Award-Winning Filmmaker Pitches Online to Raise Funds For Film About Death With Dignity

    AUSTIN, TX, May 05, 2015 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Independent filmmaker Kevin Machate is turning to the Internet to raise funds for his latest short film project, Promise Me, a narrative fiction film about Death with Dignity. With funding as a major obstacle to getting any film off the ground, current economic conditions don't make the job any easier. Filmmakers have to become more innovative in their fundraising tactics, and the independent filmmaking community has embraced sites like Kickstarter.com.

In line with Kickstarter.com guidelines, artists have a set number of days to raise all the funds, or the project receives nothing. Machate's film has a 28-day fundraising window, from start to finish. If the allotted budget for post production and distribution ($5,000 US) isn't raised before May 31 at midnight, all pledges are cancelled and the film will not be funded.

When asked about why Kickstarter was appealing, Machate noted, "the ability to spread the word quickly online to a lot of people, and keep them updated on the status of the project is invaluable." An added advantage for artists is Kickstarter's merchant partner Amazon.com, which enables each project the convenience of receiving funds from anywhere in the world.

Machate's film Promise Me paints a touching, intimate portrait of one dying woman's final day on Earth and her plight to right the wrongs of her past while attempting to convince her recently reconciled son not to follow in her footsteps. Promise Me broaches the topic of Death with Dignity in an environment where the practice is not legal, but shows the reality of a situation that happens in America on a daily basis.

The film stars Gayland Williams as Stella, the terminally ill patient who intends to take her own life before the disease process takes away her last bit of control. Craig Nigh plays her son Owen, a Longview TX police officer who must accept her decision while also dealing with his own ethical and legal dilemma regarding the process. Step Rowe portrays the rock of the family Debbie, wife of Owen and mother of their ten year old daughter, Lizzie played by Teagan Jai Boyd. The cast is rounded out by Judy McMillan whose portrayal of Rita, a counselor from a Death with Dignity advocacy group, shows both sensitivity and professionalism.

The screenplay for the film has already won several awards at highly competitive film festivals around the globe. On four occasions, it has won "Best Short Screenplay" at events such as the Freethought Film Festival, Worldfest Houston International Film Festival and most recently at the Hill Country Film Festival. Usually this is a good indicator as to how the finished film will be received by festival judges.

The film was shot on location at a private home in Austin, Texas. The film was expertly shot on RED Epic 5k camera by Austin Cinematographer Andrew Baird. If the film is successfully funded, Machate expects to deliver the final cut before the end of June. To learn more about the film, readers can visit the project's pitch page here:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/758615106/promise-me-a-short-film-about-death-with-dignity

About Kevin Machate:

In just a couple of weeks, Kevin will be graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in American Studies with Departmental Honors. Although he began his film career as an actor, he quickly moved into Producing and eventually Directing. Kevin's films have been screened in various cities in the US, Central and South America, Asia, and Europe. This is his eighth short film as Producer and Director. He is a veteran of the US Air Force and a three-time Guinness World Record holder. In December 2013, Kevin was featured by Business Insider magazine as one of the most "Impressive Students at the University of Texas." To date, his films and screenplays have won more than 20 awards at film festivals all over the world.

Contact:
Kevin Machate
[email protected]
469-471-8878
http://www.kevinmachate.com

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