Astronaut Starbright Documentary
Donation protected
Hi! I’m Lana Taylor, a 15 year-old high school student and aspiring filmmaker studying Cinematic Arts at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida. This year I had the opportunity to create a documentary short film based on my friend Taylor Richardson (aka “Astronaut Starbright”) which I submitted to the All American High School Film Festival and the Austin Film Festival's Young Filmmaker Competition.
GREAT NEWS!! With your donations we were able to raise enough money to attend the World Premiere of “Astronaut Starbright” on the BIG screen as an Official Selection of the All American High School Film Festival on October 6, 2018 at the AMC 25 Theater in Times Square, New York City! (It's the busiest theater in the country!!! So cool) .
At the All American High School Film Festival I won the "FEMALE RISING STAR " award. SO EXCITING!!
Now, our film is also an OFFICIAL SELECTION of the Austin Film Festival 's Young Filmmaker Showcase!! WOOT WOOT!! This is such an amazing achievement and we're so excited... and GUESS WHAT?!
There's even better news: Taylor and I have been asked to be on the Cinema Ed/HBO panel (at the Austin Film Festival) entitled "The Path to Inclusivity: Empowering Young Filmmakers " with fellow panelists Raamla Mohamed (Scandal, HBO) and Hope Farley (Executive Producer/Co-Founder, Adolescent Content). THIS. IS. AMAZING. If you are not familiar with film festivals, please know that being invited to be on a panel is a tremendous honor.
We've raised our goal because WE NEED YOUR HELP to get to TEXAS to be a part of this amazing opportunity! Please donate and share our campaign to help us get there (we can't do it without you)!
If you're not familiar with film festivals... please know that Austin is a tremendous opportunity and that inclusion in their Young Filmmaker Showcase is nothing short of INCREDIBLE. We are honored and humbled to be included in such a significant way.
Most people know Taylor as the aspiring astronaut who met Oprah on Good Morning America while raising money on GoFundMe to send girls to see A Wrinkle in Time . Ultimately, Taylor raised over $100,000 with the help of friends, family, and celebrity donors Chris Pine, JJ Abrams, and Oprah Winfrey. My film tells Taylor’s story of STEM advocacy (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) while following her through this amazing period of time in her busy life as a girl who recognizes the need for representation.
This is the first time I’ve done a film of this size and complexity. Although it’s a “short” film, it took no less than six months to finish the film from pre- to post-production (including filming and editing the project while making my way through the spring semester of my freshman year in high school). I am the Director, Cinematographer, and Editor of the film. For me, this project was a BEAST and I’m so glad I reached my goal of putting together a film that tells Taylor’s story of how she got where she is today. I hope that it truly does her justice!
I am honored and humbled to have our film be an Official Selection of the All American High School Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival (Young Filmmaker Showcase), the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards and Festival, and the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival.
The All American High School Film Festival was the first time that anything I’ve worked on has been featured on the BIG screen! It was so amazing to see it that way! I received feedback about the message of hope and inspiration in the film and I couldn't be more proud!
It’s so important to us that Taylor and I travel to Austin, Texas together this October 25-28, 2018 to attend the Austin Film Festival and be a part of the Cinema Ed/HBO panel. Taylor and I need your help to attend.
We are asking for your help to raise funds to cover travel expenses (including lodging, meals, and airfare) and the price of tickets to attend the event.
THIS IS HOW THE FUNDRAISING MONEY WILL BE SPENT...
Expenses for the Austin Film Festival (Austin, TX):
• Airfare - $1,800
• Lodging - $1,600
• Tickets to the Austin Film Festival - $500
• Meals - $800
• Ground Transportation - $400
Expenses for the All American High School Film Festival (New York, NY):
• Airfare - $1,708
• Lodging - $2,000
• Tickets to the All American High School Film Festival - $1,150
• Meals - $800
• Ground Transportation - $650
Additional funds will go towards two things:
Entry Fees:
We are submitting the film to additional film festivals so we can help spread Taylor’s story of STEM advocacy and representation across the country (and hopefully the globe)! Festival entry fees range from $25-$300 on average.
Local Screenings:
We are planning for local screenings of the Astronaut Starbright documentary in our hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. (We are ACTIVELY working on this... More information coming on this soon)! Funds raised will go towards:
• Securing a venue
• Posters
• Photo Booth
• Snacks
Please help us with our project by donating today and sharing our campaign with our friends, family, and communities!
GREAT NEWS!! With your donations we were able to raise enough money to attend the World Premiere of “Astronaut Starbright” on the BIG screen as an Official Selection of the All American High School Film Festival on October 6, 2018 at the AMC 25 Theater in Times Square, New York City! (It's the busiest theater in the country!!! So cool) .
At the All American High School Film Festival I won the "FEMALE RISING STAR " award. SO EXCITING!!
Now, our film is also an OFFICIAL SELECTION of the Austin Film Festival 's Young Filmmaker Showcase!! WOOT WOOT!! This is such an amazing achievement and we're so excited... and GUESS WHAT?!
There's even better news: Taylor and I have been asked to be on the Cinema Ed/HBO panel (at the Austin Film Festival) entitled "The Path to Inclusivity: Empowering Young Filmmakers " with fellow panelists Raamla Mohamed (Scandal, HBO) and Hope Farley (Executive Producer/Co-Founder, Adolescent Content). THIS. IS. AMAZING. If you are not familiar with film festivals, please know that being invited to be on a panel is a tremendous honor.
We've raised our goal because WE NEED YOUR HELP to get to TEXAS to be a part of this amazing opportunity! Please donate and share our campaign to help us get there (we can't do it without you)!
If you're not familiar with film festivals... please know that Austin is a tremendous opportunity and that inclusion in their Young Filmmaker Showcase is nothing short of INCREDIBLE. We are honored and humbled to be included in such a significant way.
Most people know Taylor as the aspiring astronaut who met Oprah on Good Morning America while raising money on GoFundMe to send girls to see A Wrinkle in Time . Ultimately, Taylor raised over $100,000 with the help of friends, family, and celebrity donors Chris Pine, JJ Abrams, and Oprah Winfrey. My film tells Taylor’s story of STEM advocacy (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) while following her through this amazing period of time in her busy life as a girl who recognizes the need for representation.
This is the first time I’ve done a film of this size and complexity. Although it’s a “short” film, it took no less than six months to finish the film from pre- to post-production (including filming and editing the project while making my way through the spring semester of my freshman year in high school). I am the Director, Cinematographer, and Editor of the film. For me, this project was a BEAST and I’m so glad I reached my goal of putting together a film that tells Taylor’s story of how she got where she is today. I hope that it truly does her justice!
I am honored and humbled to have our film be an Official Selection of the All American High School Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival (Young Filmmaker Showcase), the National Film Festival for Talented Youth, the Hollywood Independent Filmmaker Awards and Festival, and the Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival.
The All American High School Film Festival was the first time that anything I’ve worked on has been featured on the BIG screen! It was so amazing to see it that way! I received feedback about the message of hope and inspiration in the film and I couldn't be more proud!
It’s so important to us that Taylor and I travel to Austin, Texas together this October 25-28, 2018 to attend the Austin Film Festival and be a part of the Cinema Ed/HBO panel. Taylor and I need your help to attend.
We are asking for your help to raise funds to cover travel expenses (including lodging, meals, and airfare) and the price of tickets to attend the event.
THIS IS HOW THE FUNDRAISING MONEY WILL BE SPENT...
Expenses for the Austin Film Festival (Austin, TX):
• Airfare - $1,800
• Lodging - $1,600
• Tickets to the Austin Film Festival - $500
• Meals - $800
• Ground Transportation - $400
Expenses for the All American High School Film Festival (New York, NY):
• Airfare - $1,708
• Lodging - $2,000
• Tickets to the All American High School Film Festival - $1,150
• Meals - $800
• Ground Transportation - $650
Additional funds will go towards two things:
Entry Fees:
We are submitting the film to additional film festivals so we can help spread Taylor’s story of STEM advocacy and representation across the country (and hopefully the globe)! Festival entry fees range from $25-$300 on average.
Local Screenings:
We are planning for local screenings of the Astronaut Starbright documentary in our hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. (We are ACTIVELY working on this... More information coming on this soon)! Funds raised will go towards:
• Securing a venue
• Posters
• Photo Booth
• Snacks
Please help us with our project by donating today and sharing our campaign with our friends, family, and communities!
Fundraising team: Lana Taylor and Taylor Richardson (1)
Tamara Boldridge Taylor
Organizer
Jacksonville, FL
Latonja and Taylor Richardson
Team member
