New crowdfunding - The Artwork

We have just launched a new crowdfunding, with the aim of completing the artwork young Ugandan artist Comfort Abemigisha is preparing for the documentary. By buying printed postcards of his drawings you will help us promoting African art and finishing this stage of production. All funds raised will be used for buying drawing materials, paying the prints & platform fees, but mainly for paying Comfort for his work. Comfort Abemigisha lives in Kampala, Uganda, recently graduated in Industrial and Fine Arts and sells his paintings internationally. He has been involved in the production of "Punishment Island" documentary since its early stage, translating all interviews and researching the stories. With its unique style that mixes African contemporaneity and tradition, his drawings will illustrate the stories as told by the survivors. Video of Comfort introducing himself, information, documentary teaser and contributions at http://www.ulule.com/artwork-island/

Be the first to support us!

You can also follow us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/PunishmentIsland

Trailer!

Long absence from this blog, but our project isn't forgotten, of course. We have been editing what we shot with the funds collected through the crowdfunding campaign. Now we are in the middle of another tough part: finding the money to complete production and for post-production. We have a 30' rough cut and undergoing the difficult process of approaching institutions, foundations, broadcasters, sponsorship. Not much creativity at this stage, frustration is the word at present, but that's part of the work! We will make it soon or later (better soon than later of course). In the meanwhile, at this link you can see the updated trailer of the film. Hope you enjoy.

https://vimeo.com/77210684

Thanks to all cast and crew!

Back to Punishment!

We haven't blogged for quite a while. Luckily I got funds to shoot another project set in Northern Tuscany and I just came back from a long session of shooting with Philine, same DoP of Punishment Island and new great sound recordist. So now, back on the mission. We have a 27' minutes rough cut which is being supervised by sound editor in Germany. We already applied for Sundance documentary funds, and as soon as Tim has finished we will compete for Premio Corso Salani, a prize for independent Italian documentarists in the memory of great Corso Salani. At the same time we are applying for ITVS in the States and other foundation, while sending it to various broadcasters in Europe. Hopefully we will be able to go back soon and do the finishing shots. In the meanwhile, I want again to thank ALL the people who made this possible. More that time goes by, more that I realized what WE have achieved together. I can never thank enough. 

https://www.facebook.com/PunishmentIsland

Still alive!

We haven't been blogging for quite sometime now, but we are still here working on this production. The lack of post-production funds is making editing slow, but now we are getting there, soon we should have our first rough cut. Yesterday we had a party to thank our supporters which was also an occasion to raise some cash for post-production. Conad, an Italian food chain sponsored us giving us food and drinks, and the landlord of a wonderful place in the hills surrounding Florence gave it to us for free. We had a fun afternoon with food, drinks and music, while we helped the cause with a vintage market on the side. (may you be interested there are some articles on sale still...) Photos by Marco Mazzi, Elisabetta Cecchi, Nadia Angilella).

Final thanks!

Dear supporters, it is time to pick prizes (still have to be patient for the new trailer and obviously the DVD). The end of the campaign has been quite chaotic for the unexpected and happy events that took place and for the facts that we left immediately to Uganda (good planning, as rainy season has just started). Now with more ease, we would really like to thank by name again all our supporters. You are many and you shine! Thanks so much again for having supported the continuation of this project!

Stefania Matteini
ACTM
La Scena Muta
(all musicians, Letizia Fuochi & Silvia Conti)
Circolo Rigacci
Mick Csaky
Jurgen Von Duszeln
Teatro Verdi
Nadia Angilella
Carlo Boschi
Imogen Kusch
Cristina Zannoner
Anna Samueli
François Vergne
Yeah Musicadischicaffe
The Pilgrims
Guido Barlozzetti
Ombretta Guerrini
Giampiero Sgaragli
Libreria Cuccumeo
Renzo Nelli
Felice Codacci
Claudia Manfredi
Elisabeth Ritchied
Adelheid Kanat
Barbara Tucci
Danilo Pecchioli
Andrea Cini
Jacopo Prete
Mirella Boscherini
Julian Falge
Caterina Magri
Amgrim Ytterhus
Jessy Contorno
Filippo De Maria
Lucilla Saccà
Lisa Zini
Giada Araca
Michele Lanza
Julia Fellinger
Filiz & Norbert Fellinger
Annie Carletti
Velia Bianchini
Pina Scarnecchia
Silvana Ramunni
Marì Simonelli
Hugh Purcell
Claus Orso
Roberta Mossetto
Nora Von Duszeln
Patrizia Penco
Philine Von Duszeln
Elke Koch-Weser
Circolo Vie Nuove
Libreria Griot
Gianpaolo D'Amico
Michela Manetti
Claudio e Gigliola Verduchi
Margherita Razzanelli
Heidi Gronauer
Matthias Klaus-Von Dusseln
Alex Finn
Catia Giaccherini
Alessandro Conci
Max Buschfeld
Irina Janke
Styliani Parascha
Amanda Belz
Luca Lorenzini
Sabrina Masoli
Francesca Moretti
Elena Orsini
Chris Cohelo
Massimo Donnamaria
Massimiliano Naldini
Carlotta Givo Galeano
Antonella Rondinone
Silvia Cappelli
Pamela Pierini
Pino Fidanza
Marta Zanzotto
Michela Marino
Mario Figoni
Andrea Farolfi
Enrica Giovannardi
Filippo Celata
Rita Brugnara
Matteo Tortora
Sheila Windrige
Emily Tibbatts
Alessandro Gerebizza
Andrea Mancaniello
Carsten Schumann
Virginie Myalonnier
Renzo Gherardelli
Natale Leuzzi
Laura Pecci
Tomo Kimura
Nicola Usborne
Juliane Seifert
Julia Koppetsch
Merav Bat-Gil
Enza Quattrocchi
Raffaela Arban
Stefania & Daniele Aurigi
Beatrice Pazzaglia
Sandra Landi
Rebecca Swan
Paola Giustini
Carolina Bettoni
Dominique Dehareng
Micah Garen
Raphael Rueb
Rosanna Montano
Siba Westphal
Laura Delle Cane
Beatrice Benedetti
Hannah Ormston
Daniele Antichi
Daniela Fellinger
Martino Lega
Maria Pesli
Marco Mencato
Roberto Musto
Maria Grazia Proli
Claudia Di Lorenzo
Darren Robbie
Luigi Marzano
Angela Meucci
Timothy Lalonde
Alessandro Varucciu
Simona Merlino
Marco Casaretti
Andreas Kassab
Shivani Satya
Gianna Boncompagni
Miki Ambrozy
Giuseppe Lenzo
Giuseppe Di Paola
Claudia Tagliaferri
Anna Catala
Ondra Veltrusky
Chiara Carminati
Maura Martelli
Paola Bonaiuti
Nikolas Napierala
Deborah Rohan
Lene Hirschbach
Christian Bruno
Jakob Adebahr

Back from Uganda

 Yesterday the last member of crew, me, came back from Uganda. We had a fantastic two weeks shoot, founding more characters, developing the story and getting some very nice shots. We had good weather, even too bright and sunny, and all was good. Here some of the pictures we took.

You can see more on our Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/PunishmentIsland

IT'S OVER!!

We were anxious until the end, but now it is official. We made, all together we have made it. First of all I want to thank Cristina Mencato and Cristina Lo Presti, wonderful crowdfunding coordinators, Carlo Boschi for all the graphic work and text, all musicians who work hard to organize fundraising events, and.... You, the real creators of all this. You have been great, receptive and generous. And now we leave to do something you will be proud of. THANKSSSS!!!!

Few hours left!

At 9 hours to the end of the crowdfunding campaign, we want to thank our most recent supporters. Thanksss!!!

Lena Hirschbach
Stefania Matteini
Jurgen Von Duszeln
Luca Lorenzini & the staff from the studio
Christian Bruno
Micah Garen
Anonymous contributors at Libreria Cuccumeo & Teatro Verdi, Florence

To support us or find out more:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

Good news for Punishment Island!

We just reached our target thanks to your generous support! Thank you for having believed in this project. It is an outstanding result!

We will continue fundraising for the three days left to deadline. All the extra funding that we will be able to raise will be used 50% to support a local project (women crafts workshop, children health program or swimming courses for adults and children, depending on the amount) and 50% towards improving post-production of the rough cut (sound, music, colour correction) and taking the film to markets for complete financing of the last part of the shooting. W e remind you that the deadline is very close: 31st of January! Thanks!

To support us or find out more:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

- 4

Just 4 days to reag the goal!
You are so many and so generous that we that, we really want to express our gratitude to all of you!

Mick Csaky
Max Buschfeld
Irina Janke
Styliani Parascha
Amanda Belz
Carolina Bettoni
Dominique Dehareng
Hannah Ormston
Maura Martelli
Paola Bonaiuti
Nikolas Napierala

Some data about Punishment Island

- 10.000 € is the final target.
- 82% the supports already received.
- more than 300 people believe in this project and have already generously contributed.
- with a small contribution of 5 € each we can make it.
- 4 days left to the end of the crowdfunding campaign.
- 3 good reasons to contribute: it is a good project; at this times, especially in Italy, to produce something that is culturally important we can only count on the community support; a small price is associated to each contribution.
- 2 ways to donate: on Ulule with credit cards, prepaid or paypal; cash, bank transfer or cheque directly to us.
- 1 a lake, an island, a story which we hope we will be able to tell you soon.

For information and donations: http://ulule.com/punishmentisland/

Countdown started!!!

Still 6 days to the end of the campaign!!
Today, our special thanks go to:

Rosanna Montano
Laura Delle Cane

Beatrice Benedetti
Jessy Contorno & Filippo De Maria
Enza Quattrocchi
Beatrice Pazzaglia
Sandra LAndi
Rebecca Swan
Paola Giustini

To support us:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

- 6!

Only six days left to help us reach our target, the minimum money needed to get on with the next stage of shooting to tell this special unknown story. Joining us on Ulule, you will updated about the state of production and we will receive rewards depending on your contribution. You can support us with credit cards, prepaid and paypal, and you don't need to get out of your way. With 18% left to raise - any small contribution is vital for us at this point. Hoping to see you amongst our supporters! Thanks!

To contribute or find out more:

http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

Thanks to our supporters!

Last crowdfundings days! We want to thank all our new, old, precious and beloved supporters! Please, try to be more and more... :)

Felice Codacci
Nadia Angilella
Chiara Carminati
Siba Westphal
Julia Koppetsch
Merav Bat-Gil
Alex Finn
Renzo Nelli
Juliane Seifert
Nicola Usborne
Catia Giaccherini
Alessandro Conci

To support us:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

News with payments

From today it is also possible to contribute with Paypal (until deadline which is 31st of January). Hoping someone will make use of it. Thanks!!!

To contribute: http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

Towards the end of our campaign!

Today we are entering the last ten days of our crowdfunding campaign having reached a percentage of nearly 74%. This is an excellent result, still not enough. We won't get anything if we don't get it all, and we can't do it for less than 10.000 which was already a very reduced budget. So, if you read, you know that your contribution - even a small one  of 5 or 10 Euros - can be vital for us to continue working on this special documentary.

Our personal crowdfunding experience proved us that only friends of all of us involved (both in crowdfunding team and in the shooting team) decided to make a contribution, in a few cases friends of friends, in very rare cases someone who just read about us on the web or came across our project through the articles that have been written about it. So, for us the viral effect of the campaign didn't work much, it raised interest, yes, but this didn't result in contributions and everybody knows that when it comes to film, nothing can be done without the money. It remained pretty much an European affair, mainly financed by Italy, Germany and Austria, with some participation from UK, France and Belgium. Also we didn't have any help by any humanitarian association, local or international. We know we are not in the richest phase of history, but we mind a bit about these aspects of the campaign. 

However people around us responded very generously and we had very good response from strangers at live events, where we either presented the trailer or we made a brief pitch. Either at Gospel concerts, Pop concerts, or film screenings, it really worked. We were proud to have launched the idea of a domestic vintage market last Saturday which was very successful. On the side a shopper with a total new look which contributed towards the making of Punishment Island!

So, these are our thoughts coming to the end of the campaign. It is not over yet, though, you can still support us at http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/ or get in touch with us for any further info you may need atpunishmentisland@gmail.com - You can also view the full trailer of Punishment Island at 

https://vimeo.com/36273665

With the occasion we warmly thank the supporters of last week:

Julian Falge

Nora Von Duszeln

Laura Pecci & Tomo Kimura

Anna Catala

Onda Veltrusky

Ombretta Guerrini

Giampiero Sbaragli

Stefano Stefani and the Verdi Theatre, Florence

All the shoppers of the vintage market!

**********************

Weekly thanks to our supporters!

As usual, we want to thank our weekly supporters, and we want to thank those who had already supported us and came to last Friday concert to support again (they know who they are) and those who left anonymous contributions for us at the theatre. Really, thanks to all!

♥
Natale Leuzzi
Claudia Tagliaferri
Patrizia Penco
Nadia Angilella
Circolo Rigacci
Lella Sion
La scena muta:
Letizia Fuochi - Silvia Conti - Edoardo Semmola - Riccardo Ventrella - Tiziano Mazzoni
Marco Fontana - Francesco Cosumano - Marco Cantini - Alessandro Bruno
Marcello Parrilli - Umberto Bartolini - Andrea Landi - Jonathan Chianucci - Le Riffe di Raffa              Roberto Mangione - Giovanni Vaccari - Andrea Laschi - Giuseppe Gorini
♥

To support us:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/ 

Who is Laban?

Laban Ahimbisibwe is a great local guy living at Lake Bunyonyi. Young, outgoing, full of energy, he is very trusty, knows how to get respect from people and... pay the right price for things. He has excellent working experience as translator Rukiga/English for the International doctors in Bufuka. At weekend he also works at Edirisa crafts making shop at Rutinda. He is gonna be our general location organizer and translator, together with Comfort.  

To find out more and support us:
http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

Voices for the invisible island!

It translates more or less like that the wonderful evening that the Florence-based group of musicians from "La scene muta" organized yesterday to raise funds for Punishment Island. We presented the documentary showing the trailer and then lots of musicians performed for the island with the overall presentation of sparkling Letizia Fuochi and Silvia Conti and their respective male assistants, one rigorously brown-haired and one blonde, Edoardo Semmola and Riccardo Ventrella. It was an exciting night full of energy, fun and emotion. Musicians didn't forget a thought for Italian actress Mariangela Melato, died yesterday and musician Fabrizio De André as yesterday it was the anniversary of his death. A great night that gave excellent result: all the guests, musicians and the same Circolo Rigacci that hosted the event for free gave their contributions for the telling of this story. Thanks to everybody for the successful and fun night. Here are some pictures while more than be viewed on: https://www.facebook.com/PunishmentIsland

To support Punishment Island, visit:

http://www.ulule.com/punishmentisland/

No Grannies in Africa: Who Will Tell this Tale?

Dilman Dila, an Ugandan friend and filmmaker, writes about my own deep motivations to make this film. Am I entitled to tell this story?

No Grannies in Africa: Who Will Tell this Tale?: A few years back, I used to have a certain kind of anger against foreigners who came to Uganda (and by extension other ‘poor’ countries) ...