Camerado is an innovative, grass roots media production and consultation group located in SE Asia (in Cambodia since 2005) We are currently producing and developing a variety of social issue video, film and media projects which have been deemed worthy of support by the Media Alliance of San Francisco, CA. This means that all contributions are now tax deductible according to IRS code 501 (c) 3

Here’s our current roster of fiscally sponsored projects–projects which are in real need of your support to be realized:

1) CAMBOFEST: Film, Video and Animation Festival of Cambodia (http://www.cambofest.com); this is Cambodia’s first and only independent movie festival, now in our third year. Despite incredible lack of funding, we’ve kept it going til now virtually out of pocket and with modest support from the US Embassy in Phnom Penh and other friends and colleagues–see the Sponsor CamboFest page at the CamboFest website for more information.

CAMBOFEST’s aim has always been to promote the re-emergence of a viable media and movie industry in Cambodia, an LDC (Less Developed Country). The media sector here experienced near-total destruction during the country’s civil war and Khmer Rouge regime, and only today is the industry making inroads towards a recovery in this developing democracy.

But now CamboFest, a testament to the power of independent media in emerging democracies everywhere, is under the gun. The global recession has even reached Cambodia, and now we’re in serious danger of shuttering the festival if we can’t raise some basic support right away...

2) FREEDOM DEAL – A social issue drama, ala “Blood Diamond”. This will be Camerado’s third feature, following our first award winning effort, BookWars, and our second, the social issue drama, Lost in New Mexico. FREEDOM DEAL is the story of two internally displaced Cambodians during the US incursion into Cambodia in May 1970, which in turn sparked civil unrest in the States–leading in turn to the shootings at Kent State University.

The Cambodian story behind the US-VN conflict has never been substantially addressed as a feature film. The soundtrack potential for the movie is awesome, and we hope to utilize as much 1970 period rock music as we can in the soundtrack. DEVO co-founder Bob Lewis (and Kent State Alumnus) is onboard as advisor and story consultant, and Cambodian rock and roll scholar Matt Caron is onboard as Cambo-rock advisor. We have already scouted locations in Cambodia and have commenced significant pre-production.

Update 5/11/09 – We are currently seeking in-kind and financial support and advisors to commence a workshopping session to develop the first draft of the script on location in the Cambodian-Vietnam border region, with the participation of actual communities who lived through the war and incursion. [a Cambodian/US co-production]

3) CAMBOTUBE (www.cambotube.com) – A user-generated, participatory video sharing community and online video delivery portal for Cambodia and SE Asian regional issues; the Cambodian Daily calls CamboTube “an important tool for democracy”.

Like many of our other grass-roots efforts, CamboTube was launched designed, and sustained out of pocket til’ now. We’re currently in need of support in order to upgrade our servers and online internet service, to acquire an office or dedicated work space, and to purchase some basic cameras and production gear in order to allow members of the Cambodian community better participatory access.

Please help sustain independent media in SE Asia with a contribution. Even $10 or $20 goes a long way given our modest overhead…but we can’t do it without you.

If you do require a tax-deduction according to code 501 (c) 3, please note that we are as mentioned are being fiscally sponsored by the Media Alliance of San Francisco, CA.

Mail a check* to Media Alliance:

1814 Mission Street # 205

San Francisco, CA 94103

www.media-alliance.org

(*be sure to write “CamboFest”, “Freedom Deal”, “CamboTube”, or just “CAMERADO” in the memo section of your check)

…or contact them at information@media-alliance.org to arrange an online contribution

We’ve already been faced with a critical funding shortage for CamboFest, as you can see in the following email–the continuation of Cambodia’s first and only independent movie fest depends on contributors like you!

FW: Urgent: Cambodia‘s only independent film festival faces funding shutdown

[Phnom Penh, Cambodia, May 8, 2009]



CAMBOFEST, Cambodia‘s first and only internationally recognized independent film festival (now in it’s 3rd year) is facing an emergency funding shortage. Despite international acclaim and kudos from industry professionals as varied as Julie and Roger Corman, the festival is in imminent danger of shutdown due to significant funding gaps.

CAMBOFEST is 100% diligent about presenting movies only with documented permission from the copyright holders. This is far from standard for the region though–CAMBOFEST’s aim has always been to set an example of proper IP practices for film distribution and exhibition throughout ASEAN, and beyond.

All supporters will be listed on the CAMBOFEST website’s sponsor page at www.cambofest.com; contributors sending $50 or more will receive a special “Best of CAMBOFEST 2008” DVD as our way of saying thanks.

1) PREFERRED METHOD=> your contribution will reach us more quickly and will be available to us nearly instantly via the following gateway:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5293886

2) If you do prefer a tax-deduction according to code 501 (c) 3, please note that we are being fiscally sponsored by the Media Alliance of San Francisco, CA.

Mail a check to Media Alliance:

Media Alliance

1814 Mission Street # 205

San Francisco, CA 94103

(again, with “CamboFest” in the memo section)

…or contact them at information@media-alliance.org to arrange an online contribution

CAMBOFEST’s aim has always been to promote the re-emergence of a viable media and movie industry in Cambodia, an LDC (lesser developed country). The media sector experienced near-total destruction during the country’s civil war and Khmer Rouge regime, and only today is the industry making inroads towards a recovery in this developing democracy.

If you’d like to discuss more significant, longterm sponsorship of CAMBOFEST, please email us at info@cambofest.com

Thanks for your support; we’ll update you on our situation at the end of May–