WHO WILL SURVIVE IN AMERICA One blasian man looking for his identity... and his mother.

The film:

While searching for his homeless, schizophrenic mother, Chris Sanders, an African-Asian-American (see: Blasian) comedian takes an honest look at how finding her, and uncovering the dark past that brought her to the United States might give him a sense of identity.

Follow Chris, a mixed-race comedian, reflect on his past to explore how cultural identity and family values shape our fit into society. While looking for his missing mother, he maintains a humorous outlook on discovering how finding her and uncovering the dark past that brought her to the United States--the Cambodian Holocaust--will give him a sense of identity in a world stuck on identifying us by race, gender, ethnicity, and sexuality.

Set from small-town Bradenton, Florida to big-city Los Angeles, California, this universal tale of growth inspires us to conquer loneliness, turn angst to passion, and define our own destinies to assimilate into modern America.

The team:

Chris Sanders

Chris Sanders, star and co-writer, is a stand-up comedian and writer who was born and raised in Bradenton, Florida to a black father and a Cambodian mother; because of the latter, he considers himself endangered in America. He currently can be found at microphones wherever they stand in Los Angeles, California.

Thomas John Nudi

Thomas John Nudi, director and co-writer, grew up with Chris Sanders in Bradenton, Florida and now finds himself an award-winning filmmaker and a starving artist. His last film, Monty Comes Back, premiered at the 2016 Sarasota Film Festival winning Best Florida Feature--it will be available wide this summer.

Taylor Banks

Taylor Banks, producer, is miles ahead of both Chris and Thomas and they're not quite sure how/why she puts up with them. When she's not keeping them focused on getting the film made she's... snowboarding in Florida?

Where we're at:

Development

During the writing of the film, Sanders was in Los Angeles, while Nudi resided back in Bradenton.

Honesty being the most important aspect of telling this specific story, Nudi wanted to set a mood for Chris with images of Bradenton and a sonic atmosphere, while prompting him to remember moments from his past, poignant and seemingly meant for the screenplay.

The following video, constructed by Nudi, is an example of that.

Pre-Production

There's no doubt in any of our heads that this is an important story to tell. Nudi felt, "a call to emergency" when Chris originally pitched the concept to him. Equally, Taylor Banks, producer, hit the ground running and began organizing a "hell-or-high-water" plan to make sure the film gets made.

That noted, we flew into it. Due to the film's structure, immediate work on the film won't be affected by a wait to finish the entire film--so we're filming the first act.

Still in early phases, were expecting to premiere the first part of the film this September on the festival circuit.

Funding

Films aren't cheap anyway you look at it--but Nudi has experience working on a low-budget with high quality return. For Monty Comes Back he found a coupon, what looks like a $200,000 only cost $15,000.

Taylor Banks is a skilled financier whose mindfulness, preparedness, and ultimately conservative organization meets well with the low-budget mentality. She's resourceful, and fluidly understands production, and creative needs as well as juggling making everything happen reasonably.

We need your help: despite our hard work and hustle, the more money we can raise the easier it is to cross the finish line.

Help us tell the story of an underrepresented community, and a universal tale of trying to fit in.

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