Your Stage : "Alleys" Crowdfunding Campaign by Ezra Albarran

Alleys is a short independent film currently in pre-production with Kalliste Zoe Productions. I was lucky enough to connect with Mary Rachel Gardner, the Founder and Producer of Kalliste Zoe Productions, through Stage 32. I was amazed at how Stage 32 made it simple for creative filmmakers to network and come together artistically. I was putting together a web series and she quickly responded to a casting call I had posted. After an in depth phone conversation, she asked me if I would like to be a part of a short film she was producing and directing, called Birds Dropping. I had recently hit a rough patch and lost most of my contacts after film school; I almost gave up on filmmaking all together. So for me this was a most fortuitous opportunity. I arrived on her set, which was in the middle of the dessert. I was amazed at the level of professionalism that I experienced. Her cast and crew were completely professional and creative in a way that was deeply motivating and inspiring. They loved what they were doing, and being the best that they could be at it. The thing about Mary Rachel is that she is not only savvy with the ins and outs of what it takes to produce a film, but she carries the artistic mindset along with it. It is rare to see someone be able to balance the creative needs along with the monetary ones. I saw it that day on set, and was impressed with her successful crowd funding campaign that funded the project. After the shoot, I returned home very motivated. There was a story that had been gestating in my mind for about a week but I had since needed to simply sit down and put the fingers to the keyboard. But I finally did. I emailed Mary Rachel telling her I had a script I just wrote (Alleys) and was extremely excited about, and was wondering if she would give me tips on how to crowd fund it. She of course agreed and asked me to send her the script. We then met at a diner in Hollywood so she could impart some of her knowledge in a more face to face manner. Well, it turns out she loved the script, saying that is spoke to her personally, and she wanted to produce it. Coming from a USC Theatre and Film graduate, that was extremely humbling. It was a very surreal moment for me, especially knowing the level of talent I was dealing with. So that brings us to all of you, our stage 32 community! Please help us by spreading the word, sharing our campaign and even offering any generous donations. This is a project that has so far resonated with a lot of people and we believe it is a story that needs to be told. We have already secured our amazing cast and crew and now need the support of our filmmaking community to make that happen. The story of Alleys follows Josh and Lani, two recently torn apart lovers, spending their day unwillingly in search for answers to their decisions. Josh looks for them in the streets and alleys, finding comfort in the company of a wise vagabond and quirky friends, as Lani looks for comfort in the arms of another. As their misery and guilt escalates and as the day nears an end, both of them must contemplate the question… is love truly worth fighting for? https://www.gofundme.com/AlleysMovie www.facebook.com/AlleysMovie www.KallisteZoe.com