FilmFrontier is working to build a sustainable and equitable ecosystem for emerging filmmakers who dare to tell the stories that Hollywood won’t. THE VEIL uses the framework of genre to explore the theme of visibility: whose story gets to be told, and how does that define our collective experience?

THE VEIL is the first original feature film from FilmFrontier, an independent studio dedicated to the discovery of new horizons in cinematic storytelling. Standing at the convergence of the horror and science fiction genres, our ambitious microbudget project is at once a haunting ghost story and an understated meditation on the mysteries of time. The film takes place underneath the glowing curtains of aurora borealis: a result of an unprecedented solar storm strong enough to bring down the Eastern Seaboard's power grid. As night descends and the northern lights cast an eerie green glow over the sprawling farmlands of rural Pennsylvania, a retired priest finds an unexpected visitor at the door of his isolated farmhouse: a runaway Amish bride desperately looking for shelter and protection. With her appearance, this mysterious stranger offers an opportunity for him to right a wrong that’s haunted him for decades…  if only he can hang on to his grip on reality as the true nature of her presence is revealed.

 

CAMERON BEYL is the writer, producer & director of THE VEIL. THE VEIL is his third feature film, following his two award-winning microbudget features SO LONG, LONESOME and HERE BUILD YOUR HOMES. His larger body of works contains music videos, corporate documentaries, commissioned narrative content, and several short films. He's also the creator of THE DIRECTOR SERIES, an ongoing documentary project that dives deep into the craft and careers of cinema’s most influential filmmakers. The series has been featured in several prominent media outlets like Indiewire, Slate, Vice Creators Project, and Sight & Sound — the last of which listed THE DIRECTORS SERIES on its annual “Best Video Essays” list for three consecutive years. The series is currently available to watch on special.tv.

As a creative writer, KYLE ANDREWS has two decades of experience. While at Emerson College, he achieved a minor in Playwriting, with several plays, sketches, shorts, and solo performance pieces to his credit. He has continued that work in LA as a published writer.

He has been studying screenwriting for almost as long, and has developed a mature filmmaking perspective and taste. Kyle has worked for and with several screenwriter resource companies as Development Consultant and Writer Advocate. 

He currently works as a script analyst and producer, facilitating the growth of emerging writers while assisting with an informed perspective technique to help them better compete in a crowded market.

THE VEIL marks the latest in a long line of collaborations between Cameron and Kyle stretching back to their college days. Their most recent project together was 2015's MATCHBREAKERS, a short comedy that went on to be an official selection at the Hollyshorts Film Festival.

With your help, we hope to raise over $10,000 to cover production expenses. THE VEIL is a non-union microbudget film, which translates to a high degree of resourcefulness and creativity on our end in order to execute the project at a high technical level. Following is a high-level breakdown of how the funds we raise will be allocated:

• Location Rental
• Equipment Rental (Camera, Electric, & Grip)
• Cast & Crew Fees
• Costumes & Makeup
• Production Insurance
• Crowdfunding campaign fees

You’ll notice that our fundraising goal is a fraction of the budget that most films are made on— even on an independent "microbudget" scale. FilmFrontier’s goal is to establish a sustainable model for emerging filmmakers by focusing on a smaller and nimbler production footprint. Furthermore, the script has been tailored to the resources at hand, with the filmmakers’ connections to the local community expected to yield several “in-kind” resources like locations, props, and costumes. 

That said, the amount we're raising here represents the bare minimum of our estimated production budget-- just enough to cobble the people and materials together and put it all in front of a camera. To maximize the story's potential, we have a few STRETCH GOALS:

STRETCH GOAL 1: $15,000

Once we reach our initial goal, we'll pivot towards towards a stretch goal of $15,000 which will allow us to enhance our production value and reinforce the resources at hand.

STRETCH GOAL 2: $20,000

This goal will allow us to hire some additional crew and upgrade our camera and lens package.

STRETCH GOAL 3: $25,000

This goal will will allow us to cast a wider net in terms of casting, allowing us to hire a payroll company, become a SAG signatory production, and pay for the travel of non-local talent and crew.

THE VEIL is being developed in anticipation of a Q3 or Q4 2022 release. Once our crowdfunding campaign concludes, we will jump right into active pre-production to meet our anticipated shoot window. Production is scheduled to run for 10 days, after which an aggressive and ambitious post-production timeline will guide us toward delivering the finished film on time and on budget.

"What about the pandemic", you might be asking?  

That's a great question. All through the pandemic, we've taken social distancing, masking, and vaccination precautions very seriously. To ensure a safe production, all members of the cast and crew will have to provide proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test 3 days prior to the start of work. Once on set, social distancing, hygiene and masking protocols will be implemented to mitigate further exposure-- it helps that most of the film takes place in one location, so we'll be able to maintain a solid "bubble". In a worst-case scenario, we should have time to delay the shoot to another window in early 2022.

The pandemic reminded us of the fleeting preciousness of time, and THE VEIL's production is motivated in large part by this stark reminder to seize the minutes, hours, and days you have to create something lasting. We must make our art today, because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

While film festivals are a common (and crucial) component of indie distribution, the sheer number of films made each year make the prospect of acceptance into a top-tier festival highly unlikely. While this avenue will certainly be explored, it doesn’t figure prominently into our plan to roll out the finished film to audiences. Instead, our interest lies in taking advantage of recent advances in self-distribution platforms and data-based marketing. Marketing for the film is already happening, and we will use the insights from these advertising campaigns to better reach our core audience. In distributing THE VEIL, our goal is two-fold: to capture your interest, and then capture your heart (aw!). To do this, we aim to make it as easy as possible for you to find, watch, and share.

If you believe in the potential of THE VEIL, there are many ways to help— even if you are unable to contribute directly to our crowdfunding campaign! 

The most immediate way you can support us is by making a contribution. The film does not go forward if we fail in reaching 80% of our fundraising goal, so if you are as passionate about independent film as we are, the best thing you can do is make a confident vote with your wallet!

The second-most immediate way you can help is "following" our page-- it requires nothing in the way of outright contributions, but goes a long way towards helping us secure valuable discounts on services and products from various organizations that will help us stretch the money we do have all that much further!

Additionally, if you’re a fan of film history, criticism, and theory, consider subscribing to our DIRECTORS SERIES channel on special.tv.  Every subscription works towards our ability to bring you original work like THE VEIL.

You can also follow along with our development via our Production Journals, hosted on YouTube by our good friends over at Indie Film Hustle.

If you or someone you know is based in the Lancaster, PA area, there's physical ways you can help our production without putting up a dime. We're currently looking for the following locations and items:

• A catholic church and sacristy room
• 1970's sedan (any make and model)
• Various items of furniture that are either from the 1970's, or reasonably "reads" as authentic to the era
• Crew: Hair and Makeup Artists, Production Assistants
• Male and female clothing items from the 1970's
• An old tractor
• Consultation on visual effects

Now more than ever, indie film is heavily reliant on word of mouth, and we need as much of it as we can if we are going to reach our goal. It’s as easy as sharing a link on your social media platform of choice. Here's a couple examples you can copy and paste:

Join filmmaker @cameronbeyl in making his new feature film, THE VEIL-- a twist on the classic American ghost story that offers up a haunting exploration into the mysteries of time. Make a pledge now on @seedandspark: www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-veil

Tired of movies that fit into neat and tidy little boxes? Check out THE VEIL by @cameronbeyl, now fundraising on @seedandspark. It combines mystery, sci-fi, and horror to create something unforgettable: www.seedandspark.com/fund/the-veil

The last way you can help our campaign is to subscribe to our free FilmFrontier newsletter, which will keep you posted on every big development on THE VEIL and much more.

Together, we can build a new platform that can better support dynamic new voices and bold narratives. Thank you for your support!