Originally titled, "Prop Lifters", this film was based on a niche trend popularized on Reddit called proplifting where pieces of plants collected from the floors of plant stores or nurseries are brought home to be planted and regrown. The trend is ethically controversial with some stores banning the practice while others embrace it. This became the foundation of the story for Arable, albeit exagerated and scaled-up.

Synopsis

In the near-future world of Arable, a large corporation named Nile has obtained a highly-restrictive monopoly on horticulture, preventing the general population from growing their own plants. But as their reign becomes more prominent, so does the defiance. In the cover of darkness, Klara and her crewmates Verne, Belle and Davy break in to Nile-owned crop fields to steal cuttings of the plants. But without access to fertile soil, they must locate a woman named Delphi who reportedly runs one of the only remaining farms with arable land. Before the rebels have a chance to locate her, however, Nile's head of security, Lawson, catches them in the midst of a crop field raid. By convincing Klara to reveal her plan, Lawson is able to pass on this intel to his agent in the field, Victor, in hopes of locating Delphi and squashing what remains of the resistance. But as it turns out, Lawson does not have the full picture.

Themes

As the structure for the film developed, we realized that the concept of resistance in the realm of horticulture became an exciting framework to talk about larger issues of rampant commodification, environmental degradation and the lack of access to basic needs. More specifically, this film imagines a world in which closed-source, proprietary product design usually reserved for software and electronics is implimented across the agricultural industry and also heavily enforced.

A not-so-far-off dystopia as many have noted, especially when you consider how some farmers in the U.S. have taken to hacking their tractors after John Deere mandated that only their 'authorized' repair shops can work on them. Or when you hear farmers' descriptions of Monsanto's "seed police" who conduct surveillance and go undercover in order to protect their patents.

Rather than your typical cyberpunk megacorporation residing in large skyscrapers in large cities, Nile Corp is out in the heartland putting electric fences around corn fields and cracking down on 'illicit crop' smugglers. These are the landscapes featured heavily in Arable.

As a science fiction film, having good costume design, props and set decoration is only half the battle. Now that we are in post-production, a large part of making the world feel real is the use of visual effects, color grading and sound design. Not to forget the music, which is imperitive to the overall tone of the film. Here is how the plan will unfold:

Raising funds to put towards these elements of the film is the difference between just getting it done, and bringing something truly special to the post-production process. The majority of funds will go directly to the artists and designers working on the project with the remaining amount put towards distribution. Here is our budget breakdown: 

There are multiple ways for you to give! The most helpful thing you can do outside of making a pledge is spreading the word. But more than just posting to your social media, who is that one family member with a green thumb you can share this project with? What about your friend fighting for environmental justice or you co-worker with an herb garden on their balcony? These are the sorts of direct connections we are hoping to foster through this campaign. Help us build a community around these important themes of environmentalism and collective resistance!

1. Make a pledge
Everything helps! Please contribute at the level that makes sense for you.

2. Make a post
Share with your network on social media and include a link to our campaign.

3. Send an email
Send the project directly to those you know will be interested. 

Not sure what to say? Here is some sample text for you to copy and paste:

• Help filmmaker Evan Wiley by supporting his socially-relevant short film ARABLE about a group of rebels who defy a megacorporation's monopoly on horticulture. Join the project on @seedandspark: bit.ly/ArableFilm
  
  
• I'm very excited to see the short film ARABLE by Evan Wiley which is currently raising funds for post-production! Support them on @seedandspark: bit.ly/ArableFilm
  
  
• You've got to support the new short film ARABLE about a group of rebels who defy a megacorporation's monopoly on horticulture. Support socially-relevant themes and indie film by contributing to their campaign on @seedandspark: bit.ly/ArableFilm