It seems like every day brings more cancellations, closings, and upsetting news. The coronavirus is affecting the whole world, not least of all the artists and creators who are trying to bring their projects to fruition — and to an audience.
As such, Women and Hollywood is highlighting women-driven and women-made projects that have been impacted by COVID-19 and are now looking for outside help. Some of these projects were set to premiere at now-cancelled festivals, others have had theatrical premieres postponed. Money and opportunities have been lost, and these projects and their creators need some extra financial backing and word-of-mouth.
Each week, we’ll be updating our readers about projects by and about women that have been rocked by COVID-19 and are currently crowdfunding or asking for additional support — including project info, why they need help, and how you can help them. Check out the latest round of titles below.
“Basic Witches” (Podcast) – Created by Rachel Laforest and Leah Knauer
What it’s about: “Basic Witches” is a comedy spiritual podcast hosted by comedians Leah Knauer and Rachel Laforest and featured on Astrology.com. Each episode Knauer and Laforest interview comedians, musicians, artists, and professional witches about the magic of life, manifestation, and sexuality, followed by a Goddess Oracle Card Reading. Between the wit and laughter, every episode has a deep message and listeners are reminded to prioritize self-love, mental health, and magic in their daily lives.
How it has been affected by COVID-19: Knauer and Laforest were planning to host another “Basic Witches” live show at The Comedy Store, but the venue has been closed due to the pandemic.
How to help: Make a contribution via Patreon.
“What Kind of Woman” (Short) – Written and Directed by Elizabeth Block
What it’s about: A biracial Assisted Reproductive Technology (A.R.T.) Psychologist returns to her native San Francisco when her father dies, and her mother suffers a breakdown from being evicted from their lifelong home. Among many buried secrets, she learns she was conceived by donor sperm and her mother has been having an affair with a woman for several years while married to her father.
How it has been affected by COVID-19: The “What Kind of Woman” team were on the verge of scheduling a shoot in May or shortly thereafter, through the procurement of private investments. They were planning for a festival delivery of September 2020. The team has procured start-up charitable funding from producer Roselyne Chroman Swig (“Miss Representation”) and individual donors, as well as a co-sponsor, the San Francisco-based StARTup Art Fair. As everything is suddenly up in the air, they are now seeking additional tax-deductible donations through Film Independent and word-of-mouth to kick this project into gear.
How to help: Make a donation via Film Independent.
To be considered for inclusion in this feature, please send an email to Laura Berger (berger.laurae@gmail.com) and Rachel Montpelier (raemontpelier@gmail.com) with Women and Hollywood – Special Crowdfunding Support Feature in the subject line. Please send us the following information:
- Project title and synopsis:
- The project’s writer/director/creator credits:
- A link to the crowdfunding page or other campaign, or details on how to support the project:
- A link to the project’s festival information, if applicable (i.e. something like this):
Submissions will be accepted on a rolling basis. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) are welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
Previous installments of this feature:
Volume I
Volume II
Volume III
