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ABOUT THE FILM

"Pieces of Us" is a documentary film that focuses on the intimate and personal journeys of LGBTQ+ hate crime survivors, who by choosing to take their recovery public, inspire the survivor in all of us.

A brutal subway attack on their 10th anniversary, a date that ends in a near death choke hold, the loss of a child to suicide after school bullying, death threats from within your own community. These stories are more common today than we care to admit.

50 years after the Stonewall riots, LGBTQ+ youth suicide, hate crime and bullying are on the rise, with the vast of majority of crimes unreported. LGBTQ+ history is defined by the resistance of unlikely heroes, who didn't choose to have their rights violated, but chose to stand against hate and give voice to the voiceless. Because courage is contagious. We are all made stronger by the stories we share. Someone who desperately needs to hear it is listening.

This is why we're raising money to complete "Pieces of Us". Watch the film's teaser:

 

Help us share the stories of LGBTQ+ hate crime survivors. Speak Your Truth. A Video Message from our Director:

 

FEATURING: Mykel (Michael Dicus), JP Masterson (Jipsta), Prince Manvendra Singh Gohil of India, Leia Pierce and Sue Sena, founder of the Swish Ally Fund.

Check out our Website and Facebook Page for more information!

CONTRIBUTIONS - TOGETHER WE WILL BUILD A COMMUNITY

We were able to secure funding to complete filming, but now we need you to help us complete post production, which literally brings the project to life. To deliver Pieces of Us to millions of people worldwide, we need to cover expenses such as editing, color correction, sound mixing & design, composer fees and historical footage licensing.

We are grateful for your donations at any amount!  *Because of our fiscal sponsorship with From the Heart Productions, ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE!

WE RAISED $6428 BEFORE MOVING TO THIS NEW PLATFORM.  A big thank you to all of our past donors who got us this far! 

DONATION PERKS:

$5,000 Level: Donors will receive an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit on IMDB and in the film. You will also receive a "Pieces of Us Messenger Bag" produced by Mykel and The Gay Royals who are featured in the film

$2,500 Level: Donors will receive an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER credit on IMDB and in the film. You will also receive a "Pieces of Us Tote Bag" produced by Mykel and The Gay Royals who are featured in the film.

$500 Level: Donors will receive a THANK YOU credit on IMDB and in the film. You will also receive a "Pieces of Us Coin Purse" produced by Mykel and The Gay Royals who are featured in the film.

$250 or More: Donors will receive a download link to the film, to be sent once the film festival circuit is complete and in accordance with any distribution regulations.

$100 to $249: Donors will receive a personalized answering machine greeting recorded by rap artist Jipsta, featured in the film.

Donors of $25 or more will be added to our email list to be first to hear about our progress, festival screenings and release date!

Donations by Check: Make a check out to: "From The Heart Productions" and put "Pieces of Us- Documentary" in the memo line. Mail to- From the Heart Productions-1455 Mandalay Beach Road, Oxnard, California 93035-2845

You can also help support the film by following and sharing our FB PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/PiecesofUsDocumentary

 



 

   


 

ACTIVISM THROUGH ART

Once completed, the producers will seek to acquire distribution throughout all platforms including digital and broadcast. The film will also hit the film festival circuit nationally and internationally. In addition, the producing team plans to develop a curriculum to screen the film for educational purposes in schools, churches and various community organizations.

MEET THE TEAM

CHERYL ALLISON - DIRECTOR | PRODUCER

Cheryl is an award-winning actress who has performed in Broadway, Regional Theatre and Film/TV for over 25 years. She is best known for her starring role in the feature film No Letting Go (2016) opposite Kathy Najimy, Richard Burgi, and Alysia Reiner. Her performance in the film garnered her 3 Best Actress Awards. She is the Founder|Producer of WOW FILMS, a production company that strives to create thought provoking stories that deepen our understanding of the human experience. WOW FILMS recently produced short film Far From The Tree (2017) has received 26 awards in over 22 film festivals worldwide, including 6 Best Short Film awards. Cheryl recently directed the short film Hiding in Daylight (2019) which has been selected into 31 film festivals to date including the American Pavilion's Emerging Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival. Cheryl directed the documentary feature Shatter the Silence (2019) which is currently in film festivals worldwide and will make its broadcast premiere on PBS in September. She is thrilled to be currently directing the documentary feature Pieces of Us produced by Eec! Productions and Blue Door Films. Cheryl, a regional Emmy nominee, is also the recipient of the Silver and Bronze Telly Award. www.cherylallison.net

 

MYKEL DICUS - PRODUCER | FEATURED IN FILM

Mykel has been an entertainment professional for over 20 years, with stage performances ranging from Jesus Christ Superstar (with Ted Neely) to Dreamgirls, directed by original Broadway cast creatives. Under his company Eec! Productions, he's spearheaded many artistic projects, including Flow & Flair and Broadway to Bombay. A master at overcoming obstacles, after surviving a hate crime Mykel created a one man show Pieces of Me and toured the country bravely sharing his story of recovery. This stage show became the genesis for the documentary film Pieces of Us. In addition to stage productions, Mykel has appeared on The Glam Fairy, performed at Radio City Music Hall, made it to the celebrity judging round on America's Got Talent, and is featured in the documentary, A Flow Affair! With a combined knowledge of entertainment and business, Mykel sees where solutions from either world can drive a product forward, and is an asset to any creative endeavor.

 

MARK VON DER HEIDE - EXECUTIVE PRODUCER | PRODUCER

Mark has a 30+ year career in Music, Post Production and Project Management including managerial positions at Walt Disney Studios and Netflix. His work on Ralph Bakshi's animated The New Adventures of Mighty Mouse garnered him an Emmy Nomination for Music Direction (1989). He's lent his Post skills to Bob's Burgers, Emmy winner for best Animated Series (2014) and Redux Riding Hood, Oscar nominee for best Animated Short (1997). The distribution team he managed at Netflix contributed to the documentaries that won the company's first two Oscars, The White Helmets and Icarus (2017/2018). Under the name Mark VDH, he has written and collaborated on over a dozen Top 10 Billboard dance hits including working with top Billboard artist Jipsta (JP Masterson) who is featured in Pieces of Us.

 

CARINA RUSH - PRODUCER

Carina is a multi-award winning producer whose highly acclaimed feature film No Letting Go (2016) received worldwide distribution through Vision Films. The film received the elite honor of being one of the top 100 films viewed on Amazon Prime. Most recently she produced the award-winning short film Far From The Tree which dealt with the topic of sexual assault. The film starred accomplished actor Gabriel Rush, who happens to be her son, and her producing partner on the film Cheryl Allison. She has guided her son Gabriel's acting career from National Tours and Broadway (Billy Elliot) to episodic TV and Feature Films, including his recent lead role in Guillermo del Toro's iconic Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. Carina's 20 years of experience in the Arts and Entertainment industry and her firsthand knowledge of the business has made her a sought after producer. In addition to her producing partnership with Cheryl and WOW FILMS, she is working on several projects that are in development, currently filming and in post-production.


 

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Pieces of Us the Documentary FAQ
Is my donation tax deductible?
Yes, we are a fiscally sponsored project of From The Heart Productions, which is a public 501c3 organization recognized by the IRS. Your donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permissible by law.

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We will not share or sell a donor's personal information with anyone else, nor send donor mailings on behalf of other organizations.