Educate & empower youth's voice through film

Dear ICiT Partners, 

It is incredible how fast time flies when great work is being done with extraordinary people. Because of you, and your partnership with us, ICiT has been able to finish production on our two films written by Jaida (age 14) and Jessica (age 17). Because of you, we have been able to have an impact on not only their lives, but on all of the youth that have gone and participated in our program through the filmmaking process the past few months. I would like to share some stories with you so that you can see the impact that you have had with us. 

One of the things that we do once one of our films goes into pre-production, is have our winning writers paired with our director and producer and they start working on their script so that it can become the final shooting script. This is a very exciting process for the writer, because they are now taking their raw ideas and fleshing them out with the creative talent that will be filmed. This causes them to really ask what kind of story they are wanting to tell. We were very impressed with how they took the script to a place of real human depth and emotion. We had a professional screenwriter come in to offer some final feedback, and she said of Jaida's script, "This is in the top 3 best short film scripts I have ever read, adults included." That was pretty incredible for Jaida to hear. 

We had a fully professional cast and crew for both films. On some days there were over a hundred people on set: running, working, busting their butts to make an incredible film. We had the best cinemetagraphers, production designers, actors, and supporting crew that Nashville has to offer. One person came and said, "how were you able to get this high level of talent for a short film?" Jessica and Jaida were both on set the whole time and you could see how their faces were glowing the whole time. It was obvious what they were thinking: "All of these professionals are here because of me. They believe in my idea enough to give their best." How do you put a price on that? Priceless. 

We are getting an incredible amount of media coverage for ICiT that will be released in the next few weeks. There are articles coming out in the Tennessean, Native, Nasvhille Lifestyles, Channel 5, NPR, the Scene, and others. They are all capturing this story, because they believe that something really special is happening. First youth are being invested in a way that is rarely seen. They are being invested in a way that says, you have value, and that value is important enough that a city will rally behind you. Second, two remarkable films are getting made, that will put the talented Nashville film community in the spotlight, in a way that shows that there are real masters of this craft in this city. And third, people are being inspired to take youth seriously, and give them a chance to have a voice and an impact. These are all things that will not only impact a few, it will impact a multitude. 

So what do you think? What are your thoughts on what is happening? We want your feedback, since this is now part of your legacy.

We are in post-production now, and the films are going to be premiered at the Nashville Film Festival, the third week of April. We need and want you to be there. I believe it will be a moment unlike any other you have experienced. It will be the unveiling of a child's dream that became reality. How often do we get to see that first hand?

Thank you for your partnership and for working with us to make ICiT a reality this year. Lets build something that lasts and has lasting impact. 

Sincerely, 

David Perry and the ICiT Team

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