Big news! The winners of our HometownHeroes have been announced. In case you missed Mark Duplass and Emily Best announcing it live on Facebook this morning (in their PJs, with donuts, Cookie Crisp and coffee, because DUH), here's the rundown!

Duplass Brothers Productions will be executive producing two locally based features as the winners of the Hometown Heroes Crowdfunding Rally:  The MisEducation of Bindu (Indianapolis, IN) and Drought (Wilmington, NC).

“We saw your desire to represent the unrepresented, your ingenuity, your beautiful sweet spirit, and we want to help as much as possible” Duplass said about the grand prize winners.

The Miseducation of Bindu also received a a 10TB hard drive from G-Technology. Drought also received a $25,000 no-interest loan from Duplass Brothers Productions and a camera rental package valued at $10,000 from Abelcine.

He also announced the brand new Duplass Brothers Oh Shit grant, awarding $1,000 to cover unforeseen expenses for each of the following projects:

• A Room Full of Nothing (Austin, TX)

Bring Me An Avocado (San Francisco, CA)

D.I.Y. (Philadelphia, PA)

Lost Bayou (Lafayette, LA)

Miles Underwater (San Antonio, TX)

Additional prizes from local partners were awarded to:

• A Room Full of Nothing, from Duncan Coe and team, receives a free screening at the Austin Film Society

• Epiphany, from Koula Kazista and Kotina Sossianis, receives a 10% marketing grant from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission

• I’ll Be Around, from Michael Cuenca and his LA team, receives a in-person, day-long custom consultation or training on the topic or gear of their choosing from AbelCine

• Little Evil Bookshop, by the Emerald City Arts team, receives a free screening at Northwest Film Forum in Seattle

• Miles Underwater, from Jen Prince and her San Antonio team, receives a free screening at the Texas Theatre

• Mini Lights, from brothers Johnny and Paul Vitale, receives a 10% marketing grant from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Film Commission

Seed&Spark and Duplass Brothers Productions announced the Hometown Heroes Crowdfunding Rally in June 2017 to empower storytellers and filmmakers from all over the country to tell stories that have never been told from wherever they are.

“I was very moved by watching all these videos, because it reminded me of me and Jay,” Duplass told the participants. “You’ve already done something incredible. You are ready to go out into the world and make your movie, and we are immensely proud of you.”

The rally launched on September. 12, 2017 when the 73 participating films began their crowdfunding campaigns. All campaigns closed on October 13. More than $860,000 was raised across all rally projects, who also amassed a total of 63,000 followers in the 30-day period.

“There are these wonderful stories that can be coming from all over the country, from underrepresented cities, from underrepresented people, and that’s what Seed&Spark is all about," Duplass said. 

Congratulations to ALL the winners, ALL the participants and EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU who supported #HometownHeroes. 

And stay tuned for more from Seed&Spark and Duplass Brothers Productions (*wink, wink*).