About Us

The producers behind the film are Cinergy3: a group of three diverse female filmmakers from the Muskegon, Michigan area, whose mission is to amplify underrepresented voices and uplift marginalized communities through the art of filmmaking.

About “Road to Life” 

Our film positions young people, specifically minor children, as the center of the conversation about intergenerational incarceration. 70% of kids whose parents are or have been incarcerated are likely to be incarcerated themselves. And in Michigan (one of several US states) there is no minimum age at which a minor can be charged with a crime. Road to Life tells the story of students who have been impacted by incarceration or are on a road to incarceration, and it offers the perspectives of experts and others at intersections of the system.

We are especially motivated to examine this issue and highlight the ongoing work to positively disrupt the cycle in Muskegon. Filmed primarily in the hometown of the filmmakers, “Road to Life” offers an intimate and genuine look at this pervasive issue and challenges us to grapple with how kids suffer from and experience intergenerational incarceration. It will also encourage us to face how perseverance and positive intervention can be key to redirecting our youth onto a better path.

The Need

Our film is slated to begin production in late April, 2022. With your support in helping us get to $80,000, we can meet the remaining funding costs associated with production and post-production. We need to: pay, house, and feed our production crew, rent film equipment, build a set for a key creative scene, pay our film editor, pay our film composer, order professional captions, and more!

We have a variety of perks for you ranging from special film credits, to digital and physical merchandise (some merchandise are typical symbols of childhood like stickers, stuffed bears, and blankets or feature that type of *imagery), to early screenings, to invitations to our film’s premiere event! Please click the perks to expand them and read about what’s included 🙂

We will prioritize paying our production crew and post-production crew with funds raised should we fall short of our funding goal.

*graphic design for film and merch to be finalized during production

The Impact

While there are great documentaries and media educating the public about mass incarceration, and even intergenerational incarceration (e.g. “13th”, “Life after Life”, “Mothers of Bedford”, etc), there is a lack of attention to and education about children’s experiences. The depth of the issue remains largely underexplored in film, TV, and other public outlets. Road to Life seeks to help fill that gap, engage the public, and motivate viewers to act.

Upon completion, the film will be taken to film festivals, local and nationwide communities, and even to Washington D.C., with our main goal being three-pronged: 

1) Education: Educate and engage the public about this issue through screenings, community conversations, volunteer opportunities, and more.

2) Action: Support local programs already engaged in this important work and advocate for increased legal protections and social support for minors at the local, state, and federal levels.

3) Change: Motivate the successful change of laws and policies, and positively shift perception of Muskegon and similar communities.

Risks & Challenges

Our plan to overcome any production challenges is to have a solutions-focused perspective when problem-solving (be it location, equipment, or other challenges): We have a plan A, B, C, and D to see our film to completion! And as safety is our #1 priority, we have a strong COVID protocol to maximize our ability to engage in film production safely. We’re going to use all funds to meet the needs of the film project and our goal of shining more light on this issue.

You Can Help!

Even if you cannot contribute to this campaign, you can still help in other ways: Share our link with those you know and make some noise about this campaign! =)

The Team

Not all of our awesome crew is pictured but scroll to read about some of us:

Aliyah Mitchell – Executive Producer, Director 

Aliyah is an Ann Arbor, MI-based filmmaker and photographer. Originally from Muskegon, MI and co-founder of Cinergy3, she holds an Associate in Science and Arts from Muskegon Community College and a BA in filmmaking from the University of Michigan. She leverages the power of filmmaking and photo editing to ask and examine questions about people, ideas, and humanity. Currently a video producer, photographer, and editor for University of Michigan’s Business & Finance organization, she often engages themes of communication, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work has been recognized by institutions like University of Michigan, Colorado State, the University of Minnesota, University Wisconsin, and the University of California, Berkeley. She has contributed to feature-length, short, and documentary film productions state-wide and nationally and continues to develop projects that aim to enlighten, inspire, and uplift. 

Shelinda Knight Davenport – Producer, Co-Director

Shelinda is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Social Innovation at Grand Valley State University (GVSU). She holds a BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Leadership of Human Rights and Oppression from GVSU. Shelinda, co-founder of Cinergy3, is an intellectually curious and civically engaged as a community leader, who utilizes her education and training to examine and challenge social issues and to educate the public. Shelinda produced and hosted a talk show “Cute Lin Checkin’ In” where she interviewed many people (including a candidate for Governor of California, Black American World War II veterans, Black artists, and several members of the community) on topics of racism, poverty, disabilities, alternative lifestyles, and proposed solutions. As an innovator, Shelinda’s mission is to use her education and entertainment platforms to address social justice issues and systemic problems that disproportionately affect marginalized communities.

Ari Jacobs – Producer, Art Director

Ari, co-founder of Cinergy3, has a creative mind and employs a unique approach to design and storytelling. Motivated by the need to create collaboratively, she holds a BA in Film and Video Production from Grand Valley State University and an Associate of Applied Science in Technical Broadcast and Multimedia from Muskegon Community College. Formerly the Video and Social Media Coordinator for Wesco, she produced commercial product videos and internal educational and training videos. Ari has provided art direction on many film projects at Grand Valley State University and has served as producer on a number of student productions. She has worked on the international award-winning Horror Film, Ruin Me, as a Production Assistant in the art department. Ari is most interested in developing projects that address social justice and environmental issues.

Natalia Armstrong Veen, NBC-HWC – Executive Producer

Natalia is a nationally accredited Integrative Health Coach and writer with a history of fundraising for social issues she feels passionately about. She was drawn to supporting this documentary because she feels that all children deserve more than the possibility of a good life, it should be their birthright.  She is honored and blessed to support the vision of Road To Life and the mission of the filmmakers to advocate for social change.

Sarah Uddin – Director of Photography

Sarah Uddin is an independent documentary filmmaker. She has held various positions on a variety of projects ranging from doc-style branded content to ethnographic, observational documentaries in her personal practice. Her approach to filmmaking emphasizes the observation of an aspect of human existence often overlooked or misrepresented by the current media landscape. Commercially, she works as a First/Second Assistant Camera, Director of Photography, Camera Operator, and Associate Producer on short form narratives/documentaries, music videos, commercials, corporate advertisements, and visual poetry statements within Detroit, MI. Her current role as the DP for an upcoming documentary on juvenile detention, Road to Life, will be a key opportunity to develop a visual style and execute the fundamental elements of a research-based, subject-driven short form documentary.

Juan D. Freitez – Editor

Juan is a filmmaker and film editor who documents multicultural, social and political issues in underrepresented communities. His documentary shorts have been featured on NPR, PRI, and NBC. His first feature-length film Health Undocumented has screened at national and international film festivals and has been translated into many languages from Spanish to Malay. Freitez has been hosted by renowned universities, including Stanford, Berkeley, Georgetown, and UCSD to present his work and lead discussions about the communities and topics documented in his films.

Onassis Rabanes – Videographer

Onassis is a 28 year old Filipino-Canadian videographer and filmmaker. His driving force is in telling people’s unique stories and perspectives. He enjoys rock climbing and playing basketball when he’s not behind the camera.

Steven Klingbiel – Recordist, Post-Sound Mixing

Steve Klingbiel is a musician and audio engineer in the SE Michigan area. Steve’s primary roles for Road to Life are recordist for production, and sound mixing in post production.

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