BOYS! FILM UPDATE - View From the Producer’s Desk
STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. During May, the new two hour rough cut of the film was at the center of our film team’s attention, with feedback viewings by the advisory team members and our director’s documentary-making friends. Editing options have been debated and new research integrated. To guard costs, we are currently working on a paper cut – or outline – to further refine the story before the next round of film cuts. We hope to show portions of the fine cut early this fall, before completing the film later this year.
FINISHING SCHEDULE. We had hoped to finish the film by September, but life has gotten in the way, with two family health crises on the film team. We are being fastidious about accuracy and art and have chosen to prioritize getting it right over finishing on schedule. There are many strands to our story to be woven together; most recently we have been focusing on the relationship between the Civil Rights Movement, SNCC and draft resistance.
RESISTANCE EXHIBITION AT THE LOS ANGELES PUBLIC
LIBRARY. From June 22 – August 19 the main library will feature
"We Won't Go: The L.A. Resistance, Vietnam, and the Draft," curated by BOYS! supporter Ani Boyadjian, with a public program July 19th at 7:00 in the Library's Mark Taper Auditorium. The panel - We Didn't Go: L.A. Draft Resisters and Prison - features BOYS! interviewees: Paul Barnes Lake (Safford, La Tuna), Geoffrey Fishman (Safford), and Joe Maizlish (too many prisons to count). The moderator is Jon Wiener, contributing editor and podcast host at The Nation and professor of history emeritus at UC Irvine. There is a reception afterwards. The video exhibition includes interviews conducted by Julie Thompson and Brogan De Paor, their film of a 2009 resistance reunion, The Resister, a film by Attila (Charles) Domokos, about Bill Garaway, and new footage from The Boys Who Said NO!
FUNDRAISING. Every day I feel some excitement as I walk down the hill to the Post Office, wondering what surprises are in store when I open P.O. Box 14008. Every time I say a little prayer of appreciation before opening the post box. Our goal is to raise $40,000 from our supporters to help finish the film this year. In May, we mailed about 500 fund-raising requests and sent 1,000 e-mails with the new five minute segment, and have so far raised $7,020 from 48 donors. Among the contributions, we are honored to receive significant support from writer Isabel Allende. Our plan is to also raise another $40,000 in finishing funds from foundations. During May we wrote three foundation funding applications, to SFFilm, Berkeley Film Foundation, and JustFilms and we are happy to report that we just received news that we were awarded a $12,000 grant from the Berkeley Film Fund! Tentative plans are afoot to hold two large house parties in the second week of September. We hope to center one around new film footage, oysters and music in Marin County, with fond memories of BOYS! contributor and oyster entrepreneur Tod Friend. The other will be in Los Angeles. All contributions - so vital to completing the film - are tax-deductible when checks are made out to RCNV. We acknowledge all donations in three ways: in writing, on the website, and in the film’s credits. Website acknowledgements are current for contributions through May 16, 2018 and will soon be updated.
RESISTER STORIES. We are planning a new series on the BOYS! Facebook page and website. It will be an opportunity for individual resisters, men and women, to tell their personal stories of resistance. You’ll be invited to join in on the fun and sharing of memories. More information coming soon.
INDIEGOGO PERKS. We’ve heard that Indiegogo has emailed some of our supporters about whether they received all their perks. We have mailed out all the perks we promised, except for the DVDs, The Most Dangerous Man in America, Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers and The Boys Who Said NO! As we said earlier, when the film is finished we will send both out. If you have any questions, please contact me.
YOUR FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT. The BOYS! Film Team feels incredibly honored and glad to hear from you and to receive your financial support, when you are able. We are very happy and proud that you have chosen to go on this adventure with us. We welcome any thoughts or questions you may have.
Thank you all very much for your fantastic support! From viewing the segments we have shared, you know that together we are making a significant, trail-blazing documentary that will inspire nonviolent problem solving that we need more than ever in our troubled world.
- Christopher Colorado Jones, producer
