Sing Canary, Sing!
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
"Sing Canary, Sing!" is a short film that depicts the trials and tribulations of young black adults growing up in underserved communities, by following the journey of one gifted man and watching him navigate through circumstances that are all too familiar to some, and yet unimaginable to others.
Sing Canary, Sing!
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
2 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,703 for pre-production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
114 supporters | followers
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"Sing Canary, Sing!" is a short film that depicts the trials and tribulations of young black adults growing up in underserved communities, by following the journey of one gifted man and watching him navigate through circumstances that are all too familiar to some, and yet unimaginable to others.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
OUR FILM
The film is about a character named Devon who lives in Liberty, now Liberty is just one town, but folks who live there will tell you they're two; West Liberty and East, separated by a veiled line of income and opportunity.
Our main character, Devon, struggles to come to a decision about his future. He wants to break out of the cage he grew up in, and fly into new surroundings with more opportunities, but doesn't know how to do it. Does he continue to wrestle, something he hates, and only does to please his dad? Or does he follow his heart and chase after his dreams of being a writer? Which choice will ultimately give him a better shot at getting out from East Liberty and solidifying a future for himself, if he even has a future to pursue?
WHY THIS STORY?
This story was born from Abdul's desire to depict how difficult it is to get ahead as a student of color with conflicting passions in a town that makes you feel like your family and community only support your future as an athlete. Are our black students even encouraged to pursue their dreams when coming from a poorer neighborhood? Who do they have to confide in? How do they know what to choose or that they even have choices?
WHY THIS TEAM?
Abdul is our incredibly talented writer who felt so strongly about the feature he had written that he wrote this short to help that vision get to the big screen. Which you better believe we plan to produce the feature next. His passion extends into directing and acting in this production and sought out a team that would help fulfill its integrity, and who believe in promoting and employing filmmakers of color, women, and LGBTQIA artists. This team is not only hard-working but respectful to each other, the process, and the production. They work diligently, while also handling this project with care and honor for those this story represents.
WHY NOW?
This short was written in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Though the day to day struggles of a person of color has been brought to the forefront of media as of late, they have existed in this country since its formation, and some people still have no idea the difficulties that people of color face just trying to carry out normal lives; go to school, hang out with friends, taking a walk home. How making it difficult for people of color to achieve, has affected family dynamics, growing up, and choosing your path in life. And how in one instant, that choice can no longer be yours to make when you're at the mercy of someone else, whether that be a stranger or someone from the block. Telling these stories keeps them in the forefront, promotes further conversation, and could hopefully help change the dynamic of a relationship, community, town, or city.
WHY YOU?
If you've come across this campaign, you're already someone who supports social justice and change, you're a champion for the arts, and feel a calling to help artists create meaningful work through some of the darkest times we have faced in our lifetime. This past year has made it almost impossible to create new work, but not for long. We'll be hitting the ground running with this campaign so that picture can go up this June 2021.
Health and safety of the utmost importance for our team and we assure you that your contribution will be used on a production that follows CDC guidelines and promotes the well-being of our entire cast & crew.
Thank you in advance for helping us bring Devon and his journey to the screen. We hope our film starts a conversation and snowballs into change, especially when it comes to recognizing the place that African American filmmakers have in this society. We have built an incredibly hard-working and talented team who can't wait to get this project made.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew
Costs $1,000
Our group of diverse and dedicated artists deserve to be paid for their valuable time.
Equipment
Costs $4,000
Our focuses are story and quality. To maintain that, the bulk of our budget is to cover equipment.
Marketing
Costs $500
We are so excited to share this story with the world and get it seen by as many people as possible.
Post
Costs $2,000
So many expenses go into this category; sound, editing, coloring, cover art, you name it!!
Permitting & Transportation
Costs $1,000
These fees will cover transportation of cast and crew safely, and keep them safe while on location.
Film Festivals
Costs $1,000
We have BIG plans for this film, and this budget expand our festival opportunities.
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team has been craftfully chosen and assembled to tell this important story. We have a diverse group of fiercely intellegent, creative, and dedicated artists who believe in this short film, and are excited to use this project as a launching pad for their already written feature.
Meet Abdul Seidu, Writer / Director / Actor
@abdultheafrican
Abdul Seidu was born in Cleveland, OH and is 1st generation Ghanaian-American. He first found his love for acting in 7th grade watching his brother perform in plays. He graduated undergrad Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre Studies from Kent State University where he also competed in D1 track and field. Abdul then went on to continue working on his craft earning a MFA in Drama at the highly-ranked Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House graduate acting program. In grad school was where Abdul started to really hone his writing skills. Writing anything from features to one-person stage shows. His sophomore film CRSHD went on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Meet Charlotte Williams Roberts, Producer
@chartheactress
Charlotte Evelyn Williams has been a professional pretender since the age of seven! Charlotte began acting in different short films and commercials but received her first principal role in the movie Ali: An American Hero. She attended California State University Fullerton where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Acting. Charlotte has performed in several playhouses in Los Angeles. Such as The Ruskin Group Theatre in which she portrayed Beneatha in “A Raisin in the Sun” that was 2016 Ovation Recommended! Charlotte has co-starred in many TV shows and films. Including “The Way Back” starring Ben Affleck, “Preacher” and “Baskets”. Charlotte also starred in the film “To the New Girl” which is currently streaming on Amazon. Charlotte has been in a few short films that did well at festivals. Her short film Black Coffee is currently playing at Reno Comedy Festival, Venice Shorts, and became a finalist at the Florence Film Awards in Italy! Sing Canary Sing is Charlotte's first attempt at producing but she is excited to be on the team and bring Sing Canary Sing to the world.
Meet Monique Schwaneman, Producer
@moniqueschwaneman
Monique Gelineau Schwaneman is a Hollywood native who earned her BFA degree in Acting from California State University, Fullerton and has been working in the industry ever since. She's a SAG-AFTRA member, who has produced three short films in the past two years. Her short 'All Done!' was an Official Selection of the 2020 Portland Comedy Film Festival, and raised over $25,000 for the short film 'Distance', which was written, directed, produced, and starring an all female team.
Monique is dedicated to telling authentic stories, created and produced by female filmmakers and people of color.
Meet Brett Reiter, Producer
@brettreiter
Brett Reiter is an award-winning producer at Loose Films, a film production company based in Columbus, OH. Brett has been involved in production on numerous films including Character, a short documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Poser, a Gotham Narrative Lab accepted feature film that hopes to be released sometime in 2021. Brett also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Greater Columbus Film Commission.
Meet Sydney Lawson, Director of Photography
@sydlawsondp
Ohio-based cinematographer and colorist passionate about creating images that serve and uplift a film. Graduate of the ASC Masterclass with a BA in film studies from Ohio State. 4-5 years of experience with short films, music videos, documentary, and reality series. Also a queer woman and particularly excited about telling underrepresented stories.
Meet Andrew Asemokai, Composer
Andrew Asemokai is an award-winning composer whose versatility shows
throughout his film scores. Andrew can draw extensive knowledge from all areas of music while still being able to put a new and modern twist to his sound. Andrew’s career started in 2011 when he began creating instrumentals for different artists. In 2014 he began making music for
short films. He has gone on to score numerous shorts films, trailers, and feature films that have won several awards and caught the attention of many highly renowned film composers.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
OUR FILM
The film is about a character named Devon who lives in Liberty, now Liberty is just one town, but folks who live there will tell you they're two; West Liberty and East, separated by a veiled line of income and opportunity.
Our main character, Devon, struggles to come to a decision about his future. He wants to break out of the cage he grew up in, and fly into new surroundings with more opportunities, but doesn't know how to do it. Does he continue to wrestle, something he hates, and only does to please his dad? Or does he follow his heart and chase after his dreams of being a writer? Which choice will ultimately give him a better shot at getting out from East Liberty and solidifying a future for himself, if he even has a future to pursue?
WHY THIS STORY?
This story was born from Abdul's desire to depict how difficult it is to get ahead as a student of color with conflicting passions in a town that makes you feel like your family and community only support your future as an athlete. Are our black students even encouraged to pursue their dreams when coming from a poorer neighborhood? Who do they have to confide in? How do they know what to choose or that they even have choices?
WHY THIS TEAM?
Abdul is our incredibly talented writer who felt so strongly about the feature he had written that he wrote this short to help that vision get to the big screen. Which you better believe we plan to produce the feature next. His passion extends into directing and acting in this production and sought out a team that would help fulfill its integrity, and who believe in promoting and employing filmmakers of color, women, and LGBTQIA artists. This team is not only hard-working but respectful to each other, the process, and the production. They work diligently, while also handling this project with care and honor for those this story represents.
WHY NOW?
This short was written in the wake of the death of George Floyd and the recent Black Lives Matter protests. Though the day to day struggles of a person of color has been brought to the forefront of media as of late, they have existed in this country since its formation, and some people still have no idea the difficulties that people of color face just trying to carry out normal lives; go to school, hang out with friends, taking a walk home. How making it difficult for people of color to achieve, has affected family dynamics, growing up, and choosing your path in life. And how in one instant, that choice can no longer be yours to make when you're at the mercy of someone else, whether that be a stranger or someone from the block. Telling these stories keeps them in the forefront, promotes further conversation, and could hopefully help change the dynamic of a relationship, community, town, or city.
WHY YOU?
If you've come across this campaign, you're already someone who supports social justice and change, you're a champion for the arts, and feel a calling to help artists create meaningful work through some of the darkest times we have faced in our lifetime. This past year has made it almost impossible to create new work, but not for long. We'll be hitting the ground running with this campaign so that picture can go up this June 2021.
Health and safety of the utmost importance for our team and we assure you that your contribution will be used on a production that follows CDC guidelines and promotes the well-being of our entire cast & crew.
Thank you in advance for helping us bring Devon and his journey to the screen. We hope our film starts a conversation and snowballs into change, especially when it comes to recognizing the place that African American filmmakers have in this society. We have built an incredibly hard-working and talented team who can't wait to get this project made.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew
Costs $1,000
Our group of diverse and dedicated artists deserve to be paid for their valuable time.
Equipment
Costs $4,000
Our focuses are story and quality. To maintain that, the bulk of our budget is to cover equipment.
Marketing
Costs $500
We are so excited to share this story with the world and get it seen by as many people as possible.
Post
Costs $2,000
So many expenses go into this category; sound, editing, coloring, cover art, you name it!!
Permitting & Transportation
Costs $1,000
These fees will cover transportation of cast and crew safely, and keep them safe while on location.
Film Festivals
Costs $1,000
We have BIG plans for this film, and this budget expand our festival opportunities.
Share this update!
About This Team
Our team has been craftfully chosen and assembled to tell this important story. We have a diverse group of fiercely intellegent, creative, and dedicated artists who believe in this short film, and are excited to use this project as a launching pad for their already written feature.
Meet Abdul Seidu, Writer / Director / Actor
@abdultheafrican
Abdul Seidu was born in Cleveland, OH and is 1st generation Ghanaian-American. He first found his love for acting in 7th grade watching his brother perform in plays. He graduated undergrad Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Theatre Studies from Kent State University where he also competed in D1 track and field. Abdul then went on to continue working on his craft earning a MFA in Drama at the highly-ranked Case Western Reserve University/Cleveland Play House graduate acting program. In grad school was where Abdul started to really hone his writing skills. Writing anything from features to one-person stage shows. His sophomore film CRSHD went on to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Meet Charlotte Williams Roberts, Producer
@chartheactress
Charlotte Evelyn Williams has been a professional pretender since the age of seven! Charlotte began acting in different short films and commercials but received her first principal role in the movie Ali: An American Hero. She attended California State University Fullerton where she obtained her Bachelor’s in Fine Arts with an emphasis in Acting. Charlotte has performed in several playhouses in Los Angeles. Such as The Ruskin Group Theatre in which she portrayed Beneatha in “A Raisin in the Sun” that was 2016 Ovation Recommended! Charlotte has co-starred in many TV shows and films. Including “The Way Back” starring Ben Affleck, “Preacher” and “Baskets”. Charlotte also starred in the film “To the New Girl” which is currently streaming on Amazon. Charlotte has been in a few short films that did well at festivals. Her short film Black Coffee is currently playing at Reno Comedy Festival, Venice Shorts, and became a finalist at the Florence Film Awards in Italy! Sing Canary Sing is Charlotte's first attempt at producing but she is excited to be on the team and bring Sing Canary Sing to the world.
Meet Monique Schwaneman, Producer
@moniqueschwaneman
Monique Gelineau Schwaneman is a Hollywood native who earned her BFA degree in Acting from California State University, Fullerton and has been working in the industry ever since. She's a SAG-AFTRA member, who has produced three short films in the past two years. Her short 'All Done!' was an Official Selection of the 2020 Portland Comedy Film Festival, and raised over $25,000 for the short film 'Distance', which was written, directed, produced, and starring an all female team.
Monique is dedicated to telling authentic stories, created and produced by female filmmakers and people of color.
Meet Brett Reiter, Producer
@brettreiter
Brett Reiter is an award-winning producer at Loose Films, a film production company based in Columbus, OH. Brett has been involved in production on numerous films including Character, a short documentary that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and Poser, a Gotham Narrative Lab accepted feature film that hopes to be released sometime in 2021. Brett also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Greater Columbus Film Commission.
Meet Sydney Lawson, Director of Photography
@sydlawsondp
Ohio-based cinematographer and colorist passionate about creating images that serve and uplift a film. Graduate of the ASC Masterclass with a BA in film studies from Ohio State. 4-5 years of experience with short films, music videos, documentary, and reality series. Also a queer woman and particularly excited about telling underrepresented stories.
Meet Andrew Asemokai, Composer
Andrew Asemokai is an award-winning composer whose versatility shows
throughout his film scores. Andrew can draw extensive knowledge from all areas of music while still being able to put a new and modern twist to his sound. Andrew’s career started in 2011 when he began creating instrumentals for different artists. In 2014 he began making music for
short films. He has gone on to score numerous shorts films, trailers, and feature films that have won several awards and caught the attention of many highly renowned film composers.