A former long-time Abbotsford resident is raising money to film a new feature movie that is described as an “autism neuro-typical love story.”
Director and writer Joel Reimer, who himself is on the autism spectrum, is partnering with producers Braydon Langford and Kevin Parkhouse for the film Cognizant Love.
The movie tells the story of an atypical man and neuro-typical woman finding love after a devastating breakup.
Nick Wangersky, an actor on the autism spectrum, plays the film’s male lead, Jake.
The all-Canadian cast also includes Asiah Holm, Silvana Estifanos, Morgan LeBlanc and Sahana Sidhu.
The film will be shot in Vancouver and on Cortes Island.
RELATED: Abbotsford pair to go wild for TV series
“Cognizant Love is the opportunity we have personally to put my money where our mouths are and tell a truly inclusive love story,” Reimer said.
He said because the producers are “up and coming,” they do not have the backing of Hollywood studios and must fund their films out of their own pockets.
They have launched a crowd-sourcing campaign, hoping to raise at least $12,000 to pay honorariums to the cast and crew.
“The best possible outcome we hope for is to raise enough money to pay our cast and crew union rates while offering audiences a Hollywood-level viewing experience,” the campaign states.
The campaign can be found through the website IndieGoGo.com by searching “Cognizant Love Movie.”
Reimer, who was born and raised in Abbotsford and now lives in Vancouver, previously launched a crowd-funding campaign to produce a pilot for a TV series called Into Wild Vancouver. The show’s premise was to take a closer look into the wildlife and landscapes of the Greater Vancouver region.