Two Pinoy filmmakers in US raise funds for indie film through Internet

In the realm of indie films wherein one usually self funds their projects, a new opportunity arouse in the world wide web called Kickstarter.com which is a form of crowd funding. In the crowd funding process, a filmmaker may create a page explaining their project and why you should donate to their film. They then create a video of themselves talking about the campaign and then releases on Kickstarter for an amount of time usually 30 to 60 days for the duration of the campaign. They then appeal to their friends through e-mails, Facebook, Twitter, etc., and the whole world to donate (with a promised respective thank you gifts of course like a free DVD or a producer’s credit depending on how large the donation) and the rest (hopefully) is history, a successful one (hopefully)...if it gets funded 100 percent. To date, there are only a handful of successful Kickstarter campaigns. One of the hopeful Kickstarter projects that were featured in Filmmaker Magazine and IFP (Independent Film Project) websites is the movie of two Pinoys both living in New York City — Gerry Balasta, director/writer/producer of the film “The Solar Champion” and Luis Pedron, who is the producer of this movie. Pedron explained that, “we decided to go through Kickstarter.com to raise finishing funds because in the journey of the campaign, it helps create a buzz about the film even before it finishes, and another reason is the great oppportunity to make the project truly collaborative — funded by not only your friends but possibly the whole world. No need for venture capitalists." "Anyone but anyone can your ‘angel’ or your donor. I appreciate that. We have a lot of friends backing us up and coming on board to help in our daily marketing endeavors, including Erin O’Kane, Su Hu, Frances Lozada, Carlos Lozada, Janice Colina, Paul Miller, Steven De Castro, Rose Yapching, Chris Lowry and many more are joining everyday. We hope you will be one of them soon. You too can be a producer of this film.” Balasta is proud of this Kickstarter campaign because it features his project “The Solar Champion” which is a continuation to his successful “The Mountain Thief.” Gerry adds, “‘The Solar Champion’” is a comedy, an independent film which shows the need for renewable energy in the developing world, including the Philippines.” It all started in a dumpsite town in the Philippines. Balasta, the creative mind behind the award-winning movie “The Mountain Thief,” is now completing this second project of his: a feature film called “The Solar Champion” which in contrast to his first film is lighthearted and designed to make you laugh. In “The Mountain Thief,” the actors were actual scavengers from a landfill community in the Philippines. As a result of the project’s success, children from the film received medical help, and the main actor, a special needs child, and the first batch of six is now going to school. Balasta explains that “‘The Solar Champion’ is the continuation of our work and this time in a narrative comedy form. Acted by the talented actors of ‘The Mountain Thief,’ this film is truly inspiring, funny and entertaining.” In the film, viewers will take a hilarious ride with a family of dreamers, as they search for the next “Manny Pacquiao” and the “Brazilian solar bottle bulb” invention. In the end the children find inspiration from their father, and in the least likely place they expected it — from the prizefighter within themselves. The film ends in a documentary and advocacy, which discovers and tracks the real lives of the actors of the film, as well as inventors, dreamers and real-life solar champions (the film will search for the Brazilian inventor of the solar bottle bulb and feature other solar bulb inventors) and an advocacy to bring these solar bulbs to children using kerosene or in the off grid so they can study without the ill effects of a kerosene lantern (bad for the health and environment). - The Filipino Reporter

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