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How to Support the Film: Watch the Teaser Trailer, Like & Follow us on Social Media, Subscribe to our Email Newsletter, Share the project with friends & family, or Contribute to the film.
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FILMMAKER’S STATEMENT
Independent feature-length documentaries are increasingly difficult to complete, with filmmakers often carrying the financial burden themselves. Boat People has been entirely self-funded and filmed over 7 years to capture an impactful historical and cultural story that deserves to be documented and shared. All filming is complete, and the project is now in post-production with a targeted 2026 completion date.
Contributions at this stage are critical to finishing and sharing the final film with audiences. All contributions will go exclusively toward post-production and marketing expenses, including editing, sound, color, music, archival footage licensing, animated scene re-creations, and to submit to film festivals globally. We are deeply grateful for your support, which directly helps bring this film across the finish line and into the world.
Why The Film Matters
Photo of the Tran siblings taken near the end of their 8-month stay in the Pulau Galang Refugee Camp in Indonesia (1981). Featured, left to right: Minh-Chau Tran, Nhan Tran, Bicky Tran, and Mindy Tran.
Boat People is more than a documentary - it is an act of preservation.
This underrepresented Asian Pacific refugee story must be preserved because it carries the lived history of an entire generation that is quickly disappearing.
The Vietnamese boat people endured one of the most dangerous refugee journeys in modern history. Yet their experiences are too often reduced to numbers, timelines, or footnotes in history books. Preserving these stories restores their humanity - honoring the parents who risked everything, the children who survived unimaginable hardship, and the families who rebuilt their lives from nothing.
Today, the children who lived through this are now in their 50s and 60s. Their parents have largely passed away or aged beyond the ability to share their memories. This is the last generation with firsthand knowledge of the escape, the refugee camps, and the difficult process of resettlement. If these stories are not recorded now, they will be lost forever.
Preserving this story matters not only for Vietnamese communities, but for all of us. In a world shaped by displacement and migration, these voices offer empathy, perspective, and understanding. They remind future generations that behind every refugee headline are real families, real sacrifices, and extraordinary resilience.
By preserving this story, we honor the past - and help shape a more compassionate future.
Your contribution helps bring Boat People to completion and ensures these voices are preserved and shared with audiences worldwide. Every donation - large or small - directly supports post-production, outreach, and impact campaigns that keep this history alive. Join us in preserving this story. Contribute Now.
Project Timeline
Boat People has been entirely self-funded and filmed over 7 years to capture an impactful historical and cultural story that deserves to be documented and shared. All filming is complete, and the project is now in post-production with a targeted 2026 completion date. We need your help bringing this film across the finish line!
Be part of preserving this history. Your contribution helps ensure this story reaches the communities it represents and beyond. Make a contribution today.
YOUR IMPACT
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Animated Scene Re-Creations
Bringing key moments to life through original animation where archival footage does not exist. -
Archival Media Licensing
Securing the rights to essential historical footage, photographs, and materials that ground the film in authenticity. -
Original Music & Licensing
Creating and licensing music that supports the emotional tone and narrative of the film. -
Picture Finishing & Color
Finalizing the edit with professional color correction and image finishing for theatrical and broadcast standards. -
Sound Mixing & Mastering
Delivering a polished, immersive audio experience that meets professional distribution requirements. -
Film Festival Fees
Covering submission costs to premiere the film at festivals and connect it with audiences, press, and distributors. -
Marketing & Publicity
Covers outreach efforts including festival promotion, press materials, digital marketing, and audience engagement to help the film reach viewers worldwide.
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Private Screenings
Supports the costs of organizing community, educational, and industry screenings - bringing the film directly to audiences and sparking meaningful dialogue.
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Miscellaneous
Essential behind-the-scenes costs such as E&O insurance, digital cinema packages (DCP), deliverables, and other critical expenses that keep the film on track.
CONTRIBUTE TODAY
Join us in supporting independent filmmaking and bringing this film across the finish line!
Frequently Asked Questions
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No. Contributions are not tax-deductible, as the production of this project is not by a registered nonprofit organization.
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No. Contributions are not investments and do not provide any equity, ownership interest, profit participation, or financial return of any kind.
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All contributions will go exclusively toward post-production and marketing expenses, including editing, sound, color, music, archival footage licensing, animated scene re-creations, and to submit to film festivals worldwide.
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All contributions are treated as general support and are applied where most needed within post-production and marketing activities.
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Documentary production and distribution timelines can evolve. While we make every effort to complete and release the film as planned, timelines may change due to creative, logistical, or market considerations.
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No goods or services are provided in exchange for contributions unless explicitly stated and offered separately as a standard product purchase.
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Payments are processed securely through Squarespace Payments and Stripe, PayPal, and Zelle using industry-standard encryption and security protocols.
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Squarespace Payments powered by Stripe — all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), plus Apple Pay and Google Pay. We also support ACH bank transfers for contributions of $250 or more.
PayPal / Venmo — available at checkout for quick, familiar payments.
Zelle — prefer Zelle? You may also contribute directly via Zelle using the handle: BOATPEOPLEFILM
Check or Cash — we’re happy to accept checks or cash contributions as well. Please contact us for mailing or drop-off details so we can ensure your contribution is properly received and acknowledged.
All online payments are processed securely. If you have any questions about contributing or need assistance with a specific method, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
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Contributions are generally non-refundable, as funds are used immediately for project-related expenses. Refund requests may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis if submitted shortly after the transaction.
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Boat People is produced by an independent production company - Wilco Films. Additional information about the filmmakers and production team is available on this website.