LAST year, we followed Guyanese filmmaker Yaphet Jackman on his journey to complete his film, Solomon Dasko as part of his MFA Programme in Film at the Ohio University. It was a bumpy ride, with Jackman admitting that the hardest part of his journey being the fundraising aspect. Nevertheless, Yaphet is at it again as he seeks to produce his thesis film, Daisy.

During a live session on Facebook, Yaphet, who is well known for his work in the production and hosting of Upscale Poetry in the days of its prime, talked about his experience studying for his Masters at Ohio State U, as well as the importance of monetary support in his quest.

“It is a great experience that I have been having here so far. The lessons that I have learnt to this day have all equipped me to challenge and develop myself as a filmmaker, and to understand the process of what it entails,” Yaphet said. “Before, filmmaking was a mystical thing for me; I had no clue as to the inner workings of film and what it is, but now that I have been exposed and immersed in it, it is great.”

But, more importantly, the task at hand is to raise funds to produce his thesis project, which will serve as a major contributor to his final grade, and his ability to graduate. Together with his writing partner, who is also an international student, Yaphet hopes that the project will continue on time, and that the finished product will showcase their filmmaking and writing strengths.

The short film is directed by Jackman, and written by Viviana Goelkel, his classmate from Colombia, and tells the story of an 11-year-old girl who lives in a trailer with her younger brother and their single-parent mother.

Daisy is a good runner, and is training hard for her first championship. Her dreams are pretty similar to the ones of other children wherever they live. But she struggles to have a life where water, food and heat are not an issue. Although Daisy does not conform easily to what people expect her to be, she couldn’t find her way out without the support of others.

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Shooting for the film is expected to start in early May, and Yaphet is seeking to raise US$5,000 in funds to cover production costs for himself and skeleton crew of 10.

Much like his last film, a GoFundMe page has been established, but will seek to find another way for Guyanese supporters who do not have access to Online payment methods.

“Last year I had an account at Republic Bank where you could’ve deposited funds in Guyana, but I don’t know that we would be doing that this year,” Yaphet said, adding:

“But we are going to find creative ways for you to lend your support, if you are so interested.”

Meanwhile, he says that he is still involved in pre-production for the film that has been ongoing since December last year, and explained that a good plan helps for a smooth production of the film.

As he begins his journey towards the completion of his MFA, Yaphet is also very grateful for the support shown by persons both at home and abroad, and explained that he will continue to keep them posted on his progress.

“The people who are still in support of me, I give thanks for that; it blesses my heart. I will continue to show people every step of the process to keep people informed. I also appreciate any help that has been given,” he said.

Even as he wraps up his Master’s programme there, Yaphet said that he also has plans of returning to Guyana to work on local projects soon as the production of local content is something he is passionate about.

Persons wishing to donate to the project Online can visit the GoFundMe page at: https://www.gofundme.com/daisyshortfilm