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The Year I Grew an Inch

Columbia University MFA Thesis Film co-written & directed by Jonathan Dee and produced by Meg Wechter / Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

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The Year I Grew an Inch

The Year I Grew an Inch

The Year I Grew an Inch

The Year I Grew an Inch

The Year I Grew an Inch

Columbia University MFA Thesis Film co-written & directed by Jonathan Dee and produced by Meg Wechter / Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

Columbia University MFA Thesis Film co-written & directed by Jonathan Dee and produced by Meg Wechter / Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

Columbia University MFA Thesis Film co-written & directed by Jonathan Dee and produced by Meg Wechter / Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

Columbia University MFA Thesis Film co-written & directed by Jonathan Dee and produced by Meg Wechter / Fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas.

Meg Wechter
Meg Wechter
Meg Wechter
Meg Wechter
3 Campaigns |
New York, United States
$16,901 USD 133 backers
48% of $35,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
Highlights
Mountain Filled 3 Projects Mountain Filled 3 Projects

Short Summary

The Year I Grew an Inch highlights the universal idea of loss of innocence set in Occupied France during World War II. The plot is driven by French Resistance fighters -also known as the Maquis- and specifically focuses on the fourteen-year-old protagonist, Otto, and his quest to join them. It is the story of this young man’s choices between risking his life for the French Resistance and his moral beliefs; once he feels compassion for the enemy, he needs to learn how to recognize right from wrong.

Otto, disguised in a Nazi uniform, has to infiltrate a chateau inhabited by a German family loyal to the Führer. The patriarch of the family is a high-ranking Nazi lawyer, who immediately goes into hiding. Otto's first mission with the French Resistance will be to befriend the Nazi lawyer's nine year old son, Gunter, and unknowingly to Otto, to help the Maquis find the Nazi lawyer and ultimately kill him. In order to prove himself to the Maquis leader, Adèle, he is forced to endure the difficult life and death choices that catapult him into adulthood at an early age. The biggest obstacle in Otto’s mission is his rapidly growing heartfelt connection to Gunter. Otto’s decision to pledge his allegiance to the French Resistance questions his conviction of good and evil as he witnesses Günter’s life change forever. 

This story's characters and rich history only continue to enforce our belief that a strong script is where a successful film is born. The Year I Grew an Inch serves as the final thesis film for our Master of Fine Arts at Columbia University.

Your Support

Taking on the ambitious challenge of creating a period film is one we are excited to pursue, but we need your help to make it happen!

As film students, we recognize that one of the biggest obstacles we face is being able to recreate a particular mood of a time period, both in logistical and financial terms. First and foremost, your supportis needed to help this story come to life in a way that effectively conveys its compelling message to audiences.

Your support will make it possible to portray the intense emotions that existed at this time through the symbols of Nazi-Occupied France, including swastika, Nazi and French Resistance uniforms, a period-style boat, the French chateau, weapons, props, hairstyles, and make-up so that when you look into each frame of our film, it’s as if you stepped back to France in the 1940’s.

Your generous support will assist these major production expenses:

  • Location & Technical scouts
  • Meals
  • Lodging
  • Casting
  • Location Fees
  • Transportation
  • Gas
  • Permits
  • Equipment
  • Crew
  • Production Design
  • Costumes
  • Hair & Make-Up
  • Editing
  • Sound Mixing/Design
  • Color Correction
  • Original Score

Please refer to the right hand side of this campaign screen to see some terrific perks we have created to thank you for your contributions. All donations are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE thanks to the generous fiscal sponsorship with FRACTURED ATLAS (https://www.fracturedatlas.org/). 

The Impact

A successful film is one that lives within you long after the credits roll. Our goal from the very start of this project was to make The Year I Grew an Inch a film that not only appeals to an audience, but also inspires them to reflect beyond the screen. We feel this is a story that needs to be told because it is a unique side to history, informing people about the extremes that the French Resistance went to during the Nazi occupation of France.

This story goes way beyond a “coming-of-age” story for the protagonist, Otto: it reveals the inner conflicts of someone who is torn between wanting to help free France from Nazi occupation and tyranny, and his compassion and personal convictions of right and wrong— even to the extent of risking his own life by helping the enemy escape. Otto’s story of extending himself into the shoes of the enemy and recognizing he’s there to destroy a German family causes each of us to wonder what we would have done if we were in his place.

There are countless moments in our world’s past that are waiting to be told, as this deep, moving story of Otto’s growth is surely one of them. The Year I Grew an Inch allows us to combine our two longtime passions of filmmaking and history. 

With your help, it would be an honor to bring this story to life to share it with audiences on the domestic and international film festival circuit. 

Other Ways You Can Help

We understand that not everyone is in the position to contribute financially. We’d be forever grateful if you could help by “sharing” The Year I Grew an Inch campaign and our dedicated Facebook page with your friends and family with the hope that they will be interested in our story too.  Feel free to “like” our dedicated Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/TheYearIGrewAnInch) to help get the word out as well!

Every single dollar counts towards reaching our fundraising goal. Please help us accomplish our dream with making this film! 


Creative Team

Jonathan Dee - Co-Writer & Director 

Jonathan Dee received his Bachelor of Arts in film directing and art history from Loyola Marymount University in 2006. Upon graduation, he was the first non-MFA student to be meritoriously awarded a Sony TAG Fellowship for writing and directing. His Thesis film, Lily, went on to win numerous awards including Best Director and Best Film at the Directors Guild of America. Since then, Jonathan has directed commercial and promotional work for luxury brands including Elie Tahari, Audi, and Lexus. Jonathan has directed short films in Greece, South Africa, and England. He has acted as 2nd Unit director on feature films in Nigeria and Afghanistan.  In 2009, a collection of his photographs from Afghanistan were published in the book entitled, The Salang Pass. Jonathan is currently a graduate degree candidate in the Columbia University Directing MFA program in New York City where he has served as teaching assistant to professors Eric Mendelsohn, Annette Insdorf, and Andrew Sarris. Jonathan recently wrote and directed a Columbia thesis film, A Mighty Nice Man, adapted from a Patricia Highsmith short story and starring Kristen Connelly (Cabin in the Woods, House of Cards) and Tony-nominated actor, Billy Magnussen (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike). 

Meg Wechter - Producer

Meg Wechter is pursuing her MFA degree in Creative Producing from Columbia University. Coming from a background in film with a BFA in Film Production from the University of Central Florida, Meg has produced numerous short films. Most recently, Meg has been chosen as producer of the Columbia University 2013 Film Festival trailer, co-producer of the Columbia thesis film, Anchor, as well as Associate Producer of the Patricia Highsmith short story adaptation, A Mighty Nice Man, that won the HBO Development Award and was also written and directed by Jonathan Dee. Her credits also include Associate Producer of the feature film, Eye of the Hurricane, soon to be released by Entertainment One. Meg has interned in Los Angeles for the production company, Voltage Pictures, whose principal, Nicolas Chartier, won the Best Picture Academy Award for The Hurt Locker. Meg's most recent internships at The Weinstein Company and the world renowned talent agency, WME, have ignited an interest in representation, development and packaging. 

Diana Golts - Co-Producer

Diana Golts comes from a background in broadcast journalism and communication studies, and is passionate about fictional stories that incorporate real-life events. Diana is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Producing from Columbia University. Prior to graduate school, Diana worked as a producer at Accessible Media Inc. (AMI), a Canadian national television station that makes media accessible. Diana has translated and transcribed documentary films that have been screened at Hot Docs, NXNW, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, and the Rhode Island International Film Festival. Recently, she won the International Association of Audio Information Services (IAAIS) Program of the Year Award in the On Location category for her audio documentary, My Personal Journey to Israel and the Holy Land. Diana is trilingual and seeks stories that deal with history, culture, immigration and human connections. 

Dina Emam - Co-Producer

Dina Emam recently produced a documentary on the Egyptian Revolution titled, From Queens to Cairo, which has been nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the Queens World Film Festival. She holds a BS degree from New York University in Marketing and International Business and is now currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Producing from Columbia University. Prior to graduate school, Dina worked at MTV Networks in New York City on numerous award shows and specials such as, Do Something! Awards, NewNowNext Awards, Storytellers: Kings of Leon, Storytellers: Cee Lo Green, Storytellers: Mumford and Sons, CMT Crossroads: Sting & Vince Gill and the Daytime Emmy Award winning show, Vh1's Big Morning Buzz Live. Her passion extends across anything that has to do with music, culture, world history and the human condition. 

Christopher Ferguson, ICG - Director of Photography 

Christopher Ferguson is a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. He was the youngest cameraman ever to be admitted to the International Cinematographers' Guild, I.A.T.S.E. Local 600. His career began with an M.F.A in Cinematography from the London International Film School. Over the past decade, he has shot a variety of feature films, music videos, and commercials.  Notable projects include the feature; Have Love, Will Travel, which took best picture at Cinevegas; and the Australian rock band, Juke Kartel’s hit music video, Save Me. His core strength as a cinematographer comes from a decade of lighting experience, honing his skill in the commercial world under the tutelage of such great cameramen as Jeff Cronenweth, Rodrigo Prieto, and Claudio Miranda. This will be Christopher’s fourth collaboration with Jonathan Dee. He previously acted as cinematographer on the short film Birds of Paradise, the commercial Elie Tahari: Esprit de Corps, and most recently A Mighty Nice Man.

Skip Lievsay - Sound Designer 

Skip Lievsay is a New York-based sound editor and sound designer for film and television. Lievsay has worked with filmmakers including The Coen Brothers (Blood Simple, Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, The Lady Killers), Martin Scorsese (Last Temptation of Christ, Goodfellas, Cape Fear, Casino, Age of Innocence), Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X), Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs), Terrence Malick (The New World) and Robert Altman (Prêt-à-Porter). Other notable film credits include: Men in Black, Y Tu Mamá También, Big Fish, Men in Black 2, Get Shorty, Water for Elephants, Valkyrie and I Am Legend. In January 2007, Skip received two Academy Award nominations - for Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing - for his work on Ethan Coen and Joel Coen's No Country for Old Men. In 2011, he was nominated in the same categories for the film, True Grit. 

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Choose your Perk

Digital Thank You

$10 USD
Special Thanks on Facebook
7 claimed

E-Card

$20 USD
Digital card with a personal message and photo of cast and crew taken on set
9 claimed

Digital Film Download

$30 USD
Digital Download of the Finished Film
19 claimed

Special Thanks Film Credit

$50 USD
DVD copy of the Finished Film Your name will appear in the "Special Thanks" section of the Finished Film's rolling screen credits
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
38 claimed

Benefactor

$250 USD
All of the Above Official high-quality signed production still images from the film shoot
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
7 claimed

Sponsor

$1,000 USD
All of the Above Digitized official storyboards and concept art used for pre-visualization of the film
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
0 claimed

Associate Producer

$1,500 USD
All of the Above Associate Producer credit on the film Visit to our closed set during production in upstate NY to meet the cast and crew
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
1 claimed

Co-Executive Producer

$3,000 USD
All of the Above Co-Executive Producer credit on the film Visit to our closed set during production in upstate NY to meet the cast and crew 2 tickets to the film's Lincoln Center premiere in NYC
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
0 claimed

Executive Producer

$5,000 USD
All of the Above Executive Producer credit on the film Visit to our closed set during production in upstate NY to meet the cast and crew 4 tickets to the film's Lincoln Center premiere in NYC Dinner of your choice in NYC with the film's director, Jonathan Dee, and producer, Meg Wechter
Estimated Shipping
June 2014
0 claimed
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