Campaign Story

Help us to put [W]holehearted into reality!

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

At this point we would like to try to answer any questions you may have about the crowdfunding campaign in advance. Feel free to click on the links below to jump to a specific question. If you have any questions that you cannot find the answer to here, you can of course write to us at any time using the contact form, email or social media.

• What is the film project about?
• What do you need so much money for?
• How does crowdfunding work?
• What payment options do you offer?
• Do I receive a tax exemption donation receipt for my support? (Specific question for German residents)
• Will I get a reward for my donation?
• Will I be credited in the film?
• Is it also possible for entrepreneurs to support the project with their company as a sponsor?
• When are you going to shoot the film?
• What if the funding goal is not met?
• What happens if there is money left over at the end?
• I've just supported the project, why can't I see any change in the Funds Raised?
• Why don't you use a platform such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Startnext for crowdfunding?
• How can I get information about the progress of the campaign and about the film project in general?
• Do I have a right of withdrawal?

What is the film project about?

All Information about the vision and story as well as the team behind the film, you will find on this website in the area About the film. But in short: Our goal with [W]holehearted is to reach people with the Gospel and to lead them into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

We want to publish the film in Germand and English language (dubbed) and make it available online for free Viewers engaged by the message should be given the opportunity to respond, receive more information, and connect with a church.

Why do you need so much money?

Of course, we understand that an amount of 145,000 euros seems excessive at first. A word in advance - we as producers will not earn a cent for ourselves on the project. The entire budget flows solely into the realization of the film. We want to do the project on a voluntary basis and solely for the glory of God.

But we also want to produce a high-quality film, a film that arouses curiosity and is a pleasure to watch. Even if it's just a short film, it should look like cinema. That's why we want to hand over the key tasks that largely determine the quality of the film (i.e. in particular the main roles, camera, lighting, sound, music) to people who have the necessary experience in these areas. As a rule, these are people who make a living from their work. Therefore, of course, we have to and want to pay these people for their work.

At the same time, we want to do our part to create a culture in which it will continue to be worthwhile for film crew workers to produce Christian content. Because if the media world in this country needs anything, it is more positive, hopeful, truthful and life-affirming content. In a world full of bad news and lies, we want to use the media to spread the truth. But the production of good content is not only expensive but also time-consuming. And there are certainly many believers in the media who would like to invest a large part of their time in such projects, but also have to make a living from something. If we are able to reward people for their work, more and more such media can be produced.

At the same time, we want to do our part to create a culture in which it will continue to be worthwhile for filmmakers to produce Christian content. Because if the media world in this country needs anything, it is more positive, hopeful, truthful and life-affirming content. In a world full of bad news and lies, we want to use the media to spread the truth. But the production of good content is not only expensive but also time-consuming. And there are certainly many believers in the media who would like to invest a large part of their time in such projects, but also have to make a living from something. If we are able to reward people for their work, more and more such media can be produced.

A large part of the costs are motif and technology rentals, filming permits, equipment, props and costumes. In addition, there are travel costs for actors and crew members, transport costs for technology and equipment and catering on the set.

Then there is the post-production. We can do a lot here ourselves and have therefore left it out in the calculation. We can implement editing and color grading, as well as part of the visual effects, on a voluntary basis in our own studio. But for the film music and the final sound mix, however, we need a composer and sound engineer.

Feel free to pray about whether you should also support us with a donation. If you have gotten it on your heart to help us with the budget by donating any amount, we will be deeply grateful!

How does crowdfunding work?

It's easy to support us financially. You can simply enter a free amount of your choice in the field above and then click on "Back campaign". Then enter your name and address, select your desired payment method and send the order. We need your name and address to send you a thank you card, to issue a donation receipt and to mention your name in the credits. If you do not want the latter, you can also tick “I want to remain anonymous”. Please note that we must first manually confirm each donation before it becomes visible in the campaign progress. Depending on the payment method, it may therefore take some time before your donation is reflected in the progress of the campaign.

What payment options do you offer?

You can pay by PayPal, credit card or bank transfer.

Do I receive a tax exemption donation receipt for my support? (Specific question for German residents)

Yes. We are a registered non-profit association. We are therefore entitled to issue you with a donation receipt for all donations. You can therefore also claim your donation to us as special expenses in your tax return (this applies to German residents). The donation receipts will be sent out at the end of the year.

Will I get a reward for my donation?

We are deeply grateful to you for your support. Every supporter, regardless of the amount, will therefore be mentioned by name in the film's credits (unless you wish to remain anonymous) and may see the film in an online premiere before the general release. You will also receive a thank you card from us in the mail for a donation of 10 euros or more. We have not created an assortment of rewards for you to choose from for this campaign. This would be a relatively high logistical effort and part of the donations would then be swallowed up for the production and shipping of rewards instead of for the film project.

Will I be credited in the film?

Yes. Every supporter, no matter the amount, will be mentioned by name in the film's credits. If you do not want this and prefer to remain anonymous, you can tick “I would like to remain anonymous” at checkout. Then we won't mention your name in the credits.

Is it also possible for entrepreneurs to support the project with their company as a sponsor?

Yes. If you are an entrepreneur and would like to support the project with your company as a sponsor, please contact us at funding@wholehearted-shortfilm.com.

When are you going to shoot the film?

Simply said: As soon as it is funded. At the moment, our focus is initially on getting the budget for the film together. Once we financed the budget, we can start with the actual production. What we can't say in advance is how long this will take. We fully trust in God's guidance and provision. Of course, we are already busy and making contacts, getting in touch with possible cast and crew members and using the time for creative preparatory work. As soon as a successful end of the financing phase is foreseeable, we will start with the concrete pre-production.

What if the funding goal is not met?

First of all, we don't have a fixed end date for the campaign. We are sure that God has put the project on our hearts and therefore that he will provide us with all the necessary finances. If the financing via crowdfunding is not successful, we will try to finance the remaining budget in other ways. If, contrary to all expectations, the financing fails completely, you will of course get a refund of your given amount.

What happens if there is money left over at the end?

You may be wondering what will happen if we don't use up all of the 145,000 euros. It could be that God provides us with free locations, etc. and in the end there is money left over. First of all, we can assure you what will not happen with the money: it will not go into our own pockets and we will not enrich ourselves with it. Our plan is then to either use the money to fund our next Christian film project or donate it to a charitable cause. Should there actually be any money left over, we will of course pray about what exactly should be done with the money and then proceed as best we can according to God's will. You as a supporter will of course be informed about what will happen to the money.

Do I have a right of withdrawal?

Yes, you have the statutory right of withdrawal within 14 days, which is customary in Germany.

I've just supported the project, why can't I see any change in the Funds Raised?

Normally, your invested amount should be visible immediately. Depending on the payment method, it may take a while before your amount is visible in the campaign or we may have to manually confirm the payment first. However, you can be sure that your amount will be taken into account and reflected in the campaign amount as soon as possible.

Why don't you use a platform such as Kickstarter, Indiegogo or Startnext for crowdfunding?

For two reasons. First, with all of these portals, we would have to cede a certain percentage of the campaign amount to the portal. As a result, we would have to significantly increase the financing goal, which we would like to avoid. On the other hand, all of these portals only offer a limited framework for configuration of campaigns or there is no possibility to create bilingual campaigns. However, we would like to offer the complete website and campaign in German and English in order to have a large reach. For these reasons, we have decided to implement the crowdfunding via our own film website. So we can adjust the campagin to the needs of the project and 100% of the funds flow into the actual making of the film.

How can I get information about the progress of the campaign and about the film project in general?

Of course we would like to keep you as a supporter up to date. Our primary channels of communication are the blog and the section Project progress on our website, the updates tab in this campaign, our newsletter, our Facebook page, our Instagram profile and our YouTube channel.