CINEMANGIA presents: Foodrunners

As many of you may already know, Enzo Campa, our lovely and ever-dedicated friend (or fiancé, in my case), is making a short film. He has written, exhaustively planned, gathered a cast and team, and will direct and star in said film. His story and vision is as absurd as it is resonate, as fresh as it is enduring. It is the culmination of his so-far life’s work in theatre and film that has led to this project, and a real love for and commitment to art-making that has carried him to this point of (almost) fruition. I’ve never seen anyone work harder on anything.

But, unfortunately, this drive is not enough to be awarded funding from the Toronto Arts Council. When the rejection letter came I asked Enzo what his plan was now, and he chipperly replied “Oh, I’ll just pay for it!” momentarily blocking out the immense cost of making even a *very* short, non-union film. While I whole-heartedly believe he would spend every last cent of his life savings on this project, have you seen the price of groceries these days? And god-forbid we don’t have an open bar at our wedding. And how will we pay for our cat Bobby’s law school tuition??? Enzo is bold in his art but not so much when it comes to asking for help, so I’m stepping up to bat. Funds will be used for equipment, prop, and location rentals, as well as honorariums for cast and crew. Friends, family, beneficent strangers with a love for amateur cinema, help us tell a strange little story? It may not change the world, but it will change Enzo’s, and I can only attempt to return the favor as he’s changed mine so completely.

In Enzo’s own words:

“A quiet restaurant kitchen, a hand chopped at the wrist, a shock to the system, an awkward meal the moment after, an urgency to fish, an urgency to cook, manic eating, an uncontrollable hunger, desperation, theft, ending with our leads passed out on the floor of a hot-dog truck only to be awoken by the siren call of the ice-cream man. You don’t get to choose how you move on, you just do, and do, and do…

Once I was mugged in a subway car full of people and everyone on the train pretended it wasn’t happening. There are hundreds of movies about me and the mugger, about victims and instigators, but none about everyone else on the train, about those who bear witness, then re-enter the world. So I wrote one.”

We plan to shoot the first half of the film at the end of March 2025, and the second half in October. And because we still feel a little awkward about crowdfunding, we want to offer some prizes as both an incentive and a way to say thanks.

SPONSOR

Any amount - a handwritten thank you card from Enzo with a lipstick kiss

PRODUCER

$50 - your name in the film’s credits, fame, glory

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

$75 - invite to a private screening / feedback session (you are an executive producer, act like one)

SUPER EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

first 15 to $100 - pasta dinner a la Enzo delivered to your home (must live in Toronto)

DOUBLE PLATINUM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

first 5 to $300 - hand knit wool hat by Juliana (will ship!)

PRESIDENT’S CLUB

$500+ - Walk the red carpet with us at TIFF when we win best short film of all time!

If you hit one tier you also get all preceding prizes.

We love you!

***the gibbons featured in the photograph above are not affiliated with the film but are a relevant point to its narrative.