[UPDATED 1/21/17 – 2:45AM ET: Corrections have been made with regard to how one can participate in the #100DaysofDiversity effort. See below!]
Seed&Spark has always been more than a crowdfunding platform. Founded by Emily Best, Erica Anderson, Max Silverman, and James Kaelan, Seed&Spark provides an avenue of distribution, as the site streams the films created by its community, an active group of film lovers who support the projects they love long after the money’s been raised. As the company’s grown, so has their mission. With Trump’s inauguration, they are kicking off #100DaysOfDiversity. Because they’re tired of think pieces and studies on gender and race disparity in Hollywood.
100 Days of Diversity’s goal is simple: “making the entertainment industry more inclusive in 100 days. Full stop.”
For the first 100 Days of Trump’s presidency, they are featuring crowdfunding projects and streaming films that actively increase representation and inclusion. “No more studies. No more think pieces. It’s time to ACT.” They’ve partnered with companies like the Tribeca Film Festival, The Black List, and the It Gets Better Project, who’ve agreed to promote these films in the interest of building up and exposing the country to the work of filmmakers who might not be seen otherwise: women, people of color, LGBTQIA folks, disabled filmmakers, etc.
So, how do you participate?
- Subscribe to Seed&Spark to build a brighter future of filmmakers. 75% of subscriber revenue goes right to filmmakers. And it’s only $10/month!
- Fund your film on Seed&Spark now until April 29th to become eligible for wonderful perks from Seed&Spark’s #100DaysOfDiversity partners.
- Submit your movie or show to Seed&Spark for distribution on their new platform.
I’m currently a subscriber, and it’s thrilling to know that I’m helping to sustain marginalized filmmakers while also having access to content that I wouldn’t necessarily find anywhere else.
The #100DaysOfDiversity is also really active, as people are encouraged to stick to themes that are accompanied by related, recommended projects as a community and discuss the projects and their filmmakers (while boosting their signals, of course!) by using the hashtag. This keeps everyone unified and on the same page so that each week, the intended signal is at its strongest.
Here’s the current schedule:
Jan 20 – Feb 2 Democracy in Action
Feb 3 – Feb 16 Black history: present and future
Feb 17 – Mar 2 Modern love
Mar 3 – Mar 16 American families
Mar 17 – Mar 30 Faiths of all kinds
Mar 31 – Apr 13 The American dream
Apr 14 – Apr 29 Melting pot
If boosting the careers of marginalized people in media and getting their stories out into the world is activism that speaks to you, definitely check out Seed&Spark! With the threat of corporate interests potentially interfering with the content we get on TV and in film over the next presidential term, now more than ever, it’s important to nurture other voices. The ones that will speak truth to power and give the voiceless a voice through film.
(images via Seed&Spark)
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Published: Jan 20, 2017 06:09 pm