Trailer: Wilmington on Fire (The Wilmington Massacre of 1898)

"Serious damage was done to the soul of the town. That's why folks want to turn it around. Now is the time to make up for the crime. To help our children learn from our mistake. To ensure that there will be no more 1898."- Excerpt from the poem "Wilmington Massacre of 1898" by Larry Reni Thomas

 

ABOUT THE PROJECT:

"Wilmington on Fire" is a feature-length documentary that will give a historical and present day look at the Wilmington Massacre of 1898 and how the descendants of the victims of the event are asking for legal action in regards to compensation / reparations. The Wilmington Massacre of 1898 was a bloody attack on the African-American community by a heavily armed white mob on November 10, 1898 in the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina. It is also considered one of the only examples of a violent overthrow of an existing government (coup d'etat) and left countless numbers of African-American citizens dead. This event was the spring board for the white supremacy movement and Jim Crow (segregation) throughout the state of North Carolina, and the American South.

The purpose of the film is to educate and bring awareness to people of all racial, cultural and economic backgrounds on the importance, significance of this event in history and to present the story from an African-American perspective. This incident is barely mentioned and has been omitted from most history books. It was not until 2006, after the North Carolina General Assembly published a report on it, that the tragedy become known to the public. It was supposed to be a secret, and it was for over 100 years. The film features interviews from historians, authors, activists and actual descendants of the victims of the Wilmington Massacre of 1898.

 

 

SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN THE FILM:

Larry Reni Thomas - Larry Reni Thomas is an author/radio announcer and activist. He is also the founder of ICROW, Inc. (International Organization for Compensation and Reparations for the Victims of the Wilmington Massacre of 1898).

Lewin Manly - Lewin Manly is the grandson of newspaper editor Alex Manly. Alex Manly was a prominent black figure in Wilmington and was forced to leave Wilmington in 1898 after his office building was burned down by a white mob.

Faye Chaplin - Faye Chaplin is the great-granddaughter of Thomas C. Miller. Thomas C. Miller was a prominent businessman and property owner in Wilmington and was forced to leave Wilmington in 1898.

Mary Alice Jervay Thatch - Mary Alice Jervay Thatch is the owner of The Wilmington Journal, one of the oldest black weeklies in the nation.

William Darity Jr. - William Darity Jr. is a Professor of African-American Studies and Economics at Duke University.

Umar Johnson - Umar Johnson is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist who practices privately throughout Pennsylvania and lectures throughout the country. He is considered an authority on mental health in the Black community.

Al McSurely - Al McSurely is a legal advisor for the North Carolina NAACP.

 

MEET   THE TEAM:

Christopher Everett (Director + Writer + Producer) - Check out his recent project "The Laurinburg Institute Est. 1904" (preview trailer) at: http://www.vimeo.com/1761543

Christopher Everett is an actor, writer, director and producer. He has a degree in Graphic Design from King's College in Charlotte, NC. He recently finished his first documentary short entitled "The Laurinburg Institute Est. 1904" on a historic African-American Boarding & Day School in his hometown of Laurinburg, NC. Christopher has also starred in many commercials throughout the south east and indie films such as the award-winning narrative short “On My Last Breath”.

Pete Chatmon (Executive Producer) - Check out his media + marketing collective Double7 Images at: http://double7images.com/

Pete Chatmon is an award-winning filmmaker across several platforms. He wrote, produced, and directed "Premium", starring Dorian Missick and Zoe Saldana and "761st", narrated by Andre Braugher, and has directed several short films, original webseries, and branded content for ad agencies. Double7 Images, his media+marketing collective, exists to give businesses, brands, and entrepreneurs a fighting chance in a marketplace crowded with distracting media noise.

 

Donte' Lee (Cinematographer) - Check out his cinematography work at: http://vimeo.com/donte

Donte' Lee has experience in film, music videos and commercials. His music video experience includes videos for artists such as Shaggy, Calvin Richardson, Tamer Hosny, and Paper Tongues. His commercial experience includes commercials for Rubbermaid and Saber Grills. His recent feature film work includes indies “Jimmy” and “9 Ball”.

 

Matthew Head (Composer) - Check out his film composer work at: http://www.matthewheadproductions.com/

With over six years of scoring experience, Matthew has found much success in the realms of film and video. His composition credits include numerous scores for movies, documentaries, and even commercials. Working with The Horne Brother’s production company, Matthew served as the Music Supervisor and Composer for their films Kissing Bandit and The Start of Dreams. Matthew has also worked with Dapa Entertainment composing the music for their documentary I am a Dream Chaser. Extending his abilities, he has worked closely with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution marketing team providing music for their commercials.

Ja'Nese Jean (Music Supervisor) - Check out her music at: http://www.facebook.com/janesejean

Talk about a musician that embodies every aspect of music, you’re talking about Ja’Nese Jean. Artist, Vocal Producer and Music Supervisor, Ja’Nese Jean is a Triple Threat. Ja’Nese Jean’s dream is to inspire the masses through music, and for that reason, it’s important for her to be well skilled and knowledgeable in multiple aspect of the musical realm. She’s a Songwriter/Composer with ASCAP, a member of NARAS, and AGMA. She’s also a classically trained coloratura Opera diva, and humanitarian amongst many other things.

Jesse Kale (Still Photographer) - Check out his IMDB page at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3960520/

Jesse Kale has wanted to work in film since the first time he watched John Carpenter's The Thing. Since that first viewing he's attended the UNC School of the Arts, worked on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, is an intern for Instinctive Film and is about to start work on producing his first short film. He currently attends UNCW for Communication.

 

WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING WITH THE PROJECT:

Once completed, we plan on entering the film in major + small film festivals around the country. We will also have screenings (with Q&A) throughout the state of North Carolina. After the film makes its run through festivals and screenings, we plan on distributing the film independently through retail + cultural shops and online.

 

 

WHY WE NEED YOUR HELP:

Our goal is to raise $3,100.00 in 30 days. We are trying to get through production and the money raised will be used for film crew + travel expenses (to finish conducting interviews). You will be rewarded for pledging to this project via film credit, copy of the DVD, movie posters, t-shirts, etc. As we shoot and the deadline draws closer, we will keep you posted on the progress of the film and any other updates. We tried to go for the "GUSTO" (raise the full budget) the last campaign but we were unsuccessful (see the 1st campaign here: http://www.indiegogo.com/wilmingtononfire). We have decided to fundraise in 2 stages with this being the "Production" fundraising stage and after this will be the "Post-Production" fundraising stage.

 

 

REWARDS FOR DONATING TOWARDS THE PROJECT:

$10.00 - A special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$25.00 - Teaser Poster (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$50.00 - Copy of the DVD (once completed) + Teaser Poster (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$75.00 - Limited Edition "Wilmington on Fire" T-Shirt + Copy of the DVD (once completed) + Teaser Poster (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$100.00 - Copy of the DVD (once completed) + Limited Edition "Wilmington on Fire" T-Shirt + 2 Teaser Posters (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$500.00 (5 available) - Associate Producer credit + 1 free pass to the premiere in Wilmington, NC (TBA) (travel + lodging not included) + Copy of the DVD (once completed) + Limited Edition "Wilmington on Fire" T-Shirt + 3 Teaser Posters (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

$1,000.00 (3 available) - Executive Producer credit + 2 free passes to the premiere in Wilmington, NC (TBA) (travel + lodging not included) + Copy of the book "Rabbit! Rabbit! Rabbit!: A Fictional Account of the Wilmington Ten Incident" + Copy of the DVD (once completed) + Limited Edition "Wilmington on Fire" T-Shirt + 3 Teaser Posters (11 x 17) + a special thank you + "shout out" on the film's facebook & twitter pages

 

Join the official facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/wilmingtononfire

 

Follow the official twitter page at: http://twitter.com/wilmington1898

You can view the teaser trailer on Youtube at: http://youtu.be/9toV2-zDWkA

 

You can view the teaser trailer on Vimeo at: http://vimeo.com/33422710

Take ACTION! and sign the petition "Endorse Compensation for the 1898 Wilmington Massacre Victims" at:

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-general-public-endorse-compensation-for-1898-wilmington-massacre-victims

 

 

Please, help spread the word and share this amazing film project with all your friends + followers.  Thank you!