The Race to Save the World is a feature documentary film that follows the inspiring stories of everyday people who are devoting their lives to fighting climate change. This film follows the passion, determination and unwavering commitment of people who aren't putting their heads in the sand, they aren't waiting for someone else to do something, they’re in the trenches doing anything and everything they can to make an impact.
The news about climate change is overwhelming and frightening and many think that there is little that one person can do, so they tune out this message. The Race To Save The World will motivate rather than frighten viewers, as we show people who are doing all they can to inspire the world to act while there’s still time to lessen the damage on future generations.
We were nearly done shooting and already editing The Race To Save The World when the election happened. With all the climate deniers and the fossil fuel extractors in this administration, we were so shocked and saddened that we decided we needed to film for another 4-6 months into the new administration to show how people will continue to fight to protect life on this planet.
In order to finish principal photography, we need to raise $40,000. If we raise more, we will put it towards the editing, as well as the sound mix and the music.
THE NEXT SIX MONTHS ARE KEY!
We have been filming for over two years, and it’s clear that there is a powerful movement building. While millions of people are still tuning out climate change and going about their lives hoping that someone else will solve this crisis, there are more and more people who are deeply engaged in the fight to preserve our planet for future generations.
The Race to Save the World follows our subjects from a very personal perspective. By humanizing our subjects and revealing personal story arcs, viewers are drawn into the issue of global warming from a place of inspiration, rather than fear, and their stories will inspire audiences to join this fight. Our goal in making The Race To Save The World is to help bring a new population of people into this movement, to make their voices heard and to take action for a livable future.
Why We're Fighting
Public policy changes when enough Americans voice their desires to see change, and it moves faster when the populace speaks loudly and forcefully to make sure that politicians pay attention. As Mark Hertsgaard, environmental correspondent for The Nation points out in our film, “The Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Endangered Species Act, why did they happen? They happened because 20 million Americans got into the street. And that is what it's going to take.” By showing the stories of these unstoppable, tireless and resolute partisans in the fight for our collective future, we hope to shift the focus away from fear, and towards an uplifting spirit of unity and collective action.
Where Will Your Money Go?
All funds from this Indiegogo campaign will be allocated to cover essential production-related expenses. This money will come at a critical time as we are finishing up the filming. Funds will be used to cover crew costs, travel and logistics and will ensure that we don't miss important moments needed to finalize the story arcs of our subjects.
What if we raise more than our goal?
If we reach $90,000 we will be able to finish the filming AND the offline editing. And if we receive $150,000, we will be able to do the color correction, sound mix and music and completely finish the film!! If we can rally support and raise all of these funds now, it will ensure that The Race To Save The World will be finished by the end of 2017, so that we can use this film to get people to join this war against catastrophic climate change before it’s too late.
Why us?
Joe Gantz is known for work that examines personal stories with honesty, humor, and depth. With his brother, Joe produced and directed Taxicab Confessions, the Emmy award-winning HBO documentary series featuring real-life interactions between cab drivers and their passengers that has been broadcast for fifteen years. Through their work, they’ve honed a documentary style they call, “life in progress” that allows them to make their subjects so comfortable that they quickly go about their daily life, as if there was no one filming. The subjects are not performing; they are guiding this story, and the camera transports you into their lives, making for very authentic stories.
Producer/Director Joe Gantz
Our Last Film
Through the making of our last documentary, American Winter, we saw how a film can contribute significantly to a much bigger movement.
American Winter is about families struggling in the wake of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. The film follows personal stories that reveal the impact of rising poverty and income inequality and a shrinking middle class in the U.S., and was nominated for an Emmy Award and a Ridenhour Prize (a prize for acts of truth-telling that protect the public interest). Since American Winter was broadcast on HBO, we had successful screenings with non-profit partners in over 100 cities to bring attention to the issues of poverty, homelessness, food insecurity and the need for social services. And we are very proud that this film had a significant part in the movement to raise the minimum wage.
American Winter Trailer
Four subjects from American Winter were invited to testify at a Senate hearing entitled, “The State of the American Dream – Economic Policy and the Future of the Middle Class”, moderated by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jeff Merkley. For The Race to Save the World, we will use a similar personal approach to emotionally-engage viewers in this urgent fight against catastrophic climate change.
JOIN OUR TEAM!
This crowd-funding campaign will not only help us make a powerful film. It will also help us connect with a growing community of activists, organizations, leaders, policymakers and citizens who are passionately engaged in the climate change fight and who can use this film as a tool to support their efforts.
We want to inspire those on the sidelines to get involved. Whether you are already in this fight or if this is your first step, donating to this campaign is an opportunity to act.
Make a donation, help spread the word through social media, and THANK YOU for joining us on this journey to complete The Race to Save The World!