http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1165887134/seed-the-untold-story-documentary-film
Be Well.
David
Inspiring film that unearths the dramatic story of seeds. From the creators of QUEEN OF THE SUN & REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN.
Seed is not just the source of life. It is the very foundation of our being. - Vandana Shiva
SEED:
The Untold Story will investigate the dramatic story of seeds, the
basis of life on earth. For 12,000 years man has been nurturing and
cultivating seeds to form the backbone of civilization. Now, 94% of our
seed varieties have been lost and many more are nearing extinction.
SEED
unveils a David and Goliath battle for the future of our seeds by
examining how five chemical corporations have taken control of seeds
through patents, copyrights and genetic modification. These companies
are placing ownership on the seeds, literally stealing the genetic
material from our ancestors who nurtured these seeds for thousands of
years. As Vandana Shiva says “the threat to seed freedom impacts the
very fabric of human life and life on the planet.”
Entertaining
and engaging, SEED follows heroes working tirelessly to preserve
agricultural diversity as well as the rich knowledge held by indigenous
cultures. These farmers, scientists, and seed collectors such as Gary
Paul Nabhan, Bill McDorman, Vandana Shiva, Harold Hoven, Native American
Emigdio Ballon and Winona LaDuke are the visionaries and caretakers of
many of the world’s remaining seeds. On an absorbing journey following a
diverse cast of characters, we will witness a brave new movement as
these heroes struggle to create a vibrant web of biodiversity and
resilience.
SEED will reveal the awe, wonder and hidden beauty of
seeds. It will ignite the imagination of audiences, inspiring them to
be part of a new movement to help sustain seed diversity. We will
unearth the resilience and power that all seeds have to sustain, enliven
and enrich our humanity.
OUR GOAL
Our goal with SEED is to make an inspiring,
uplifting film that will encourage communities to take action and create
positive change. SEED will be the third film in a trilogy that began
with the award-winning films Real Dirt On Farmer John & Queen of the
Sun. Through SEED, audiences will witness the beginnings of a new
movement. In numerous agricultural centers around the world, SEED will
follow farmers taking back their rights to seed, food and their land.
SEED will inspire local communities to reverse an impending global food
crisis by reclaiming seeds that can be freely dispersed, and adapted to
their own conditions and culture.
SEED will be an active
community-driven film that will engage and inspire audiences around the
world through broadcast, theatrical release, film festivals, community
screenings, educational markets, Home DVD and video on demand.
Collective Eye will also develop an educational curriculum for SEED and
prepare for the distribution to K-12 schools, colleges, universities,
public libraries, and other non-profit organizations. SEED will follow a
similar but more robustly developed Educational Outreach model that we
developed with REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN and QUEEN OF THE SUN. Working
with our non-profit Collective Eye Films we will strategize with a
global network to help relay the urgency of this global issue. SEED will
be used as a tool to bolster advocacy for direct action that ranges
from saving native seeds and habitats and implementing community
initiatives, to creating national and international policy change.
IS MY DONATION TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?
All donations made to SEED: The Untold Story are TAX-DEDUCTIBLE! This is because we are sponsored through our non-profit Collective Eye Films. We’ll send out e-mails with your receipt at the end of the campaign. For larger donations, feel free to contact us at jon@collectiveeye.org with any questions.
HOW WILL THE MONEY BE USED?
We urgently need to raise $50,000
in order to keep production going for SEED so that the film can be
completed in 2013. With the rapid decline of seed varieties, and the
threat of genetically modified seeds contaminating traditional seeds,
the public must be aware of this issue so that civic discourse and
action can continue and make change before it’s too late.
The
ground work has been set, we’ve already filmed incredible footage in
India and the Southwest. In the coming months we will travel to Mexico
& return to the Southwest U.S. (where ancient Maize is under threat
by GMO corn). We will go to Turkey (the origin place of wheat), Germany,
Ethiopia, the different regions in the U.S. In all of these places, we
will be filming amazing seedbanks, seed collectors, biodynamic farmers,
scientists and philosophers. We will also work with animators and
macro-photography to begin bringing essential parts of the SEED story to
life.
THE BUDGET
$25,000: This is to continue paying
a dedicated production crew, translators and researchers who all
deserve being paid for the amazing work they doing as we continue
filming.
$10,000: For travel, field research, securing local translators and other help.
$7,000:
This is to pay a great editor and transcriptionists who will be helping
to build a rough-cut that guides the story of the film.
$5,000: This is to pay for key animators to begin bringing essential parts of the SEED story to life.
$3,000: To website development, so we can soon launch an online hub to share enduring stories about seeds with a broad audience.
WHO ARE WE?
TAGGART SIEGEL (Director/Producer)
Taggart Siegel has been making award winning documentaries for
25 years. His recent film, QUEEN OF THE SUN: What are the Bees Telling
Us?, winner of 11 international film festival awards, received
critical-acclaim during its theatrical release. Roger Ebert calls it
“Remarkable documentary that’s also one of the most beautiful nature
films I’ve ever seen.” Siegel is also known for the grassroots hit REAL
DIRT ON FARMER JOHN, winner of 31 international film festivals awards
and broadcast and theatrically released worldwide.
JON BETZ (Director/Producer)
Jon Betz is an award-winning
independent documentary filmmaker. He was the producer and editor for
the multi-award winning QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us?
which was critically- acclaimed during it’s U.S. theatrical release and
was heralded by The New York Times as “Revelatory! A Critic’s Pick” His
previous film, MEMORIZE YOU SAW IT, is an intimate documentary about
former-child soldiers in Eastern Uganda. Betz is a graduate from the
Rhode Island School of Design and is the director of Collective Eye
Films.
WHO IS FEATURED IN THIS VIDEO?
We
give our thanks to the individuals featured in our Kickstarter Video:
Bill McDorman (Executive Director, Native Seeds/SEARCH), Author and
Activist Dr. Vandana Shiva (Navdanya), Bija Didi (Navdanya), Emigdio
Ballon (Tesuque Pueblo Seed Bank), Author and “Father of the Local Food
Movement” Gary Paul Nabhan, Jeffrey Smith (Institute for Responsible
Technology), Ronnie Cummins (Organic Consumers Association), Suman
(Navdanya), Jere Gettle (Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) and Paul Wallace
(Petaluma Seed Bank & Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds).
We also give special thanks to Jami Sieber for allowing us to use her incredible music in our video!
There
are so many incredible people doing wonderful work in the world of
seeds. Many more stories and characters will be in the finished
feature-length film.
HOW DOES KICKSTARTER WORK?
Just
choose your donation level and rewards you would like to recieve and
donate by entering payment information. It’s that easy! If you choose a
reward that requires shipping (many do), be sure to leave your address.
We’ll be in touch!
Risks and challenges Learn about accountability on Kickstarter
SEED is being made through our non-profit Collective Eye Films
where we created REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN and QUEEN OF THE SUN: What
are the Bees Telling Us? Making films independently is always a huge
challenge, from financing to completion, but we are committed to
finishing SEED in a timely manner, and this is why we’re asking for your
help.
We are excited about giving these fun gifts for your pledges and are
eager to deliver these gifts promptly according to their estimated
delivery dates. We’ll keep you posted with our Kickstarter updates and
hope you join us on this exciting adventure!
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