Story
Kalani is a black teenage girl living in Harlem with her older brother Jacob, and her younger sister, Bebe, while her mother struggles to make ends meet for the family. While she grows up in a large housing complex, her ambitious goal is to get admitted to an Ivy League college.
As Kalani’s siblings get caught in a myriad of hardships, Kalani teeters on the brink of ruin as she struggles to keep both her family and her dream intact.
Striver’s Row reminds us that hard work, optimism, and perseverance in the face of overwhelming adversity is the essence of what it is to be an American.
Purpose
We are a team dedicated to making films that have a positive impact on the world. Telling stories of women…mostly women of color–in a divided nation where a government is attempting to discredit the integrity of individuals like our writer and her heroine, is needed more than ever.
As Martin Luther King Jr put it:
“It is a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself up by his own bootstraps.”
However, with insight and action, the ideals that bring so many immigrants from countries all over the world to the U.S., live on.
Social Impact
Films are behavioral role models, and providing stories of success and hope can have a lasting impact on the communities that identify with its characters. The entire DNA of Prodigium Pictures runs on this model of social impact.
Ethnicity and economic background can be enormously challenging factors to adolescents who want to succeed in the United States’ school system.
The lead character in “Striver’s Row”, Kalani, embodies this struggle and does her best with the cards that life has dealt her. We plan to screen the film in partnership with organizations that empower young students that come from challenging socioeconomic backgrounds, and provide them with a role model that is based on real life stories.
Here are a few real-life facts about the theme of our film:
New York State High School Graduation Rates
74%
38%
33%
Black students in the state of New York are roughly half as likely to graduate high school than their white counterparts.
Source: Manhattan Institute (2006)
Bachelor's Degrees for Rich VS. Poor
54%
10%
Out of all bachelor’s degrees earned in 2014, more than half went to the richest quartile of students, while only 10% went to the poorest quartile.
Source: Pell Institute (2014)
Suspension from K-12 Schools, Nationwide
2%
10%
5%
18%
In K-12 public schools in the U.S., Black girls are 5 times as likely to be suspended as white girls.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (2014)
Partnerships
We are actively looking for partners – nonprofits in the space of empowering students of color to succeed, organizations that improve school systems in inner cities and groups that raise self-efficacy in individuals who grew up in poverty.
Please reach out to us – we will find a way to work together and support your efforts through our film.
Team
Sha-Risse has a deep personal connection to this story as she draws from the experiences of her past and those closest to her to create an authentic perspective of growing up in Harlem. The result? A powerfully empathetic protagonist and a strong sense of realism.
Piper Dellums was the Senior Vice President of EGTVN Television network, is the CEO/founder of Essential Artist Group Talent Agency as well as the CEO/President of Piper Dellums Productions where she helms award-winning documentaries and narrative projects. She is also a United Nations CSW Delegate, drama, writing and arts therapist- specializing in issues of aging, child/domestic/sexual abuse, addiction and trauma.
Scott Rosenfelt is a member of the Directors Guild of America andthe Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He is one of Hollywood’s most trusted independent producers, elevating the independent film world. His film”Smoke Signals” won the Audience Award and the Filmmakers Trophy at Sundance Film Festival. Scott has also produced iconic films such as “Home Alone” and “Teen Wolf.”
Ace is a producer from Long Island, New York. In 2011, he executive produced and raised the finances needed for his first television pilot, “EastSandstone,” which was represented by CAA. In 2015, Ace co-produced a horror feature film, “Drifter,” which secured both North American and foreign distribution. He then produced the action film”Sleepless,” and recently finished co-producing his third feature, “FML.” Ace believes it is the messages and themes conveyed through film that can unite global audiences into a global community.
Directing for over a decade, Robert has completed hundreds of projects ranging from commercials to documentaries to feature films. He has directed and produced documentaries with Jane Goodall, Harvard law professor Roberto Unger, and actress Mariel Hemingway. His most recent documentary, “7 Days in Syria” played at over 50 film festivals, including Britain’s House of Lords. Robert focuses on the creation of entertainment that makes an impact on the world.
Roberta Marie Munroe is an award-winning filmmaker, author and international short film expert. From 2001-2006, Roberta programmed short films at The Sundance Film Festival. She was instrumental in launching The Blackhouse Foundation, a group that supports African American filmmakers.
Eric Eppinger is a Rutgers graduate now base in Oakland, California that has been in the film industry for nearly 10 years. He directed his most recent short film, “A Night at the Office” that is available on IndieFlix.
Hiroki is a Japanese filmmaker and media entrepreneur. He worked as a line producer on projects for SONY, Samantha Thavasa with Miranda Kerr, and many more. In 2011, he also co-founded Prodigium Pictures. Hiroki specializes in Post-production and has supervised and successfully executed the post production on dozens of film projects.
Tobias is an Austrian filmmaker with more than 13 years of experience in creating digital visual arts. He is an expert in physical production on independent film projects in which has helmed more than 100 in various leadership roles. Tobias co-founded the magazine “Cinema of Change”, and co-owns LA-based Prodigium Pictures LLC, specializing in social impact entertainment.
Investment & Crowdfunding
We have kickstarted a portion of our budget in order to get the film into production in the summer of 2017. The kickstarter campaign ran for 30 days and successfully closed with $25,000 donated. We want to thank all of our donors for their support and believing in the same positive future as we do.
If you’d like to donate, you can make a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible donation to the film through our Creative Visions page.
If you want to get involved in a major way as an executive producer, we are also still accepting direct investment in the film and are open to outside investors joining our existing investors; please contact us directly for that on the button below.