Help Simon Fitzmaurice to direct My Name is Emily: Funding campaign open now
Simon Fitzmaurice is an award-winning filmmaker from Dublin. While screening his short film The Sound of People at Sundance in 2008, Simon noticed a pain in his foot. A short time later he was diagnosed with Motor Neuron Disease (ALS). Now Simon lives on a ventilator and is physically incapacitated except for the ability to move his eyes and give a small smile.
Simon began writing the script for My Name is Emily — a project which is supported by Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) — by typing with his hands, and as he lost all physical function, he persisted, finishing it by typing on an iris-recognition screen, with his eyes.
The screenplay is now complete, and production is set for spring 2014. Simon wants to direct My Name is Emily, but filmmaking with ALS is an expensive, challenging and time-consuming process. Donations made through the film's crowdfunding campaign will help pay for a support director and give the project the extra time which Simon and the team need, both in pre-production and production.
Commenting on the campaign, James Hickey, CEO of the IFB, said, "Simon's courage, passion and dedication to his work are remarkable. The Irish Film Board is delighted to be supporting My Name is Emily. I very much hope that the extra funding needed to enable Simon to be on set working as closely on the project as possible can be raised through this campaign."
To enable this dedicated and talented filmmaker to direct his feature film, click here. Donations can be made until December 7th.
The crowdfunding campaign has received the backing of a host of international stars and filmmakers including Lenny Abrahamson, Jim Sheridan and Alan Rickman. Read their testimonials here.
And here is a short video in which Simon explains more about the project.