Become A Producer Of ‘The Cosmonaut’
The struggles that many indie filmmakers face, such as Ink’s battle to find a distributor, remind me why projects such as Riot Cinema Collective’s The Cosmonaut are worthy of attention and support.
The Cosmonaut is a feature film project by Riot Cinema Collective and the first participatory film in Spanish cinema to date. The project aims to create an alternative finance, creation and distribution platform for independent film using the internet to promote collaboration.
With The Cosmonaut Riot Cinema are inviting viewers to be a part of the production process and in return viewers gain access to all of the film’s assets under a Creative Commons licence. The idea is to engage the audience and jointly develop a closer and more transparent relationship towards the ultimate vision of supporting independent film production with a practical funding model.
The story of The Cosmonaut (and you can download a short version of the script from their main website) takes place in 1975 and follows the first Russian cosmonaut sent on a mission to the moon. Unable to return to Earth, he is declared lost. However, through phantasmagoric radio transmissions he claims to have returned to Earth and found it deserted. As he broadcasts his illusions his presence and voice will slowly destroy the world of his beloved ones.
The Cosmonaut itself has an estimated budget of US$577,000 which the filmmakers plan to raise in a variety of ways. One way is through ‘crowdfunding, a method of capital raising where anyone who wants to participate can donate to become involved. At the most basic level, the equivalent of a US$3 donation (2 Euros) will entitle anyone, anywhere to the title of ‘Producer’ and also provide a few additional benefits (including a listing in the credits). Since launching their website a month ago, the filmmakers have managed to generate 65% of their estimated budget already.
The premiere of the film (in spanish with english subtitles) will be on the internet and it will be available to everyone for free in HD.
I highly recommend parting with a few dollars to become involved and support this great initiative.
For more, visit:
The Cosmonaut
Riot Cinema
Riot Cinema on Twitter
