The NEW FREEDOM
Denver, Colorado | Film Feature
Horror, Thriller
Spring Break, your final year of college. You're back in that small town, catching up on gossip, eating too much comfort food, visiting old friends, feigning optimism about the post-grad world. And then the murders start. But there's something different at the root of these crimes...
The NEW FREEDOM
Denver, Colorado | Film Feature
Horror, Thriller

2 Campaigns | Colorado, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $9,350 for development. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
95 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Spring Break, your final year of college. You're back in that small town, catching up on gossip, eating too much comfort food, visiting old friends, feigning optimism about the post-grad world. And then the murders start. But there's something different at the root of these crimes...
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We need at least 1000 FOLLOWERS (free) and $7,500 in PLEDGES to be finalists in the COMMUNAL NIGHTMARES rally.
This would be huge!
Demetria Harvey as GABBY
The nursing student forced to take charge of the situation. Fear: letting people down.
Jon Shockness as NEIL
The college athlete turned flower-child. Fear: not belonging anywhere.
Shira Roth as YUMA
Neil's Muslim girlfriend meeting the family for the first time during Easter. Fear: being the other.
Anthony Jones as KEVIN
The small town deputy who just wants to start a family. Fear: being alone.
Anthony Crawford as Jazon
Gabby's cousin who hasn't left home and can't seem to do right. Fear: to try and to fail.
Daniel Rachlitz as TYLER
The "entrepreneur" who is here to gentrify the neighborhood. Fear: dying. Go figure.
Haydn Winston as WILSON
The enigmatic killer with a very curious past... Fear personified.
We are currently in Development. Your contributions go towards:
Script re-writes, location scouting, assembling crew, etc.
All contributions after $2K go towards Pre-Production!
All contributions beyond our goal roll over to Production!
This includes:
- Recruiting notable talent to round out the cast.
- The best camera and lenses to tell the story.
- Travel and Lodging for cast and crew.
- Catering (a hungry crew is an ineffective crew).
We've come up alongside talented creatives who span race, gender, and nationality - so when it is time to crew up, we make sure to look within that same community. The New Freedom has a team of black, Muslim, LGBTQ+, and others both in front of AND behind the camera. Because, honestly, it really does matter who is telling stories about issues and experiences.
We're all about bringing in a collection of talented creatives and letting them shine. We've committed to bringing our cast and keys to a small, rural community in Ohio and employing local artists and craftspeople to build out the rest of our production family. We'll provide opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to artistic endeavors.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Grip Package
Costs $900
The only other option is to have 20 PA's hollywood all the lights.
Travel
Costs $1,300
We've got some great locations, we just need to get to them.
Lights!
Costs $1,800
Lights are the essence of lighting. And lighting is the essence of cinema.
Catering
Costs $1,000
A hungry crew is an ineffective crew. Let's feed them well.
Camera Package
Costs $1,000
This one should be self-explanatory :)
Sound Department
Costs $500
Sound is 53% of the movie!
Talent
Costs $1,000
We want the best talent we can find, and that's going to take some cash.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
About This Team
OLIVIA CARMEL - Producer/Director
Olivia Carmel is a Denver-based filmmaker. She works regularly for clients like Foundation for a Better Life and Postmodern Company to produce PSA content for broadcast, as well as various agency commercial and non-scripted work. She is a longtime director of narrative works, including her debut short film, The Stones We Throw, and an ongoing visual poetry series (premiering in late 2018). She is passionate about storytelling in all forms but especially appreciates independent, low-budget filmmaking. She is co-founder of the Denver Filmmakers Collective as well as the Festival Director for the Copper Mountain Film Festival. As a female filmmaker, she strives to work with other women and proudly comes with an Inclusion Rider.
DEMI BARELA-DEHERRERA - Cinematographer
Demi Barela-Deherrera is a Denver-based director, cinematographer, and photographer. Her works range from fashion, to music videos, to narrative. Currently the in-house director and video producer for oVertone; some of her other clients include Yelp, Arae, Buffalo Exchange, and Steve Madden. Her editorial photos have appeared in Denver Style Mag, Crave and Rank among others. She is an obsessive collector of new techniques and loves to experiment. Her work is fanatical in its use of bright color and neon. She is a Denver native who is tirelessly working to keep the local bar raised high.
STERLING COOK - Writer/Producer
Sterling Cook is a Denver-based filmmaker. Primarily a producer, Sterling has written and directed a number of short films, including MOLLY SAYS YES, based on Joyce's "Ulysses" and selected as an installment in Lars Von Trier's GESAMPT. Other works include Sheryl Glubook's LILY 'N' ROSE, the WINESBURG SERIES for James Franco TV, and Lee Amir-Cohen's THE OTHER PLACE. After studying cinema in San Francisco, and working on creative and corporate media in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Sterling returned to Colorado, where his passion for filmmaking was ignited by his grandfather, playwright Robert L. Cook, who screened classic films for him during visits. His goal is to assist in strengthening the narrative film community in Denver.
JON SHOCKNESS - Associate Producer
Jon Shockness is a former member and co-founder of noteworthy Denver-based hip-hop act, Air Dubai and currently creates music as Kid Astronaut. He recently released new music, New Moon, and continues to write and perform music professionally. Jon began as a model and has since appeared onscreen in several projects from commercial to narrative. This will be his first leading role in a feature film that serves as an important intersection of his artistry and activism.
ZACH GUTIERREZ - Associate Producer
Zach Gutierrez can typically be found behind a camera but on occasion steps into a producing role. He is a horror movie buff and in fact, his first works were micro-budget horror films that he directed and filmed on his own. He will bring his appreciation of the horror genre along with his experience crafting his own works to this project. He currently divides his time between Weekend Films and Movie Company, and is a co-founding member of the Denver Filmmakers Collective along with director, Olivia Carmel.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
We need at least 1000 FOLLOWERS (free) and $7,500 in PLEDGES to be finalists in the COMMUNAL NIGHTMARES rally.
This would be huge!
Demetria Harvey as GABBY
The nursing student forced to take charge of the situation. Fear: letting people down.
Jon Shockness as NEIL
The college athlete turned flower-child. Fear: not belonging anywhere.
Shira Roth as YUMA
Neil's Muslim girlfriend meeting the family for the first time during Easter. Fear: being the other.
Anthony Jones as KEVIN
The small town deputy who just wants to start a family. Fear: being alone.
Anthony Crawford as Jazon
Gabby's cousin who hasn't left home and can't seem to do right. Fear: to try and to fail.
Daniel Rachlitz as TYLER
The "entrepreneur" who is here to gentrify the neighborhood. Fear: dying. Go figure.
Haydn Winston as WILSON
The enigmatic killer with a very curious past... Fear personified.
We are currently in Development. Your contributions go towards:
Script re-writes, location scouting, assembling crew, etc.
All contributions after $2K go towards Pre-Production!
All contributions beyond our goal roll over to Production!
This includes:
- Recruiting notable talent to round out the cast.
- The best camera and lenses to tell the story.
- Travel and Lodging for cast and crew.
- Catering (a hungry crew is an ineffective crew).
We've come up alongside talented creatives who span race, gender, and nationality - so when it is time to crew up, we make sure to look within that same community. The New Freedom has a team of black, Muslim, LGBTQ+, and others both in front of AND behind the camera. Because, honestly, it really does matter who is telling stories about issues and experiences.
We're all about bringing in a collection of talented creatives and letting them shine. We've committed to bringing our cast and keys to a small, rural community in Ohio and employing local artists and craftspeople to build out the rest of our production family. We'll provide opportunities to students who might not otherwise have access to artistic endeavors.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Grip Package
Costs $900
The only other option is to have 20 PA's hollywood all the lights.
Travel
Costs $1,300
We've got some great locations, we just need to get to them.
Lights!
Costs $1,800
Lights are the essence of lighting. And lighting is the essence of cinema.
Catering
Costs $1,000
A hungry crew is an ineffective crew. Let's feed them well.
Camera Package
Costs $1,000
This one should be self-explanatory :)
Sound Department
Costs $500
Sound is 53% of the movie!
Talent
Costs $1,000
We want the best talent we can find, and that's going to take some cash.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
About This Team
OLIVIA CARMEL - Producer/Director
Olivia Carmel is a Denver-based filmmaker. She works regularly for clients like Foundation for a Better Life and Postmodern Company to produce PSA content for broadcast, as well as various agency commercial and non-scripted work. She is a longtime director of narrative works, including her debut short film, The Stones We Throw, and an ongoing visual poetry series (premiering in late 2018). She is passionate about storytelling in all forms but especially appreciates independent, low-budget filmmaking. She is co-founder of the Denver Filmmakers Collective as well as the Festival Director for the Copper Mountain Film Festival. As a female filmmaker, she strives to work with other women and proudly comes with an Inclusion Rider.
DEMI BARELA-DEHERRERA - Cinematographer
Demi Barela-Deherrera is a Denver-based director, cinematographer, and photographer. Her works range from fashion, to music videos, to narrative. Currently the in-house director and video producer for oVertone; some of her other clients include Yelp, Arae, Buffalo Exchange, and Steve Madden. Her editorial photos have appeared in Denver Style Mag, Crave and Rank among others. She is an obsessive collector of new techniques and loves to experiment. Her work is fanatical in its use of bright color and neon. She is a Denver native who is tirelessly working to keep the local bar raised high.
STERLING COOK - Writer/Producer
Sterling Cook is a Denver-based filmmaker. Primarily a producer, Sterling has written and directed a number of short films, including MOLLY SAYS YES, based on Joyce's "Ulysses" and selected as an installment in Lars Von Trier's GESAMPT. Other works include Sheryl Glubook's LILY 'N' ROSE, the WINESBURG SERIES for James Franco TV, and Lee Amir-Cohen's THE OTHER PLACE. After studying cinema in San Francisco, and working on creative and corporate media in the Bay Area and Los Angeles, Sterling returned to Colorado, where his passion for filmmaking was ignited by his grandfather, playwright Robert L. Cook, who screened classic films for him during visits. His goal is to assist in strengthening the narrative film community in Denver.
JON SHOCKNESS - Associate Producer
Jon Shockness is a former member and co-founder of noteworthy Denver-based hip-hop act, Air Dubai and currently creates music as Kid Astronaut. He recently released new music, New Moon, and continues to write and perform music professionally. Jon began as a model and has since appeared onscreen in several projects from commercial to narrative. This will be his first leading role in a feature film that serves as an important intersection of his artistry and activism.
ZACH GUTIERREZ - Associate Producer
Zach Gutierrez can typically be found behind a camera but on occasion steps into a producing role. He is a horror movie buff and in fact, his first works were micro-budget horror films that he directed and filmed on his own. He will bring his appreciation of the horror genre along with his experience crafting his own works to this project. He currently divides his time between Weekend Films and Movie Company, and is a co-founding member of the Denver Filmmakers Collective along with director, Olivia Carmel.