"The Lililput" Raises $10,000 On IndieGoGo.com

As previously noted at last week's Alternative Models of Distribution panel at the Canadian Consulate, the film The Lilliput has raised approximately $10,000 through IndieGoGo.com.

Here's the official IndieGoGo.com announcement:

Berkeley, California, March 5, 2008—IndieGoGo, the online social marketplace that connects filmmakers and fans to make more independent film happen announced today that Minna Packer (BACK TO GOMBIN) raised $10,000 to shoot a “sneak peek” of her new narrative film THE LILLIPUT. This is the first project to successfully reach its fundraising goals on IndieGoGo. The film chronicles the true story of Umchzek Kerber, a Jewish dwarf and friend of the Packer family, who survived the Holocaust by hiding in garbage cans in a Warsaw railway station.

In IndieGoGo’s first six weeks, it has already become home for 120 projects and $16,000 in fan contributions. Founded on the principles of opportunity, transparency, choice, and action, IndieGoGo addresses fundraising challenges by providing filmmakers an open platform to pitch their projects to the world while giving fans a vehicle to experience and influence the once inaccessible world of filmmaking.

“Lilliput’s success is a perfect example of our motto, DIWO, “Do It With Others”, said Slava Rubin, IndieGoGo Founder and Chief of Strategy and Marketing. “Minna did everything right: She posted her project, built her audience with our promotional tools, created unique contributor VIP perks and got the word out. There is clearly an audience that’s wants to see THE LILLIPUT get made and we are very excited Minna was able to make that connection so quickly.”

THE LILLIPUT will be filmed in Poland in collaboration with the National Film School in Lodz and the University of Lodz. Packer, who is the child of Holocaust survivors herself, was inspired to tell Umchzek Kerber’s story to ensure the strength of her family friend is never forgotten.

“IndieGoGo made the shoot for our sneak peek a reality. Many people would not have heard of our film and now we have new fans we never thought we would reach,” said Minna Packer, Director, THE LILLIPUT. “Our project is being shot in Poland, the production team is in the US, our actors and fans are from around the world. Now everyone has one home on IndieGoGo.”

IndieGoGo has continued to add resources for its filmmakers through its partnership network. A recent partnership includes TubeMogul. The organizations will collaborate to provide IndieGoGo filmmakers a universal upload whereby TubeMogul deploys videos to as many of the top video sharing sites the producer chooses. This is replete with integrated analytics and single source metrics on “where, when, and how often” the videos are viewed. Other partners include IFP, From Here to Awesome, and the Workbook Project. Each partnership is designed to provide filmmakers with the widest array of tools and resources needed to support their DIWO filmmaking.