FF3, First Flights’ cryptocurrency driven crowdfunding platform from an independent entertainment studio and financier Goldfinch, has launched its second funding project Bloom, an animated short film that explores themes of loneliness, longing, curiosity, wonder and failure from writer, director and illustrator Zachary Gladwin.
Here’s the synopsis: In Bloom, after a young teen awakes from a hypnotic trance in a strange land he must search high and low for a way to escape his lonely existence. Will his curiosity and ingenuity be able to withstand repeated failures and the familiar draw to complacency, or will he find a way to break through his limits and explore the great beyond?
Bloom asks questions such as: What does it take for someone to bloom into their full potential? What holds us back? Is it ever too late to try? It aims to inspire you to stay curious, never give up, and remind you that no one achieves anything alone.
First Flights founder Nick Sadler said: “With Bloom, the immensely talented Zachary has created a captivating and inspirational concept, and there’s no doubt that with his expert filmmaking and illustration background, he possesses the creativity to bring this fantastical story to life. Our first project on FF3 – The Dead of Winter – quickly exceeded its funding goal, and we’re confident this collaboration will be just as successful and enable us to take the first step into bringing Bloom to audiences.”
Zachary Gladwin added, “Bloom is more than a creative endeavour – it’s a personal expression of the challenges I’ve faced as an intuitive queer person growing up in a seemingly dim world. Creative thinkers, feelers, and dreamers, like myself, often face setbacks, fears, and failures – doubting that we can achieve our full potential. This film intends to uncover the beauty of imagination, creativity, and dreams for those believing that life is nothing more than the limits we’ve been shown.”
Zachary Gladwin is a whimsical artist and storyteller who lives in the mountains of North Carolina. He has cultivated over 14 years of experience in the film industry, while also working as an independent children’s book illustrator and popular NFT artist. Inspired by wonder, magic, myths, legends, and fairytales, Gladwin effortlessly employs a sincere childlike quality encased in an otherworldly atmosphere, which inspires audiences to explore a land where reality and fantasy intertwine.
Marking FF3’s inaugural animated project, Bloom will be produced by Art Before Comfort and proceeds raised via FF3 will go towards the film’s production budget. FF3 is a tokenised community-driven funding platform for films that raises money through the allocation of tokens and NFT rewards in exchange for crypto. The raise for Bloom is open until 3 December 2022 with a 20,000 dollar minimum target, and patrons will receive tiered rewards including NFTs, behind the scenes access to Zachary and his animation team, early viewing of the film, access to the production discord and IMDB producer credits.