Ready, Set, Fund: Tingle The Senses

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 "Evolution of a Criminal"

Ready, Set, Fund is a column about crowdfunding and fundraising endeavors related to Austin and Texas independent movie projects.

This month's Texas film crowdfunding projects tingle the senses. 

Sight: Watch the Evolution of a Criminal by supporting this award-winning documentary's Kickstarter campaign. The doc's subject, Houstonite Darius Clark Monroe, is raising $60,000 until Oct. 29 for a nationwide theatrical and DVD release, as well as speaking engagements at schools, prisons and various community institutions across the country. Evolution of a Criminal, which premiered at last year's SXSW and Dallas IFF, is the answer to Monroe's question about how his 16-year-old self became a bank robber. In the movie he interviews family members, friends and mentors who recount the stages of his transformation, going from a happy childhood to the moment when he realized the severity of his family's financial struggles. 

Here's more about the project:

Balance (if Wikipedia considers balance to be an "other sense," so do I): Austin's new multi-arts queer festival and conference, OUTsider Festival, is scheduled to make its debut Feb. 18-22. But it needs a little cha-ching before it can be ba-ling. Venues off Manor Road need to be secured and transformed into a carnivalesque atmosphere; artists need travel expenses because they can't just paint themselves into the festival; city permits aren't free; and promotional materials will help put this festival into the spotlight. March to the tune of a different tambourine with OUTsider Festival by helping to contribute to its $35,000 Indiegogo campaign until Oct. 29.

Hearing: The Oak Cliff-based Texas Theatre wants to be heard in the 21st century, so the historic venue's raising funds for its projection system. To keep offering new and repertory films (and to have access to some new movies) The Texas Theatre's digital projection setup needs to be updated. The 35mm projectors aren't going anywhere -- you'd have to pry them from the owners' and staffs' cold, dead hands -- but a Digital Cinema Package is necessary to provide moviegoers with the best looking and sounding format for many movies released digitally by major and independent studios. The current relationship between movie theater and studio isn't a new song and dance: studios and filmmakers have slowly been moving away from traditional film exhibition because of budgetary constraints. The Texas Theatre, financed by Howard Hughes in 1931, has showcased and been the showcase of history; you may recognize its facade from Oliver Stone's JFK. Be a part of history and help the team raise its $63,575 Seed&Spark goal by Dec. 30. 

The Texas Theatre

Touch: Austin-based production company Ralph Smyth (the team also produced Austinite Andrew Disney's Intramural) and director Luke Korem (a Texas A&M alum whose directorial debut, Lord Montagu, premiered at London's BAFTA) are raising $75,000 through an Indiegogo campaign. The money will help fund crew expenses to continue to follow and chronicle the subject of its feature-length documentary Dealt, about the life of Richard Turner, one of the world's greatest card magicians who is completely blind. The movie's crew wants to capture the magic of Turner's performances in places like Sweden, China and South Korea, as well as use campaign funds to combine archival footage of Turner to better present how he played the hand he was dealt in life. Pick a card, any card -- the choice of helping to fund this campaign's $75,000 goal is yours until Nov. 21.

Shazam:

Have a project that you would like to be considered for an upcoming Ready, Set, Fund feature about crowdfunding and related fundraising endeavors for Austin and Texas indie film projects? Contact us with the subject line "Ready, Set, Fund."