"Deep in My Heart is a Song"

a short film starring Johnny Bencomo, Lindsay Burdge & Annalee Jefferies

from Emmy-nominated production company People People Media

ABOUT:

An aging country musician who’s struggling to make ends meet receives an offer for an unusual private gig. Deep in My Heart is a Song is a music movie and a western — shot on 16mm in a doc-style fashion.

This short film is based on the real-life cowboy musician Johnny Bencomo, who has graciously let us into his life. Johnny is keeping alive a rich tradition as one of the last remaining authentic cowboy singer/storytellers, and one of the only musicians who plays an 18-string guitar. He is a treasure. The short film we’re making with him highlights forgotten folks living on the fringes of society who have something truly remarkable to share, but no platform or means to share it. After our first script reading, when we looked over at Johnny, he had tears dripping off the end of his nose. Like Johnny, the film possesses a sense of Americana that aches — a tale of the West with a quiet and wild beating heart.

Starring alongside Johnny are the gifted actors Lindsay Burdge (Black Bear, The Invitation, Her Smell) and Annalee Jefferies (Monsters, Hellion).

WHY GIVE:

We wrapped production on the film and are now in the final stages of post! We filmed in Tombstone, Arizona from August 2nd-5th. It was hot, and it was a blast. We’re super excited by what we got on set – we filmed around campfires at night, during a thunderstorm in the evening, and in a country bar while Johnny sang his heart out. We've spent the months since chipping away at the edit, and now have a picture-locked version that's being submitted to film festivals. We're now just needing to raise the last bit of the budget to complete our sound design/mix, color correction, and final music licensing by the end of 2023!

Your donation helps make finishing this project (at a high level and on time!) possible. Like most short films, this is a low-budget, passion project endeavor. Our greatest hope is to finish a killer movie that unearths Johnny's music to a larger audience. Building on any success the film has, we'd set out to make a feature-length version of Deep in My Heart is a Song.

By donating to the film, you're supporting: 1) Johnny's authentic cowboy music which keeps alive a rich Western tradition, 2) the careers of emerging filmmakers, 3) stories of forgotten folks living on the fringes of society, and 4) wonderful local businesses in Tombstone, AZ. We'd love to walk the red carpet with you at the world premiere.

Thank you in advance for your generosity –– our deepest gratitude to you. If you'd like to see the work-in-progress cut or get involved, just send us an email: jonathan@peoplepeoplemedia.com.