Support KEMA
Help us expand this film and share Kema’s story with the world
Right now, KEMA sits at a crossroads... just as Kema once did.
We have a powerful story. We have breathtaking footage. We have community engagement. We even have potential leads for distribution on a major streaming platform.
But here’s the reality:
In today’s documentary world, streamers only buy completed FEATURE-length films.
That means to bring KEMA to audiences everywhere, we need to expand it, and that takes more filming, more editing, and more post-production.
KEMA is an independent documentary that has been entirely self-funded by us, the filmmakers, thus far because we believe so deeply in its vision. Every shoot, edit, and trip to capture this story has come from our own pockets. But producing and distributing a feature film like this takes a tremendous amount of time, energy, and resources.
Expanding from a short to a feature-length documentary will let us:
- Capture new chapters of Kema’s journey in Costa Rica and Houston
- Weave in more voices and perspectives
- Deepen the emotional and thematic threads
- Bring the film to festivals, theaters, and eventually streaming platforms where it can reach millions
Why It Matters
KEMA isn’t just about one woman’s healing. Our film has 4 Impact Pillars that ground it in social justice:
- 1. A Pathway for Community Healing: In a world shaped by collective grief, chronic stress, and emotional exhaustion, KEMA opens space for rest, reflection, and reimagining how we live, and how we die.
- 2. Celebrating Black Wellness, Joy, & Representation: A counter-narrative to trauma-centered depictions of Black women: KEMA centers agency, softness, and self-determined healing.
- 3. Stewarding Death Literacy & Ancestral Wisdom: Reframing death not as fear, but connection, lineage, and choice.
- 4. Empowering Spiritual & Ecological Reconnection: Nature as teacher, healer, and a universal language across cultures.
By helping KEMA grow into a feature, you’re not just funding a film, you’re fueling a movement that redefines what healing looks like.
Where Your Gift Goes
Every dollar goes directly toward completing the feature:
- Production: Filming final scenes in Costa Rica and Houston
- Post-production: Editing, color, sound mix, score, and accessibility features
- Distribution: Festival submissions, marketing, and impact screenings
- Community Impact: Partner screenings with grief, wellness, and BIPOC-led organizations
We are fiscally sponsored by Black Everywhere, which means all donations are tax deductible.
Any amount you give will make a real impact.
Why Give Now
This is a rare moment to be a part of a film while it is being made.
By supporting this film, you are stepping into a circle of people committed to supporting independent filmmaking, reframing death, reconnecting to nature, establishing community healing, championing self-advocacy, AND celebrating Black womanhood.
If this story speaks to you, we invite you to step closer.
Supporter
$50+
You are planting seed.
- Your name listed on our digital Thank You Wall
- Exclusive behind-the-scenes email updates as we complete the film
- Early access to campaign announcements and milestones
Advocate
$100+
You are tending the soil.
Includes everything from the supporter tier, plus:
- A copy of Where The Light Comes In, a memoir by Kema Ward
jfsjDi
Champion
$250+
You are helping this story bloom.
Includes everything from the supporter and advocate tier, plus:
- A copy of For My Beloved's, an End-of-Life Journal by Kema Ward
- Digital download of a limited edition movie poster.
Visionary
$500+
You are shaping the future.
Includes everything from all other tiers, plus:
- Your name listed in the Special Thanks section of the film's end credits
- Exclusive access to a private rough-cut screening before the film is publicly released
- Private 20-minute video call with Kema + the filmmakers
Status: 6% of our $125,000 goal
Transformational Partnership
For those who feel called to help bring KEMA fully into the world, we invite you into a smaller circle.
These credits are honorary and come with no creative control or financial return, but they represent something powerful: legacy, partnership, and belief in the cultural impact of this work.
Associate Producer
$10,000+
Limited to 5 supporters.
- Associate Producer credit in the film's end titles + IMDb
- Two VIP tickets to an official in-person screening (travel not included)
- Personalized impact update following the film's release
- Signed limited-edition movie poster
Executive Producer
$35,000+
Limited to 3 supporters.
- Executive Producer credit with prominent placement in the film + IMDb
- Two VIP tickets to the official Premiere
- Invitation to attend a festival screening as a guest of the team (travel not included)
- One-hour strategy conversation about how the film can support your foundation, company, or mission
- Name/logo in select press materials
ALL DONATIONS ARE FULLY TAX DEDUCTIBLE
Thanks to our Fiscal Sponsor, Black Everywhere 501(c)3