Website connects positive film producers to grassroots funding

Posted by John W. Kennedy, Faith, Media & Culture

Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Kickstarting faith-based films. Movie to Movement  has launched Your Film Fund (YFF), a grassroots crowd-funding site aimed at helping producers sidestep the usual Hollywood gatekeepers to get positive, life-affirming movie projects financed via financial support from average folks who simply want to support such works.  The money is given is just that — given. That is, it’s not a loan or a financial investment.  It IS, however, a cultural investment — and one that, according to the site, is tax deductible.

The effort has already resulted in filming of the short film Crescendo which was completed with YFF funding.

The movie, about an extraordinary day in the life of an 18^th century Roman woman, was directed by Alonso Alvarez, co-produced Eduardo Verástegui (Bella, For Greater Glory) and shot entirely on a Universal Studios back lot.  The film received the Crystal Heart Award at the 2011 Heartland Film Festival and is debuting in other festivals this fall. They include the LA Shorts Film Festival (ending tomorrow), the Big Bear Lake International Film Festival (tomorrow through 9/16) and the Vancouver International Film Festival (9/27-10/12).

An example of another project currently seeking YFF  funding is Our Lady of Deliverance, a short film that tells the true story of the persecution of Christians in Iraq.

Movie to Movement founder Jason Jones says he launched YFF to create a network of individuals who share one goal: to produce films that build a culture of life, love, and beauty. Unlike other crowd-funding sites YFF focuses solely on film. Established filmmakers and talented newcomers are encouraged to submit projects to the site for funding. YFF is a part of HERO (Human-Rights Education and Relief Organization), a registered 501©3.

“Our team started Your Film Fund,” he says “because we were tired of seeing projects hit the shelves because of a lack of funding. We not only want to make it easier for filmmakers to raise the money needed to hit the Hollywood back lot, but we also want to make it easier for those who support films that do more than entertain. We have already seen great success with our first project, Crescendo, and cannot wait to see new projects evolve.”

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11