Send GETAWAY team to Cucalorus Film Festival

On the backdrop of a summer of civil unrest in the United States, a Jamaican immigrant gives her troubled young son a reprieve with his first trip to her homeland.

GETAWAY is my the first short film that I've written and produced! I am proud to say that since the film's first festival acceptance it has been seen by an array of audiences both nationally and internationally AND has even won a few AWARDS!

AND NOW GETAWAY IS GOING TO CUCALORUS!

This acceptance is extra special because we shot part of GETAWAY in Wilmington, NC USA. Half our crew and some of our cast are from the region. Being able to return to one of the locations we shot in to screen the film means a lot to the incredible cast and crew who brought this film to life! I'd dare to say that this is where our bond formed.

WE NEED YOUR HELP GETTING TO CUCALORUS!

We want to bring our cast and crew back together for the first time since we wrapped production in 2021. Your support will help cover airfare and lodging. Submitting to festivals is very rarely free and the costs for getting to festivals adds up. The cost has kept us from attending some of them. ‍ ‍

GETAWAY is a film that offers an important message. Being able to represent our film at festivals allows us to not only screen the film, but spark necessary conversations around the subject and themes in the film. Festival attendance also affords us the opportunity to connect with the audience, get feedback, and make professional connections. This is even more important as we consider options for distribution.

Why we made it

Emerging from a global pandemic, grappling with systemic injustice and the threat of violence has forced people to really take stock of what and who are essential and what safety and freedom look like. There's no better time for a film like this to explore these themes as GETAWAY does, through the eyes of a Jamaican immigrant single mother, reevaluating the American dream.

Who we are

DIRECTOR Stephanie L. Malson is a multi-hyphenate filmmaker and producer who is drawn to telling ancestral stories. In 2023, OURIKA!, a short film Stephanie produced was an official selection of the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Her recent short film, SLOW BURN, received the Director's Award for Narrative Short Film from the 2022 Gary International Black Film Festival. She just recently wrapped work with BlackStar Projects 2023 Philadelphia Filmmaker Lab where she was a Producing Fellow. She is also Co-Producer on the upcoming feature documentary, ULRICK, which chronicles the life of Haitian master painter Ulrick Jean Pierre. Stephanie holds an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Rosemont College.

WRITER, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Malaika Paquiot is a first time producer and screenwriter. She is on the board of Working Films and Cucalorus Festival and worked as a digital strategist for ARRAY . Malaika has written on online film distribution and crowdfunding and for Focal Press’ Mastering Film, Filmmaker Magazine and her own (archived) blog Beyond the Box Office. Established in 2007, it focused on innovative ways for filmmakers to distribute their films, including set-top boxes, streaming services and mobile apps. By day Malaika is fractional Chief Product Officer for tech startups.

How you can help

We are now looking to complete GETAWAY's festival run. We've premiered at Pan African Film Festival and are interested in taking it to several international festivals including Cucalorus in Wilmington, NC where half the film was shot. So please

What if we raise more?

Any amount raised over our goal will go toward subsequent film festival expenses.