Mightyclaw is now taking tax deductible donations for post-production. Filming has finally wrapped back in mid-October and we are already onto video editing and visual effects creation!

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In the emotionally charged live-action short film Mightyclaw, inventor Austin Carole creates the Mighty Pals toy line to help parents keep an eye on their children while they adventure outdoors. The success of the toy has led Austin to an accompanying cartoon series where he also voices the lead character, Harlow Mightyclaw. 

10 years later, Anna and Pete's son, Jake, an adventurous 9-year-old disappears into the New Hampshire wilderness with his Mighty Pal, Harlow Mightyclaw, the plush toy, fitted with the latest radio and video technology of the time, soon becomes their lifeline. They contact Austin Carole, now retired, in hopes of utilizing his voice to help keep Jake calm as they locate him. As time runs out and Harlow's battery dwindles, the family fights against the clock to keep their son alive and reunite their family.

Mightyclaw explores the power of parental love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the unbreakable bond between a child and their cherished companion in a suspenseful and unforgettable journey.

Did you know that 600,000 people go missing in United States every year? And from this more than 1,000 people on average go missing from National Parks and public lands. That's according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Sadly, many of these individuals are children. 

Back before cell-phones in the 90s, much of rural America was considered a safe place where you could leave your doors unlocked at night and sleep soundly. But then came rumors of abductions, missing person reports, and mysterious men in white vans roaming neighborhoods in search of kids. This sparked a nationwide fear among parents, including my own. The age-old rule of "be home when the street lights come on" became more important than ever. But what happens when a child still manages to slip away?

WHAT IS THE MOVIE ABOUT?

In our film Mightyclaw, as a response to this increasingly sad reality, my character Austin Carole set out to create a toy line, named the Mighty Pals, that would help parents keep their children safe during their adventures. These fun-loving, plush animatronic toys are decked out in some of the 90's latest radio communications and tracking hardware, as well as high-end video transmission technology.

In the film, we explore the emotional turmoil of parents Anna and Pete as they search for their son Jake, who has disappeared into the New Hampshire wilderness with his Mighty Pal, Harlow Mightyclaw - his plush wolverine sidekick which soon becomes the boys life-line. Utilizing the toy, the family fights to keep their son alive in time for search and rescue to locate him.

Every passing moment intensifies the race against the relentless ticking of Harlow's dwindling battery. As they push the limits, they are faced with the harrowing reality that time is running out.

In this emotionally charged and suspenseful film, we witness the indomitable spirit of parental love and the lengths to which a family will go to protect their own. Through the power of a child's imagination and the unwavering strength of a plush toy, Mightyclaw takes us on an unforgettable journey that tests the resilience of the human spirit and reminds us of the unbreakable bond between a child and their cherished companions.

For Mightyclaw we are aiming to bring our audience back into the 90's with props, sets and wardrobe all reminiscent of the time period. It will be a step back into the past, so get ready!

Our team is made up of a great group of filmmakers with a variety of award-winning works. The previous short film by writer and director Gary Fierro, entitled, The Firefly Jar (official website) was an amazing success, bringing home numerous awards in 2022 through 2023 in such festivals as CANNES Shorts, Open Gate International Film Festival, The Hollywood Gold Awards, and others.

The Firefly Jar was funded from crowdfunding pledges and was an amazing success for all involved.

Gary Fierro - Director, Writer, Producer

Mightyclaw, directed and produced by Gary Fierro. As a director, Fierro has two feature films and two short films under his belt, as well as numerous credits in various crew positions. His post-production background has also allowed him to culminate over 15 years of graphics design, video editing, and visual effects experience.

Mightyclaw is a culmination of Fierro's abilities as a director and post-production novice.

Reno Venturi - Assistant Director, Casting Director, Producer

Cast and Assistant Directed by Connecticut acting coach and filmmaker Reno Venturi. Reno is the owner of Actors Gym in Hamden, CT and has helped hundreds of students in their acting career paths by hosting thousands of hours of acting classes, filmmaking courses and film productions. His many years of experience will serve justice to this film in bringing in top-notch talent.

WHO ELSE IS INVOLVED?

José Monzon - Film Composer

Our composer José Monzon is a multi-instrumental artist from Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) based and professionally trained in Barcelona. A self-taught musician, pianist, guitarist, professional music producer (Graduated at SAE Institute) & is hugely passionate about any orchestral film music. An extremely creative & sensitive person who is always looking for the best fitting music for each scene.

His amazing work on The Firefly Jar can be previewed below. We are very happy to add José to the Mightyclaw team.

Click HERE to listen to The Firefly Jar soundtrack on YouTube Music!

Carl Vernlund - 1st Assistant Camera

Carl is a professional video/photographer from central Connecticut. His immense photo and video background has allowed him to work for a variety of clientele from Better Homes and Gardens to the State of Connecticut. Having worked as 1st AC on The Firefly Jar, we are bringing him on for Mightyclaw. Check out his amazing work on his website, Vernlund.com

John Senia - Aerial Video On-Camera Pilot, Executive Producer, Prop Design

John Senia is an executive producer and has known Gary since elementary school. He is a commercial pilot and he will be bringing his skills to man our in-air sequences in the film as a Rescue Pilot. John's love for movies sparked his interest in collecting and modifying film props for his own private collection. His exceptional abilities play a pivotal role in bringing the film's stylistic nuances to life.

Dave Thomas - On-Set Photographer, Producer

Photographer Dave Thomas has over 10 years of photography experience capturing the beautiful New England countryside, wildlife, and street photography. Dave will be our on-set photographer capturing pictures and videos of all behind-the-scenes happenings for our Making of Mightyclaw book. Follow Dave on instagram @dt_in_ct

Creating the world of Mightyclaw will be challenging. Short films still require a vast amount of time planning in order to have a successful production. Funds raised now will be utilized for post-production and will go towards composing music and creating visual effects.

We understand these times are tough, but with your generosity, we will create something special.

If you're a film fan who enjoys a great popcorn movie with a lot of heart just like the ones of the 80's and 90's, or are a supporter of indie film, or you're somebody who just wants to back something truly unique and unforgettable; please consider backing Mightyclaw and spreading the word about this amazing film.

Thank You!