BACKED AND FUNDED
About this project
What if we could have stopped it? What if the tragedies at Columbine, Aurora, and Newtown could have been avoided?
It’s easy to blame mass shootings on guns.
One third of Americans own guns. There are an estimated 300 million guns in the United States.
But there is much more at play and much more needs to be discussed if we want to stop this epidemic.
White Rabbit is a film that chronicles a school shooter in the making. The main character Harlon is a composite sketch based on research into the real lives of this these types of shooters. The majority of these cases had 4 things in common:
—A history of being bullied
—Mental illness
—Parental neglect
—Access to guns
In order to get the discussion started, we need your help. We want to get White Rabbit into as many theaters as possible. If we can educate people about the warning signs and ways to get help, we can begin to make a difference and save lives.
There were over 40 school shootings in 2014. How many can we prevent this year?
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White Rabbit is an Award-Winning, star-studded, and powerful film which is extremely relevant to today’s culture. Our problem is that we spent a ton of money on making the film and we are looking for additional funds so we can reach a much wider audience. We promised the stars - Sam Trammell (True Blood, The Fault in Our Stars), Britt Robertson (Under the Dome, Disney'sTommorowland), Nick Krause (The Descendants, Boyhood), and Ryan Lee (Super 8, This is 40) - that this film would have a proper release because it has an all too important message to share.
While all of the studio pictures demand the spotlight with huge marketing campaigns, it becomes very difficult for independent films to get the attention they deserve upon release. With a little bit of money, in Hollywood terms, we can duplicate the studio efforts and then some.
The film is directed by Tim McCann, who has won international acclaim on the festival circuit. The film is being distributed by Breaking Glass Pictures – an awesome distributor with an even cooler name (think David Bowie's song on the album Low).
The Story...
Harlon Mackey (Nick Krause) has been tormented by visions since his alcoholic father (Sam Trammell) forced him to kill an innocent rabbit while hunting as a boy. Now that Harlon is a bullied high school teen, his undiagnosed mental illness is getting worse. He begins to hear voices, and his imagination encourages him to carry out violent acts. Things begin to look up when Julie (Britt Robertson), a rebellious young girl, moves to town and befriends Harlon...But when she betrays him, the rabbit along with other imaginary comic book characters taunt him into committing one final act of revenge. The line between reality and Harlon's imagination begin to blur in this intense dramatic thriller.
This movie becomes more and more relevant each day. Each time you turn on the news there is another story about someone who eventually snapped after years of bullying. White Rabbitisn't just a powerful anti-bullying film, it's a catalyst to opening up a dialogue about an issue that affects all of us. The film does not glorify violence; we are trying to help stop it.
The Campaign...
We are asking for $45,000 as this is the lowest possible amount we know we can use to help give White Rabbit theatrical exposure. The more we can raise, the better theatrical run this film can have. There is no limit here on the funds we could use, so please don't look at our goal as the maximum.
As many of you know, theatrical costs for indies can average in the mid six figures. We are so committed to giving this film the exposure it deserves that we are doing something unprecedented on Kickstarter for any film of this caliber. We are offering our supporters the chance to be real "producers" on this film. Real movie stars, a real film with a real message that will be distributed globally -- with your name in the credits!
Can't afford that donation? No problem... Please take a look at all our rewards, as even the lower rewards still include a copy of the finished film and extra bonuses only offered here on Kickstarter.
The Buzz...
White Rabbit has appeared in the most reputable publications in Hollywood. Check out all the press and attention the film has already gotten to this point!
--Variety
The Festivals...
--BEST FEATURE, Catalina Film Festival
--BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY, Chelsea Film Festival
--BEST ACTOR, Nick Krause, Boston Film Festival
--BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, Sam Trammell, Boston Film Festival
--BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, Sam Trammell, Chelsea Film Festival
--BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS, Britt Robertson, Boston Film Festival
--OFFICIAL SELECTION of: Zurich Film Festival, New Orleans Film Festival, Woodstock Film Festival, Toronto Independent Film Festival, NYC Independent Film Festival, Manhattan Film Festival, Knoxville Film Festival.
But the festival crowd is just a small subsection of American movie-goers. This film is important, and it's something that everyone should have the opportunity to see. Please help us get our message out there.
Meet the award-winning White Rabbit team...
Tim McCann - Director
Tim McCann has directed nine independent feature films and won a variety of international awards, including the International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI) at the Toronto Film Festival, the Merchant Ivory/Kodak Award at the Telluride Film Festival, and was Critic’s Choice at Rotterdam. He has worked with actors Robin Tunney, Spalding Gray, Sam Trammell, Adrienne Shelly and Melissa Leo. Variety claimed, “McCann’s instinctive camera-eye burnishes nearly every exchange with a Cassavetes dynamism”. In a review of the 2005 Toronto Film Festival, The New York Times cited Tim McCann as one of the top 5 up and coming indie directors.
Shaun Sanghani - Producer
Shaun Sanghani began his journey in the entertainment business at the prestigious USC School of Cinematic Arts where he received his Masters in Screenwriting. He was taken under the wing of Boyz n the Hood writer/director John Singleton and assisted him on the Sundance breakout hit Hustle & Flow. Upon graduation in 2005, Shaun was mentored by Pulitzer Prize winning writer David Mamet, and spent countless hours with Mamet and The Shield creator Shawn Ryan on their TV series The Unit.
He formed SSS Entertainment in 2007 as a way to launch his own ideas and pursue his own passions. Since then, he has successfully worked in both TV and film, a rare feat among any producer. He has Created and Executive Produced numerous TV shows and series including Guardian Angels (A&E, BIO), Girls Gone Bayou (Travel Channel), Hardcore Hobbies (National Geographic Channel), and The Governors Wife (A&E).
He produced and financed his first film, White Rabbit, in 2013. The film premiered at the Zurich Film Festival. Just months later, Shaun co-wrote, produced, and financed The Aftermath, starring Sam Trammell and Vanessa Ferlito, through his SSS Entertainment banner. His next project will be the Travis Milloy (Pandorum) penned thriller Line of Sight, starring Ron Perlman (Sons of Anarchy, Hellboy). Production is set for Spring 2015.
Ben Bickham - Co-Producer
Benjamin Bickham, after graduating from The University of Louisiana Monroe in 2006, left his small town of Rayville, for New York City. Graduating from The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts in 2008,
Ben quickly jumped into the film world. Benjamin formed B37 Films in 2009 and produced two short films with the new company, Release and Leave of Absence. After a great first year in the industry he joined The Barnes Brothers directing and producing team to help produce the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Winner The Locksmith.
In 2010 Benjamin collaborated with friend and SSS Entertainment executive Shaun Sanghani to help produce The Travel Channel series Girls Gone Bayou, and again in 2012 to co-produce the feature film White Rabbit. Immediately following White Rabbit Ben produced and co-directed the B37 Films pre-feature film short comedy Best Day Ever. After their successful collaborations, Ben produced again with Shaun Sanghani, alongside director Tim McCann and actor Sam Trammell, in The Aftermath.
Benjamin currently has multiple projects in development and is set to produce No Beast So Fierce, directed by Tim McCann, filming in New York, and Line Of Sight with SSS Entertainment and fellow producer Shaun Sanghani in Louisiana.
Anthony Fiorin - Executive Producer
Anthony Fiorin, an Oregon native, spent his formative years in San Francisco. Having grown up next to a movie theater, his early years were shaped by the many days he spent with his ear pressed up against the exit door listening to the magical sounds and having to imagine the scenes that accompanied them. No matter where life took him, he knew that one day, it would lead him back to film.
An adventure traveler and photographer, Anthony has approached every obstacle with the sense of romance and intensity found in the movies he has long loved. As a mountain climber having checked Mt. Everest and Aconcagua off his list, Anthony's love of adventure has taken him to over 60 countries in the world where his interest in philanthropy was born. He's been deeply moved by social issues that create suffering of any kind. His charity, Humanity for Change has traveled to incredible places such as Cuba, Cambodia and Nepal. These experiences further affirmed his desire to give back and he decided to expand his ability to do so by getting involved in film, at long last. Knowing full-well how vast and effective a medium film can be, he took his first step into this world as Executive Producer of White Rabbit. In hopes of bringing awareness to a terrible social issue plaguing America's schools, Anthony's hope echoes the sentiments of anyone involved in making this gut-wrenching story come to life: the story must be told, awareness must spread and change must be initiated.
Anthony is currently prepping his next film - a story about a young boy inspired to take on the world.
Meet our award-winning cast...
Sam Trammell as Darrell Mackey
An intelligent, highly-versatile actor who made inroads on the New York stage while building an intriguing career in mostly independent features, Sam Trammell currently stars opposite Anna Paquin on HBO's critically acclaimed hit series True Blood. A West Virginia native, Trammell attended Brown University where he gravitated to acting in his senior year. Following graduation, he garnered attention and accolades for a series of stage. In 1998 he had a Tony-nominated performance in the lead role of the Broadway revival of Eugene O'Neill's comedy Ah Wilderness.
Within months of capturing New York City audiences, Sam starred as the fast-talking ex-con "Sonny Dupree," in the quirky ABC comedy-drama Maximum Bob, on John Wells' Trinity for NBC and eventually went on to star in the Showtime original series Going to California.
Trammell segued to film in a supporting role as a male hustler in the Sundance-screened Beat, followed by release of Followers, an affecting drama in which he played a would-be pledge to a fraternity who makes several decisions with tragic repercussions. He later portrayed twins in the dramatic road movie Fear of Fiction opposite Melissa Leo, followed by a supporting role inAutumn in New York with Richard Gere and Winona Ryder, and the independent dark comedyThe Details with Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks and Laura Linney. Sam went on to star as a corporate lawyer and his doppelganger, a hapless criminal, in Undermind.
Sam's recent credits include the independent films Guns, Girls, and Gambling opposite Christian Slater and Gary Oldman, Long Time Gone opposite Virginia Madsen, the thrillerDeadweight, the drama White Rabbit directed by Tim McCann, and The Aftermath - which he executive produced. Sam recently played Shailene Woodley’s father in The Fault in Our Starsand co-starred alongside Susan Sarandon and Naomi Watts in Three Generations.
Britt Robertson as Julie
Britt Robertson was born and raised in Charlotte, South Carolina. The oldest of seven children, Britt was home schooled by her mother, who was anxious about the public school system. When Britt expressed an interest in acting, her mother enrolled her in local theater classes and she first appeared on the stage at the Greenville Little Theater in her home town. At age eleven, she landed her first role on a show called Sheena, and moved to Los Angeles with her grandmother the following year to pursue a career in television and film.
In 2004 Britt received a Young Artist Award nomination for her part in The Ghost Club. Her breakout role came in 2007, when she played opposite Steve Carell in Dan in Real Life. Since then she has worked alongside Dermott Mulroney in The Family Tree and starred in the Sundance breakout hit The First Time. Her TV roles as headstrong foster child Lux Cassidy onLife Unexpected and teen witch Cassie Blake on CW’s The Secret Circle have given rise to an expansive and loyal fanbase. Nylon Magazine named Britt one of their 55 Faces of the Future in their Young Hollywood Edition.
Her most recent projects include the indie film White Rabbit in which she plays a troubled goth girl, Under the Dome – the miniseries based on Stephen King’s novel, Delivery Man in which she plays Vince Vaughn’s daughter, Disney's Tomorrowland directed by Brad Bird and starring George Clooney, and the Nicholas Sparks adaptation The Longest Ride.
Nick Krause as Harlon Mackey
Nick Krause (Kr-ow-zee) is undeniably an actor worth taking note of. Quoted as a ‘scene stealer’ by The Guardian, Krause played “Sid” in Alexander Payne’s The Descendants starring George Clooney and Beau Bridges. Nick took on the small screen in his television debut and added James Franco to his list of co-stars, playing Adam, the ‘indie rocker’ friend in Nickelodeon’s Nick at Nite original primetime drama, Hollywood Heights. Recently he played Charlie in the critically acclaimed film Boyhood. He also has a recurring role on NBC’sParenthood.
Born in Austin and raised in Georgetown, Texas, Krause was a smart and athletic kid. He went to college at age ten and after that, decided to attend the charter school NYOS in order to grow around people his own age. He graduated early from Georgetown high school to begin shootingThe Descendants out in Hawaii. Krause first realized that acting was for him after attending an improv comedy workshop at the age of ten. He loved it, and from that point on he began to look for work on sets around his residence near Austin. One of his first big acting projects was a film called How to Eat Fried Worms, based off the book and starring Alexander Gould, and laterExterminators, starring Heather Graham.
Ryan Lee as Steve Eastman
Seventeen-year-old Ryan Lee has a personality as big as his budding film career. Ryan stars in the Blockbuster Super 8, by writer/director JJ Abrams and producer Steven Spielberg. Lee stars alongside Elle Fanning and Joel Coutney as Cary, a mischievous pyromaniac who serves as the comic relief of the group. Born and raised in Austin, TX, Lee began his acting career attending summer acting camp. From there, he was introduced to the University of Texas Radio, Television and Film Department where he worked with UT graduate and undergraduate students.
His credits range from feature films, independent films, commercials, music videos and internet projects. Lee’s films often tour the Film Festival Circuits, his recent project The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy is featured in the 2011 Newport Beach Film Festival. His recent project Lambs won the Best Short at the 2009 Hollywood Film Festival and the TX Audience Choice Award at the 2009 Dallas Video Fest. He also appeared in the Judd Apatow comedyThis is 40. Ryan has also guest starred in Friday Night Lights and Breaking Bad and has had a recurring role in ABC’s My Generation and Trophy Wife.
Risks and challenges
The film is already completed and has a distributor. We're asking you to help this very important film reach as many people as possible through a theatrical release.
