Crowdfunding success-story turned festival hit debuts full trailer
The recent history of crowdfunding and other internet fund-accumulation ventures has seen its share of failures, foul-ups and oddities (anybody for potato salad?) lately. So it’s refreshing to see one actually cross the finish line – case in point: Independent filmmaker Justin Simien’s Dear White People, a satirical comedy that raised its initial funds via the Indiegogo platform and went on to win backing from Indiewire.
Set at a fictional Ivy League University, the film has been described as social satire taking specific aim at “The Age of Obama” and the very idea of a supposedly “post-racial” America, following various students as they navigate changing issues of race and class among their generation. The first teaser also featured jabs at the films of Tyler Perry, rappers becoming actors and whether or not Gremlins featured racist subtext.
In the main story, Troy (Brandon P. Bell), the popular “non-threatening” head of the overwhelmingly white school’s lone historically-black residence hall, is unexpectedly dethroned from his position by “militant activist” Sam (Tessa Thompson) the host of the controversial campus radio show of the title. At issue is a University plan to completey randomize student housing-assignments, which Troy supported as win for diversity but Sam believes is a deliberate attempt to erode dissenting black student voices at the school. Caught up in the drama are Brittany Curran as Troy’s white girlfriend, Everybody Hates Chris star Tyler James Williams as a gay black student feeling torn over his lack of affection for black culture and Mad Men’s Teyonah Parris as Sam’s podcasting “get over it” rival. The conflicts converge and get ugly when a white fraternity’s “black-themed” costume party touches off angry emotions – and a riot.
The film has been well-received on the festival circuit, and is now targeting a Fall 2014 theatrical release.
Source: Dear White People
