Help Us Make Paper Flowers
Paper Flowers is an inclusive film project created in collaboration with artists from Open Hearts Art Center, a studio for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, along with local musicians, artists, and community members.
Over the past year, we've been writing and rehearsing the script together and creating a proof-of-concept trailer and mini-documentary to share the vision. Now we're inviting others to help us take the next step and make the full film possible. Your support will fund production and ensure that the artists who inspired this story have the opportunity to bring it to life on screen.
The film follows a group of outsider artists who rally around an out-of-work DJ after he loses his job to artificial intelligence. Through humor, music, art, and unexpected friendships, the story explores what remains uniquely human in an increasingly automated world.
Our goal is to raise $35,000 by September 30, 2026 to complete the full movie.
Paper Flowers
A community-made film.
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$9,085 raised of $35,000
26% Complete
Goal: September 30, 2026
No studios. No gatekeepers. Just a community of people who believe that some of the best art is created together with community—and that artists of all abilities can create something meaningful together and share our creativity with others.
Donation Levels
🌸 $25 — Paper Flower
Supporter Page
🌸 $50 — Community Supporter
Film Credits
🌸 $100 — Friend of the Film
Film Credits + Special Thanks
🌸 $250 — Story Supporter
Enhanced Special Thanks
🌸 $500 — Story Contributor
Creative Contribution Opportunity
🌸 $1,000 — Creative Collaborator
Creative Contribution + Enhanced Credits
🌸 $2,500 — Associate Producer Circle
Associate Producer Credit + Cameo Opportunity
🌸 $5,000 — Producer Circle
Producer Credit + Participation in the Film
What Your Contribution Supports
Fair compensation for artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities
Cast and crew stipends
Cinematography, sound, and production
Editing, color correction, and post-production
Original music and soundtrack licensing
Accessibility and inclusion efforts
Festival submissions and community screenings
Bringing this story to audiences across the country
Poster + Graphic Design by Brain Flower Designs and Photography by Cayla Ritchy and Fiasco Media
PROOF OF CONCEPT TRAILER CREDITS
Alex Pott as Alex aka DJ Sparky
Rob Powell as Janitor / Narrator
Melanie Barnes as aspiring singer and Celine Dion fan
Dwayne “DJ” Gossett as Paper Flower Maker
James Bethea as Alex’s Yang
Raymond Phoenix as Alex’s Yin
Matthew Betsill as Alex’s friend who brings him coffee and donuts
Annie Schofield as AI DJ loophole plan
Raimee Sorensen as Shakespeare fan
Ashley Weast as Crocheter
Brooke Bartlett as Robot head maker
Kathleen McKeon as “Meow”
Dianna Bowen as “Rock-n-roll Alex!”
Primrose Coke as Crankie artist
Mullien Fowler as dancer
Libby Rodenbough as Open Mic musician
Extras: Victor Fiorenza, Nikki Harris, Joseph Roberts, Cayla Ritchy, Jeffrey Hambright, Todd Dewees, Kim Treiner, Maggie Mae Merrill
Filmed locations; Open Hearts Art Center and Wheel House Coffee
Filmed & Edited by David Saich of Fiasco Media
Music “Ace in the Hole” by Scott McMicken and “Another World” by Libby Rodenbough
