Brown Town
McAllen, Texas | Film Feature
Musical, Romantic Comedy
Brown Town is a musical, coming of age, dramedy all about the lives of a college South Asian acapella team. Join us on this non stop ride of music, culture, and coming of age!
Brown Town
McAllen, Texas | Film Feature
Musical, Romantic Comedy
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $6,025 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
25 supporters | followers
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Brown Town is a musical, coming of age, dramedy all about the lives of a college South Asian acapella team. Join us on this non stop ride of music, culture, and coming of age!
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE IDEA
When a loner Indian beatboxer joins her college's South Asian acapella team - she finally finds the family she's been looking for. But when her college and the hometown around her get swept up in an anti-immigrant sentiment, she must find the courage to fight back the best way she knows how - through her music.
THE MOVIE
Brown Town features an all South Asian cast, hella romance, and yes - fly music and dance numbers!
WHAT IS IT?
Never heard of South Asian acapella? Think of it like if a boyband and Bollywood had a baby.
+ 
= 
Just kidding. South Asian acapella is about so much more than a celebrity couple. It's about celebrating culture and finding a place to express a dual identity. Most South Asian acapella songs mash up classic Hindi songs with American pop hits. It started when Penn Masala, formed in 1996 by students at University of Pennsylvania, created the art form. Since then, South Asian acapella has grown into a global movement. Check out some South Asian acapella here!
THE PHENOMENON
Every year, hundreds of South Asians compete at colleges across the country at South Asian specific acapella competitions. Videos of these teams have amassed millions of views online - but there's never been a story about them - until now. With Brown Town we want to capture the joyful journey of an underdog team from their humble beginnings to center stage. Brown Town celebrates the universality of music and friendship. It's about coming of age at a time when being a minority is a minefield. It's also just plain fun.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast and Crew
Costs $2,500
Having a paid cast and crew is so important. Help us to keep them employed!
Camera
Costs $2,000
We'll need to rent camera and lighting equipment to pull off big spectacle sequences.
Meals
Costs $2,000
Working on a set is a lot of work. Help us keep our crew fed and happy.
Set Construction
Costs $1,000
Having great sets will help us bring our song sequences to life.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
Meena Ramamurthy
Writer/Director
Meena is a comedy writer/director from South Texas—that means she’s one of the few Indian people who can tell you where to get a good taco. She is a Radio-Television-Film graduate of the University of Texas and a recent graduate of USC’s M.F.A Production program. She is a recipient of the James Bridges Directing Scholarship and the Jack Oakie Scholarship in Honor of Lisa Kudrow. Her series, The FOB and I, has been featured on NBC, BBC, and Angry Asian Man. Meena looks forward to making a career out of making people laugh, telling culturally relevant stories, and eating too much ice cream.
Nimisha Patil
Producer
Nimisha is Producer/Director and a recent graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts,
with a dual-degree in Film Production and Biomedical Engineering. She is also South Asian Acapella Alum and an award-winning beat boxer. A filmmaker since childhood Nimisha loves telling stories that bring her audiences smiles and make them think twice about the world around them. She undertook her first professional endeavor while still in high school, making a documentary that sold over 400 DVD copies. The first professional short she directed, Twisted Vision, showcased at several film festivals, and her latest film as producer, Last Meal, screened at festivals from Hollywood to the UK. Nimisha strives to continue her creative journey and craft more stories that speak to audiences around the world. You can follow her @nimitzbeatbox
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
THE IDEA
When a loner Indian beatboxer joins her college's South Asian acapella team - she finally finds the family she's been looking for. But when her college and the hometown around her get swept up in an anti-immigrant sentiment, she must find the courage to fight back the best way she knows how - through her music.
THE MOVIE
Brown Town features an all South Asian cast, hella romance, and yes - fly music and dance numbers!
WHAT IS IT?
Never heard of South Asian acapella? Think of it like if a boyband and Bollywood had a baby.
+ =
Just kidding. South Asian acapella is about so much more than a celebrity couple. It's about celebrating culture and finding a place to express a dual identity. Most South Asian acapella songs mash up classic Hindi songs with American pop hits. It started when Penn Masala, formed in 1996 by students at University of Pennsylvania, created the art form. Since then, South Asian acapella has grown into a global movement. Check out some South Asian acapella here!
THE PHENOMENON
Every year, hundreds of South Asians compete at colleges across the country at South Asian specific acapella competitions. Videos of these teams have amassed millions of views online - but there's never been a story about them - until now. With Brown Town we want to capture the joyful journey of an underdog team from their humble beginnings to center stage. Brown Town celebrates the universality of music and friendship. It's about coming of age at a time when being a minority is a minefield. It's also just plain fun.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast and Crew
Costs $2,500
Having a paid cast and crew is so important. Help us to keep them employed!
Camera
Costs $2,000
We'll need to rent camera and lighting equipment to pull off big spectacle sequences.
Meals
Costs $2,000
Working on a set is a lot of work. Help us keep our crew fed and happy.
Set Construction
Costs $1,000
Having great sets will help us bring our song sequences to life.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Share this update!
About This Team
Meena Ramamurthy
Writer/Director
Meena is a comedy writer/director from South Texas—that means she’s one of the few Indian people who can tell you where to get a good taco. She is a Radio-Television-Film graduate of the University of Texas and a recent graduate of USC’s M.F.A Production program. She is a recipient of the James Bridges Directing Scholarship and the Jack Oakie Scholarship in Honor of Lisa Kudrow. Her series, The FOB and I, has been featured on NBC, BBC, and Angry Asian Man. Meena looks forward to making a career out of making people laugh, telling culturally relevant stories, and eating too much ice cream.
Nimisha Patil
Producer
Nimisha is Producer/Director and a recent graduate of the USC School of Cinematic Arts,
with a dual-degree in Film Production and Biomedical Engineering. She is also South Asian Acapella Alum and an award-winning beat boxer. A filmmaker since childhood Nimisha loves telling stories that bring her audiences smiles and make them think twice about the world around them. She undertook her first professional endeavor while still in high school, making a documentary that sold over 400 DVD copies. The first professional short she directed, Twisted Vision, showcased at several film festivals, and her latest film as producer, Last Meal, screened at festivals from Hollywood to the UK. Nimisha strives to continue her creative journey and craft more stories that speak to audiences around the world. You can follow her @nimitzbeatbox