Millies a feature film by Lorre Fritchy

Images

Website

http://www.MillliesMovie.com

Topics

Arts & Culture: Architecture, Industrial Design, Mixed Media, Painting, World Music
Economy: Business, Debt, Finance
Environment: Conservation
Human Development: Education, International Cooperation, Labor, Migration, Population, Poverty, Social Exclusion, Tourism, Urban, Volunteering, Youth
Human Rights: Civil Rights, Gender, Race Politics, Sexuality, Social Exclusion
Peace and Conflict: Conflict Resolution
Politics: Activism, Civil Society, Democracy, Ethics & Value Systems, Justice and Crime, Law

Project Geography

US: Massachusetts
International: North America

Identity Niches

Caucasian, Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgender, Latino, Senior/Aging, Student, Women, Youth/Teen

Budget

Raised to date: $7,500.00
Estimate to complete: $2,000,000.00
Total Estimated Budget: $2,007,500.00
The budget numbers above are accurate as of 04/09/2009

Status

Research & Development

Media Type

Video

Project End Use

Other: DVD, Internet, Television broadcast, Theatrical and Video on Demand

Key Personnel

Lorre Fritchy
Writer/Director

Lorre Fritchy (Writer, Director, Executive Producer - Millies) founded MasterPeace Productions a decade ago with a wealth of film and video experience and a strong belief in the power and responsibility of storytelling. A screenwriter, freelance writer and producer/director with a hand in various film and video production roles, Fritchy has even womanned the craft services table. She most definitely appreciates the efforts of every crew member.

Fritchy launched MasterPeace Productions to support the efforts of her 2001 documentary debut, Sandy 'Spin' Slade: Beyond Basketball. After screening at multiple film festivals and special events, this Spinumentary™ earned four stars from Film Threat magazine and won the Creative Excellence Award of Merit from the Academy of Video Arts & Sciences. The film is now in national distribution through National Film Network.

Fritchy's original screenplay KIND-HEARTED WOMAN won the national 2004 One-In-Ten Screenwriting Competition, while her short film script BETWEEN THE LINES was a Finalist in MoviePoet's 5-Minute Screenplay Contest.

Bolstering SassyMedia’s efforts on the 2005 documentary, The Gay Marriage Thing, Fritchy served chiefly as Executive Producer, among other roles. Connecting with audiences at festivals nationwide, the film is now in national distribution through The Cinema Guild.

Started in Newburyport MA in 1997, MasterPeace Productions relocated in 2001 to the historic, culturally diverse, and picturesque mill city of Lawrence, Massachusetts – the setting for Millies.

When Lorre is on the job, she is seriously, undeniably, absolutely All Business. But when there’s steam to let off, she’s likely baking something, cranking up the disco while doing home improvements, or traveling to some offbeat historical, cinematic, photographic or tasty destination with her family and friends. For Lorre’s full production resume, click here.  READ A NOTE FROM THE DIRECTOR, Lorre Fritchy

Stephanie Higgins
Executive Producer
Stephanie Higgins (Executive Producer - Millies) didn’t miss a step after debuting on the film scene by winning Emerson College’s prestigious EVVY Award for her film, Drive Thru Love. Higgins used this momentum to propel her into the edit suites of powerhouse corporations such as Bose and IBM, where she excels as a technical consultant for million-dollar video productions. Higgins founded her own multi-media production company SassyMedia in 2003, with a passion for storytelling and a drive to create media that makes a difference.

SassyMedia’s success exploded in 2005 with its first film and Higgins’ directorial debut, The Gay Marriage Thing. After screening at film festivals nationwide, the film (produced in association with MasterPeace Productions) won distribution through New York’s premiere educational distributor The Cinema Guild. Boston Spirit magazine said, “THE GAY MARRIAGE THING is well worth toasting now and throughout the New Year,” and audiences and educators overwhelmingly agree.

With a cup of tea at her side and a DVD rental in the player, Steff is always studying trends and techniques in film/video, distribution and the blossoming Internet content delivery arena. She is a well-rounded person who makes a mean pizzelle and is a black belt in karate. For Steff’s full production resume, click here.

Outreach/Engagement Plan(s)

MILLIES is a thinking-person’s film. We’re approaching business minds who share our passion for the film’s themes of saving history and overcoming prejudice. But we look to those inspired by our off-screen efforts to have this and future films make positive impacts in the community and the world. We have done our research, we have thought outside the box, and we have created legitimate buzz and headway. We now require the business structure to move forward. We are not just out to make a movie, we are out to make a difference.

MILLIES is poised to hit several specialized markets:

LATINOS - The subplot between MILLIES’ main character and a Latino youth will be extremely attractive to a rapidly increasing Hispanic viewership, especially as the story faces then breaks through stereotypes still plaguing this ethnicity in reality and on-screen. With 250+ Hispanic TV stations and shows in the US and Puerto Rico, there is a growing need for content that reaches this niche audience. MILLIES’ unique, positive story will capitalize on this.

INDIE FILM VIEWERS - Viewers are accustomed to a wide variety of entertainment choices, and more receptive to new kinds of films. Films that have an edge, more artistic imagery, non-traditional storylines and characters – these are what indie lovers crave. “The market has broadened and the definition of what constitutes ‘indie’ film has been expanded.” [WSJ] Many indie films that don't find a distributor at film festivals have an outlet on cable TV while other films find audiences on DVD or the Internet. [CNN.com]

HISTORY/LABOR/SOCIAL ISSUE - Social issue films with subject matter centering on equality, human rights, or racial unrest garner significant audiences. MILLIES touches on on all three. There are numerous festivals and organizations dedicated to media of consequence. The combination of MILLIES’ main characters being women of varying ethnicities and a Latino boy in this welfare city, makes MILLIES a recipe for success in such socially-conscious festivals.

The 1912 Bread & Roses Strike in Lawrence, Mass. - the event inspiring MILLIES - was known around the world in its time, and has been credited with bringing about countless worker and child protection laws. The annual Bread & Roses Festival is just one of numerous commemorative events boasting thousands of attendees each and even more followers. This is a specialized, geographically diverse market actively seeking content like MILLIES. This Strike remains one of the most significant labor events in American history, and there are hundreds of organizations worldwide with some tie to or routine celebration of this strike. With the centennial of the Strike in 2012, MILLIES’ timing is ideal.

INTERNATIONAL - The Strike gained notoriety around the world, with strikers receiving support from nations near and far. Prior to the Strike, mills wooed workers from dozens of other nations with promises of riches and work. The Strike is still a memorable event in other nations, and history is generally more respected and revered in these countries. This is a boon for targeting international audiences, especially when combined with the fact that the MILLIES themselves are a diverse ethnic group: Irish, Polish, Italian, Lithuanian, British, French Canadian and Dominican.

International audiences adore the auteur aspects of a film like this, and its backbone in touching upon diversity, historic preservation, and equal rights in a way that strives to make a difference on- and off-screen. MILLIES has international appeal on many levels.

GAY & LESBIAN – When a film puts same-gender characters in lead roles without an explicit, opposite-sex romantic interest, the gay viewing audience notices. While the relationship between the two female leads is intentionally unspecified, there is enough between them to garner the attentions of a perceptive gay market. Generally a discerning, art-loving, educated group with appealing disposable income levels, gay film audiences are renowned buzz-spreaders in the entertainment industry. We will reap innumerable benefits of this group’s electronic savvy in viral marketing. Additionally, the production team has many in-roads to this market from its previous promotion and distribution of THE GAY MARRIAGE THING documentary. It also provides crossovers into our other target markets in the areas of Social Justice and our final target audience:

WOMEN - With two female leads, a few ethnically- and age-diverse female supporting characters, and a historic labor strike led and won by women, MILLIES has built-in appeal to the female demographic. According to a NY Times article, movie ticket sales among women in the over-40 set are up sharply in recent years. With roughly 4 million more women in the US than men, women make up one of the largest audiences for MILLIES.


MILLIES’ distribution plan includes two primary paths. The first is contracting with a 3rd-party distributor via festivals or solicitation, as our previous films were distributed. The 2nd path includes Self-Distribution through:

A. Film Festivals - We will target high profile and special-issue fests. There are 100s of high quality festivals including Latino, women-focused, and social issue festivals related to our target audiences. There are also festivals beyond the US where MILLIES’ concept, subject matter and style would be well-received.

B. Theatrical – With the advent of digital technology and accessibility to original content, theatrical release has changed substantially in only a couple years. Films no longer require a long theatrical run to be successful.  MILLIES will explore theatrical as a given but understanding it may be more profitable and cost-effective to pursue non-traditional distribution avenues.

C. DVD – DVDs provided 59% of film revenues for studios just a few years ago, with “couch potatoes” supplying 85.8% of worldwide revenues. This shift from theater to DVD means indie films are viable even with limited or no theatrical run. Movies are available at the click of a button thanks to rental houses like Netflix, where films are available instantly and with “films like this one” features that level the playing ground for indies.

D. Television - Cable TV is a source of substantive content with deep penetration in entertainment markets. 85% of TV households receive cable, and the total personal hours watched in the US is 31. Through methods of distribution such as DVR, Subscription-Video-On-Demand, and Video-On-Demand (VOD), consumers have infinite choices and control over entertainment. There are increases in demand for cable TV content including original feature films.

While satellite penetration has grown, more households have cable TV. VOD grew 7% in 2007, eclipsing 30 million households. HDTV is available to consumers and the next wave of DVDs play High Def content. With MILLIES shooting in High Def or digital cinema format, MILLIES will have the quality consumers demand in this pioneering chapter in broadcast/distribution. 

E. Educational/Non-Theatrical - There are 129,000 schools/learning facilities in America. Hospitals, institutions, and home-schooling multiply opportunities to reach vast audiences seeking material. With historical and social issue content, MILLIES is a strong and legitimate classroom-contender with opportunities for teaching tools and critical thinking guides.

F. International – MILLIES’ multicultural premise and histories make it an ideal favorite overseas. Distribution outlets multiply rapidly with this level of international appeal. American arthouse films do well in other countries, often recouping investments completely from foreign support. 

G. Internet - The MILLIES team created an online presence understanding the Net’s crucial impact on a film’s buzz before production even begins. YouTube and the explosion of video hosting and networking websites has heralded in the age of video on the web. iTunes offers TV series and feature films to be played back on iPods and PCs. Media companies are making video available via fee-based business models to both audiences and content providers.

By 2011 – MILLIES’ projected release - the movie downloading business could be worth $1.3 billion. PricewaterhouseCoopers predicts online video downloads will reach $3.7 billion in annual revenue by 2010. At the same time, DVD rentals and sales are expected to total $29.5 billion.
We have been researching Internet content providers while cultivating relationships for this new media distribution. New content delivery sites launch regularly.

H. Multi-Format - Beyond traditional distribution and the Internet, entertainment content is distributed on cell phones, PDA’s and other mobile devices. This advent in technology has caused major cable providers to deliver content here.

The variety of distribution options, longevity of digital formats and reach of online rental houses has increased the life and accessibility of indies. A film’s marketing journey is a mix of theater, DVD, rentals, cable, on-demand, Internet and portable devices. This greatly increases revenue opportunities while also expanding the film’s audience considerably.

100% of MILLIES will be shot in Massachusetts, with a great deal of local crew, talent and resources - satisfying the tax-credit criteria to reclaim a portion of that investment money.

MILLIES’ storyline, themes and broad appeal make it a solid film project investment. Be A Millie!

Funders

Location