Ex-Fox Executive Banks on Crowdfunding to Produce MH370 Movie

When I first read about MH370 was out of reach on 8 March 2014, I cried because I have fear of flying. And I thought about the feelings of the family members of the passengers in the plane. 
Now 8 years later, I know that family members are still praying for their safe return or at least a sign of any kind to be the closure for their disappearances. 
Veteran Hollywood executive Darlene Lieblich Tipton is driven by the fact that the friends and families of the 239 passengers and crew on-board MH370 that went missing on March 8, 2014 "need and deserve closure".     With never-before seen MH370 pics and video taken after the plane disappeared, Tipton has launched headfirst into MALAYSIA 370 – a feature film project "dedicated to the heroic actions of the 239 passengers and crew on board Malaysia Airlines #370."  Crowd-funding activities were activated on October 1, 2018 with Tipton investing most of her personal funds into the production.

"So far I have raised over USD 1.4 million – USD 500,000 from my retirement savings and the rest from friends, family, and supporters of my last movie,” Tipton said, adding that most of the funds raised so far were from people who have worked with her personally in Hollywood. 
Tipton said, “The minimum production budget is USD 7.5 million, with a maximum budget of USD 30 million."  Tipton offered several unique perks to crowd-fund the project.  Her preference for financial support is to have users download the movie's hauntingly beautiful theme song, “Remember Me”. The song is a tender message from a passenger on MH370 to bring comfort and closure to a loved one left behind.  This song has been recorded in English, Mandarin, Greek, Spanish and Russian. Tipton would also like to have a version recorded in Bahasa Melayu recorded under a paid contract in Los Angeles with a full orchestra. 
Acknowledging the presence of naysayers and trolls, she said the negative media reports used details that sometimes have put a 180-degree spin on what she actually said. “I was not given the opportunity to correct the inaccuracies, and once something is on the Internet it becomes a lasting piece of incorrect data."
Once the financial target is achieved, Tipton wanted to give the first and full priority to the talent and crew – above and below the line production positions – who have been banned from China.  The list includes Oscar-winning film director Martin Scorsese, Brad Pitt, Sharon Stone, Harrison Ford and musical stars like Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Bjork.

"Pre-production will begin as soon as possible, depending on when the crowd-fund goals are met. Updates will be posted and LIVE streaming will come from each set.  Interviews with talent and crew (will) be uploaded as they happen," Tipton said, citing Culver Studios as her preferred shooting location.  Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos recently bought the historic studio, which is rich with Hollywood history as the birthplace of countless movies ranging from 'Gone with the Wind', 'Citizen Kane' to 'The Matrix'.
"There is no major Hollywood studio that will let us shoot on their lot... Shooting the movie at an indie production facility like Amazon’s Culver Studios would be a dream come true," Tipton concluded.
Crowdfunding efforts thus far are a multi-pronged approach of donations, sale of memorial coins and theme song downloads.  Tipton said, funds received from the sale, rental, and distribution of 'MALAYSIA 370' will be allocated to the 239 families affected. "The goal is to be able to give each family USD 100,000 for a total output of USD 23,900,000."
Darlene Lieblich Tipton’s experience in the film industry spans over four decades, 25 years and her last days were spent as vice president of standards and practices for the Fox Cable Networks Group. She was also the Chairman of the Emmys, an American award that recognized excellence in the television industry equivalent to the Academy (for fthe ilm), the Tony (for theatre) and the Grammy (for music) from 2000 to 2005.

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