You Can Help This Film to Thrive
IN A DRY LAND was lucky to receive an amount of funding that has allowed the movie to come this far. However, much of what is still needed is outside of the skillset of the primary filmmaker working on the project. She has a lot of creative ideas and needs to hire fellow artists to help those ideas come to life. There’s also the logistical side of things – legal fees, marketing, festivals, etc. See below for the detailed budget outline.
This documentary strives to model the quiet calm, complex wit, respectful fear, and rough adaptability of the prairie and its inhabitants. It takes a ruggedly personal approach to the political issue of industrial hemp through intimate portraits of people, families, and traditions. The viewers of this film will breathe the beauty of life and the dryness of dust so prevalent in the eastern Colorado plains.
Bumpy tractor rides, breathtaking landscapes, and memorable characters will carry the story rather than flashy transitions or motion graphics. Reverent and real, this documentary will share insight into hemp’s history in America. My goal is to present this controversial subject with character and compassion, in an effort to unite Americans in this politically polarized time.
IN A DRY LAND was started back in 2012 when Sarah Megyesy (Director/Cinematographer/Editor) moved to Colorado and became involved with Amendment 64, the campaign that legalized cannabis. What many people still don’t know is that Amendment 64 also legalized the growing of industrial hemp. Many states have since followed and the federal government gave their “okay” for Americans to grow hemp through the 2018 farm bill, but farmers of industrial hemp are still needing to jump through the hoops of a new industry.
Budget Breakdown
Audio Editing & Mixing: $3,000 – $6,000
Animation: $4,000*: The film includes audio of Colorado Senate and House bill hearings from 1996. The director would like to have these segments animated. *$2,000 of this is already fundraised.
Editor: $4,000: The director is currently editing the film through rough cuts. If possible, hiring a professional documentary editor to finalize the film would be very beneficial.
Graphics: $2,000
Marketing: $4,000: Marketing fees that are included, but are not limited to, hiring a marketing director, creating and hosting a website, film festival fees, and applying to film finishing programs.
Lawyer Fees: $2,000 – $3,000: A lawyer is necessary to ensure the film is cleared legally and can be sold & distributed.
Writer: $800 – $1,500: The director would like to incorporate poetry and some narration into the film. The range is based on how much writing is needed.
Narration Recording: $500
Total Range: $20,300 – $25,000
about the filmmaker
Sarah Megyesy (Director/Cinematographer/Editor) received her B.F.A in Filmmaking in 2011 from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Since moving to Denver, CO in 2012 Sarah has often worked with Colorado’s thriving music scene, she created the music video “Liars” for Grammy-nominated artist Gregory Alan Isakov and has created multiple videos with award-winning poet Andrea Gibson. In April of 2019, Sarah finished her first documentary feature film, THE RIGHT TO REST, about Denver’s homeless rights activist movement and is currently in post-production on her second documentary feature titled IN A DRY LAND. In the fall of 2020 Sarah will begin her M.F.A in Cinematography at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles, CA.
For further information or questions about donating
you can reach out to the director via email at .
In a Dry Land
Beverly Saidel
$110.00Anonymous
$27.50Michael Hester
$5,000.00Peggy Millard
$27.50Susan Gaddis
$50.00Best Wishes
Edgar & Lori
$50.00Teagan Papke
$27.50So beautifully done! Thank you for sharing!
Beverly Newman
$55.00Lee and Burt Levy
$55.00Matt Blackburn
$500.00Good Luck finishing off the documentary
Robin Lally
$50.00Wendy Nelson
$10.00Thank you 🙏🏻
