The problem of unattainable healthcare has been an issue for years, especially in the South. Don’t Die started as a lean crime thriller, but as the script developed, resonant ideas weaved their way in. We’re excited for an opportunity to craft a cinematic story that’s both entertaining and relevant.

Several acres of hunting land in a small Tennessee town, complete with a big red barn, a herd of cattle, a vast stretch of woods, a lovely little farmhouse…and a super creepy basement.

It all belongs to a good friend of ours in the film industry—and it was graciously offered up as a location to shoot a movie.

This was our meal ticket. After spending years developing, writing, and rewriting a feature script that was ultimately just out of our monetary reach, we were sick of sitting around waiting to shoot a film. We had to do something. We had to scale it all back until the budget and the workload became manageable for a small crew in Alabama.

And then it became something we didn’t expect.

We started with a simple premise: that creepy basement. Someone had to be trapped down there, and when they got out, there had to be something waiting to face them down. But what would that be? Cannibals would be messy (and expensive). Cults are too trendy. Big gnarly monsters are…awesome, actually, but also very expensive. Vampires? Zombies? It all felt too common, or too lofty.

But a pharmacy? A suspiciously altruistic black-market operation in the Appalachian wilderness determined to help the helpless…even if it means making unspeakable sacrifices? That feels different. Topical, even. At a time when it feels like the world is on fire, sometimes we forget that our country is full of people with medical conditions that they can’t afford to address.

A premise like this would check all of the boxes for us. It’s a topic that has weighed on our minds as friends and family members undergo medical treatments, but of course, it’s universal. Who among us hasn’t been overwhelmed by medical bills, or one bad day away from unaffordable treatments? It’s the sort of premise that allows for entertainment in the moment as well as a larger, lingering conversation.

Now we have to go and make the damn thing. (Reader: This is where you come in.)

As the first Alabamians to launch a crowdfunding campaign on Seed & Spark (it’s true, look it up), we knew they’d be the best platform for our film. Because we’re not asking for handouts—we’re building a team. If you contribute to our campaign and help make Don’t Die a reality, guess what? You’re along for this ride with us, from station to station, until we reach the end of the track.

The film industry is unpredictable, but here’s what we can promise you: We’re going to assemble a team of Third Coast all-stars for this film. We’re talking cast and crew who’ve worked on films that premiered at Sundance and TIFF, films that landed on Netflix and HBO and Hulu, even films that were nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. (Yes, that’s “films,” plural.) And once we’re done, we aim to have a film worthy of standing next to all their previous laurels and credits.

(And we plan on keeping our people safe, too. We’re keeping our cast and crew small to stay within all COVID-19 protocols, and if it’s still not safe to shoot on our proposed dates, we’ll wait. Imagine the irony of a film about pharmaceuticals where our workers get sick.)

The train has already left the station, folks. We’ve scheduled our shooting dates, we’ve begun assembling our team, and we’ve got a plan to obtain all the funding we’ll need. This campaign won’t cover the entire budget, but it will cover a significant amount—and if all goes well in the beginning, we’ve got plenty of stretch goals to implement.

We hope you’ll take this opportunity to join our team. Stay safe, y’all.