Welcome to the Crowdsourcing Mornings segment! Every weekday morning, Geek Alabama talks about and features one crowdsourcing project from crowdsourcing sites such as, Indiegogo, and others. The hope with Crowdsourcing Mornings is to feature and help a project be successful and reach its fundraising goal. Please enjoy today’s featured project!
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Set on the grounds of a shrinking antebellum estate, The Cunning is a 90’s Southern horror feature film rooted in ancestral vengeance and spiritual resistance. When a prominent white couple fosters two Black teens as part of a long-standing but secretive ritual, they unknowingly awaken a powerful reckoning. One of the teens, Eva, is the direct descendant of Esther, a former enslaved woman who was murdered on the land after pleading for more pay and better shelter for her family post-slavery. With Eva’s return to the land, Esther’s spirit is awakened, and so is her bloodline.
The story is set against a broader historical backdrop of post-Emancipation realities, when many freedmen remained on the very plantations where they were once enslaved. Though free in name, their economic bondage continued, while the Southern elite, even after devastating losses post-Civil War, rebuilt their fortunes through new forms of exploitation. Today, as national conversations about reparations gain momentum, The Cunning reminds us that some debts transcend generations and the dead do not forget.
Drawing from enslaved African Americans’ ghostlore, folklore, and Hoodoo traditions, the film summons Esther, not as a passive memory, but as a conjured force of justice. Esther’s spirit rises to possess and protect, where Black spiritual power confronts white generational wealth built on suffering. These traditions, long marginalized in the very country that birthed them, are reclaimed here as tools of liberation and revenge. Through Esther’s vengeful return, the film speaks to a larger truth: what was buried unjustly will not stay buried. The narrative is haunted not only by literal spirits, but by the suppressed truths of a nation that has yet to reckon with its original sins.
We wrapped physical production a little over three years ago. This film is 100% independent and low budget with no network or studio backing. Our humble budget is comparable to what some would spend on a short film. But despite our major financial limitations, I was able to maintain a level of quality that reflects what I can do with very little. Imagine what I could do with more. Much more!
We are proud to follow in the footsteps of many big-name filmmakers who use crowdfunding platforms to bring their projects to life. There is nothing more special and sacred than community based support. With your contributions, you’re not just supporting a film, you’re becoming a part of something BIGGER. Feature films, whether big-budget or bare-bones, good or bad, are stepping stones for filmmakers and creative teams. Completing The Cunning will be a life-changing milestone for those involved, from cast to crew.
A dedicated Atlanta-based cast and crew made this feature film in 2022 and with your help, we’ll finally be able to hire a VFX artist, colorist, and sound engineer to bring this film across the finish line. Your support means the world to us!
As of August 18th, this project has raised $3,500 of their $7,110 goal. This project has 9 days left to raise the $7,110 or it will not be funded. For a pledge of $10, you will get a personalized thank you. For a pledge of $25, you will get a social media shoutout. To learn more and to pledge money, go to: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/directorbrittbanks/the-cunning-feature-film-finishing-funds?
Categories: Crowdsourcing Mornings Stuff
