REFUGEES NEED A SUPERHERO.

Silent Man seeks to raise awareness around the global asylum seeker issue in an entertaining way. We are subjected to so much negative news about immigration and refugees on a daily basis, that it becomes very easy to just tune out. Viewers may be less inclined to tune out while watching an edge-of-your-seat superhero film. Silent Man is that film.

SYNOPSIS

A masked crusader has the city on high alert. The mute but ruthless Silent Man communicates using his signature yellow calling cards and is working his way through a list of crooked officials. When he is identified as an escaped asylum seeker on a mission to find his missing daughter, the government scrambles to spin the story into a terrorist plot and divert attention from their immigration detention program. The controversial 'New Life' program has succeeded at getting children out of detention but The Silent Man is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. He is also a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic with delusion disorder and it soon becomes apparent that his daughter and the government conspiracy he is trying to expose may all be a figment of his imagination.

Silent Man's calling card.
 

DIRECTOR - JOSEPH RUSSELL

In 2007-2008 Joe directed and co-produced a documentary series called 'No Way San Jose', which was later acquired by the ABC and aired in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

After spending a few years abroad, Joe returned to film in 2013 with his first narrative short film, 'Queen of the Bees' which he wrote and directed. The epic sci-fi drama went on to achieve official selection at the New York City Independent Film Festival, Made in Melbourne Film Festival and the Costa Rican International Film Festival.

Joe wrote and directed a political satire called Jeff VS The Left in 2014 and recently designed an animated the opening title sequence for Channel 9's 'Restoration' and did visual effects for sci-fi feature 'Blue Word Order' starring Billy Zane.

Check out Joseph's previous work at www.spacetouristfilms.com and meet the rest of the cast and crew below.

SO MANY REASONS!

We can't do it without your help.

Good films cost a lot of money to make and we want this to be good one that people will cue up for tickets to. But don't just do it to help us out. Here's some other reasons:

• Help us raise awareness about the plight of refugees.
• Get your name in the film credits.
• Be a part of something important.
• Take advantage of our great perks for supporters.
• Help us make an original and entertaining film.
• Come along for the ride with us from concept to theatre screen.
• Be part of the inner circle and get all the latest updates.
• Tell your friends you are making a difference.

STYLE

Silent Man is a sci-fi thriller in a neo-noir style in the vein of V for Vendetta, Nightcrawler or Collateral. While the film's message is an ethical and political one, it's first priority is to entertain. It'll be a dark and action-packed 20 minutes filled with suspense, drama and surprises. 

THEMES

Silent Man is designed to make the audience think. What does it mean to be a citizen of the World? What would you do if your child was taken from you? What happens when desperate people are driven to breaking point? Can you trust the media? The core theme is that there are two sides to every story. A terrorist to one person is a freedom fighter to another.

A GLOBAL ISSUE

The number of displaced people is at an all time high with around 1% of the world's population being either refugees, internally displaced or asylum-seekers.

Immigration detention centers are never far from the headlines. One day its child abuse, the next its systematic torture. Hunger strikes, detainees setting themselves on fire, innocent people held for years, families separated, spirits broken and witnesses silenced. The dream of safety and freedom for many seeking our help seems to have turned into a dystopian nightmare. It isn't hard to imagine someone breaking under those conditions. This is the story of The Silent Man.

Driven mostly by war, the refugee crisis is a global one, so the film has been set in a fictional location that could easily be any western country. In doing this we hope to appeal to a global audience.

HOW WE'LL SPEND THE $$

The funds will be spent according to the following chart as well as incidental expenses that inevitably come up when making a film. The more funds we raise the more we'll have to spend on making the film amazing.

CAST

We have an amazingly talented group of actors playing the key roles in Silent Man. You can read more about them via links on our Facebook page. New cast are being announced every day.

CREW

We have an equally brilliant crew dedicated to making the film one to remember. You can read more about them via links on our Facebook page. New crew are being announced every day.

WHEN IS IT ALL HAPPENING

All going to plan we are scheduled to commence shooting in mid December and finish in February. Post-production will then take approximately 4-6 weeks so we are aiming for completion by March/April 2017. The red carpet preview will be held at a theatre in Melbourne in April before the film begins its festival tour.

GET INVOLVED!

Please help us make the film a reality by contributing. Check out the great perks we are offering down the right hand side of the page. The more funding we can secure the better the film will be. The better the film is the more people will see it!

If you aren't in a position to contribute financially you can still help by sharing this campaign with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, via email and anywhere else you can think of!

You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Thanks for helping us give a voice to the Silent Man.