A new period-action epic—Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty, written and created by Darin Southam, a filmmaker from Washington State, launched a massive— first ever—Kickstarter for a major motion picture. (See our article about the film.) The campaign is for an epic concept film short that aims to propel the blockbuster hopeful into theaters by 2018. With just hours to go ’till the bell, Southam hustles to go from 3rd to 1st all-time highest funded and highest backed short film on Kickstarter.
Even for those of us who complain about all the war chapters in the Book of Mormon, this sounds really exciting.
Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty is an epic like Braveheart, but set in the 73 BC pre-Columbian New World. The story follows a humble soldier who rises unexpectedly as the protector of a young republic. Moroni, now Chief Captain of a war-weary nation, defends his country with revolutionary prowess, but his greatest struggle will be uniting a beleaguered people.
“This film is a passionate ensign for freedom
and liberty— full of love, war, and triumph. It’s a gripping story with a universal theme. Every soul longs to be
free. That’s why our film is resonating with so many,” says Southam.
The film’s Facebook page has over 26,000 supporters, and even non-Mormons are pitching in, hoping to see this epic story hit the theaters.
With the assurance his concept short will be funded, Southam seeks additional funds to include a visual effects battle scene and open up more spots for people to be extras in the film (a popular reward that is currently sold out). “The more we raise (past our goal), the better our concept short will be. Most people have no idea how much campaigns spend before they even get to start work on their project. 30-45% goes to fulfillment and campaign fees. This is why we need to raise as much as possible,” Southam says.
Darin Southam Endeavor, Inc. was founded in 2004. Southam has appeared in 28 films as an actor. He has also written and directed over 30 commercials for companies such as Adobe and Harley Davidson. See Southam’s credits.
To contribute to Southam’s Kickstarter or download an EPK, visit his Kickstarter page.
