After an outpouring of donations through the Kickstarter Campaign, a film based in Cass has continued to gain support through fiscal sponsorships.

Screenwriter J.T. Arbogast and his wife, Kim, said ﾓAngelﾒs Perchﾔ is on track largely due to the partnerships with Filmmakers Collaborative and the West Virginia Alzheimerﾒs Association.

ﾓIn order to raise money and for people who want to donate, you have to be under a 501(c)3, so what arts organizations will do is become a sponsored project through larger organizations and people can donate to you through them,ﾔ Kim explained. ﾓSo, we found the Filmmakers Collaborative in Boston and started on that path.ﾔ

The West Virginia Alzheimerﾒs Association also came on board as a fiscal sponsor because the film is about a woman dealing with that debilitating disease. The association is also acting as an advisor on the film.

ﾓTheyﾒre really excited about the project because it gives, from their perspective, a real accurate depiction of what West Virginians go through when dealing with this disease and certainly, rural West Virginia because of the limited access to the support services that are offered to people who have the disease or families who are struggling with someone who has the disease,ﾔ J.T. said.

The relationship with the association has helped J.T. and Kim find more ways to share information aboutﾠ Alzheimerﾒs Disease.

ﾓThey were really excited about this because itﾒs a tool for them to do outreach, to be involved in discussion panels at screenings and to have their literature available,ﾔ J.T. said. ﾓThere will also be a PSA on the DVD that has their helpline and the warning signs of Alzheimerﾒs.ﾔ

Although the film has stayed on an upward slope, it did suffer one setback ﾖ the start time. Originally set to film in September 2011, the shoot has been pushed to May 2012. A good move in Kim and J.T.ﾒs opinion.

ﾓWeﾒve pushed the start date to the end of May and what we discovered when we made that adjustment, it opens us up to working with students as well, because the original schedule would not have allowed for that,ﾔ Kim said. ﾓWe talked to a lot of people at the universities and they wanted their students to be involved but it just was not going to work, but now, since weﾒre talking about shooting the very end of May and into June, that doesnﾒt interfere as much.

ﾓWeﾒre really looking forward to working with as many students as we can,ﾔ she continued. ﾓItﾒs important to us to work with as many locals as possible and if we can get students, their energy is so right. Theyﾒre interested and excited and engaged.ﾔ

J.T. said they plan to focus on fundraising up through the holidays, but beginning January 1, their main focus is preparing for the shoot date.

For a certain donation amount, J.T. and Kim said a person can submit a photo of a loved one they lost to Alzheimerﾒs and it will be including in the end credits as an in-memory.

ﾓI think it will be kind of lovely because itﾒs a very personal and very real example,ﾔ Kim said.

The Arbogasts are still amazed by the amount of local support they have received and continue to marvel at how excited people in the county are about the project.

To find out more about supporting the film, whether it be a donation or as an extra, visit www.angelsperch.com for updates.