‘Lumpia 2’ reaches Kickstarter goal of $50k in dramatic finish

Kickstarter poster for “Lumpia.”

LOS ANGELES—In a suspenseful finish, the creators of “Lumpia 2,” an action comedy movie sequel to the “ultimate homemade” film “Lumpia,” reached their fund-raising goal of $50,000 on Kickstarter before the midnight Sept. 10 deadline.

Last-minute pledges by supporters tuned in to the live “Lumpiacast” webcast pushed the production over the hump with just 22 minutes to spare.

A total of 712 backers pledged $52,238, which means the Filipino-American film “Lumpia 2” is “greenlit.”

With only 24 hours left in the campaign, Lumpia writer/director Patricio Ginelsa of Kid Heroes Productions and editor/producer A.J. Calomay of Xylophone Films were about $18,000 short of the required goal on the crowdfunding site.

Although it seemed like a longshot, a social media push from the community contributed to a total of over 320 backers pledging over $20,000 in the final hours of the campaign.

“It really felt like we, the underdogs, just won the Super Bowl in the last few seconds,” said Ginelsa.  “I always believed that our Lumpia lovers would support us, just not in nail-biting fashion.”

Throughout the 30-day campaign, Ginelsa and Calomay emphasized the strength in number of backers over the actual amount raised. They even welcomed $1 to $5 dollar pledges if it meant a backer believed in the film.

Calomay stressed, “It’s all about building our audience who want see the movies we want to make. We can’t expect studios to do it for us. Their pledge meant they believed in our skills as filmmakers and storytellers.”

“Lumpia 2” elicited support from notable names including Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, actor Dante Basco, WWE wrestler Dave Bautista, filmmakers Quark Henares, Michael Kang, Chris Chan Lee and Q Allan Brocka, comic book creators Whilce Portacio and Greg Pak, YouTube stars Legaci, AJ Rafael and Jeremy Passion, Quest Crew’s Ryan Conferido, Cheesa from ABC’s “The Voice,” Power 106’s DJ E-man, 102.7 KIIS FM’s Manny Streetz, Peanut Butter Wolf of Stones Throw Records, DJ Rhettmatic and Icy Ice of the Beat Junkies, and PBA star Jimmy Alapag.

Their first Kickstarter was launched as a community-based project and served as a platform to promote other filmmakers, artists and celebrities through original content created specifically for the campaign.

Bay Area, Los Angeles and San Diego screenings of the original Lumpia film, presence at large-scale Filipino festivals and innovative social media tactics such as the visual #LUMPIABomb fists helped fuel interest in “Lumpia 2.”

Plans for “Lumpia 2” include shooting in the original Daly City, California, setting with most of the original cast.

“After 10 years, I’m honored that the fans still came out and pushed for the sequel,” said Edward Baon, who will reprise his role as nemesis Tyrone.

“It started out as a bunch of us neighborhood kids coming together to make a movie.  Only seems right to have the whole community join in and be involved in the sequel. It’s gonna be a fun ride!”

For updates about the film, visit www.lovethatlumpia.com and follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. See the celebratory moment the Kickstarter goal was reached here: FINAL LUMPIACAST

First posted September 13, 2013 | 7:39 am