Thanks for checking out my feature directorial feature debut, "as the FREAK takes you." Yes, you can laugh, we’re having fun on this one! But we’re also asking some tough questions around transgressive practices, the expression of female sexuality, and its liberation from the patriarchal gaze; all things that i grapple with myself as a man and an artist.
Throughout my short films to date, I’ve been compelled by, what I LOVE, female protagonists who demonstrate a balance of social, spiritual, and psychological rigor without sacrificing their humanity or sexuality. There simply aren’t enough of these characters being depicted in movies today.
Thus, i resolved that …FREAK… would be an ideal piece to mark my career as a feature filmmaker. since announcing the project, we’ve raised $21,000 toward pre-production, garnered some amazing press and have been blessed with the support of a few ridiculously talented artists, inclusive of legendary OSCAR NOMINATED writer/director JOHN SINGLETON, who will be functioning as executive producer.
Now all we need is YOU! yes YOU, the person reading this who is either a woman or sincere lover and ally of women, like myself!
We’ve created an exciting crowdfunding campaign that we hope you’ll enjoy, want to support and share with your friends. so please keep reading, or – stop reading and hit visit the Kickstarter campaign page to contribute for $1 or $100. If you’re feeling extra sexy, drop $1,000 stack on us toward our stretch goal! And don’t forget, it’s all 100% tax-deductible through our non-profit conduit FROM THE HEART PRODUCTIONS.
Making a film within the Hollywood system with an unknown female lead is seemingly impossible. Making a film within the Hollywood system that seriously deals with female sexuality is virtually non-existent. So we’re going outside of the Hollywood system… no middle men or Hollywood to blame for the stories that we’re NOT seeing. And, we need allies who feel as strongly as we do that STORIES FEATURING COMPLEX FEMALE LEADS NEED TO BE TOLD. Hoping you’ll join us.
Most kickstarter campaigns are burdened with hitting a certain financial mark (crowdfunding) and left to wonder if the film will ever reach it’s audience. Our campaigns purpose is to focus on reaching it’s audience FIRST (crowdsourcing), in addition to raising a minimal amount to get the film made, which for us is $100,000. We understand that it takes a community to make a movie successful. That community is YOU.
More important than your money, we need your advocacy.
Not to be dismissed as just another hyper-sexualized film about gratuitous sex, as the FREAK takes you, gets it’s title from the archaic use of the word "freak", contextually defined as: A sudden arbitrary change of mind; a whim: as in "follow this way or that way, as the freak takes you.
Like it’s main character Summer Hughes, as the FREAK takes you will not pander to any one depiction of love, nor will it ask permission to tackle a complex idea. Instead, it will boldly pose controversial questions such as:
– At what point in a relationship does "privacy" become "hiding"?
– In a relationship with no rules, what are the guidelines?
– Should a woman be as sexually liberated as a man?
These are some of the questions that will be dramatized in this film and we need your active participation to make it happen!
We welcome you to join us as we tackle this humorous, sexy and piercingly intelligent film-in-the-making.
OUR INSPIRATION…
See legendary jazz singer/actress ABBEY LINCOLN, the inspiration for our main character SUMMER HUGHES, speak on marriage and polygamy (circa 1979), and continue to read below:
OUR MUSE…
After an exhaustive nationwide search, we’ve discovered our muse, C. ADELE WILLIAMS (photo above). We’re especially excited to be introducing C. Adele for all the reasons that inform why most women, be it either access or aesthetic value, are not typically afforded opportunities in Hollywood. She comprises soooo many of the elements that will bring this provocative character to life. We can’t wait to share her with you!
OUR CITY…
Detroit is as much a character in the film as it is our setting with it’s vibrant culture, rich history and resurrecting artistic community. In recent years Detroit has been burdened with the label of being a dying city when this couldn’t be further from the truth. With this film we’re looking to highlight all the things that make this city as exciting, sexy and empowering as our lead character Summer Hughes. By reaching our stretch goal of $100,000 we will be able to shoot in Detroit and not be forced to sacrifice this crucial character.
For the rest of our campaign story, and to help us bring this project to fruition, visit our Kickstarter campaign page here http://kck.st/1E6isy9.
