Despite some criticism of her use of the online crowd-funding website to raise funds for her Moms Mabley documentary (especially in light of what I referred to in a previous post as "Kickstarter Fatigue"), Whoopi Goldberg has reached her campaign goal; she actually surpassed it, raising over $73,000, when her goal was to raise $65,000.
As she said to her social networking followers yesterday:
"My dear Tweeties!! We made it on Kickstarter!! You and My Face Book friends MADE IT HAPPEN!!! U have made it possible to clear moms clips… I now can clear Moms on so many of the appearances she made on different shows, and enables us go So MUCH further!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!"
Goldberg has been working on a documentary feature on the life of pioneering comedian Moms Mabley for at least 2 years now, and it looks like she's reached the tail-end of the production phase, with a release for the film planned for this December (although.
Titled I Got Somethin' To Tell You, Whoopi says we can expect the following from the film:
"Moms Mabley was a pioneer in the comedy world and this documentary will showcase her talent and pay homage to a woman who is still relevant today. … Moms helped shape the idea that comedy could make a political and social statement and still be hilarious. She's one of my role models and her comedy is still poignant today. This documentary will delve into the comedy of Mabley, as well as help define her significance through clips, old photographs, television show appearances and interviews, conducted by me with famous and influential people who either knew and worked with Moms or were inspired by her."
In return to those who contributed, she offered rewards that include signed photos, personalized thank-you cards, and a mention in the DVD credits on the lower end of the contribution scale; but if you gave the top amount ($10,000) you'll get dinner for you and a guest with Whoopi at a restaurant of her choosing in New York City.
According to the project's Kickstarter page, there was one $10,000 contributor.
