Ten Dollars Reward

Ten Dollars Reward is a narrative film set in the Hudson Valley of 1790, shortly after the American Revolution. It is a time and place of enormous vitality and diversity, yet one in which slavery remains legal in New York State.

Our film’s core characters reflect this vibrant milieu: an escaped, enslaved Black man who fought for the British; an ex-British officer; a Hessian mercenary; a half Mohawk/half English, fifteen-year old boy; and a Dutch patroon with a gambling problem.

A life-and-death chase brings these characters together in a haunted woodland — populated by dangerous, enigmatic characters — and delivers them to a mysterious tavern. There, All Hallow’s Eve festivities are in full swing and involve them in a series of disquieting and eccentric episodes with the denizens of the inn.

What happens next unsettles the characters’ reality and reframes their relationships, ultimately re-directing each onto a new path.

Ten Dollars Reward is a comprehensively researched, high-octane, surreal collision of American dreams and nightmares. The film explores the roots of the American experience — both its history and myth — revealing a post-Colonial era that presents a distant mirror to our country’s current state.

WHY WE’RE RAISING MONEY

Ten Dollars Reward is seeking support to assist with essential development costs: casting, budgeting, legal and accounting expenses.

Having secured the services of casting director Destiny Lilly (The Color Purple, Only Murders in the Building, current president of the CSA) gives us extraordinary access to top talent. We believe this access — coupled with the quality and originality of the script and the dazzling visual portfolio of our director, Edmund Milligan Marcus — will enable us to assemble a first-rate cast that will appeal to audiences and financiers alike.

WHO WE ARE

Edmund Milligan Marcus: Director/Co-Writer/Producer

Lisa Milligan: Producer

Donald Marcus: Co-Writer/Producer

OUR COLLABORATORS

Destiny Lilly: Casting Director

Kelly Ryan: Co-Producer/Sales Agent

Elizabeth Margid: Co-Producer/Creative Consultant

Parker Tolifson: Cinematographer

Erika Hampson: Line Producer

Lena Borovçi: Costume Designer & Design Consultant

Heather Merrill: Archival Producer