by Mischa Hedges & Brendan Hedges
Co-Directors, ORACLE: the Life & Music of Michael Hedges
VIDEO: 2024 year-end update
Watch four new clips from ORACLE: the Life & Music of Michael Hedges
and learn what’s next in the production & editing process.
The progress made this film been made possible by Official Sponsors, crowdfunding supporters, several grants from foundations & nonprofits, and hundreds of attendees of the fundraising events we’ve hosted and been a part of. Together, we’ve raised $370K of the full $1.2M documentary budget, enabling major progress on the film.
That funding has been used to hire our crew of more than a dozen professional filmmakers. Your support has enabled us, as co-directors, to research the story, write a screenplay, review archive footage, complete 18 days of production and begin editing this feature documentary. It’s helped us cover the significant costs to hire crew, film in beautiful studios, rent production equipment and editing facilities – all to make this film the best it can be!
With this support, we’ve made major progress over the past 3 years:
2022 – Writing & development of a 120 page documentary screenplay, 5 days of early production, editing a 7-minute Fundraising Trailer, pitching potential sponsors and funding organizations.
2023 – Running a full-scale crowdfunding campaign, hosting several fundraising events, completing more than half of production by capturing more than 25 interviews over 13 additional days of filming with a professional crew in California, New York, Oklahoma, Vermont & Tennessee.
2024 – Reviewing 100+ hours of archival footage and audio, creating paper edits for ACT II & III of the film, hosting several fundraising events, organizing and making selects of captured footage, and six months of editing more than one-third of the film to a rough cut stage!
To continue work on the film in 2025, we need to raise least $250,000.
Will you help us reach this goal by becoming a 2025 Sustaining Sponsor?
Your support will enable our filmmaking team to do the following in 2025:
Complete production – filming 15-20 days of interviews & visuals with a professional crew in Mendocino, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Baltimore and Minneapolis. (cost: $150K)
Complete a full rough cut – editing full-time over 6-8 months to assemble a full rough cut of the film, including interviews, archive footage, home movies and performance footage. When complete, we’ll host a private “work-in-progress” screening to receive feedback from project advisors. (cost: $100K)
Move towards a final cut & release – securing completion funding and/or a distribution partner, completing a fine cut of the film and submitting to top-tier international film festivals. When it is complete, we’ll host a private “sneak preview” screening and reception for all ORACLE sponsors & crowdfunding supporters before the film’s official release.
Become a 2025 Sustaining Sponsor
Choose one of the following options:
1. One-Time Donation – make a $1,000 (or more) year end tax-deductible contribution
2. Monthly Supporter – pledge $100/month for 12 months ($1,200 total)
3. Increase Your Sponsorship Level – If you’re an existing supporter, level up & access additional sponsor benefits!
Official Sponsor Benefits
$1,000 Contributors receive:
– Acknowledgement on the film’s website & closing credits
– Access to monthly sponsor updates & behind-the-scenes blog
– Two VIP tickets to Supporter Premiere, Concert & Reception
– One signed 24×36 official poster & one BluRay DVD
– FREE streaming access to three, Michael Hedges concert films
– A personal item from Michael’s studio (book, cd or tape)
Additional sponsor benefits available at $2,500+ levels
PLUS, all 2025 Sustaining Sponsors receive these exclusive benefits:
– FREE VIP Access to all 2025 fundraising & sponsor events*
– Michael Hedges beanie or cap
– Limited edition 2025 Sustaining Sponsor T-Shirt (preview design below!)
SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR
2025 Sustaining Sponsors
Sergio De Acha • Kenneth Chow • Bruce Howard • Takao Inoue • Richard Kozak
Roy Ola • Rainer Park • Tom Schotland • Scott Swift
Join us by making a contribution today!
“We encounter many people and experiences during our lifetime that touch us so profoundly. And for those of us familiar with Michael’s talent, his genius, and his charisma – we now have an opportunity through this film to show the world how special he truly was during his short time on this planet. This is an opportunity for each one of us to collaborate in the telling of his story and to help carve out his legacy for many generations to come.”
– Sergio De Acha Contributing Producer & 2024 & 2025 Sustaining Sponsor
2025 Event Calendar
Free access to all events for 2025 Sustaining Sponsors
SPRING | Concert Film Watch Party (San Francisco, CA)
Michael Hedges concert film screening & reception
SUMMER | Listening Session (online)
Tribute songs written for Michael, featuring Andy McKee, Calum Graham, Michael Gulezian and other special guests
FALL | Tour of Michael’s Guitars (Phoenix, AZ)
View 3 Michael Hedges guitars w/ the Hedges Family
WINTER | Concert Film Screening (online)
Michael Hedges concert film screening + Q&A
DATE TBD | Rough Cut Screening (in-person)*
Work-In-Progress Feedback Screening of ORACLE
*for producer-level sponsors
*Travel not included & events schedule is subject to change.
Watch the ORACLE fundraising trailer below
IN PRODUCTION: The first documentary about Grammy Award winning guitarist Michael Hedges since his untimely death in 1997. Directed by his son and brother, the story of Michael’s life & music career will be told by his family, close friends, collaborators & fans, with never-before-seen footage & unreleased music.*
*contains footage captured and edited in 2022 – does not include new interviews & visuals captured from 2023-2024.
