By Clemente Lisi – NEW YORK, NY (July 13, 2011) US Soccer Players — The unbelievable rags to riches story of National Team defender Jay DeMerit is the kind of tale Hollywood usually foams over. Indeed, DeMerit’s meteoric rise from unknown amateur to playing at a World Cup would make a great movie.

That’s what filmmakers Nick Lewis and Ranko Tutulugdzija thought when they embarked on the ambitious project to recount how DeMerit left his home with $1,800 in his pocket and a dream of someday playing in the Premier League on his mind. The movie isn’t the whole story. What happened next has been unbelievable.

A labor of love, Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story, was the result of zeal and determination on the part of the filmmakers. The independent documentary starts with DeMerit’s life in England starting in 2003 as a then-24-year-old struggling player.

The 92-minute film details how DeMerit helped Watford earn promotion to the Premiership in 2006 and his time playing for the USA at last year’s World Cup. Herein lies the financial bind the film’s backers find themselves.

With little money, Lewis and Tutulugdzija made the film and conducted interviews in Wisconsin, England and South Africa, but they still need a staggering $215,000 to pay for the rights to use footage of DeMerit playing in the Premiership and the USA. To put the financials in perspective, it costs about $20,000 a minute to show footage from the Premiership and $50,000 a minute from the World Cup.

“I was dumbfounded by how expensive it is for any footage. Apparently we chose the most expensive sport in the world,” said the film’s executive producer Chris Olenik. “We hope to get this film to a mainstream audience as it is a story that we believe anyone can relate to.”

Relating is exactly what the fans are doing. In an ironic twist, the film’s desperate need for cash and exposure parallels DeMerit’s own compelling pursuit to make a name for himself in the EPL.

“That’s where the beauty lies. Jay appreciates that the film is being made in this fashion," Olenik said. “We wouldn’t have it any other way and it makes for a much more compelling story and justifies it being told. It hasn’t come easy – just like Jay’s journey to get where he has. I think with both stories there were always people that believed from the start. Those people are still giving us unwavering support and are just as excited as we are, on small, simple successes. It’s the reason we keep going.”

Moving forward is exactly what the makers of this film and the growing number of supporters have been doing. Private screenings have popped up nationwide, including DeMerit’s hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin, with Lewis and Tutulugdzija using the gatherings as an opportunity to raise the much-needed cash. Even MLS teams like the Houston Dynamo and soccer bars from New York to Vancouver have gotten into the act, showing screenings of the film.

The Internet has been a major tool. What has resulted – through social media like Facebook and Twitter – is an unprecedented outpouring of grassroots support. As a result, 1,457 people have given $194,723 as of noon on Wednesday through kickstarter.com – with the goal of $215,000 within sight. The donor list includes Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando and US midfielders Stuart Holden and Alejandro Bedoya, but the producers need to reach that $215,000 dollar target to actually get any of that money to fund the project.

“The support has been amazing. It really has,” said co-director Nick Lewis. "And I'm not talking about the support of big organizations, but of everyday people who simply love Jay's story and want to support the beautiful game. To have people reach out and volunteer their time and creativity has been something we didn’t expect. It really is a testament to Jay's story and to Jay as a person.”

For starters, the help of the American Outlaws fan group and its dozens of local chapters have been a big help. The love fans have for DeMerit certainly played a major role in the successful fundraising effort of the past few months.

“We couldn’t do this without the support of the fans. It is truly humbling the amount of unwavering support we have received,” said Olenik, who has spearheaded the online efforts to raise funds. “It just goes to show the power of the message behind this story and the passion of US soccer fans and fans around the world for the matter.”

Olenik said he was “not surprised” by the support.

“We knew that the soccer community would come together for this, but it was more of a question of how. I thought the how portion was going to be personally responding to each tweet, Facebook post or pledge and thanking them for their support, hopefully creating a two-way dialogue asking for their suggestions and support as it is their film just as much as it is ours.”

Filming began about six months before the 2010 World Cup. Tutulugdzija, who had played soccer with DeMerit at the University of Illinois at Chicago, approached his former teammate with the idea for a documentary. Lewis, a lawyer, and Tutulugdzija, an acupuncturist, put together DeMerit’s story and were even honored earlier this year with the “Rising Star” award at the Canadian International Film Festival.

Olenik said his “worry” was not in making the film, but in how in getting it out there for a mass audience to enjoy.

“How do we get this film noticed? How do we get this amazing message out to people – the fans – in the same way Jay made the story and with no Hollywood involvement?”

The filmmakers are confident they will reach their financial goal by Monday’s deadline. Fans can contribute as little as $1. Anyone who gives $25 will get a DVD of the documentary. Higher dollar amounts, of course, are welcome.

“Yes, I think we can reach our goal – but we still need help,” Olenik said. “We have worked extremely hard and want to get the story out. I think what gets us over the top is the fans and getting the message out to the people that haven’t been touched by this story’s message yet.”

Clemente Lisi is a New York-based writer. Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com. Follow him on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/ClementeLisi