Looking For Laura Nelson

Bruce Nelson is organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

*The funds will be used to cover expenses i.e. hotel rooms & board, airfare, crew salary, location fees, permits, and insurance for a small crew to travel to Oklahoma for four days of shooting and editing. Thank you in advance for your support for this passion project.

Logline

Uncovering the secrets of the past through DNA testing, filmmaker Bruce Nelson delves into the intricate web of his family history, unraveling a shocking tale of glory, tragedy, and joy, as he uncovers the dark truth about two relatives that were lynched in 1911 in Okemah, Oklahoma.

The Film/Story

Independent documentary filmmaker Bruce Nelson has been creating historical works focusing on other folks and subjects. His work has never been about himself, however after learning about the horrible act of violence against his grand-aunt Laura Nelson and her 12-year-old son, Lawrence Nelson in 1911. He is now turning the focus on his personal story. Nelson is taking a journey that will take him to Waco, Texas, Boley, Tulsa, Okemah Oklahoma and New York. As he will visit his newly discovered relatives, Nelson will walk around the location of the very site of the horrifying act to discover the roots of this violent act perpetrated on his aunt Laura Nelson, her 12-year-old son L.D. Nelson and what happened to her one-year-old baby. Also, what of Uncle Austin Nelson?

Documentary Impact Campaign: "Looking For Laura Nelson"

Bullet Points:

• Expose the history of violence against Black women & women of color, focusing on the lynching of Laura Nelson as a legacy of brutal violence perpetrated by law enforcement in America.

• Highlight the disparity in attention and outrage between the killings of Black boys and men versus Black women & women of color and girls who are victims of police violence.

• Emphasize the gendered nature of racial justice movements, where male victims gain widespread recognition while their female counterparts are often forgotten.

Conclusions:

• The documentary aims to shed light on the hypocrisy of white America by showcasing the exclusion of the timeline of violence against Black women & women of color in the social justice narrative of America's history.

• It highlights the need for a more inclusive approach to social justice movements that recognizes and addresses the unique experiences and challenges faced by Black women & women of color and girls.

Outcomes:

• Raise awareness and challenge societal perceptions by exposing the underreported violence against Black women and the lack of attention given to their stories.

• Spark conversations and discussions on the intersectionality of race and gender in the context of violence and discrimination, fostering a deeper understanding of the issue.

• Mobilize support for solutions and inspire a global movement that demands justice, policy reform, and systemic change for the protection and empowerment of Black women and girls, similar to the global response to the death of George Floyd.

The Crew

Bruce Nelson----Producer/Director

Bruce decided he would employ his storytelling experience to shed light on this often-overlooked dark chapter in American history. Nelsons’ award-winning documentary short Gospel Radio Man will roll out on national PBS in the fall of 2023. He won a Telly Award for his first short film, Tales of Tobacco. His film Raglin Tales was an official selection of the Arizona Black Film Showcase, Phoenix Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival. Raglin Tales was awarded Special Mention at the I-Filmmaker International Film Festival (Marbella, Spain). Bruce’s’ feature-length documentary North Town was an official selection of the Jerome Independent Film & Music Festival, the American Online Film Awards Festival and The Sir Charles Darwin Film Festival (UK) TruDocumentary Film Festival 2016, and Docs Without Borders Film Festival 2016 (Exceptional Merit award winner). North Town.

Website: https://nebproductions.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063068958507

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625205/

Steve Wargo ---Director of Photography

Steve Wargo has always been a storyteller. The son of a Navy machinist, Wargo grew up knowing that if you couldn’t buy it, you might just have to make it yourself. In 1989, Wargo met legendary director Ken Kennedy, who was hunting for someone to shoot the opening and closing scenes for his feature film Aggie, The Farmer’s Daughter, which featured a young actor named Nick Nolte. Wargo was hired in 2005 to shoot two HD feature films: The Hoax, directed by L.A. director Huw Bowen, and The Controller, written and directed by a local director named Frank Michels. Filmmaking has become Wargo’s true calling. “I had been bitten by the filmmaking bug ever since. A 29-year veteran of video production, Steve Wargo has worked on every type of production imaginable. While he works most often as a producer/director, his passion lies in what he refers to as “creating the image.” One thing is for sure—we can count on Wargo to combine his love for storytelling and his fascination with technology into films that inform, entertain, captivate and delight.

T’Nia Harris---2nd Camera

T'Nia has been a fixture behind the camera for years as a director, AD, editor, cinematographer and grip on crews throughout Nevada, California and Arizona. She went to Ohio Center for Broadcasting and received the Tony Sands Memorial TV Excellence Award. She is currently in pre-production on the feature film, 'There's Something in the Water' (2022). Producer ‘The Chip Person’ (2023) First Assistant Director of the feature film, ‘Walk the Rex' (2021), the episodic TV series, 'Strange Files' (2021), shorts films, ‘Coffee & Do Overs’ (2023), ‘Glitch’ (2022) Second second Assistant Director, ‘Grim Reaper’ (2007)Visual Effects ‘Idol Chat’ (2021), ‘Things Said while we Dream' (2019), ‘A Hustler’s Tale’ (2018) Editor ‘Things Said while we Dream' (2019), ‘A Hustler’s Tale’ (2018) ‘Turkeystuffer’ (2019). DIRECTOR for 'TURKEYSTUFFER' (2019) AND COUNTLESS MUSIC.

https://facebook.com/tnia.harris

Tosha Ishmon---Sound Engineer

Tosha is a filmmaker who loves to create unique stories that will evoke conversation and ignite the imagination. After graduating from Arizona State University with a B.A in film and media production, Tosha has continued to build her portfolio with projects she has produced and directed, including documentaries such as Beauty for Ashes and “On My Way Back”. Her most recent project, she is working as a sound engineer for an interactive African American history documentary that will be platformed on Oculus Virtual Reality gaming systems. Editor & Sound Engineer for the Matriarchs of Washington Park documentary.

Editor---Ita Udo-Ema

Born in Bridgeport, CT, Ita Udo-Ema is the last of three sons. After moving nine times in almost as many years, Ita’s family settled in the Valley of the Sun. His initial career path lead him to follow in the footsteps of his father, to Purdue University in West Lafayette IN, to study mechanical engineering. After 3 years, Ita realized that his future was not to be in engineering. While in Indiana, fate conspired to introduce him to a future influence that would kick-start his filmmaking career. Ita has been creating digital media in one form or another for 15 years. With a degree in computer animation from the Art Institute of Phoenix, Ita has produced six DVD releases, worked on three independent feature-length films and published over 70 online videos. In 2005, Ita founded the media studio, View from Above Entertainment and he is currently heading the Gangplank Video Studio initiative. Ita’s fascination with movie magic led him back to Arizona and a degree in computer animation. Reuniting with fellow Boilermaker, Purdue Alumnus David M. Quiroz, he was given the opportunity to work on his first two feature projects: Night of the Chihuahuas and The Lonely Ones. From that point the path was set. In 2006, Ita received a degree in business and formed the digital media studio, View from Above Entertainment.

Locations

Wellston, OK Hometown of my newly discovered cousin Shirley