JANEANE GAROFALO (Luann)

Janeane Garofalo is an actress, comedian, political activist and writer. She was most recently a regular on the Bravo series “Girlfriend’s Guide to Divorce” and will reprise her role from the cult movie WET HOT AMERICAN SUMMER in the Netflix original series of the same name (premiering this summer). Janeane’s film roles include REALITY BITES, THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS & DOGS, ROMY & MICHELE’S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION, COPLAND, MYSTERY MEN and RATATOUILLE. Janeane was nominated for two consecutive Emmys for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on “The Larry Sanders Show.” Other TV credits include “Saturday Night Live”, "The Simpsons", "The West Wing”, “24”, “Inside Amy Schumer” and “Broad City”.

           MELISSA MCBRIDE (Krista)

Melissa McBride is best known as Carol Peletier on AMC’s hit series “The Walking Dead”. For her performance on the show, she won the 2014 Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress on Television and was nominated for a 2014 Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. Film roles include THE MIST, directed by Frank Darabont, as well as festival-award winners LOST CROSSING, directed by Eric Blue and THE DANGEROUS LIFE OF ALTAR BOYS, directed by Peter Care and produced by Jodie Foster. For television, McBride's appearances include guest and supporting roles in "Dawson's Creek", "Walker Texas Ranger", "Profiler" and "American Gothic"; and the television movies "Living Proof", with Harry Connick Jr.; "Pirates of Silicon Valley"; and "A Season in Purgatory"; along with numerous television commercials. Melissa can also be seen in the April 2015 release of the independent feature THE RECONSTRUCTION OF WILLIAM ZERO, directed by Dan Bush.

            STEPHEN GUARINO (Jonathan)

Stephen Guarino is an actor and comedian. He was a cast member on LOGO’s “Big Gay Sketch Show” and had recurring appearances on the ABC comedy “Happy Endings”, where he played the gang's "stereotypically gay friend" Derrick. Other TV work includes HBO’s “The Comeback”, MTV’s “Finding Carter”, ABC's "The Neighbors", NBC's "Law & Order: SVU" and the web series “The Eastsiders”. Stephen won the 2010 Best Actor award at Outfest for his role in BEAR CITY. He reprised the role in BEAR CITY 2: THE PROPOSAL. Other film work includes CONFESSIONS OF A SHOPAHOLIC, I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY, AN ENGLISHMAN IN NEW YORK and THE CLIQUE.

TOM GOULD (writer/director)

Tom Gould received his master’s degree in film production from the University of Southern California, where he was awarded the Jack Nicholson Scholarship for Excellence in Directing, the most prestigious award offered to one USC director per year. Tom has directed several short films, including HAVING IT ALL, which was among four projects selected for funding by USC. Tom began in theater, directing plays in New York City and elsewhere. He has written multiple screenplays and TV projects. Tom and John Serpe sold their screenplay DEPRAVITY to Odyssey Films in 2010. He was hired as a “script doctor” on the feature, DIRECTING EDDIE, which won the Best Comedy award at the 2001 NY Independent Film and Video Festival. He is currently working on a new script with Oscar-nominated writer/director Sam French. He has edited three feature films, multiple short films, as well as music videos, commercials, industrials, etc. He has also edited numerous hit reality TV shows, including "Intervention" and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” Tom received a bachelor’s degree in drama from Vassar College. 

JOHN SERPE (writer/director)

A graduate of Marquette University, John Serpe developed film scripts as Director of Development for Second Son Entertainment. He has written/directed four short films and numerous plays in New York City. John collaborated with Charles Pittard on the screenplay NOTHING MEN, which won the first Production Grant awarded by the Los Angeles Film Festival. John and Tom Gould sold their screenplay DEPRAVITY to Odyssey Films in 2010. John was hired by Discovery Channel’s “Pet Psychic” producer Walter Haldeman to co-create and write the teleplay for the pilot “The Realm.” Together with Christopher C. Spencer, Serpe wrote segments for the television pilot “Reality Check”. Their one-hour reality treatment “Do Me” was optioned by Cosgrove-Meuer Productions (“Unsolved Mysteries”). As an independent producer, John has produced many projects, including the award-winning E3 Xbox 360 Media Briefing (aired live on Spike TV) and a series of short documentaries on cancer patients for Amgen Biotech.

DAVE O'BRIEN (producer)

Dave O'Brien has produced hundreds of social-media campaigns as well as documentary and fiction feature films. IN THE MOMENT, the innovative HIV prevention transmedia campaign Dave created with LA Gay & Lesbian Center and the City of West Hollywood, was honored with the Paul Starke Warrior Award for work in HIV prevention. His feature documentary, EQUALITY U, received the Outstanding Emerging Talent award at Outfest as well as several Best Documentary and Best Feature awards. It was broadcast nationally on Logo TV and is available on DVD and streaming. He produced the indie feature THE MAN WHO SHOOK THE HAND OF VICENTE FERNANDEZ, starring Academy-Award winner Ernest Borgnine,  In the fall, he begins pre-production on SHOT, an indie feature addressing gun violence, to be directed by Emmy-Winner Jeremy Kagan. O’Brien teaches producing at University of Southern California where he is Associate Director of their Change Making Media Lab. 

MORGAN STIFF (associate producer)

Morgan R. Stiff, a North Carolina native, graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Cinema-Television, with an MFA in Film Production in 2005 after receiving her BFA from New York University in Dramatic Writing in 2002. As a producer, Morgan has produced fiction and documentary films, as well as promotional videos. Producing projects include PORCELAIN (2004); HIP HOP HOMOS (LOGO Networks, 2004); the award-winning BROOKLYN’S BRIDGE TO JORDAN (Showtime, LOGO, BET J, 2005); the award-winning feature documentary ONE BAD CAT: THE REVEREND ALBERT WAGNER STORY (Ovation TV, 2009), which she also edited; and the critically acclaimed and award-winning MISSISSIPPI DAMNED (Showtime, 2011). In 2007, Morgan participated in the FIND Producer’s Lab with MISSISSIPPI DAMNED, which she also edited. Morgan is the Chief Production Officer of Morgan’s Mark, a production company dedicated to bringing marginalized stories to the mainstream. 

MORMAN BOLING CASTING

Meg Morman and Sunday "Sunny" Boling met in the Feature Casting office of 20th Century Fox, working on such films as ICE AGE, DUDE, WHERE’S MY CAR?, FROM HELL, ONE HOUR PHOTO, UNFAITHFUL, BEHIND ENEMY LINES and BIG MOMMA’S HOUSE. They then entered the independent casting world, working with such casting directors as Sheila Jaffe, Debi Manwiller, Eyde Belasco and Francine Maisler. In late 2004, Meg and Sunny reunited and opened the door to Morman Boling Casting. Most recent premiers include the award winning films DEAR LEMON LIMA, 16 TO LIFE, and MISSISSIPPI DAMNED, which has won at least 8 Best Feature awards as well as several Best Actor awards. Meg and Sunny also cast the hugely successful film WAITRESS, which premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and was subsequently picked up by Fox Searchlight, as well as DR. DOLITTLE 3 and LIKE MIKE 2 for 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment and ANOTHER CINDERELLA STORY for Warner Premiere. In addition, STEAL ME and ME & YOU & EVERYONE WE KNOW, were both official selections of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival; ME & YOU & EVERYONE WE KNOW also went on to win the Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision as well as the Golden Camera Award at Cannes. Other credits include TRUE ADOLESCENTS, SERIOUS MOONLIGHT, BALL DON'T LIE, SMALL TOWN SATURDAY NIGHT, ORANGES, LOVELESS IN LOS ANGELES, and GI JESUS, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Cinevegas, to name just a few.

The really cool thing about Indiegogo is that you get perks for your contributions! And we have put together some really fun stuff depending on your level of support. Take a look at the column on the right to find the perfect perk for you! You can also contribute without receiving any perk, but we suggest taking it. And please remember, at whatever level of your support, we could not make this movie without you. Our perks may escalate in relation to value, but our appreciation is the same across the board!

                                         
                              $75 OR MORE PERK - THE HAPPYS CREW T-SHIRT                          

To track your progress, click on "My Contributions" and then click "Referrals". You'll see total funds contributed through your referrals. 
Start referring (and getting FREE STUFF!) today! 

We set the mark at $100,000, but if we can reach double that, then all the better. Every dollar over our funding goal just means we get a little more production value, a little more breathing room. One of our first bonus expenditures would be an extra day or two of shooting. As of now we are budgeted for 18 days of filming. That’s 18 days to cover 97 pages of script! That's not a lot of time. Typical bigger budget films have two or three month shoots for those same 97 pages.

There are many challenges we face when making a feature film. Financing, schedules, weather, production logistics, the list goes on and on. If it were easy there would probably be a lot more people doing it! The fact that we do not yet have distribution and we are not tied to one financier... well both of these things are actually blessings in disguise. We are the decision makers, which means we get to make our movie the way we want to make it, when we want to make it.

Once we are funded, we will immediately begin pre-production. Some of our perk categories will be fulfilled prior to editing while others will obviously have to wait (e.g. the screenings of the movie, etc). For those of you who are attending an event or joining us on set, we will keep you in the loop on our schedule. Movies are a tricky business. Things happen that will be completely out of our control (sort of like life), but we have every intention of seeing this project all the way into a theater near you!

THE FINE PRINT -

• If you become an extra or receive a cast credit, you must be a US citizen or have a US work visa. If you do appear in the film, we cannot guarantee it will make it into the final edit. We will however guarantee that you will receive a copy of the scene in which you appear. A lot of times things are filmed that do not make the final cut. That's just part of the creative process. 
  
• You must be over 18 or accompanied by a parent or legal guardian (who will count as your “plus one”) to attend the screenings or set visits. Extras and actors must also be over 18.
  
• Some perks may require additional paperwork. If you are appearing in the film, you will have to sign a release.
  
• This fundraising campaign is all subject to applicable Indiegogo rules/regulations, movie guild rules and applicable law. If anything conflicts, we will work with you in good faith to give you a substitute perk.
  

If you have read this far, you truly are one of us. We cannot thank you enough for your help and support. Without each and every one of you,THE HAPPYS will not see the light of day. Thank you for helping us make THE HAPPYS!