Ineffable: LGBTQ in Alabama

American Folk  strives to document how people live or lived. Because every human life has a story, we try to find stories that when combined, create a larger view of a community.

Our current documentary is called "Ineffable." This piece focuses on growing up LGBTQ in northern Alabama. Calhoun County, Alabama to be exact. We explore life from 1858 when Benton County was unanimously renamed after staunch racist John C. Calhoun because Benton went soft on slavery, to 1961's Greyhound Bus burning and the beating of the Freedom Riders in Anniston, up to the present day when Oxford, Alabama City Council approved a horrific and unprecedented anti-transgender law.

This is a story of the times and of a movement to prevent a repeat of this area's past.

Meet the people who are leading the fight for and against Alabama's LGBTQ community.

“Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it.” ― Edmund Burke

Producing a documentary takes a huge amount of time, energy and money. There are close to 130 hours in this six minute trailer, not to mention the equipment and location rentals, etc. We will produce this video even if there is no funding, however, it would be a lot easier if some of our volunteers could be paid something for the time and energy they spend on the project. Your donations will go toward the following:

Pre Production|Research
Proposal Development| Fundraising
Archival Research

Production
Producer
Producer| Director
Director of Photography | Sound
Associate Producer| Fixer
Consultants | Experts | Honoraria
Sound Recording
Camera Package
Lighting & Equipment
Stock
Still Photography
Airfare
Hotel
Meals
Car Rental
Gas| Parking| Mileage| Toll | Taxis

Post-Production
Editor: Picture| Sound
Supervising Editor | Consulting Editor
Transcription Interviews
Archival Footage
Transfers and Conversions
Edit Stock
Masters
Computer Graphics | Titles
Animation
On-line Editing Suite | Editor
Original Music Composition | Recording
Sound Mixing

Outreach And Impact
DVD Authoring
DVD Dubs | Stock
DVDCAM/Screening Copies
Poster | Press Kit | Materials
Shipping
Travel: Filmmakers and Subjects
Website: Design and Maintenance
Grassroots Screenings, Panels, Receptions
Advocacy Partnership Costs

Administrative Costs
Bookkeeping
Legal Support
Overhead and Administrative Costs
Contingencies

Donate and get listed in the credits!

Donor Levels & Film Credits

If your donation qualifies you for one of the credit levels above, please send an email to [email redacted] with the date, amount of donation, name of donor, and the name of the person you would like to receive the credit if it is other than the donor.

We will need this request to ensure that the credit is included for the donation. If you do not provide us this information, we will conclude that you do not want donor or other individual acknowledgements in the credits. If you would like to include a comment as to why you decided to support the production of this film, we may use it with your first name and last name initial only on the website and Facebook.

Executive Producer
(To be shared with other Executive Producers)
$25,000

Co-Executive Producer
(To be shared with other Co-Executive Producers)
$15,000

Associate Producer
$10,000

Special Thanks
$5,000

Benefactor
$2,500

Special Funding
$1,000

Contributor
$500

Donor
$100

Supporter
$50