Self-Deportation draws inspiration from Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle, as well as the experimental films of David Lynch, Chantal Akerman, and Kenneth Anger. The film's surreal and evocative style defies the conventions of genre, creating a sense of bewilderment and curiosity that mirrors the experience of the film's protagonist. It is at once a fantastical journey and an exploration of the very real challenges faced by a person who seeks but cannot find her "home."

"There is no sense of discovery if there is no sense of escape."

                                                                          - Tracy Pitts (Cinematographer)

This movie is now two years in the making, and would not have been possible without the dedication and hard work of our crew. We've had the help of nearly 50 individuals, ranging from college students to seasoned industry professionals.

The fanciful sets for the film were intricately designed and hand-built, a six-month long collaboration between director Eugene Park and visual artist Brittney L. Williams. The actors’ movements are highly stylized, thanks to the tireless work of choreographer, dancer, and butoh practitioner, Sara Zalek. The film's score—composed especially for Self-Deportation—was created and performed by contemporary taiko percussion ensemble, Ho Etsu Taiko.

Please visit our official website to learn more about our amazing team.

The cast of Self-Deportation was selected from nearly 500 submissions from actors in Chicago, throughout the US, and Canada. These amazing actors rehearsed tirelessly for over 3 months, working closely with choreographer Sara Zalek and movement coach Clover Morrell, along with director Eugene Park.

Please visit our official website to read more about the cast.

Principal photography for the film is complete. We are currently editing and anticipate a late Fall 2014 completion date. But there is still a ton of work to be done! This includes finalizing editing, color correction, and sound mixing/design.

With your generous support, we can afford to hire the skilled artists and technicians who can bring this project successfully to completion. Please consider making a donation today to help us finish and release this film.

The final step of our journey will be to submit Self-Deportation to national and international film festivals and micro-cinemas. Once the festival run is complete, we'll release a unique DVD and Blu-ray disc packed with extra features.

The scale, size, and scope of Self-Deportation is unusual for a short film. This is a 20-minute film with feature film production values, and the process has been meticulously carried out to ensure that we spend every penny responsibly.

Preliminary planning and scripting for Self-Deportation began in March 2013. During the 9-month pre-production process, we hired our lead set designer, Brittney Leanne Williams, and began constructing mock-ups of our elaborate set.

Construction began in earnest on January 6th, 2014, in minus-15 degree weather. (Yes, that's negative Fahrenheit!) For one month, we took over SPACE 1858, a beautiful art gallery located in the West Town neighborhood of Chicago, where we built the entire set from scratch (see photo gallery tab). We hauled in 2 tons of drywall, 2x4s, and other building supplies, working around the clock to bring the surreal landscape of "Real America" to life.

With a successful campaign, we'll be able to pay our principal cast and crew. 

We want to be one of those rare indie short films that is able to compensate its actors for all their hard work. Please help us show these actors how important their craft is, and how much their individual contributions matter. Without actors, there is no film! 

The crew for Self-Deportation was also extraordinary, putting in extra hours and doing whatever necessary to get the job done. Many of these skilled crew members worked on a deferred payment basis, with some of them literally scheduling their regular day jobs around our shoot.

100% of donated funds (after campaign fees and expenses) will go towards:

• PAYING ACTORS
• PAYING CREW
• EDITING (FINE CUT & PICTURE LOCK)
• COLOR CORRECTION
• SOUND DESIGN & MIXING
• FILM FESTIVAL SUBMISSIONS

WE WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IF WE REACH OUR FULL FUNDING GOAL OF $14,000.

The total budget for Self-Deportation is approaching $30,000. We have been able to defray some of this cost through in-kind donations, but this only covers a portion of the expenses.

This film would not have been possible without the significant personal investment of the director, credit card debt, and the generous donation of labor by our hard-working cast and crew. In April, the film received a much-needed grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, but that only enabled us to hire our editor. And it didn't even cover all of her fee.

With your help, we can complete the last leg of this two-year filmmaking odyssey. Please consider making a donation today.

We’ve got some great perks, many of which bring you in touch with the artists who made this project. Our perks also highlight the rich indie film scene of Chicago.

A huge THANK YOU! to the following organizations and individuals for donating a wide range of amazing perks to our campaign: