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 Over the past few months, we've provided several updates on "Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story."
The documentary tells the story of how the Green Bay native rose from Bay Port High School and the lower levels of semi-pro soccer in England all the way to the Premier League and the World Cup.
Now Madison-area fans will have a chance to see the movie – and help get it finished.
Wisconsin Soccer Central, Keva Sports Center and Stefan's Soccer Supply are teaming up to present a screening of the film on Friday at Keva Sports Center in Middleton.
The event will start at 6:30 p.m. and admission is free. However, like the many screenings being held nationwide, the goal is for attendees to pledge financial support for the documentary.
The movie's producers, Nick Lewis and Ranko Tutulugdzija, are two of DeMerit's friends and didn't have any filmmaking experience when they started the project. Now to complete the film, they need to raise $215,000, mainly to cover the costs of licensing rights for Premier League and World Cup highlights.
Lewis and Tutulugdzija are using Kickstarter as a fundraising tool, and have received more than $60,000 in pledges. But under Kickstarter policy, they need to have the full amount pledged by a specific date – July 18 in this case – or they receive none of the money.
Those who make pledges to the project receive items for the level of their donation. The most popular pledge for "Rise and Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story" is $25, for which backers receive a DVD of the completed movie.
At the Middleton screening, there also will be a pair of DeMerit jerseys up for auction, with all the proceeds going to the project.
At least five more screenings were scheduled in Wisconsin: June 3 in La Crosse; June 10 at Sevastopol High School in Sturgeon Bay; June 17 and 18 at Bay Port High School in Green Bay; and July 10 at The Highbury Pub in Milwaukee. For more details on those screenings, visit the movie's Facebook page.
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