Award-winning Black artist Mtume “Core Rhythm” Gant is proud to present his first-feature, I DON’T LIVE TODAY, in a 30-day intensive crowdfunding campaign through Seed&Spark’s Hometown Heroes rally, partnered with Duplass Brothers Productions, Salem Street Entertainment and UnLTD Entertainment.

I DON’T LIVE TODAY is a story about a Black struggling painter who has become disillusioned with the art world in New York and, on his final night in the city, wanders the streets on a moralistic crusade to cut ties to the city and face the demons that he’s tried to keep hidden.

This past month, the Duplass Brothers partnered with Seed&Spark to challenge filmmakers to make a feature film about their Hometown. Filmmakers that raise at least 80% of their goal and 1000 followers during the rally would be eligible for one of five no-interest loans for $50,000!

Gant had already been in the midst of developing his expressionist feature with producers Shant Joshi (PORCUPINE LAKE) and Christopher Everett (WILMINGTON ON FIRE), and saw the rally as an opportunity to access a larger platform from which to champion abstract artists.

I Don’t Live Today is as much an exploration of the life of the visual artists as any of the other subjects. Influenced by the abstract expressionist work of Norman Lewis, Mark Rothko, Romare Bearden and Alma Thomas, the film will exist also as much needed homage to radical abstract art, in particular the abstract art of African Americans that for many years went ignored and underappreciated. The film will feature original works from living artists, as new pieces will be commissioned to make sure an authentic representation of abstract art is seen in the story and aesthetic, showing the vibrancy of visual art culture today.

Mtume’s previous short films SPIT and WHITE FACE have screened at dozens of festivals garnering a number of awards both locally at Coney Island, Bushwick, Harlem, Lower East Side, and abroad at San Francisco, Woodstock, Aspen, Ashland, & Manchester.

Mtume and team are very excited to be raising funds for I DON’T LIVE TODAY with a goal of $40,000 from September 17th to October 17th and appreciate any level of donation whether $25 or $2,500!

You can find the project on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram under the handle @IDLTFilm and under the hashtag, #NoKingsHere

Donate to the campaign at
www.seedandspark.com/fund/idltfilm