Gina's Journey a model of crowdfunding

Thursday, July 19, 2012 - 10:53

BERKELEY -- Gina's Journey: The Search for William Grimes is an intriguing film about one woman's quest to find her ancestor, a runaway slave who wrote the first fugitive slave autobiography in American history.

Thanks to modern technology, anyone with an online connection can become part of that quest through a new trend known as crowdfunding. During National Black Business Month, one of the suggested activities is to help African-American businesses gain capital through crowdfunding.

Thanks to a law passed by Congress this summer, small businesses have the ability to raise money beyond their immediate family and friends.

Regina Mason has taken this journey for the past 15 years, resulting in a book Gina's Journey: The Search for William Grimes. With independent filmmaker Sean Durant, whose previous credits include a documentary on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, she plans to turn the book into a docu-drama with the actual telling of her journey combined with historic re-enactments of Grimes' life.

Filmmakers have gravitated to crowdfunding as a way to circumvent the lengthy and sometimes degrading process of seeking funding for films, particularly about serious topics. However, it can be used for any activity.