The Gift '19
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Documentary, News
The Gift follows the 2019 graduates of Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU, whose debt was paid off by African-American billionaire Robert Smith, who explores how this debt relief changed their lives and envisions how similar relief could potentially transform the lives of millions of Americans.
The Gift '19
New York City, New York | Film Feature
Documentary, News
1 Campaigns | New York, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $11,495 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
158 supporters | followers
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The Gift follows the 2019 graduates of Morehouse College, an all-male HBCU, whose debt was paid off by African-American billionaire Robert Smith, who explores how this debt relief changed their lives and envisions how similar relief could potentially transform the lives of millions of Americans.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On May 19, 2019, Robert Smith, a billionaire venture capitalist, gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College and announced he would pay off the student loan debt of all 396 graduates that year. The Gift is a documentary exploring how this extraordinary debt relief transformed the lives of the 2019 Morehouse graduates and what it could mean for millions of Americans burdened by student loans.
I’m Joshua Reed, a writer and director finishing my graduate studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As a 2019 Morehouse graduate who didn’t receive Smith’s gift but witnessed its impact, I offer a unique perspective on this story.
We have interviewed alumni, professors, and even Robert Smith. Our production was highlighted on CBS Sunday Morning News which can be found here.
We are halfway through production. We still need to interview academics and activists to fully capture the student debt crisis.
To complete The Gift, we need approximately $10,000 for:
- Travel costs: For interviews with experts and alumni across the country.
- Post-production: Including sound design, editing, color grading, and finalizing the rough cut.
- Archival footage & music licensing: For historical footage and music rights.
- Festival submission fees: To showcase the film at key festivals.
With your support, we can finish the film and release in 2025.
Please share our campaign and consider contributing to help us tell this important story!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
North Carolina Travel
Costs $2,850
We need to cover the costs of travel to North Carolina to talk to academics who study student debt and activists who organize around debt.
Washington DC Travel
Costs $1,700
We need this money to travel to Washington D.C. to speak to politicians and legislators who work on the student debt issue.
Post Production Funds
Costs $3,500
We need this to cover the cost of editing, coloring, sound mixing, and composing music for the film!
Festival Submission Fund
Costs $2,000
This will cover the cost of submitting the film to festivals (and traveling to said festivals!)
Share this update!
About This Team
Joshua Reed is a freelance writer, director, and photographer. He has been working as an artist for over five years and has a variety of interests. His artistic passions are broad; from photojournalism, concert photography, and portraiture in his photographic work, to satire, drama, and comedy in his cinematic work. In his eyes, the story you tell with your artwork is the most important component. He believes that well-made art can elevate every day to the extraordinary, and even be revolutionary. He is a graduate of Morehouse College where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Television and Emerging Media Studies. He has received an MFA in Film and Television Production from NYU’s Tisch School OF The Arts.
Emani Rashad Saucier is a Film Director and Owner of the Atlanta-based production company Saucier Films. With a portfolio featuring projects for Google and Adobe, Emani excels at capturing powerful stories. Driven by a mission to illuminate marginalized lives, Emani mentors the next generation of BIPOC storytellers, promoting authentic on-screen portrayals. A Morehouse College alumnus pursuing an MFA at The University of Georgia, Emani, a U.S. Army Officer, embodies creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Committed to progress and empowerment, Emani is a compelling force in filmmaking.
Jasmine Gurley is an impact-driven brand builder. After teaching high school Algebra in New Orleans with Teach For America, she moved to Atlanta for a PR career. Now the Director of PR at Morehouse College, she creates media opportunities, and partnerships, and consults for non-profit and social enterprise brands.
Marie Thomas, a multidisciplinary writer from Denver, has produced short films, plays, and books. Influenced by her Women's Studies degree from Spelman, she has appeared on Colorado Public Radio, Headline News, and New York Magazine's The Cut Podcast. Her revolutionary work blends mountain Mexica and Black Southern fervor.
KarynRose Bruyning is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. She co-founded CHRISTMAS IN JULY 1982 with Artemus Jenkins, known for P.OP. and Smoke and Mirrors. In 2020, she founded PRONOUNCED BRUYNING, debuting with -SHIP: A Visual Poem, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Award. She produced xxVISIBLE with Bobby Yan, winning multiple awards. In 2022, her short film UPTOWN, The Way God Intended, was a Vimeo Staff Pick and Webby Honoree. She currently writes for The Ms. Pat Show.
Carol Dysinger directed the Oscar®- winning short documentary Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl), which also won a BAFTA, an IDA award, and at Tribeca 2019. Her 2023 documentary ONE BULLET explores her friendship with an Afghan mother after her son’s shooting. It won Galway’s Best International Feature and was selected for Doc Edge, Double Exposure, and Thessaloniki festivals.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
On May 19, 2019, Robert Smith, a billionaire venture capitalist, gave the commencement speech at Morehouse College and announced he would pay off the student loan debt of all 396 graduates that year. The Gift is a documentary exploring how this extraordinary debt relief transformed the lives of the 2019 Morehouse graduates and what it could mean for millions of Americans burdened by student loans.
I’m Joshua Reed, a writer and director finishing my graduate studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. As a 2019 Morehouse graduate who didn’t receive Smith’s gift but witnessed its impact, I offer a unique perspective on this story.
We have interviewed alumni, professors, and even Robert Smith. Our production was highlighted on CBS Sunday Morning News which can be found here.
We are halfway through production. We still need to interview academics and activists to fully capture the student debt crisis.
To complete The Gift, we need approximately $10,000 for:
- Travel costs: For interviews with experts and alumni across the country.
- Post-production: Including sound design, editing, color grading, and finalizing the rough cut.
- Archival footage & music licensing: For historical footage and music rights.
- Festival submission fees: To showcase the film at key festivals.
With your support, we can finish the film and release in 2025.
Please share our campaign and consider contributing to help us tell this important story!
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
North Carolina Travel
Costs $2,850
We need to cover the costs of travel to North Carolina to talk to academics who study student debt and activists who organize around debt.
Washington DC Travel
Costs $1,700
We need this money to travel to Washington D.C. to speak to politicians and legislators who work on the student debt issue.
Post Production Funds
Costs $3,500
We need this to cover the cost of editing, coloring, sound mixing, and composing music for the film!
Festival Submission Fund
Costs $2,000
This will cover the cost of submitting the film to festivals (and traveling to said festivals!)
Share this update!
About This Team
Joshua Reed is a freelance writer, director, and photographer. He has been working as an artist for over five years and has a variety of interests. His artistic passions are broad; from photojournalism, concert photography, and portraiture in his photographic work, to satire, drama, and comedy in his cinematic work. In his eyes, the story you tell with your artwork is the most important component. He believes that well-made art can elevate every day to the extraordinary, and even be revolutionary. He is a graduate of Morehouse College where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Cinema Television and Emerging Media Studies. He has received an MFA in Film and Television Production from NYU’s Tisch School OF The Arts.
Emani Rashad Saucier is a Film Director and Owner of the Atlanta-based production company Saucier Films. With a portfolio featuring projects for Google and Adobe, Emani excels at capturing powerful stories. Driven by a mission to illuminate marginalized lives, Emani mentors the next generation of BIPOC storytellers, promoting authentic on-screen portrayals. A Morehouse College alumnus pursuing an MFA at The University of Georgia, Emani, a U.S. Army Officer, embodies creativity, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Committed to progress and empowerment, Emani is a compelling force in filmmaking.
Jasmine Gurley is an impact-driven brand builder. After teaching high school Algebra in New Orleans with Teach For America, she moved to Atlanta for a PR career. Now the Director of PR at Morehouse College, she creates media opportunities, and partnerships, and consults for non-profit and social enterprise brands.
Marie Thomas, a multidisciplinary writer from Denver, has produced short films, plays, and books. Influenced by her Women's Studies degree from Spelman, she has appeared on Colorado Public Radio, Headline News, and New York Magazine's The Cut Podcast. Her revolutionary work blends mountain Mexica and Black Southern fervor.
KarynRose Bruyning is an award-winning writer, director, and producer. She co-founded CHRISTMAS IN JULY 1982 with Artemus Jenkins, known for P.OP. and Smoke and Mirrors. In 2020, she founded PRONOUNCED BRUYNING, debuting with -SHIP: A Visual Poem, which won the Sundance Grand Jury Award. She produced xxVISIBLE with Bobby Yan, winning multiple awards. In 2022, her short film UPTOWN, The Way God Intended, was a Vimeo Staff Pick and Webby Honoree. She currently writes for The Ms. Pat Show.
Carol Dysinger directed the Oscar®- winning short documentary Learning To Skateboard In A Warzone (If You’re A Girl), which also won a BAFTA, an IDA award, and at Tribeca 2019. Her 2023 documentary ONE BULLET explores her friendship with an Afghan mother after her son’s shooting. It won Galway’s Best International Feature and was selected for Doc Edge, Double Exposure, and Thessaloniki festivals.