Toronto-based film studio Apiary InterMedia has announced its initial “audience activation” funding round for its Redeem Her project, which seeks to reclaim the feminine perspective that is absent from the popular Bible narrative.
At the center of the Redeem Her project is ApocryphA, a long-form historical/Biblical drama series that is planned for 3 seasons of 13 episodes each. The series is a retelling of the story of Jesus, with Mary Magdalene as a major character. The series applies a human perspective and examines how Mary and Jesus' other disciples helped shape his image as Christ, kick-starting the largest religion in the world today, with more than 2 billion adherents.
According to Apiary InterMedia co-founder Tamara LeClair, ApocryphA's title takes inspiration from the books that were excluded from the Bible and banned by religious authorities. She says that the mainstream Jesus story isn't the whole truth, and that Mary Magdalene's role in the story has been downplayed and ignored, resulting in her popular image as a prostitute who repented and became a follower of Jesus.
The Redeem Her project also includes a companion game for ApocryphA, which introduces the apocryphal scripts, or the books that didn't make it into the Bible, that serve as the basis for the series' story. This provides an immersive and interactive experience that can help viewers better appreciate the series's story by setting some important historical context.
“My inspiration for ApocryphA came in 2006, when I woke up one night and I realized that we need to put a female voice to the traditional Biblical narrative. We began seriously researching and developing the whole concept in 2012, and we've circulated it, including with several film industry executives. We've received some great feedback from them, that's why we're looking for funding to get the project started with this audience activation round,” LeClair says.
Apiary InterMedia says the funding round is looking for a test audience of 150,000 individuals that will help fund the first three episodes of the first season. The studio seeks to raise $9 million from contributions of at least $5 per person. Contributors will receive exclusive perks, such as snippets of the research journey, access to a monthly podcast and script readings, other behind-the-scenes privileges, and a mention in the series' credits.
LeClair provided a breakdown of the funding round's proceeds, where 10% will be used for administrative purposes, 30% will be retained for website operations, the companion game, and other marketing expenses, and 60% will be placed in escrow for the production of the series itself.
“ApocryphA isn't a faith-based project. It's a 'test your faith' project that invites audiences to question everything that they know about the story of Jesus. And it's also timely, as the female voice is on the rise. This is a female-led and female-focused project. This perspective is controversial because it's not just about Jesus. It's about a great woman responsible for the rise of the great man. Mary Magdalene was the first witness to Jesus' resurrection. Had she not vouched for his resurrection and stuck to her story, Christianity may not be what it is today,” LeClair says.
Media Contact:
Name:Tamara LeClair
Email: [email protected]
