This week, our Kickstater of the week takes a look at this month’s chosen Hot Docs Docignite candidate, The Secret Trial 5.
Here’s a letter from filmmakers Amar Wala and Noah Bingham to tell you more!
“Many Canadians view the so-called War on Terror as something distant, something far away. The reality is, it has struck much closer to home than most of us realize. There are men, women and families right here in Canada that have been caught in its web. Our film is about five such individuals, and five such families.
The subjects of our film are known as The Secret Trial 5. They are called that because after spending nearly 30 years combined in Canadian prisons, and enduring the strictest house arrest conditions in Canadian history, none of them has been charged with a crime or given access to all the “evidence” against them. Our focus is on the human impact of these cases. Our goal is to tell a powerful human story that helps shed light on a deeply important issue.
We began working on this film in the fall of 2009, and over the last three years have shot over 75 hours of footage in several cities across Ontario and Quebec. We have spent a great deal of time with our subjects, and are dedicated to telling their stories in a thoughtful and conscientious way. And now, as we enter the home stretch of our film, we turn to YOU to help us finish this incredible journey.
We are humbled to be selected for Doc Ignite, which has come along at the perfect moment. We are entering post-production, and your contribution will help us cross the finish line later this year. Our goal is to raise $15,000 to help pay for a full-time editor, archival footage, and other costs associated with finishing the film. This has been a long road, but we finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Lastly, we understand that this may be a controversial topic for some, but we can all agree that incarceration without charge for years at a time, and keeping evidence secret is deeply problematic. By contributing to this film you are voting to know more about these people, and helping to start a conversation about this important issue. We are confident we will make an intimate and honest film, and would love for YOU to be a part of it.
Thank you,
Amar Wala & Noah Bingham”
You can donate to help the making of The Secret Trial 5 via the HotDocs website from now until February 19th. They are rapidly approaching their goal, but they still need your support and there are plenty of great perks for backers.
Do you have a passion project in any branch of the arts that you would like to have featured in this column? If so, send your fundraising programme to [email protected] and you might find your moxie rewarded in this column in the future!
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