Over two years ago, I set out to write a story about a man whose beliefs were challenged by something beyond his comprehension. But the process of writing has a funny way of changing the very nature of the story you thought you were telling. Through drafts and drafts of revisions to the original script – I found a story about a man forced to confront his fears and surrender to the unknowable. To give in, to release, to let go. Trees that don’t bend will always break. 

This is a story about choosing to believe — when the sky is falling, when nothing makes sense anymore, when you are in your darkest hour.

This is a story about faith. About choosing hope.

-Cameron Clay

Our film is fiscally sponsored by From The Heart, making our project 501(c)(3) status thus making your donations 100% tax deductible! 

We have a goal to raise $35,000 for post-production. This money will go towards getting our celluloid developed and scanned at a professional post house, paying crew (vfx artists, poster designers, sound mixers, color graders), creating our marketing materials (posters, trailers), and submitting to film festivals. 

Filmmaking is an incredibly exclusionary art form. We, as audience members, always ask: where are the new voices telling stories that we have not seen on-screen before? The barrier is simple—money. Whereas a painter can spend under $200 and create a brilliant work of art, a filmmaker has to spend thousands of dollars (and call in a lot of favors) to make even a short film.

It is vitally important for burgeoning filmmakers to self-produce these short films to be considered for feature film financing and professional opportunities. We need to bet on ourselves. 

For those of us that do not come from wealthy backgrounds, that means we need to look to our communities for support. Your donation will be in support of young Black filmmakers fighting tooth and nail to get a foot in the door in an industry that has historically been hostile to us. 

Images matter. Stories are vital in shaping the way people think and engage with the world around them. To control stories is to be able to control history. 

Cameron Clay is a video artist and filmmaker from PG County, MD. He is currently finishing his MFA in Directing at Columbia University.

Cameron's work has been featured in Blackstar Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival, First Take Film Festival, and the Philadelphia Film Showcase. He is a Milos Forman Directing Fellowship, Lazaroff Screenwriting Award and Motion Picture Award recipient.