Crocodile

THE NEW TARGET

Reaching our new target will mean on our lean budget

- We can keep our current editor on full-time to rough cut and onwards to fine cut and completion of the film

- Engage another editor to work alongside us, to keep the momentum high towards completion of the rough cut

- To film our final scenes in Frankfurt and Nigeria as the Nigerians head towards the first day of filming on their first feature film

-  Allow Pietra to push her creative vision for the film by commissioning the scifi elements in the scenes to take the film into magical realism

- Work with international story consultants to workshop the film’s storylines, to hone in on the strongest scenes

- Research and commission the music sound track

- To create marketing materials for film festival submissions

- To complete all translations of the footage, the subjects speak three different languages

US CAMPAIGN PAGE

We’ve also launched a donation page for United States residents through a US charity, so you also will be sent a tax receipt of your charitable donation for income tax.  Please use this link here:  https://pietrabrettkelly.wedid.it/campaigns/11242-crocodile

FILM LOGLINE

They live in a town called CROCODILE. Nine kids rising out of the swamp of drug trafficking and scamming, rewriting their future... and setting it in a 2049 scifi world. A coming-of-age documentary film from three times Oscar selected and Sundance award-winning NZ filmmaker Pietra Brettkelly and Oscar nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley, the first ever indigenous woman to receive that accolade.

YOUR SUPPORT IS VITAL

In their films they are super heroes. We believe in real life they're super heroes too.

This is a coming-of-age film like no other. This is my 6th documentary feature and with every film I make I challenge and advance my craft and bring many New Zealand film practitioners with me. Unfortunately neither the NZ Film Commission nor NZ on Air are able to fund films where the subjects are not New Zealanders. And so I am reaching out to you.

NZ income earners qualify for a 33% tax credit on their donations from the IRD.

And anyone in the US we have a fiscal sponsor there you can donate to us through so you too can receive tax rebates. Contact Chelsea and I directly.

EXCITING NEWS

Oscar-nominated producer Chelsea Winstanley (JOJO RABBIT, Merata: How Mum Decolonised the Screen) has just joined the project bringing her wealth of experience and creativity to the film.

BACKGROUND

I started filming this extraordinary group of sisters, brothers, cousins in a small town in the middle of Nigeria 3.5 years ago. I flew out on my own after sadly my camera person pulled out, concerned with the security. But I knew this would be an amazing story of hope and magical realism. These kids needed highlighting. And my tenacity cannot be silenced.

At the start of filming the subjects were aged between 5 and 18 - Godwin, Raymond, Rejoice, Victor, Rachael, Lil Rachael, Ronald, Richard and Lawson - and together we have continued on the project through everything that life has thrown at us including the pandemic, typhoid, distance, financial struggles, floods, lack of power, being thrown out of home... but above all a combined love for this film has carried us through. And uniquely I've also given these young subjects 50% ownership of the documentary and all its profits.

Amazingly JJ Abrams (director of numerous Star Wars films) heard about the kids and sent camera equipment to support their filmmaking.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

I have been self-funding this extraordinary, intimate, captivating film for over three years, and have been editing now for five months. This film I know has the power to be at least as successful as both mine and Chelsea's previous feature films which have premiered at five of the world's top six international film festivals - Berlinale, Toronto, Venice, Sundance and Tribeca Film Festivals - before screening all over the world.

But Chelsea and I need your help towards

• 25 weeks editing, to complete the film to rough cut stage with my talented Auckland editor
• to film the opening of an multi-room exhibition on their films 31 March at the Museum of Modern Art, Frankfurt, Germany
• to complete the translations (I found a fabulous PHD student at Massey University from Nigeria so your support will also support him)
• to commission the Nigerians to make the special fx 'magical realism' elements in the film
• to workshop the film's rough cuts with our story consultants and international advisors to ensure robust and rigorous development of the film
• to research the music soundtrack of the film
• to continue filming up until the young Nigerians roll camera on the first day of their first scifi feature film, stepping bravely away from short films

Ideally we need $100,000 but any funding this film receives, we would be so grateful to you. Because Boosted is an all-or-nothing we're setting the amount lower than what is needed ... and have high hopes.

EVENTS

If anyone is interested in hosting a group of friends at their place, we can play an exclusive clip from the film for you, tell a few stories from our careers, and hopefully reach donors beyond the people we know. It would be a fun event... let us know if you're interested.

THANK YOU

In recognition of your valuable contribution you will be kept informed of our progress throughout the making of the film and its release. All donors will be offered a credit of thanks on the film's end credits.

This project has been a huge labour of love for our entire team to get to this point. We are humbled and grateful for any support you can offer. E mihi ana ki a koutou katoa.

TAX CREDIT

Remember donations qualify for a tax credit: NZ income earners qualify for a 33% tax credit on their donations from the IRD with a receipt automatically provided by The Arts Foundation (as The Arts Foundation is a registered charity) for any donation made.