Film Finishing Funds - We STILL Need Your Help!

Two years ago, I got pregnant for the first time in my life, at 42 years old. I was happy, sad, scared, excited, terrified, anxious, elated, and everything in between.

A few weeks into the pregnancy, I suffered a miscarriage. It took me a year to be able to write about the loss, and a year later I made this film to honor my pain and the child that I never got to meet. I carry the pain of that loss with me every single day.

Miscarriages, still births and other pregnancy traumas are so common, and yet they still carry a stigma around them. Not only are people ashamed or afraid to share about their losses, but the people that it’s being shared with often find themselves feeling uncomfortable because it seems “too personal” to be discussed in mixed company. I think this has to change.

It was extremely cathartic for me to share about my loss. I made this film in the hope that other people who have been through this kind of tragedy, or worse, can see identify with it and it helps them feel seen and heard.

I hope it can be the catalyst for more conversations about the difficult things that women (and men!) endure every single day. Just because it’s common and just because it’s hard to talk about, doesn’t mean it should live in the shadows. I hope to bring the issue to light and encourage healing all around. - writer/director Rakefet Abergel

Our trailer is posted HERE.

More info available at CyclamenFilms

DONATION PERK! Anyone who donates $25 or more to this campaign will be entered to win a one of a kind screen used prop - the adorable baby bear we use in the film! (seen in the picture above).

BIG NEWS! The original song written by Rakefet Abergel & Sarah Smith, "The Life We Never Had" will be released on music streaming platforms everywhere, along with a music video released on YouTube on October 15, 2023 in honor of National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Subscribe HERE now so you don't miss it!

Some testimonials from people who have seen a preview of the film:

LOVE SCARS DVD - Anyone who donates over $50 will receive a Love Scars DVD. (Please note, the original campaign included an autographed postcard and your name in the credits of the film for $125 pledge - unfortunately this one is for the DVD only.)

Please email CYCLAMEN FILMS AT GMAIL DOT COM with your name, donation amount and address if you'd like to receive this perk. If we can't find you, we can't send it to you!

*Please note these will not be delivered until the end of 2024.

CONTRIBUTE WITH CONFIDENCE!

My first two films, Jax in Love and Boo, won dozens of awards and screened at dozens of film festivals - and we hope to get Still out to as many, if not more, so that the most people can benefit from it as possible.

Where the Money is Going and Why We STILL Need Your Help:

During production we ended up having to add a whole extra production day to our shoot which meant more crew payments, more insurance, more location fees, more permit fees, more food - just MORE. And post production went over budget as well, so we ended up using any marketing/festival money to finish the movie. And now, at the most important time of spreading the word about the project, we are in the red.

Money will go towards:

I already donated to STILL, do I need to contribute again?

Absolutely not. If you already pledged on our Seed and Spark campaign towards a perk, you should have already received it if it was a service, meeting, or virtual perk. If you didn't, please contact me.

If you pledged towards a Love Scars DVD or a digital link to the film, those will be arriving at the end of next year.

BUT if you have the means and the desire, we would appreciate it and so would the charities we plan to donate to.

HELP IS OUT THERE

There has never been a better time to start conversations and raise awareness about the very common and devastating reality of pregnancy loss and childbirth. 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage, and not enough people feel comfortable talking about it, resulting in many men and women going without help or support in the face of their grief. This film will hopefully raise awareness and increase understanding for those who are suffering.

If you need support or resources to ease the pain of a pregnancy or child loss, please visit the websites below to start your healing journey.

*Disclaimer: We came across these while doing reserach, and while we believe them to be valuable resources, we cannot personally vouch for them.

Miscarriage Association UK , Empty Cradle, March of Dimes , Empty Arms Bereavement Support , Rachel's Gift , The Finley Project , Angel of Hope, Teeny Tears

Rachel Woodhouse, President of Empty Cradle, saw a preview of the film and had this to say: “The film was powerful and raw. It demonstrates the gamut of emotions families, and particularly mothers, go through during and following the loss of their baby. An important aspect portrayed in the film was all the advice and platitudes given by well-meaning family and friends, and the negative effect that it can have on a grieving family’s grief and healing.”

Please help us reach as many women and families as we can with this important project!

"STILL" is in memory of my unborn son Max Jacob 7/14/2021

You can help us get this film out to people who could benefit from seeing it AND do an incredible good deed for people dealing with this kind of trauma.

Your donation will increase the amount we can donate to the organizations helping people like me.

PLEASE visit their websites above, and feel free to make a donation directly to them, too!

Thank you for pledging support for our project! It means the world to us.

For more info please visit the Cyclamen Films website HERE .