Attorney Goes Back to his Roots with Proposed Comedy Film

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Noted attorney John Safyurtlu always had a soft spot for his father’s homeland, Turkey. Although he was born in the U.S., Safyurtlu was fascinated by stories of that country’s people and its culture.
He always felt he should do something to show his appreciation for his family’s culture. And today he’s doing just that. Safyurtlu is launching a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo for his proposed film the romantic comedy “Midnight Excess.” The effort aims to raise at least $100,000 by Dec. 19. Donations so far have surpassed $20,000. Here is the Website: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/midnight-excess-the-movie.
“My goal is to entertain, but also to show Americans what a different culture is about and what its people are like,” Safyurtlu said. “Growing up the son of a Turkish businessman, I heard a lot of fascinating stories about the people and their culture that made me realize that some of these stories needed to be told so I’m doing this now.”
“Midnight Excess” tells the story of Jennifer Greenberg, a freewheeling architect who is thrilled at the prospect of a working vacation in culturally-rich Turkey. Her xenophobic husband, David, is less so, and all he can think of is getting thrown in a Turkish prison. The warmth of the Turkish people and beauty of Turkey herself converts him to a fan, but not before they meet Jim and Sarah Harman, international art thieves who con them into smuggling an art artifact out of the country.
Safyurtlu plans to shoot the film through his company, Aegean Entertainment, in various exotic locations in Turkey, ranging from mysterious Istanbul and neighboring Greek islands to the ancient ruins in the nations interior, to the seaside resorts along the Turkish Riviera. The locations not only provide the backdrop to the story, but they also provide a showcase to the beauty of the country and its people.
“When I tell my American friends that I’m going to visit Istanbul, all they ever say is ‘be careful – don’t get thrown in a Turkish prison. That’s a reference to the movie ‘Midnight Express,” which graphically showed a prison 30 years ago. So I want to show the beauty and greatness of the culture and its people,” Safyurtlu said.
Although he remains a successful practicing attorney, Safyurtlu is dedicated to making the film with the support of a team of filmmaking professionals who will help make his vision a reality.
“This is just the beginning, but ultimately, I hope to do many more films that will touch on other subjects, whether action, comedy or drama. Turkey is an incredible country with countless untold stories that we hope to mine,” he said.
With a goal of raising at least $100,000, Safyurtlu seeks to use funding as seed money to attract well-known talent that will attract other investors for the film. Ultimately, the film will have a budget of $10 million to $15 million that will include a number of top American and Turkish film stars.
The campaign also gives fans a chance to vote various aspects of the film, such as locations, favorite restaurants, favorite sports teams and more that would be included as elements in the movie. In order to vote, fans must pledge at least $1 per vote and choose the “Vote” option in the rewards section of the Indiegogo site. There is no limit on how many votes a fan may cast.
“I want this to be our movie, not just the filmmakers, but the fans and those who support us by giving them a chance to give us their feedback,” Safyurtlu said.
As part of the campaign supporters will get a variety of rewards that includes items from the film itself to a walk-on role, making the donor a permanent part of the film!
Among the rewards are:
• $10 donation for Special VIP Access to the filmmakers which includes exclusive e-mail updates and special access to the movie’s Facebook photo album!
• $25 for becoming one of the first to see the film via online streaming, which includes exclusive e-mail updates and special access to the movie’s Facebook photo album!
• $35, autographed PDFs of the film poster, a still photo from a scene as well as a behind the scenes photo, a storyboard, the script and more!
• $50, a one-of-a-kind “Midnight Excess” t-shirt and bumper sticker as well as autographed PDFs of the film poster, a still photo from a scene as well as a behind the scenes photo, a storyboard, the script and more!
• $75, a one-of-a-kind “Midnight Excess” Turkish Evil Eye! Plus items from the $35 donor level!
• $150, a one-of-a-kind Director’s Chair personalized with the donor’s name on one side and the film’s logo in the other! Plus more!
• $250, a chance to appear in a dance scene and party with the stars during filming at one of the most exclusive clubs in Turkey! Plus more!
• $500, appear as an extra in the film! Whether walking down the street, sitting in a restaurant or café, it’s a chance for donors to make their movie debut! Plus more perks!
• $1,000, donors will get a pair of tickets to attend a premiere in New York, Hollywood, Istanbul, Ankara or the Turkish Riviera as well as an invitation to the exclusive after-party, and more!
• $5,000, a chance to be on set with a friend for one full day as guest producers and watch as the movie is made! It includes the donor’s name in the closing credits plus more!
• $7,500, donors will have their photo shown in the closing credits along with their name as well as a chance to be on set with a friend for one full day as guest producers and watch as the movie is made and more!
• $10,000, a chance to be a cast member with a walk-on role in the film, plus two tickets to all screenings, premieres and after-parties, and more!
To learn more, please visit: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/midnight-excess-the-movie.