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 A few months ago, we told you about the documentary "Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story."
The movie, which was filmed and produced by some of DeMerit's friends, tells the story of the Green Bay native's amazing and unlikely career in professional soccer, rising from low-level semipro leagues in England all the way to the Premier League and the World Cup.
"Rise and Shine" earned the "Rising Star" award at this year's Canadian International Film Festival, and the 92-minute film has received positive reviews from those with advance copies.
However, the film can't be finished and released to a wider audience until funding is found to pay for licensing fees, mainly for game footage and music.
That's where you come in.
The producers – neither have formal film training, as Nick Lewis is an attorney and Ranko Tutulugdzija is an acupuncturist – have started a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter in attempt to raise the $215,000 needed.
In exchange for their donations, backers receive varying items, ranging from a DVD of the movie for a $25 donation to an autographed jersey, World Cup game-used boots, Executive Producer credit for the film and a day hanging out with the Vancouver Whitecaps defender for a $10,000 pledge.
Under the Kickstarter setup, the donations are only paid if the project receives pledges meeting its full goal by a certain date. The deadline for "Rise and Shine" is July 18, and more than 200 backers had pledged more than $21,000 to the project as of Wednesday night.
"We want to get the film out to as many people as possible," Lewis and Tutulugdzija wrote on the Kickstarter page. "It is a film with a universal message of hope and self-belief, taking place in the world of soccer but carrying over into all facets of life. We think it is a story that will inspire those who see it."
That should be especially true for soccer players and fans in Wisconsin. Here's the trailer:
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