Why do I like Kickstarter? It’s a way to show support for small projects that might otherwise fall through the cracks, connect with my communities in an impactful and personal way, and support something outside of my self. Supporting projects on Kickstarter allows me to help make the dreams of others a reality, as well as helping me establish a history of support for others’ projects if at some point I should need support for a project of my own. For as little as a dollar and up to the sky’s the limit, I can contribute to projects that make me feel good, or make life better, or further causes I believe in. For most campaigns there are small rewards and inducements for each level of giving. Project backers also have the option to pay with their Amazon.com account, rather than giving credit card info.
Thus far, I have supported six unique projects and am currently supporting a seventh project that has grown out of one of the original six. The current project helps to pay for theatrical distribution of a film documentary of the poet/filmmaker, James Broughton. I also supported the filmmakers’ original Kickstarter project to make the film, which is entitled BIG JOY: The Adventures of James Broughton.
James Broughton was a queer San Francisco/West Coast poet and experimental filmmaker, who published 23 books of poetry and also made 23 films over his lifetime. According to The Independent (in the U.K.), “James Broughton for decades occupied a special place comparable to that of Jean Cocteau, Buster Keaton, Erik Satie and Edith Sitwell.” He is, I believe, the originator of the phrases, “when in doubt, twirl” as well as, “follow your own weird.” Thematically, he is compared to the ecstatic poetic arc also occupied by William Blake, Walt Whitman, and Allen Ginsberg, among others.
The film, which has played at South By Southwest, Tribeca Film Festival, and Outfest among other festivals and screenings, has six days remaining in its current Kickstarter campaign, and with only six days remaining, the filmmakers are about a third of the way towards funding theatrical distribution for the film. In case you might want to know more about the film (or perhaps you or you know someone might be interested in supporting it), here’s a new trailer for the film to whet your appetite,
Greenfae's Leaves 