Before the Spring
Los Angeles, California | Film Feature
Drama, History
On the brink of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Egypt, a young man's life falls apart when he is tortured and extorted by corrupt police officers. When finally given the opportunity to take revenge on his assailants, he must choose whether to perpetuate the violence or break the cycle.
Green Light
This campaign raised $34,580 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
197 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
On the brink of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Egypt, a young man's life falls apart when he is tortured and extorted by corrupt police officers. When finally given the opportunity to take revenge on his assailants, he must choose whether to perpetuate the violence or break the cycle.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
Forgiveness. Mercy. These two inter-related subjects were the driving force and the motivation for my team to develop a story about the state of social upheaval that pervades so many nations throughout the world today.
When we witnessed the collective impassioned cries of a people, who had grown tired of oppression and fear, coalesce into a resounding protest in the streets on Cairo, we felt immediately that we, as a global society, were all a part of history in-the-making. A truly organic and grass-roots revolt took hold, and in a relatively short time, succeeded in toppling a government -- utilizing absolutely no violent tactics.
Since those awe-inspiring days, the state of Egypt and other countries, like Syria and even Ukraine, leaves us saddened by the senseless violence that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people. For this reason, we believe that BEFORE THE SPRING is a film of vital importance.
Our film was born out of a desire to remind everybody, even ourselves, that the cycle of violence and revenge is a threat to all civilization. Although our film is set against the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Egypt, it's message has been stripped down to the fundamental human struggle that we all relate to, no matter what our backgrounds may be.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Budgeting Service
Costs $5,000
We need a budget designed for the cost of production in the Middle East.
Location Scouting
Costs $2,500
We need to choose initial shoot locations for budget projections.
Scheduling Service
Costs $3,000
We need to design a location-specific production schedule!
Producer
Costs $3,500
Our development producer will manage the development budget and get things done!
Contingency
Costs $700
We will have various administrative expenses like paper, printing, staples, etc., etc.
Director
Costs $4,000
Our Director will be at work during development, shooting our test scene and creating a storyboard.
Marketing Expenses
Costs $3,000
Pitch materials and outreach to build audience and connect with potential investors.
Story-board Artist
Costs $2,000
We need a story-board artist to help us visualize the film before production.
Translation Services
Costs $1,500
We will be utilizing an international crew. We will need the script translated into Arabic.
Demo/Test Scene Production
Costs $2,500
We want to shoot a test scene to visualize the style and assist investor presentations.
Graphic Designer
Costs $1,500
We will need to create a lot of concept art and marketing materials with a polished design.
Grant Application Fees
Costs $800
We will be applying to film funds around the world to raise portions of our budget.
Share this update!
About This Team
We have assembled a team that is both rich in industry experience and especially knowledgeable about the subject of Before the Spring. This film will be produced by Steve Barnett, producer of such hit films as 300 and The Spiderwick Chronicles; written by James Kaelan, writer of upcoming independent features Family Games and EEL; directed by Abdallah Omeish, renowned Mid-East filmmaker responsible for the award-winning films Occupation 101 and The War Around Us; produced by Meriam Alrashid, Egyptian-American attorney and producer with experience in multi-million dollar project management; and produced by Aaron Ramzi, actor-producer with years of industry experience including low budget film and series production.
Omeish followed up on the critical and commercial success of Occupation 101 with his recent documentary, The War Around Us, with Ayman Mohyeldin (2011 TIME’S 100 Most influential people in the world), which tells the story of the only two Western journalists who covered the 2008-2009 Israeli “operation cast lead” from inside Gaza. In 2012 The film received two awards for best Feature Documentary and one award for best feature for “International Human Rights”.
Omeish began his career in cinema filming the tragic effects of war, famine and natural disasters in Kosovo, Ethiopia, Chechnya, and Turkey. After moving to Hollywood, Omeish started out in the music industry where he worked as a cinematographer for hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons’ One World Show. Omeish also worked on other high-profile projects such as Showtime’s Sleeper Cell, the MSNBC documentary, Islam in America: Faith Under Fire, and John Singleton film, Baby Boy.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
Forgiveness. Mercy. These two inter-related subjects were the driving force and the motivation for my team to develop a story about the state of social upheaval that pervades so many nations throughout the world today.
When we witnessed the collective impassioned cries of a people, who had grown tired of oppression and fear, coalesce into a resounding protest in the streets on Cairo, we felt immediately that we, as a global society, were all a part of history in-the-making. A truly organic and grass-roots revolt took hold, and in a relatively short time, succeeded in toppling a government -- utilizing absolutely no violent tactics.
Since those awe-inspiring days, the state of Egypt and other countries, like Syria and even Ukraine, leaves us saddened by the senseless violence that has claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people. For this reason, we believe that BEFORE THE SPRING is a film of vital importance.
Our film was born out of a desire to remind everybody, even ourselves, that the cycle of violence and revenge is a threat to all civilization. Although our film is set against the 2011 Arab Spring uprising in Egypt, it's message has been stripped down to the fundamental human struggle that we all relate to, no matter what our backgrounds may be.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Budgeting Service
Costs $5,000
We need a budget designed for the cost of production in the Middle East.
Location Scouting
Costs $2,500
We need to choose initial shoot locations for budget projections.
Scheduling Service
Costs $3,000
We need to design a location-specific production schedule!
Producer
Costs $3,500
Our development producer will manage the development budget and get things done!
Contingency
Costs $700
We will have various administrative expenses like paper, printing, staples, etc., etc.
Director
Costs $4,000
Our Director will be at work during development, shooting our test scene and creating a storyboard.
Marketing Expenses
Costs $3,000
Pitch materials and outreach to build audience and connect with potential investors.
Story-board Artist
Costs $2,000
We need a story-board artist to help us visualize the film before production.
Translation Services
Costs $1,500
We will be utilizing an international crew. We will need the script translated into Arabic.
Demo/Test Scene Production
Costs $2,500
We want to shoot a test scene to visualize the style and assist investor presentations.
Graphic Designer
Costs $1,500
We will need to create a lot of concept art and marketing materials with a polished design.
Grant Application Fees
Costs $800
We will be applying to film funds around the world to raise portions of our budget.
Share this update!
About This Team
We have assembled a team that is both rich in industry experience and especially knowledgeable about the subject of Before the Spring. This film will be produced by Steve Barnett, producer of such hit films as 300 and The Spiderwick Chronicles; written by James Kaelan, writer of upcoming independent features Family Games and EEL; directed by Abdallah Omeish, renowned Mid-East filmmaker responsible for the award-winning films Occupation 101 and The War Around Us; produced by Meriam Alrashid, Egyptian-American attorney and producer with experience in multi-million dollar project management; and produced by Aaron Ramzi, actor-producer with years of industry experience including low budget film and series production.
Omeish followed up on the critical and commercial success of Occupation 101 with his recent documentary, The War Around Us, with Ayman Mohyeldin (2011 TIME’S 100 Most influential people in the world), which tells the story of the only two Western journalists who covered the 2008-2009 Israeli “operation cast lead” from inside Gaza. In 2012 The film received two awards for best Feature Documentary and one award for best feature for “International Human Rights”.
Omeish began his career in cinema filming the tragic effects of war, famine and natural disasters in Kosovo, Ethiopia, Chechnya, and Turkey. After moving to Hollywood, Omeish started out in the music industry where he worked as a cinematographer for hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons’ One World Show. Omeish also worked on other high-profile projects such as Showtime’s Sleeper Cell, the MSNBC documentary, Islam in America: Faith Under Fire, and John Singleton film, Baby Boy.