We are two women filmmakers who have funded this micro-budget feature film entirely out of our own pockets and from the generosity of our friends and families. We believe there are stories all around us, and we are grateful to have found a process that has allowed us to tell them on our own terms.

Fairmount tells the story of Haley, a passionate teenage girl who is determined to travel to James Dean's hometown of Fairmount, Indiana to fulfill a lost dream of her late, beloved grandmother. To accompany her on her road trip, she recruits her neighbor Margot, a struggling filmmaker, and her older brother Wyatt, who is grappling with substance abuse issues. The trio embark on their trip, and along the way they encounter their fair share of mishaps and friendships. 

However, when they reach Fairmount, they discover that their journey was misguided, and must learn to see the value in it despite its unexpected revelations. The film uses the metaphor of a road trip for the arc that each character faces, as they learn from one another how to adapt and move forward. 

Fairmount was inspired by the story of screenwriter and actress Charlotte's grandmother, who, as a teenage girl, loved James Dean and was devastated by his death. She began exchanging letters with his aunt and uncle who raised him, and they invited her to stay with them in Fairmount, Indiana, but she was never allowed to go. She was the daughter of immigrants raised on Hollywood in the 1950s, and we were enamored by her story and ran with it from there. 

We wanted to make the kind of movie that we want to see - a film whose journey starts in a bedroom 70 years ago and moves like a broken down van towards an unknowable future; a film whose characters are loving and boring and funny and struggling all at once; a film whose landscapes are the strip malls, farms, and motels that you pass everyday without noticing, until you do. 

We made Fairmount because we believe that filmmaking is a love letter to the stories we're told, and that it is privilege to turn them into a whole world that can be inhabited for a couple of hours. We believe that with hard work, creative maneuvering, and like minds on your side, anyone can make a movie - and that anyone who wants to should. 

Charlotte's Nonna, Maryann, whose story inspired the movie, at James Dean's grave in the 1990s. Unlike the character she inspired, she eventually made it to Fairmount ;)

 

We filmed Fairmount in September of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking precautions to ensure the safety of our cast, crew, and those around us. We filmed with a crew of five people - Jillian Bokatzian, director and cinematographer; Charlotte Moretti, producer and art director; Matheson Allen, assistant camera; Frank Ritz, production manager; and Jesse Stringer, sound engineer. 

Part of what makes filmmaking so exciting to us is working within our means and getting creative with the resources we have available to us. We shot nearly every day for a month straight, travelling throughout the states of Michigan and Indiana and utilizing guerilla filmmaking methods when necessary.

We shot at the places of employment and houses of family members, our friends and loved ones make up most of the extras (with a few speaking roles!) you'll see in the movie, and many of our meals were catered by a loving parent or grandparent. Although it's untraditional, we find that reaching out to those around us and relying on resourcefulness and creativity has amplified the integrity of the movie and is the heartbeat beneath it. 

The production phase of our movie was funded entirely out of pocket, supplemented by donations and merch purchases from our supportive family and friends. Even much of our necessary equipment to make the movie, including our camera, was generously lended to us by our friend Patty Rooney.

In Fairmount, Indiana between shooting. 

 

The production phase of Fairmount is complete! We've been working hard in post to bring the movie that we care so much about to your screens. Jillian has been tucked away editing and has since picture locked. The film is currently in sound design with David Stringer and being color graded by Jillian. Jillian and Charlotte have also been working on the final details, such as ADR, music licensing, and festival research, to make sure this project is ready for release.  

Scenes from the editing suite, summer 2021. 

While we were lucky enough to be able to make Fairmount out of pocket, post-production fees for a feature-length film are a new phase of this project that we need your help with. These next steps will take this movie past the finish line and hopefully into your homes and theatres! Below, we've outlined the ways in which your donation will directly contribute to Fairmount's success.

Music Licensing
Our favorite movies have always included soundtracks that elevated the movie beyond the visual experience, transporting us to specific places and times well beyond the runtime of the film. We've selected six songs that informed the making of Fairmount and reflect the stories of our characters. They are the songs we listened to while filming and saw transform the movie once we added them into post. We have curated a soundtrack that we hope can accompany you on your own road trips through the Midwest and beyond, and will require funding to pay each artist and their record companies and publishers their rightful share. 

Festival Fees
Film festivals play a major role in demonstrating our skills as independent filmmakers, and we hope to participate in the forthcoming cycle of film festivals once Fairmount is complete and we've secured all necessary licensing. It is a way to get Fairmount seen by audiences in the film industry and beyond, and we hope to enter as many as we are qualified for. 

Distribution 
From a young girl growing up in the 1950s in Detroit to the story Fairmount eventually became, getting our film into the homes of a wider audience is the final step in Fairmount's journey. Any contributions made towards distribution will help us submit the film to streaming services or physical DVD copies once our film festival circuit is complete. 

Should our campaign exceed 100% of our goal (fingers crossed!), all additional proceeds would go towards funding the production of our next feature length film, which already has a completed screenplay. 

 

The final goal for Fairmount is to share our vision and this story with as many people as possible. This can mean so many things for independent filmmakers, whether it's sharing our campaign, donating, or even just keeping an eye out for the movie, it all means so much to us. The donations really just represent people believing in us, so whether it's $10 or $100 (or a million, lol), to have folks in our corner is what allows us to make our dreams a reality. 

Follow Us
Follow us here on Seed&Spark to stay updated on our fundraising journey, as well as on our other social media pages: Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Contribute and Pledge
We are so grateful for every person who believes in us and our movie. We love filmmaking because it's an art form that can't be accomplished alone, and by pledging any dollar amount towards making this the best film that it can be, you will be a part of our Fairmount story. 

Spread the Word
Our goal has always been to get Fairmount in front of anyone who will feel connected to the film. By spreading the word of our Seed&Spark campaign, or simply the movie and Ride Home Films itself, you will be ensuring that it reaches as many eyes as it can. You can watch and share the Fairmount trailer here, and see more details about Fairmount on our IMDb page or on Letterboxd. 

Watch Fairmount
Whether on the big screen, at a film festival, or from your own home, we hope that Fairmount will find its way to you. We are grateful for everyone who takes the time to hop in the van and see where it takes us.