It’s rare to find a Kickstarter campaign that’s both worthwhile and financially feasible. Ridiculous ideas paired with ridiculous funding goals are all too common on the popular crowdfunding site. But every now and then a project comes along like 30 Seconds Away: Breaking The Cycle, an in-the-works documentary about the plight of homeless men in Milwaukee.

Directed and co-produced by Marquette grad and former federal law enforcement officer Faith Kohler, the film explores the precarious intersection of homelessness and the Milwaukee justice system. It tells the story of Harold Sloan, whom Kohler met in 2010, as he deals with the harsh realities of homelessness in the city and the equally harsh realities of bouncing in and out of jail. The film covers five years in Sloan’s life, and takes its title from his quote of being “30 seconds away from the wrong decision.”

Although the doc’s modest goal of $5,000 has already been met, a “stretch goal” of $8,000 has been set for the next two weeks. Any money raised will be used for post-production expenses like editing, audio mixing, and color correction. According to the filmmakers (including co-producer Jessica Farrell and editor Andrew Swant):

Social change starts with an informed public. This film is intended to educate the public about the underlying issues that contribute to chronic homelessness, and to show how the justice system and available community resources are working to combat these issues. Our goal is simple: engage the public and educate them through a balanced documentary. Raising funds through Kickstarter will get our community engaged and involved as we push through this last hurdle to share this story.

Learn more about the film, the campaign, and the various backer rewards here.

About The Author

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Co-Founder and Editor

Matt Wild weighs between 140 and 145 pounds. He lives on Milwaukee's east side.