Many of us live with irrational fears (clowns, stage fright, spiders, etc.) They grab hold of us, paralyze us, and disturb our dreams.

Some of us live with a different set of fears (the fear of sexual assault, the fear of violence, the fear of death, the fear of abandonment).

Such fears characterize real-life teen activist Brianna Jonnie, the subject of the harrowing documentary short produced by my dear friend/poet/blogger/all-around angelic creature Hasty Dawn Words.

Jonnie, who seeks equal treatment, compassion, and acknowledgment of the countless “disappearances” of indigenous people in her environment has a beautifully strong voice and courage and nerve to spare in Canadian filmmaker Byron Hamel’s visually stunning, cautionary tale, and call-to-action short, “If I Go Missing.”

Featuring candid interviews with the affected community, Jonnie, her concerned mother as well as original music (written by Hamel and performed by “The Once”), the docu-short is an eye-opening exploration of a heinous epidemic happening before our very eyes.

The film, which will have its World Premiere at the Toronto Independent Film Festival, would be incomplete without the female subject upon which it draws its inspiration.

If you would like to help Brianna, her mother, and the filmmakers attend the premiere and continue to spread this important message/story to an international audience, please consider donating to their cause below if you can. Please consider sharing this link if you can’t.

https://www.gofundme.com/if-i-go-missing

Laron Chapman.  Writer, co-producer, podcaster, director is a passionate 28 year old freelance filmmaker from the state of Oklahoma. He graduated from The University of Oklahoma with a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Media Studies and a background in journalism and film production. From reality television (“Food Network,” “FOX,” “Discovery Channel,” etc.) to Academy Award nominated films (“August: Osage County”; Weinstein Company; Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, etc.), he has worked with an electric variety of professionals in the ever-complex and competitive entertainment industry. He is the director of the multi-award winning feature film, “You People.”