With 34 days left to go, the Gosnell movie raised $500,000 of the $2.1 million needed to share the story of America’s “most prolific serial killer.” Willfully ignored by the news media and frozen out of mainstream Hollywood, the grisly tale of Kermit Gosnell’s crimes will only come to life through “crowdfunding.”
Filmmaker Phelim McAleer with wife Ann McElhinney and Magdalena Segieda aim to raise $2.1 million in 45 days via fundraiser site Indiegogo for their Gosnell project, a scripted drama based on abortionist Kermit Gosnell’s trial and grand jury report. The team turned to Indiegogo when similar crowdfunded site Kickstarter complained that, among other things, the project described babies “stabbed to death.” The Indiegogo campaign reached $500,000 on April 9 with over 6,500 funders.
Kermit Gosnell was convicted last May of first-degree murder of three babies – though many hundreds may have med similar fates in his Philadelphia abortion mill. A mere 12 – 15 reporters attended the trial, in which witnesses described baby abortion survivors “swimming” in toilets. Not until after a public outcry as well as letters from members of the House of Representatives did all three broadcast networks report on the story.
McElhinney believes the fundraising success the Gosnell project is enjoying will cause Hollywood and the media to “pay attention.”
“People are angry with them for ignoring the news and the truth,” McElhinney stressed, and $500,000 as “is such a strong message from people all over the country voting with their money for the truth.”
Her husband, McAleer, called the success “a huge responsibility – All these thousands of people have trusted us to tell this story” and emphasized that the team “won’t let them down.”
The filmmakers weren’t the only ones excited. Multiple funders commented on the project via Indigogo and social media:
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“My previous donation of $100 was not nearly representative of what I would love to give to see this film made and distributed to as many people as possible. My latest donation of $500 is more than I am comfortable with, but what is my comfort compared to the horrors Gosnell inflicted on innocent men and women?”
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“The reason I donated is because I have had two abortions. Once at 19 and again at 32. I do have two living children from my first marriage. The pain and guilt of knowing you have murdered your babies is unbearable. I thank Jesus for His forgiveness. I thank Him for healing my pain of what I have done. God bless you.”
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“Bravo to you for taking on this quest. There is no more important issue than doing what the lapdog MSM should be doing. The world needs to know about this holocaust. God bless you for doing it.”
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“I have opinions and views on abortion that I’m sure are not unique, but I also believe everyone should have accurate information to base their opinions on. Having a means to understanding the viability and value of life at all points of development is crucial in the process of forming opinions.
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“I read the Gosnell grand jury findings on Michelle Malkin’s site the same day I learned I would be a gramma. He is now 2 1/2 and I thank God for him & for you. Gosnell will haunt me for all my days. Thanks for telling the story.”
Kickstarter’s initial refusal to allow the Gosnell project recently surfaced as hypocritical in regards to other projects allowed on the site, including “After Tiller,” a documentary empathizing with the last four third-trimester abortionists in the United States.
— Katie Yoder is Staff Writer, Joe and Betty Anderlik Fellow in Culture and Media at the Media Research Center. Follow Katie Yoder on Twitter.
