Please Give (part the second)

And just so you can rest easy that I’m not just going to shill for myself around here (that was a one-time thing, I’m guessing), I’d like to throw a little love to my bud and fellow Muriels voter, Lucas McNelly. When he’s not participating in the Muriels festivities, Lucas is an independent filmmaker. A few years ago, I even reviewed one of his previous films, Gravida, for the blog.

Anyway, Lucas is currently preparing for his next project, entitled Up Country, which he pitches as a Hitchcock-meets-Malick thriller set in the woods of Maine. Most of Lucas’ previous projects were relatively intimate efforts, but Up Country is more ambitious. Consequently, it’s also more expensive, with more money required to rent and transport additional equipment as well as secure the use of the film’s location. All told, Lucas has budgeted Up Country at roughly $4,000.

Here’s where you folks come in. Over at the “crowd-funding” site Kickstarter, Lucas is currently soliciting backers for Up Country. The idea is that if you’d be interested in seeing this film come to fruition, you can pledge an amount of your choice (well, $1 minimum) for the cause. As with any good fundraiser, there are rewards in store for anyone who contributes. For example, anyone who pledges $5 or more will receive a “thank you” in the film’s credits. I’ve already contributed $25- which entitles me to a thank-you credit, plus a DVD and a downloadable copy of the film- but people can pledge up to $2,500, for which they’ll receive Executive Producer credit, a weekly fishing trip in Maine, and a treasure trove of swag. As further motivation, Lucas is has transcribed the Up Country screenplay into prose form, and will be posting a chapter with every $500 that is pledged.

However, there’s a catch. The deadline for Lucas to reach his goal of $4,000 is Friday, July 16. At that point, unless he’s hit his goal, the film isn’t going to happen due to the availability of his chosen location, and all the pledges will be refunded. But I know I don’t want that to happen. So check out the Up Country page on Kickstarter by clicking the widget I’ve embedded at the top of this post, and if you’re intrigued by what you find there please do your part to help a talented independent filmmaker keep working. And if you get a free DVD or fishing trip out of the deal, so much the better.