Swan would want.
UPDATE - DEC 24
Happy Holidays Phantom Fans!
The whole "Phantom of Winnipeg" gang wants to thank you for all your support so far. This campaign has gotten our documentary some great ink in the press (see below) and it has also garnered us some attention from celebrities and other folks interested in being involved with or be in the film itself. In celebration of this good news and because we know everyone's spending their dough during the season we've lowered our target goal. Please help us spread the word during the campaign's final days, we can't wait to tell you more about what's coming up with this project. You'll love it, trust us.
Read more about the love for "Phantom of Winnipeg"
The A.V. Club - A documentary about Winnipeg's weird love for Phantom of the Paradise is in the works
UPDATE - DEC 11
In celebration of hitting $5,000, we've added a new Exclusive Indiegogo Phantom of Winnipeg T-Shirt Perk available only to Indiegogo contributors, only during this campaign for just $50. They are RARE and Swan-approved, so donate and get yours today... just for the hell of it.
We've also added a chance for you to be one of only 10 people to see a Super Secret Screening In Winnipeg of the finished film for only $250! Booze included.
Also for $1000 one special Phantom fantatic can actually be featured in the film!
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