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Men Loving Men?
Having been a storyteller for years, I find inspiration in many places. Recently there have been a number of articles discussing the phenomenon of "bromances" between straight identifying men and I've often wondered what, if any, emotional attachment there is in these relationships. I do know that men are certainly capable of caring for other men, but those expressions of "brotherly love" are often muted by the filters that society forces us to apply to those feelings. So I asked, what would happen if those feelings of love were to pop up quite unexpectedly between old friends?
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Raceland
Raceland is the story of Blake and Lloyd, two old friends from the bayou. As kids they were thick as thieves and had the kind of close friendship that songs are written about. After being separated for a number of years, they've rekindled their friendship anew, present day.
During a day of fishing, Lloyd is tragically injured and Blake steps up to nurse him back to health. It's during their concentrated time alone together that they realize the love they had for each other back when they were kids, did not disappear... it's just buried under years of social cues and macho veneer.
As men from rural America, they're in unfamiliar territory and finding a way to reconcile the feelings they have for each other, as altruistic as they are, is a difficult and uncomfortable journey requiring patience and courage. It's an opportunity to take an unvarnished look into the true heart of men.
Meet our Cast and Crew
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Dane Rhodes
As Blake
Dane is an actor and director in New Orleans La. He has appeared on stages and in films around the world. Some of his favorite experiences have included working on a world premier play called Macbeth at the Gates with Roy Marsden and his friend David Lumsden and getting to work with John Travolta, Scarlette Johannson, and Shanie Gable on A Love Song for Bobby Long (the movie that launched his journey into film). http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1694797/
Authenticity is a big deal to me so when I was casting this project, I was hoping to attract great local actors to bring my story to life and Dane is among the best of the Big Easy actors out there.
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Garrett Prejean
as Lloyd
Garrett Prejean likes to produce plays that scare him — edgy, challenging shows that break the proverbial rules. As a founder of the Elm Theatre in New Orleans, he began a mission to show the strength, courage, and resiliency of the human spirit, and to provide a nurturing environment for artists to take risks. Having worked with Garrett developing other projects, I'm excited to have his talent on board with us. His sensitivity and grit will be vital to the part of Lloyd. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm6207022/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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Lara Grice
as Lynette
Known for The Big Short, Girls Trip and Rectify, Lara is another talented New Orleans actor who brings strength and compassion to the role of Lynette, Blake's wife. It is a role that often times calls for quiet anger as well as a deep abiding love for her husband of many years. Watching Lara bring this deeply conflicted woman to life will be exciting both as a director and and a viewer. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1305056/?ref_=fn_al_...
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Jennifer DeLatte
as Eileen
Jennifer DeLatte was born and raised in New Orleans, LA and received her degree in voice from North Carolina School of the Arts. She started Latte Productions in order to foster content set in New Orleans, and is producing the upcoming series, The Cybernaturals. As another actor I've had the pleasure to have worked with before I'm thrilled she'll be playing the part of Lloyd's female love interest. Eileen plays a significant role in sending Blake and Lloyd down their path of discovery and Jennifer is just the girl to do it. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4566289/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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Clay Westervelt
Co-Producer and Director of Photography
During graduate school at USC, Clay received both the Bush and Kodak Awards for Excellence in Cinematography, earning an ASC apprenticeship. Since then, Clay has shot pilots for every major network, establishing the look of such series as Life of Luxury with Robin Leach (ABC), Gene Simmons: Family Jewels (A&E), Rattlesnake Republic (Animal Planet), and Junk Gypsies (HGTV). In 2003, he formed Imaginaut Entertainment, producing and directing the award-winning series Storyline Online, featuring such talents as Elijah Wood, Betty White, James Earl Jones, and Al Gore. Through Imaginaut, Clay directed the award-winning documentary Popatopolis and Mr. Twister, a documentary short about an autistic young man, produced by Academy Award-winner Mark Harris. Clay and I have worked together many times over the last decade or so and it just wouldn't be the same without him. He brings an amazing eye and a great sense of visual storytelling to all of my projects. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0003206/?ref_=nv_sr_1
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T. Gordon Stanley
Producer
Writer and producer, T. Gordon Stanley, has a love for Southern stories. "Being a native of California, Southern culture is to me, the most exotic, mystical, dangerous and sultry part of America. When I read Scott's beautiful script about two men who love each other deeply, but are not 'that way', I was in." Gordon recently was a semifinalist at the Austin Film Festival for his script, The Last American Lynching as well as the Grand Jury Winner of the Hollywood Screenplay Contest. He has written and produced multiple docuseries, the latest being Neverland which will air in spring of 2018. He is nearing a deal for a scripted feature that takes in Mobile, Alabama.
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Shawn Balentine
Stunt Coordinator
Shawn Balentine is a Stuntman/ Stunt Coordinator whose credits include American Horror Story, Under the Dome and Brooklyn Nine-Nine. He has performed as a Stunt Double for the great Patton Oswalt, James Corden, Jack Black, Neil Casey, Oliver Cooper & Chaz Bono. Since coming out in 2016 he's been trying hard to change the Stereo Types of being a openly LGBT behind the scenes in Hollywood. Most recently lending his voice & skills to an Anti-Bullying PSA and a LGBT Teen Suicide PSA. Shawn will be coordinating the stunts that set the story of Raceland in motion.
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"I really want to see this. It has stellar dialogue, compelling characters, a wonderful thematic core, and some truly poignant moments. I’m totally on board."
We've budgeted our film out at $60,000.00. I know you're saying, "But hey, Scott, you're only trying to raise $30,000.00. What gives?" Well, I've already raised half the money by taking extra editing jobs and working on side projects. (A lesson I learned from my niece) All the money raised was dedicated to making Raceland... That's how much I believe in this story.
The artists who make great movies spend years honing their craft. Indie films rely on the generosity of these folks to share with us their talents to create worlds that transport us to another time and place. But it goes without saying, that dedication deserves just compensation. So the money that we're asking you to donate is helping us to support Indie film and all the individuals who dedicate their lives to this craft.
Our perks are designed so that you have the opportunity to support the aspects of the film project that most excite you. For instance, did you know that feeding a crew member three meals a day on a film like Raceland is about $50 a day? Yeah! Multiply that by 20 crew members and it adds up quick. So if food is your thing, pick the "craft services" pledge. Then there are the cameras, the lights, the sound, the sets, costumes and makeup, and the folks who do the work, all necessary to breath life into a great script. But you can dedicate your dollars to the department you want to support and get a nice perk in return.
Moreover, supporting short films sometimes leads to feature length films. The movie Sling Blade actually started out as a black and white short film by Billy Bob Thornton that was so good, it was bought by MiraMax and turned into an Oscar winning feature length film. Short films are often a first step to a successful career in the movies, so your donation might be funding the next Coen brother. It could happen.
Your participation is vital to this project. Your support will help me begin a conversation that I think is way overdue, How can men openly and unashamedly express the deep emotional love they have for other men without feeling as though they may be doing something wrong? We know that love between straight identifying men exists, our job is to lift the veil and let in the sunlight.
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Super Size Your Perk
You can be a part of the campaign! When you donate to Raceland, send us a short video about why you're excited to support us and you can pick one additional perk item of equal or lesser value. Just remember to introduce yourself and spell your name so that we get it right, then pick your additional gift. You'll be featured right here as an official supporter of our film. It's just that easy.
Other Ways You Can Help
You know, your donation is only a first step toward our goal. After you've contributed, send this link to your friends. Tell them what an important story this is. Let them know what it was that motivated you to become a part of our project and ask them to pass it along. We don't know nearly enough people personally to get to $30,000, but with your help, we can reach enough folks to put us over the top. Remember...
Share! Share! Share!
