LOS ANGELES — Writer-producer Stormi Maya has launched a crowdfunding campaign for her indie feature "Hicktown," in which she also stars alongside Khalil Kain.
Maya successfully hit her initial $10,000 goal with 10 days left in the campaign, and now she's aiming for her stretch goal, which will allow her to make "Hicktown" even better by hiring a professional crew, securing key locations, and covering music, sound design, and scoring.
Additional funds will also allow Maya to submit "Hicktown" to film festivals, pay fair wages to cast and crew, add high-quality post-production, and expand the film's distribution network.
"Hicktown" stars Maya as a biracial woman named Amber, "who is stuck in rural Texas, trapped by her racist white family, and suffocated by the small town she lives in," the synopsis reveals. "Struggling with low self-esteem and looking for a way out, she prostitutes herself for her family’s gain. Her world changes when she meets Lenny (Kain), a hardworking Black man who has just been released from prison and is determined to rebuild his life. The two find solace in each other, flee the town, and go on a journey of self-discovery and transformation, thereby confronting their pasts and rewriting their futures.
Maya enthused about "Hicktown" and its crowdfunding campaign.
"This is definitely a passion project," she said. "It’s also to open up people’s eyes to the realities that Black men are disproportionately accused and incarcerated for crimes they didn’t commit, especially sexual assault, and what it’s like to be biracial and feel like you don’t belong and be isolated. Obviously, the second part applies to my life, but I have seen many people be affected by both. This indie film will help people see the realities of both, and I’m so grateful to be able to make the film and have such an incredible cast and crew. Hopefully, we will make the stretch budget for the best possible film."
For more information, visit Kickstarter. To watch a teaser for the film, click here.
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