Donn's Depot (working title)
Donation protected
I am Jay Curlee, the sundrenched, camera toting geezer depicted above.
I have been a filmmaker for more than 40 years. I have made thousands of commercials, hundreds of programs, a PBS series, and an independent music documentary feature. I live in Austin and am semi-retired (which means the phone doesn't ring like it used to). There are still stories to be told, though.
If I were to tell you that these old rail cars and depot make up one of the most important and beloved music venues in Austin, TX, that would be a story.
Welcome to Donn's Depot.
Austin is known as the live music capitol of the world. Hundreds of thousands of people flood here for SXSW, The Austin City Limits Festival, and many other festivals. Many of those people stay. The [once] hundreds of small venues that were the bread and butter to the local artists and musicians-the very people and venues that gave this town its "Capitol" status-are going away fast. And as people rush in and the rents and taxes get higher, musicians and Clubs struggle to make it. This world is hanging by a thread.
The Depot has been here for 46 years. It has been Donn's for 40. It is a community. A cross between a club and a dance hall. Some of Austin's greatest musicians have played here for decades. It is a family.
Places like Donn's are almost gone. Hell.., I am almost gone! That's what this gofundme is about. It is saving the story and keeping the dream and memory of Donn's alive. That can happen with your help.
The money donated will go into production and post production costs to make a 75-minute (or so) documentary feature. I will figure out some premiums later and you'll have to trust me on that. If we stay on budget and make more than our goal, the balance will be donated to the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM).
We are targeting Mid-May to complete principal photography. We have a dedicated and very talented skeleton crew.
Stay tuned for updates.
Organizer
Jay Curlee
Organizer
Austin, TX