Varmint Post-Production

Dana Kjeldsen is organizing this fundraiser.

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What is VARMINT?

Stranded on the plains after a botched bank robbery, the infamous Denton gang holes up in a barn to wait out a rainstorm and plan their next move. Tensions rise upon the discovery of a mysterious young man left there to die, and loyalties are tested as a malevolent force takes shape around them. When their shelter becomes inescapable, past sins come to light and paranoia turns to gunslinging violence in this pressure cooker Western horror.

Who are we?

Howdy! My name is Dana Kjeldsen. I'm an award-winning director, writer, and actor based in Colorado, and the founder of Great Dane Productions. We released our first film Babylon in 2023 and produced our second feature Varmint last summer. Our cast and crew includes some of the most versatile, experienced, and in-demand artists from the film and theatre communities between Colorado Springs and Denver.

What do we need?

Thanks to the donations we received during our pre-production campaign, we were able to afford the costumes, makeup, props, set construction and decorating, weather machines, and practical effects we needed to create the period-piece world of Varmint, as well as the food, snacks, and water needed to keep the cast and crew fed, healthy, and happy over the course of our long, hot shooting weekends.

Now that production is wrapped, we're seeking a little more help to finish as strong as we started. This includes:

Festival submission fees: Our ultimate goal is for Varmint to compete in as many regional and national film festivals as possible before being distributed onto multiple streaming platforms. While we anticipate it performing well in genre-focused fests, fees to submit a project add up fast. Your donations will ensure the film finds an audience.

Post-production costs: Even though filming is wrapped, it still takes effort (and money) to finish the post-production part of the process. This includes cutting the entire film together, color correction and grading, editing and mixing every audio take, and scoring the film's soundtrack. Your donations will allow us to create the best, most professional version of the film.

Theatrical premiere fees: We're especially excited to host a local premiere this spring and share the film with all of you! In order to make this happen, we'll need some help with our location and rental fees. Your donations will guarantee a successful event and fun night for everyone.

Why does it matter?

Alongside an ensemble of cowboys, criminals, and ghosts, Varmint uses each character's history to consider the fine lines between cowardice and courage, trauma's effect on masculinity, and how we choose to make amends.

I want to play with the genre tropes of classic Western, horror, and single-location movies that inspired me as a young audience member (such as The Thing, The Wild Bunch, and 12 Angry Men), and if I do my job right, there will be some fun thrills along the way! But there's a deeper meaning imbedded in the heart of Varmint, one that asks us to seek the strength in forgiveness, to consider the lives of "the least of these", and to keep the lantern lit on a dark and stormy night.

Additionally - and quite simply - independent film matters, local art matters, and storytelling matters. As we saw during the height of the pandemic, what people turn to - for comfort, for entertainment, for inspiration, for catharsis, and for healing - is stories. Investing in indie films specifically helps us expand the kinds of stories we get to experience, allows us to hear voices we haven't yet heard, and invites us to consider perspectives we won't find on Netflix or in Hollywood.

Donating to Varmint is an effective way to empower a diverse group of artists in our attempts to tell an original story well, in a way that's as professional as it is meaningful. Doesn't matter how big or small the amount; everything will be put to good use, and everything helps.

How else can I participate?

Can't help us out financially right now? No problem! Spreading the word and using GoFundMe's sharing options are other ways you can lend a hand. Word of mouth helps us just as much as a dollar amount. But whatever you do...don't get caught by Denton gang!