With a mission of empowering, educating and funding global independent and student filmmakers, Haydenfilms Institute continues to support local film projects happening in Eastern Pennsylvania. That commitment has most recently led to a partnership with local filmmaker Stephen Dijoseph through a unique fiscal sponsorship and film showcase event.
The showcase took place on May 21, and featured Doylestown, Pa., filmmaker and musician, Stephen Dijoseph, and his multi-award winning short film A SynapTic Adventure: Tourettes and Beyond, a first-person short documentary exploring his personal journey with Tourettes and how living with the syndrome has inspired his creative mind. With hopes of turning the short film into a feature documentary, Dijoseph announced the launch of his crowdfunding campaign and fiscal sponsorship with Haydenfilms Institute during the event.
The campaign is designed to fund Dijoseph’s sophomore project, A SynapTic Adventure: The Creative Force of Tourettes and Beyond. Taking the director’s chair again, Dijoseph seeks to further present “the art in the syndrome”, take a closer look at the creative force that emerges from this mysterious neurological “variance”, and inspire hope in others living with the syndrome.
Henry Nevison, an Emmy-nominated documentarian and panelist at the Showcase explains, “Why I’m so excited to be a part of the film [is because] Stephen’s approach is an exploration of how to tell a story through metaphor.”
Throughout the campaign, contributions can be made on the Indiegogo campaign page for A SynapTic Adventure: The Creative Force of Tourettes and Beyond. You can visit the site to learn more about the campaign and make a contribution. Rewards are also provided to each contributor and include anything from a signed copy of the DVD to a vacation at a Hilton Grand Vacation Resort in Hawaii! The campaign will be active through July 3.
“We are excited to incorporate crowdfunding as a tool to raise awareness for the Tourette Syndrome Community through Stephen Dijoseph’s documentary project,” HFI Founder and Executive Director, Hayden Craddolph says. “We believe that crowdfunded films can bring topics to the mainstream that ordinarily may not receive funding from traditional sources.”
To become involved, become a partner during the campaign or learn more about the Fiscal Sponsorship Program at Haydenfilms Institute, please e-mail Melissa LaRosa at mlarosa@haydenfilmsinstitute.org.
