Pharms - A Short Film
Donation protected
Overview
In a city where naked hippies are replaced by polished models of the modern tech-rush, how do rivaling siblings care for their parents while biases on healthcare and lifestyle clash? What better way to discuss legalization of marijuana and healthcare than film! We want to shoot "Pharms" and explore these issues in the city that represents them best: San Francisco. The film's crew and equipment are already funded! Your help will allow us to cover other expenses needed to shoot the story!
Short Summary
This is an independent project with an international production crew!
We are a group of filmmakers via a locally run San Francisco film co-op called, Scary Cow. (See Below) "Pharms" was pitched to over 100 members of the co-op and garnered interest by a full crew's worth of renowned long-standing members as well as freshcomers.
"Pharms" is a unique short film that deals with the very relatable (and-all-too-pertinent-in-the-U.S.) topic of healthcare and treatment options.
As a contributor, you are helping generate productive dialogue between two extreme views. You are also helping support a medium that fosters understanding, tolerance and inspiration.
About the Film
"Pharms" is about two siblings who try to navigate an increasingly subjective world and find a solution to illness despite their opposing beliefs in pharmaceuticals and alternative medicine. It is a psychedelic dramedy saturated with visual and musical splendor.
What We Need & What You Get
We want to raise $4,000.
Not only will you get personally involved in the making of an intimately told story about two San Franciscan natives, but you will also qualify to be awarded some of our unique perks as well as neat add-on perks, "Pharms" swag.
The total funds raised will pay our actors (as most projects in San Francisco don't pay actors adequately if you can believe it) craft service (a.k.a. food for the entire crew,) location fees, insurance, props, costumes, make-up artist and other miscellaneous expenses. It takes a village!
The Impact
What if someone you love has a dangerous disease and the way they plan to cure themselves makes no sense to you? This project explores different perspectives of health, happiness and how empathy can help us improve our personal relationships.
While more states are legalizing marijuana and other psychoactive, albeit natural, substances, major pharmaceutical companies still maintain their stronghold over mainstream American ethos when it comes to health care. Take a pill or smoke a joint? Is there a right or wrong way to approach healthcare or is it somewhere in between? Is a "between" possible amidst our binary society where democrats meet republicans, gay meets straight, or conservationism meets mass consumerism?
This film depicts how it feels, within a spectrum of views, to give in to our prejudices clouded by biases, passive conditioning and social as well as academic education even in their most subtle forms and patterns.
While these topics are heavy, "Pharms" highlights these aspects we all experience with a quirky, alternate-reality twist.
About Scary Cow
Scary Cow is a collectively run film company with members from the Bay Area with several screenings a year at the Castro Theater in San Francisco.
Almost 70% of Scary Cow films have gone on to be screened at well known festivals such as Slamdance, Palm Springs, SF Indie Fest, and many more.
http://www.scarycow.com
Risks & Strengths
While Scary Cow is a volunteer organization and we will be drawing many of our resources from a collective effort, we can face challenges related to all aspects of film making. Every film has challenges.
Many crew members are learning new skills in their roles so learning curves are a natural part of the process.
Luckily, the crew on this project in particular happens to draw from Scary Cow's more notable and seasoned filmmakers. This means almost all new to the crew have a mentor. Our cinematographer, Bob Sitzwohl, for example, has a Film Theory and History degree from SFSU and worked in the industry as a gaffer on high end marketing and commercial pieces. After thirty years, he's been a Director of Photography and has won Best Cinematography awards from past Scary Cow screenings.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute monetarily, but that doesn't mean you can't help us!
You can always help us by sharing this link with family and friends who love independent films, San Francisco, those that have opinions about healthcare, life and love to smoke the chronic! (Well, this being a non-biased film, we're not beyond cheap laughs.)
And that's all there is to it.
About the short's creator, Molly McGivern (in her own words)
I am an S.F. native with Hawaiian-Portuguese and Irish decent and a B.A. in Psychology from McGill University and recently moved back from New York. I have a ranging span of credits on ABC's "Lost" as "Rosie," (actor) ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (crew), and smaller credits from the underground theatres of Montreal, New York, San Francisco and the historic Aloha Theatre in Hawaii as actor, writer and composer. I find myself trying new things, getting into trouble, curating lifestyles with each relocation and distilling authenticity like a thespianologist. I sing, play violin and other instruments, compose, surf, knit, make things, travel a lot, lived and volunteered globally and have won awards on some of my productions along the way. Themes have included implied dialogue, dreams, as above so below and also a choose-your-own adventure inter-galactic travel piece for the children's series of Montreal's Centaur Theatre. It was beyond an honor to have collaborated with the late Brazilian dramatist and creator of "Theatre of the Oppressed" and "Invisible Theatre," Augusto Boal at NYU. In Romania, I joined English Dramatherapy pioneer, Dr. Sue Jennings, and directed a play with Roma children inspiring tolerance among their communities. I drew from theatre and music as a medium in Hawaii's public schools and Mongolia, for educating orphaned children and those on the spectrum as well as family enrichment programs. Random "day jobs" I've explored ranged from macadamia nut and coffee farm manager to stage technician and to full-blown custodian at Montreal's indie music hub, Casa del Popolo.
I hope these tidbits provide a glimpse of my explorative nature and "qualifications" as a fund-worthy storyteller and story-doer. These experiences have helped me conceptualize "Pharms" and set an intention for its purpose as a short film with wings.
In a city where naked hippies are replaced by polished models of the modern tech-rush, how do rivaling siblings care for their parents while biases on healthcare and lifestyle clash? What better way to discuss legalization of marijuana and healthcare than film! We want to shoot "Pharms" and explore these issues in the city that represents them best: San Francisco. The film's crew and equipment are already funded! Your help will allow us to cover other expenses needed to shoot the story!
Short Summary
This is an independent project with an international production crew!
We are a group of filmmakers via a locally run San Francisco film co-op called, Scary Cow. (See Below) "Pharms" was pitched to over 100 members of the co-op and garnered interest by a full crew's worth of renowned long-standing members as well as freshcomers.
"Pharms" is a unique short film that deals with the very relatable (and-all-too-pertinent-in-the-U.S.) topic of healthcare and treatment options.
As a contributor, you are helping generate productive dialogue between two extreme views. You are also helping support a medium that fosters understanding, tolerance and inspiration.
About the Film
"Pharms" is about two siblings who try to navigate an increasingly subjective world and find a solution to illness despite their opposing beliefs in pharmaceuticals and alternative medicine. It is a psychedelic dramedy saturated with visual and musical splendor.
What We Need & What You Get
We want to raise $4,000.
Not only will you get personally involved in the making of an intimately told story about two San Franciscan natives, but you will also qualify to be awarded some of our unique perks as well as neat add-on perks, "Pharms" swag.
The total funds raised will pay our actors (as most projects in San Francisco don't pay actors adequately if you can believe it) craft service (a.k.a. food for the entire crew,) location fees, insurance, props, costumes, make-up artist and other miscellaneous expenses. It takes a village!
The Impact
What if someone you love has a dangerous disease and the way they plan to cure themselves makes no sense to you? This project explores different perspectives of health, happiness and how empathy can help us improve our personal relationships.
While more states are legalizing marijuana and other psychoactive, albeit natural, substances, major pharmaceutical companies still maintain their stronghold over mainstream American ethos when it comes to health care. Take a pill or smoke a joint? Is there a right or wrong way to approach healthcare or is it somewhere in between? Is a "between" possible amidst our binary society where democrats meet republicans, gay meets straight, or conservationism meets mass consumerism?
This film depicts how it feels, within a spectrum of views, to give in to our prejudices clouded by biases, passive conditioning and social as well as academic education even in their most subtle forms and patterns.
While these topics are heavy, "Pharms" highlights these aspects we all experience with a quirky, alternate-reality twist.
About Scary Cow
Scary Cow is a collectively run film company with members from the Bay Area with several screenings a year at the Castro Theater in San Francisco.
Almost 70% of Scary Cow films have gone on to be screened at well known festivals such as Slamdance, Palm Springs, SF Indie Fest, and many more.
http://www.scarycow.com
Risks & Strengths
While Scary Cow is a volunteer organization and we will be drawing many of our resources from a collective effort, we can face challenges related to all aspects of film making. Every film has challenges.
Many crew members are learning new skills in their roles so learning curves are a natural part of the process.
Luckily, the crew on this project in particular happens to draw from Scary Cow's more notable and seasoned filmmakers. This means almost all new to the crew have a mentor. Our cinematographer, Bob Sitzwohl, for example, has a Film Theory and History degree from SFSU and worked in the industry as a gaffer on high end marketing and commercial pieces. After thirty years, he's been a Director of Photography and has won Best Cinematography awards from past Scary Cow screenings.
Other Ways You Can Help
Some people just can't contribute monetarily, but that doesn't mean you can't help us!
You can always help us by sharing this link with family and friends who love independent films, San Francisco, those that have opinions about healthcare, life and love to smoke the chronic! (Well, this being a non-biased film, we're not beyond cheap laughs.)
And that's all there is to it.
About the short's creator, Molly McGivern (in her own words)
I am an S.F. native with Hawaiian-Portuguese and Irish decent and a B.A. in Psychology from McGill University and recently moved back from New York. I have a ranging span of credits on ABC's "Lost" as "Rosie," (actor) ''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" (crew), and smaller credits from the underground theatres of Montreal, New York, San Francisco and the historic Aloha Theatre in Hawaii as actor, writer and composer. I find myself trying new things, getting into trouble, curating lifestyles with each relocation and distilling authenticity like a thespianologist. I sing, play violin and other instruments, compose, surf, knit, make things, travel a lot, lived and volunteered globally and have won awards on some of my productions along the way. Themes have included implied dialogue, dreams, as above so below and also a choose-your-own adventure inter-galactic travel piece for the children's series of Montreal's Centaur Theatre. It was beyond an honor to have collaborated with the late Brazilian dramatist and creator of "Theatre of the Oppressed" and "Invisible Theatre," Augusto Boal at NYU. In Romania, I joined English Dramatherapy pioneer, Dr. Sue Jennings, and directed a play with Roma children inspiring tolerance among their communities. I drew from theatre and music as a medium in Hawaii's public schools and Mongolia, for educating orphaned children and those on the spectrum as well as family enrichment programs. Random "day jobs" I've explored ranged from macadamia nut and coffee farm manager to stage technician and to full-blown custodian at Montreal's indie music hub, Casa del Popolo.
I hope these tidbits provide a glimpse of my explorative nature and "qualifications" as a fund-worthy storyteller and story-doer. These experiences have helped me conceptualize "Pharms" and set an intention for its purpose as a short film with wings.
Fundraising team: Pharms Producers (2)
Alejandro Rodríguez B.
Organizer
San Francisco, CA
Molly McGivern
Team member
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