Silhouettes
Tagline: A love story that unfolds over a series of conversations; a rare piece about globalized minorities caught between worlds, languages, and cultures.
Genre: Romance
Project goal: $55,000
Funded so far: $25,785
Percent complete: 47% 		Funding start date: 12-05-2011
Funding end date: 02-29-2012
Project must reach goal in:
80 days, 15 hours, 58 minutes, 56 seconds
 


The Film:
Silhouettes is a love story that unfolds over a series of conversations, in the spirit of "Before Sunset" and "Lost in Translation". Aamod is a retired executive who lives alone in his sprawling downtown Chicago apartment; Nadia is a successful lawyer in transit to see her conservative Muslim parents for the first time in more than a decade. Both are nursing their own traumas of loss and banishment. After a chance meeting, they are drawn together for a magical day in Chicago, wandering its loneliest spaces and its most haunting views, probing their experiences as globalized minorities caught between worlds, languages and cultures. When you feel different, home is finding another outlier. What emerges through words is a tragic secret and the reality of their feelings for each other. Silhouettes is a new chapter in the American love story -- unusual because it confronts issues of race, identity and culture head on, with a view to representing ethnic characters in the full breadth of their complexity and experience.

Tom Silva (Producer, Writer, Actor):
My story is one which is not uncommon these days: I am an Indian who grew up in Southeast Asia, went to British school, and have spent most of my adult life in North America. After attending the MFA Program in Film at Columbia College, Chicago, I was film critic-at-large at the Daily Southtown newspaper, a subsidiary of The Chicago Sun-Times. The Quiet, (www.quietpicture.com), my first feature film, premiered at the Art Institute of Chicago and was named Best Independent Film by Chicago Screen Magazine. I also have a background in music as lead singer/songwriter of the rock band, Clara May (www.claramay.com), which has been written about by the Chicago Sun-Time, ITunes and Indo-American paper, Desi Talk. Related to my interests, I am currently part of the Master of Arts Program in the Humanities at the University of Chicago where I am focusing on the intersection of culture and identity. Silhouettes is, in many ways, a direct result of my research in new imaginaries and possibilities for people who defy categories.

Silhouettes and GTN:
Silhouttes has the honor being in GTN's inaugural slate of films which will allow us to benefit from their marvelous crowd-funding platform, their marketing engine and their distribution arm which guarantees that this film will make it to theaters if we are able to attract support from funders and demand from audience.

We know that $55,000 is a lot of money. GTN already has kicked in $25,000 worth to start. You should know that every penny we raise from you will also allow us to go into post production and to support the editing, color correction, music scoring and recording, sound design and the final output of the film. It will also allow us to properly market and distribute this film so that it finds its audience. We appreciate you supporting us at any level that you're able. Every penny helps.		 Pledge $10 or more
We thank you for pitching in. Every dollar is a step closer for us. Your name will appear on our website plus you'll get a special online pass to view scenes from the rough cut .

Pledge $25 or more
Your own DVD copy of Silhouettes signed by the director and stars plus all of the rewards mentioned above. And our eternal gratitude for your support.

Pledge $50 or more
A limited-run poster just for our kickstarter supporters plus all of the rewards mentioned above. And lots of good karma for believing that images and ideas can change the world.

Pledge $100 or more
Join us for our premier screening. See first hand what your support helped produce. You'll receive two tickets to the cast & crew screening in Chicago (transportation not included) plus all of the rewards mentioned above.

Pledge $250 or more
Our lead actor, Tom Silva, known for his rich baritone vocal stylings, will leave an outgoing message on your answering machine plus you'll receive all of the rewards mentioned above.

Pledge $500 or more
You rock! For this generous support, we'll compose a song in your honor sung by our lead actor, Tom Silva. Tom is lead singer of the alternative rock band, Clara May (www.claramay.com), which performs at major venues in Chicago.

Pledge $1,000 or more
Get your first movie credit! You’ll be listed in the end crawl under "With the Generous Support Of". This level of support also includes all of the rewards mentioned above.

Pledge $2,500 or more
Congratulations Ms. or Mr. PRODUCER! For kicking in in this grand way, you'll receive a "Contributing Producer" credit. This level of support also includes all of the rewards mentioned above.

Pledge $5,000 or more
Associate Producer! You'll get serious bragging rights and a credit in the title sequence. This level of support also includes all of the rewards mentioned above.

Pledge $10,000 or more
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER! You'll be acknowledged as a head honcho in the title sequence. Share the same credit that Clint Eastwood and George Clooney get on their films. This level of support also includes all of the rewards mentioned above.