Help Fund the Next Phase of our Documentary

UPDATE!!!

Ann has successfully completed her 3-month, 2,000 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. We could not be more proud of what Ann and our team were able to accomplish during the production phase of this epic adventure, and now the fun really begins as we get to edit the documentary together. We have created this GoFundMe page as an effort to fundraise additional funds to carry us through our post-production phase and on into the festival circuits, distribution, and BEYOND!!! Any amount you can give would be greatly appreciated and will go directly to the final stages of our filmmaking process!

Thank you! - Cassia Sherrill, Producer of River Warrior

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Read below if you want a look at what our story is going to be about! :)

Logline: "River Warrior" is an inspiring agricultural, adventure documentary about an Appalachian, off-grid farmer who is going full force into her next adventure - kayaking 1,895 river miles from her neighborhood creek in Lansing, NC all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

Mission Statement: Through our documentary, we hope to better educate individuals lost in the “hustle” of modern day living on the worsening of our water conditions and the lost art of organic sustainability through the ambition, grit, and passion of an off-grid farmer from a small town in North Carolina. And now with the end of our documentary being very personally tied to the natural disaster that was Hurricane Helene, we believe this only further bolsters our messaging that the time is now to start shifting how we are doing things, and it truly does involve all of us.

The Story: Our documentary follows along as Ann accomplished her epic three-month kayaking journey, but we are also aiming at giving audiences a deeper look into Ann's switch from a "normal" life to her now off-grid, homesteading lifestyle.

Ann’s off-grid lifestyle now consists of her self-run homestead and farm, Rose Mountain Farm. Located in Lansing, North Carolina, Ann's farm is surrounded by a quaint community of Appalachian personalities enjoying the slow lifestyle of a rural small town.

While her town was slowly waking up for summer, Ann went full force into her next adventure. In July 2024, Ann set sail from her neighborhood creek and kayaked 1,895 river miles all the way to the Gulf in hopes of having an adventure of a lifetime while inspiring people with her ambition and grit.

Her goal for this kayaking journey was not only a path of self-discovery but also an attempt at bringing awareness to the worsening of our water conditions, which she as a farmer knows all too well. With that in mind, Ann Rose set sail on July 7th, 2024 with just her kayak and her minimal essentials. She kayaked for three months and officially completed her journey on September 27, 2024, the same day that Hurricane Helene devastated her small town in Lansing, NC. This gave our documentary's close a whole new bitter ending as Ann went from accomplishing her journey of raising awareness for our river conditions straight to helping her town with disaster relief efforts after the worst natural disaster her town has seen in years.

Director's Statement: I grew up visiting my Grandmother in Ashe County, and as a young child, the only thing that seemed to keep me entertained there was the creek behind her house. That creek led into the New River, the very river route that Ann will be taking on her journey. I never dreamed I would want to live here, but in early 2023, I got the sudden urge to move to Ashe County and make some sort of film. Later that summer, I made the move - not knowing what or who my film was going to be about. But I knew this was what I wanted to do!

Within 3 months of living here, I heard a lot of buzz around this “Ann Rose” character. People would describe her as free-spirited, a go-getter, wild woman, feral farmer kind of gal. I knew I had to meet her! When I met Ann, her stories made my jaw hit the floor with all the things she had previously been through. Ann has been working hard on her farm for many, many years, and during our conversations, she told me she needed a vacation. Her idea of a “vacation” is kayaking from her town (Lansing, NC) to the Gulf…all in 3 months!!! My mind was immediately rushing with ideas of where this film could go, and I knew that I would not stop until this adventure film was made.

My hope for this film is to inspire others to be free-thinking adventurers and break away from the everyday molds of our modern, trendy culture while also educating them on off-grid lifestyles and ways to better our agricultural footprint. Ann inspires me on all of these fronts and so much more through her passion, grit, and adventurous ambition. And if our film can be that same inspiration and breath of fresh air to our audience, I will forever be honored by that fact alone.

-Haley Mellon, Director of "River Warrior"

Meet Ann Rose: Ann Rose is “off-the-grid," but she is still greatly involved in her community, local non-profits, and local government.

She frequently holds off-grid and homesteading workshops, sells her homegrown produce at local farmers markets, and maintains a strong social media presence. She uses this social media presence to inspire others through educating them about an off-grid lifestyle and the benefits of homesteading.

Ann’s ultimate dream is to be an inspiration for those on the path to more sustainable living, and this documentary will serve as the perfect platform to help her fulfill that dream.

The Audience: Homesteading has started going viral on social media platforms as younger generations are losing faith in political systems and the state of the earth. The audience for our documentary is the up-and-coming generations that are seeking to educate themselves on this lifestyle so they can make a difference in this world and leave a positive footprint on our planet.

How can YOU help?

Filmmaking is truly an all-hands-on-deck process, and we would be honored if you would join us in making this documentary a reality. We cannot wait to share our film's updates and adventures with you as we continue on with our final post-production phases, our premiere, and our festival run. We promise we will update you on every exciting aspect of our journey, and in the meantime, you can help our film in TWO MAJOR ways:

1: SHARE us on your social media!

We would love to connect with you, seriously! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @riverwarrior2024 and we will be sure to bring you the fire content you are expecting!

2: MAKE A PLEDGE to this campaign!

Seriously, any amount you can commit to our film is truly going to help us. Whether you donate $1 or $1000, you ARE putting us one step closer to our goal. We appreciate you and any contributions you can make!

In return for your pledge, we will mention your name within the "Special Thanks" section of the ending credits of our documentary!

Thank you for taking the time to look through our story, and we hope you stick around!

-Haley, Cassia, Savannah, and Caroline

The "River Warrior" Producing Team