TV project seeks angel investors

It almost sounds like the plot of a comic book movie with a twist – there’s a hero in the city who needs the public’s help.

There’s no fiction in this, however. Local director Omid Qaderi has been putting a lot of energy into a film project he calls The Hero’s Journey, something that he hopes to turn into a television or web series. He and his team of filmmakers and actors have already shot many scenes but, as anyone in “the biz” knows, time is money and it’s good to have friends with deep pockets.

“It’s been about a year-and-a-half since I started the project,” Qaderi said, further clarifying that there are currently about 10 people involved. About half of those people are students, himself included, although he’s the only one who isn’t in film studies or film production training.

There are also others who have more practical experience in various areas of film, but all are still considered volunteers. This is a labour of love, he said.

“A couple of the students … they have their own cameras. They go to school for film,” he continued. “We’ve done a lot of filming. Our first actual film that we edited and polished was the Indiegogo campaign that we released.”

According to the campaign’s site, the premise for the series is about two friends from different cultures who each have to face adversity.

“The main goal and purpose … is to spread light on mental health awareness as well as some current issues on immigrant stereotypes. Our goal is to inspire others.”

In the promotional video that accompanies the pitch, Qaderi states that there are autobiographical elements in the storyline.

“I took bits and pieces of my life. It’s the story of an immigrant boy who comes to Canada and the pressures of his parents and pressures from school and peers and really try to create a story around his struggles, and see how he deals with them.”

Qaderi himself plays the main character, a second generation immigrant Muslim in the middle of a culture clash between the traditional beliefs of his family and the western values of the rest of the community where he lives. Some of his friends are into drugs and violence, leading him to have many internal and external conflicts.

His character is contrasted with that of Kevin, his Caucasian friend who is dealing with depression and a troubled family. Both characters try to find strength in each other as they battle the negative influences in their lives and learn to survive.

Much of the filming has been done around St. Albert.

“We’ve just been working really hard to get this thing on its feet. A lot of planning has gone into it,” he stated. “I just dove in and tried to create a project that would be meaningful and creative.”

He’s hoping the public will believe in it too and offer up its financial backing.

The campaign started on June 24 and ends on Sunday, Aug. 3. Its goal is to raise $6,500 (all dollar figures are in American currency) by that date. As with all such crowdfunding campaigns, there are levels of incentives based on how much each contributor gives to the cause.

People can learn more about the project and show their support by visiting the site at www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-hero-s-journey#home.