“A Place to Stand” is a documentary about Jimmy Santiago Baca’s transformation from nearly illiterate convict to award-winning poet.
WE'VE REACHED OUR GOAL!!! THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!!
"Can I still give?" Of course!! All money that we raise above our goal will go to distributing the film. To celebrate reaching our goal early, we have created new incentives, available to ALL donors at ALL levels upon reaching certain funding milestones!
$53,000 or 600 backers – Digital download of Jimmy's Healing Earthquakes poetry CD (not available anywhere)
$54,000 or 650 backers – Digital download of Lost Voices - a documentary short about a writing workshop conducted by Jimmy in a New Mexico prison
$55,000 or 700 backers – Invitation to an exclusive virtual poetry reading by Jimmy
$56,000 or 750 backers – Preview reading (mp3 download) from Jimmy’s upcoming collection of poetry, The Lucia Poems
$57,000 or 800 backers – Digital download of Moving the River Back Home - a documentary short about a writing workshop conducted by Jimmy in a New Mexico high school.
$58,000 or 850 backers – Digital download of El Gato, one of Jimmy's first poetry casettes (not available anywhere - we will be digitally encoding it for all of you)
$59,000 or 900 backers – 10 minute preview of A Place to Stand (upon completion) – the first 10 minutes before anyone else sees it.
$60,000 or 1000 backers – An original eBook will be created exclusively for the backers of unpublished and out-of-print poetry with a dedication from Jimmy to all of you.
** All donations are tax deductible through the Center of Southwest Culture, our 501c3 fiscal sponsor (centerofsouthwestculture.org) **
“I am learning to look at myself differently, to see
the scattered remnants of hope and dreams and collect them again.”
- Jimmy Santiago Baca, Arizona State Prison, 1977
A Place to Stand is the authorized story of Jimmy Santiago Baca’s transformation from a functionally illiterate convict to an award-winning poet, novelist and screenwriter.
A Place to Stand follows Jimmy’s path from Estancia, New Mexico – where he lived with his indigenous grandparents – through childhood abandonment, adolescent drug dealing, a DEA bust where a federal agent was shot, and a subsequent 5-year narcotics sentence at Arizona State Prison in Florence, one of the most violent prisons in the country.
To survive the chaos and violence of prison, Jimmy explored deep within himself, discovering poetry at his soul's core. Learning to write and read poetry liberated him from the death and decay that surrounded him, healing the wounds of his childhood and opening him to a new future.
A Place to Stand is inspired by Jimmy’s memoir of the same name, which has been called “elegant and gripping” (The Los Angeles Times) and “an astonishing narrative that affirms the triumph of the human spirit” (The Arizona Daily Star). The film explores the life and mind of a man whose early life was dominated by sadness, rejection, anger and pain, a man who embraced language as a balm for his battered spirit, a man who - through the power of poetry - finally found his place to stand.
Though Jimmy is perhaps best-known for writing and executive producing Blood In Blood Out, a cult classic film directed by Taylor Hackford in 1993, the bulk of his career has been devoted to poetry. In 35 years as a poet, he has over 20 books published and countless awards, including the Pushcart Prize the American Book Award and the National Poetry Award.
Born in New Mexico of Indio-Mexican descent, Jimmy was raised first by his grandmother and later by an orphanage. By 13, he was living on the street. At 21, Baca was sentenced to five years in a maximum security prison.
Baca has devoted his post-prison life to writing and teaching others who are overcoming hardship. The themes of his work include American Southwest barrios, addiction, injustice, education, community, love and beyond. He has conducted hundreds of writing workshops in prisons, community centers, libraries, and universities throughout the country.
A Place to Stand - The Book
"The finest memoir I've read in I don't know how long. It reminded me of the rawness of George Orwell combined with the human exuberance of Neruda's memoirs. . . This book will have a permanent place in American letters."
- Jim Harrison
A Place to Stand, the memoir of Jimmy Santiago Baca, was published in 2002 by Grove Atlantic Press (New York) to wide critical acclaim.
The book received the prestigious International Prize, has sold over 250,000 copies and is used in educational institutions and writing workshops worldwide.
Daniel Glick, Director/Producer - Daniel is an award-winning producer, director and editor working in broadcast television, film and video since 2004. Daniel has completed documentaries, narrative shorts and a feature film that have been shown at several international festivals, from New York to Greece and Malaysia. A Place to Stand is his first feature length documentary.
David Grubin, Executive Producer - A director, writer, producer, and cinematographer, David has produced over 100 films, ranging from history to art, from poetry to science, winning every award in the field of documentary television, including 2 Alfred I. Dupont awards, 3 George Foster Peabody prizes, 5 Writer’s Guild prizes, and 10 Emmys. He is a member of the Writers Guild and Directors Guild, and is a former chairman of the board of directors of The Film Forum.
Dyanna Taylor, Director of Photography - Dyanna is a filmmaker and director of photography for hundreds of films, including academy award winning Common Threads. She has won many awards including a lifetime achievement award from the New York Women in Film and Television, a Peabody Award and five Emmys. She has shot for HBO, National Geographic and PBS.
Gabriel Baca, Producer - Gabriel began his career as a boom operator at age 15, but his first introduction to film came earlier during the production of Blood In Blood Out (Hollywood Pictures, 1993). Baca’s father, Jimmy Santiago Baca, was the writer and executive producer of the film and brought Baca on-set, planting the seed of his future endeavors. At 17 years old, he began filming, editing, writing and producing documentaries and music videos. In 2008, he became a member of the West Coast 700 Editors Guild as an assistant editor.
Last Year's Kickstarter Campaign
Last year, we ran a successful $5,000 Kickstarter campaign (resulting in close to $7,500) which we used for research and development. It allowed us to travel for 3 months, conduct 70 hours of interviews in all corners of the country, edit a rough assembly of the film, and gather hundreds of photos, articles and other archive documents.
We visited Stanford University, Saratoga Springs, NY, Eden, UT, Orlando, FL, Washington, DC, San Francisco, CA, Phoenix, AZ, Corpus Christi, TX, among many other places. In short, we were able to stretch your contributions very far.
How We Will Use Your Contributions This Year
With $50,000, not only will we complete production entirely, shooting at theatrical and broadcast quality, but we will spend a month in the editing room cutting together, with our Executive Producer, a full rough cut of the film. At that stage, we will be able to begin submitting A Place to Stand to festivals while we work on a final cut.
For a full budget breakdown, please visit our website at www.aplacetostandmovie.com.
There, on the For Donors page, you can download a Fundraising Packet that details extensively our intentions and plans for the film.
Have a question? If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly.
pledged of $50,000 goal
seconds to go
Jun 11, 2012 - Aug 1, 2012
Pledge $1 or more
A deep thanks from us. We will send you, via email, an exclusive reading of a poem by Jimmy at his cabin in northern New Mexico.Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
Pledge $5 or more
Special thanks on our website, exclusive access to behind the scenes blogs, sneak peaks at footage. You will receive exclusive project updates and invites to all fundraising initiatives.Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
Pledge $10 or more
All of the above plus an HD digital download of the film upon completion (before anyone else sees it).Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $15 or more
All of the above plus a digital download of the film’s soundtrack, including the readings of Jimmy’s poems in the film.Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $25 or more
All of the above plus a limited edition pre-release A Place to Stand DVD of the full film (upon completion) with exclusive bonus features.Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $50 or more
All of the above plus a signed DVD of Blood In Blood Out and a signed, full-resolution photo of the inner circle of La Onda. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/underaap/2378364439)Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $65 or more
5 backers All gone!
All of the above plus a Limited Edition: 8.5x11" open edition giclee print on paper signed and donated by Albuquerque painter Eric Christo Martinez, who will be doing art for the film. These were painted by Eric while he was in prison and are very rare. Find out more about Eric's art at http://ericchristoart.zenfolio.com.Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $75 or more
18 backers Limited (90 of 108 left)
All of the above plus a signed, limited edition, numbered print of an unpublished poem from Jimmy’s prison days. This will be a print from the very original, written inside of Arizona State Prison.Estimated delivery: Oct 2012
Pledge $100 or more
All of the above plus a signed copy of A Place to Stand, the memoir.Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $135 or more
All of the above, plus a signed limited edition movie poster featuring Jimmy Santiago Baca produced by Chris Grymes Cantrell of Grymes Images, Albuquerque, NM.Estimated delivery: Jan 2013
Pledge $150 or more
All of the above plus a signed hardcover copy of The Importance of a Piece of Paper, Jimmy's collection of short stories.Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
Pledge $250 or more
10 backers Limited (10 of 20 left)
All of the above plus a signed copy of the JIMMY SANTIAGO BACA chapbook, published in 1978 while Jimmy was in prison. Only 500 were ever published.Estimated delivery: Aug 2012
Pledge $350 or more
All of the above plus the rights to screen the film one night anywhere you want: your house, a school, a community center, your choice!Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $500 or more
1 backer All gone!
All of the above plus a 24x20" Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas (1st of 500) signed and donated by Albuquerque painter Eric Christo Martinez. Eric will be doing art for the film. This painting, "Pawns Exit", can be viewed at www.aplacetostandmovie.com/KS/PawnsExit.jpg. It was painted by Eric while he was in prison.Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $500 or more
All of the above plus VIP access to any ATPS premiere party (NY/LA/NM) and 2 tickets to any APTS premiere (NY/LA/NM).Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $600 or more
1 backer All gone!
All of the above plus a photography session (photo shoot, digital photo design or illustration work) with Raechel Running, the film's photographer - www.raechelrunning.com (value $1000). The photo shoot has to be in northern Arizona, but the other services are non-location-specific.Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $750 or more
1 backer Limited (4 of 5 left)
All of the above plus Gabriel Baca, the film's producer, will direct and edit a music video or short (30-45 second) promotional video for you. (Must be in New Mexico or willing to pay travel for an out-of-state shoot)Estimated delivery: Sep 2012
Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above (except limit-of-one rewards) plus a private dinner for you and a guest with Daniel Glick (director), Gabriel Baca (producer) and Jimmy before the New Mexico premiere.Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $1,500 or more
All of the above, plus exclusive participation in an intimate one-day writer's retreat in New Mexico with Jimmy a day or two before the NM premiere. During the retreat Jimmy will share some of his unpublished prison poetry, which will be featured in an upcoming book. Refreshments and lunch included; writers responsible for travel and housing.Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $2,500 or more
2 backers Limited (3 of 5 left)
All of the above (except limit-of-one rewards) plus Daniel Glick (director) and Gabriel Baca (producer) will direct and edit a short documentary (2-3 minute) with you about a topic of your choosing (one day shoot – NM, NY or LA areas - or elsewhere if travel is paid).Estimated delivery: Feb 2013
Pledge $5,000 or more
All of the above plus a Consulting Producer credit (on screen and IMDB), on-set access and either Daniel or Gabe will fly to you for a private or public screening of the film (contiguous US, Canada, Mexico).Estimated delivery: Mar 2013
Pledge $10,000 or more
All of the above (INCLUDING chapbook, poem print and private dinner) plus an Associate Producer credit (on screen and IMDB). ($50,000 gets an Executive Producer credit, plus MUCH more).Estimated delivery: Mar 2013