When the 115-year-old paper mill shut down in the small Appalachian town of Canton, NC, its people faced not just economic loss but a deeper shift in identity. A quarter of the town worked at the mill, most of them 3rd or 4th generation employees. So, what happens when the economic backbone of a community and its most significant defining factor, goes away? How do they handle the loss and who do they become?

Our crew has spent the last 2.5 years working on this film while donating our time, our gear, and our energy to build relationships and capture these unique moments in time. The film is finally edited, and as we work to put the finishing touches on this project, we need your help to bring this story to the public. 100% of the funds we raise will go directly to the film as we continue to work for free to bring this project to life.

We think stories like this need to be told. The community certainly deserves it, and the rest of us are enriched by glimpsing into a piece of America different from our own. The struggle to make a living, endure terrifying loss, discover who you are, and call a place home are core human experiences, and this story moves through them all in an intimate and unforgettable way.

Your donation will help us in these final stages of post-production, contributing to music composition, sound design/mix, and color grade. We are working to raise money from grants and other sources as well, but this campaign is hugely important for us to achieve our goal of a final cut in early February of 2026.

EVERY donor will be listed in our end credits in our “Thank You” section. For donations over $250, we will include your name in a “Special Thank You” section in the end credits. If you or your business would like to contribute a larger amount for a more prominent credit in the film, please reach out to us directly about tax-deductible donations through our fiscal sponsor, The International Documentary Association.

Thank you!

Papertown Film Team