March 2, 2015 Loading Docs

Crowdfunding Underway for Loading Docs 2015

New_VF_Webheader_9201March marks the beginning of a nail-biting time for 10 short documentary making teams selected to participate in Loading Docs 2015. Ten separate crowdfunding campaigns from Auckland to Dunedin, have launched, embarking on a mission to raise a set amount of cash and, in doing so, the profiles of Kiwi documentary makers.

This is the second year that the Loading Docs initiative will fund, create and distribute ten local 3 minute documentaries online, with support from the New Zealand Film Commission and NZ On Air. The documentary makers each need to raise $2000 via crowd funding. Once that target is met the Loading Docs fund contributes $4000 worth of production funds plus a post-production package at Toybox and Sale St Audio. Each Loading Docs project also receives ongoing mentoring and support throughout production. 

This year Loading Docs has partnered with arts funding website Boosted.org.nz and the ten campaigns will run for one month, ending on April 1st. The documentaries are then created and released in July of this year. Boosted General Manager Simone Hunter is excited to be partnering with the project this year: “The Loading Docs initiative is a fantastic programme that works with New Zealand’s most promising documentary filmmakers. We are delighted to provide the platform that removes every possible barrier between these emerging artists and their backers.”

The documentary makers hope to find an audience through their campaigns who will have a vested interest in their project. Last year’s ten docos, based around a theme of ‘home’ reached audiences all over the world (with over 300,000 views in total). This year’s theme is ‘connect’ which is exactly what the filmmakers aim to do during the fundraising phase.

“Crowd funding is a great opportunity to put you in touch with those that care most about your doco’s progression and completion. We hope that people who help fund the project will be invested in the outcome, will share the work with others, and be interested in what we do next” says Henry Oliver, the co-director of Loading Docs 2015 short documentary Kusuda. The initiative’s executive producers Julia Parnell and Anna Jackson are both passionate about supporting and promoting New Zealand documentaries and hope this new batch of Loading Docs docos will excite the New Zealand public to get behind our local stories and give them the boost they need to get made.

“Now that online marketing and distribution is king, Loading Docs aims to foster this approach with New Zealand’s documentary makers so they have the skills and experience to take their work to the world. All these filmmakers need New Zealanders to get behind them, ‘like’ and ‘share’ their campaigns and help support high quality locally made documentaries. If we’re not telling our stories in New Zealand, no one else is going to,” says Executive Producer Julia Parnell.

via Viewfinder

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