Seed&Spark, the independent film crowdfunding platform, announced on Friday it is now accepting submissions for its Communal Nightmare Crowdfunding Rally, an initiativefor feature genre films that bring society’s nightmares to life. The funding portal has teamed up with 3311 Productions and The Orchard to award one film $25,000, a first look distribution deal and executive producership. While sharing details about the initiative, Emily Best, Founder and CEO of Seed&Spark, stated:
“Just in the past couple of years with It Follows and Get Out, we’ve seen the remarkable ways in which genre films can make us face some of society’s darkest demons. And some of our most celebrated talents started with genre films: Katheryn Bigelow, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Ana Lily Amirpour, Julia Ducournau, Jennifer Kent, Guillermo Del Toro, Joel Coen, Frances Ford Coppola…should I go on? We’re so excited to work with these luminary partners to provide a career-changing opportunity as an incentive for filmmakers all across the country to uncover dark stories we may not otherwise get to see.”
Tony Pachella, Creative Executive at 3311 Productions, also commented:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with such forward-thinking companies in a genre space that has increasingly become a home for filmmakers looking to push the limits of their craft and tackle complex, emotionally-charged subjects.”
Paul Davidson, EVP of Film & TV, then noted:
“As we’ve seen over the last year, genre film is not just escapist entertainment but can truly hold up a mirror to the world around us in a compelling and meaningful way,. We are excited to partner with Seed & Spark and 3311 to give new voices and the next generation’s creators a platform to do so.”
Seed&Spark added that in order to participate, filmmakers must submit a crowdfunding campaign for a feature genre film on Seed&Spark by May 1st. All campaigns will launch on May 14th and end on June 15th. Campaigns that raise a minimum of $7,500 in cash contributions and gather at least 1,000 followers become eligible for the grand prize, which will be announced in late June. The best pitches will make it clear why genre is the best format for telling the story the creators want to tell.