Loss of House, Work, Big Tax Bill Leads to Film Premier in SF Theater July 6, and Campaign to Change Tax Laws; By Author Gini Graham Scott, Changemakers Productions
San Francisco, California (PRWEB) July 01, 2013 -- Internationally-known author Gini Graham Scott was inspired to write The Suicide Party feature and short and launch the Forgive Our Taxes campaign due to getting trapped in the mortgage mess after two banks – Wells Fargo and the Bank of America, suddenly reduced her credit line $30,000 though she had been paying her credit card bills regularly as a result of the Great Recession. The loss of credit led her to eventually sell her house in Oakland, rather than stay as long as possible in a foreclosure and go through bankruptcy. Then, after moving to a San Francisco rental to start over, she got an unexpected big tax bill because of the sale, and such bills can’t be discharged for three years in a bankruptcy, unlike other debts, creating a kind of limbo for anyone needing a new start.
But this near economic disaster has had a silver lining, since Scott has been able to turn her 18 months’ experience into The Suicide Party film, Forgive Our Taxes campaign to help millions in a similar situation, and a documentary to tell the story of once successful but now struggling people who have been hit by taxes they can’t pay, making their situation even worse.
The story featured in The Suicide Party inspired a volunteer cast and crew of almost 50 people to make the short, which will be shown at the Castro Theater in San Francisco on July 6 at about 5:30 p.m. (final schedule announced soon) as part of a festival of short films produced through Scary Cow, a collective of volunteer filmmakers. In the short, Dave, the once successful businessman, decides to have the suicide party after getting a 30-day eviction notice so he can raise enough to save his house and get back on his feet or end it all. In the full-length feature, the announcement sparks a media frenzy and unexpected results. After the showing, a Save Dave campaign will be launched nationally to help fund the feature. The film itself is featured at the Suicide Party Film site.. Anyone is invited to send in a 10-30 second video of why we should save Dave, and an IndieGoGo campaign for funds will be launched a few days after the premier.
At the same time, Scott turned her experience in being hit with a tax bill she can’t afford to pay into the Forgive Our Taxes campaign, after realizing that millions of other once middle-class American are similarly struggling. She has been setting up meeting with the staffs of state Assemblymen and Senators and with members of Congress to propose new legislation to change the tax and bankruptcy laws to create a fairer system to help these individuals, so they can better start again and contribute to the American economy. So far, the campaign includes a Forgive Our Taxes website and a Forgive Our Taxes Facebook page. successful people who are now struggling. The film will be completed by the end of July.
The Suicide Party is especially timely now because of the rise in suicides due to the economic meltdown of the last five years, and the Forgive Our Taxes campaign has gained increased interest due to the new scrutiny of the IRS due to revelations about its practices in targeting certain individuals and groups for an audit and its high expenses for questionable activities.
After the San Francisco film festival, Scott plans to participate in film festivals all over the country with the two films. A feature film based on The Suicide Party script is now in preproduction with plans to film in September.
Besides turning her experiences into films and a political campaign, Scott has published two books on making and financing films: A Complete Guide to Writing, Producing, and Directing a Low Budget Short Film and Marketing Films to Millennials and Baby Boomers. Her book on film funding techniques Finding Funds for Your Film or TV Project, will be published by Hal Leonard in November.
Scott’s videos are featured on the YouTube channel of her company Changemakers Productions. She has also written her amazing story of surviving and thriving after the mortgage meltdown left her with only $500 in the bank before she sold her house, moved to San Francisco 14 months ago, and turned her life around. The book is Living in Limbo: From the End to New Beginning.
Gini Graham Scott is the founder of Changemakers Publishing and Writing and the author of over 50 published books with major companies, as well as 30 books published by her own company Changemakers Publishing. She received a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California in Berkeley, a J.D. from the University of San Francisco Law School, and M.A.s in Anthropology, Mass Communications and Organizational/Consumer/Audience Behavior and Popular Culture and Lifestyles, and a M.S. in Recreation and Tourism at California State University, East Bay. She will be pursuing an MA in Communications there beginning in September 2013. She has spoken about the topics of her books to many groups and the media, including appearances on Good Morning America, Oprah, and CNN.
Gini Scott, Changemakers Publishing and Writing.com, http://www.changemakerspublishingandwriting.com, (415) 571-8282, [email protected]
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