Darryl Anka: Director, producer and screenwriter in Los Angeles, California.

I hope there are more Stage 32'ers attending Cannes! I've got a #FridayFeeling there are more here.... let's connect!

Hi Steve, I'm a fellow Canadian, born in Ottawa, but I live in Los Angeles. Thanks for the connection and we'll be submitting to OWTFF but we wanted to be certain of your rules. Is our documentary, First Contact, eligible if we show it in theaters in the U.S. before the date of your festival? Thanks!

I finished the screenplay. I want to make it myself. I am in NYC. I have Cast and some crew. No $$. Any suggestions would help.

Dear Darryl I would like to cordially invite you to the premiere industry showcase of the year, Worldwide Star Search being held in Los Angeles at the beautiful Sheraton Suites Downtown on August 17, 2013! This event is not to be missed! At the showcase you’ll be able to: Audition union and non-union, ready to market models, actors, singers, dancers and hosts for your current and future projects. Network with the industry’s best agents, managers, casting directors, producers, directors, photographers, ad agencies, magazines, designers and other clients from around the world! For more information about Worldwide Star Search, please visit our website www.worldwidestarsearch.com Please RSVP your attendance by responding to this message. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at (213) 380 – 9209. We look forward to seeing you! Best,

Nice 2 meet u best wishes [sweeps globe @ www.ubetoo.com/Frommscountrymusic ]

Hi Darryl, love the concept behind Dearly Departed. Best of luck with it. Craig

Very happy to be of some help. By all means, please feel free to stay in touch. Best, Darryl

Hi Stephanie, Our company did a Kickstarter campaign to raise post-production funds for a project. As you probably know, if you don't reach the funding goal amount you set within the time frame you choose, you don't receive a dime of the funding because no one's card is charged unless the goal is reached. We only got about halfway to our goal and so, did not receive the donations that were pledged. However, in the daily blog that one does to keep the public in the loop and update them as to your project's status, we also mentioned that we were open to investors as well as donations and, because of that, we attracted three investors who actually invested more than we were asking for in our donation campaign. In that sense, Kickstarter worked by providing a platform to reach those investors. As you may also know, another crowd funding site, IndieGoGo, has two ways of raising donations: Fixed Funding, which operates just like Kickstarter (don't reach your goal, you don't get anything) but they also have Flexible Funding, which means that you still get however much you've raised even if you don't reach your goal (minus 9% I believe). There are upsides and downsides to this. Upside: You get SOME money. Downside: It may not be enough to accomplish what you want and also not enough to pay for the perks you promised people who donated, so be careful when making the choice. At any rate, if you use either Kickstarter or IndieGoGo, always make sure to add extra dollars on top of what you actually need to cover their cut and the costs of mailing the promised perks. The other thing about crowd funding is that, for the duration of your campaign (or at least until you've reached your goal, because donations could exceed your goal) you will spend most of your time on Facebook, Twitter and e-mail constantly updating your contacts and reminding everyone to please donate. It become nearly a 24/7 job so allow for that in your schedule. Wishing you all the best on your projects and your crowd funding campaigns. Sincerely, Darryl Anka Zia Films

Who here has created their own Kickstarter campaign? Was it successful? What did you learn from it? What came from that campaign (i.e. production, networking, contacts, experience, etc.) that was most valuable to you? What advice do you have for others looking to start their first Kickstarter project?

There's the Action On Film Festival (AOF) in Monrovia, CA that we just screened a film in. It's small but does get some mid-level distributors attending. However, the festival finishes this Saturday the 25th of August, so submissions for the next one are a year away. Still a young festival in its 8th year, but not bad and you get lots of support from Del Weston, the festival director, who sort of specializes in giving films a break who might not otherwise get into a festival.

Seeking active investors for several film projects. Please see our ziafilms.com website for a list of projects in development. Thank you.

Hi Darryl. I'm RB, co-founder and CEO of Stage 32. I know first-hand the challenges all creatives face finding work and attracting attention to their projects. That's why we created Stage 32. Our members run the gamut from film students to award winners. The community is now 65,000+ members strong spanning 175+ countries. This is a network for you, built by you. Like most things in life, the more you participate, the greater the rewards. We ask all new members to help us spread the word through other social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. We also ask that you help strengthen the community by inviting at least 5 fellow creatives. Check out Invite friends to Stage 32 on the upper right side of your profile. Thanks for being a part of this most talented and inspiring community. PS - Be sure to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @Stage32online.

Hey Darryl, I'm the CTO and lead developer at Stage32.com. Please let me know if you have any questions or feedback about the site. I'd love to hear your comments!