Campaign Progress
of $7,000 goal · Camera gear & production
Hear It From Us
Trace and Charlie on what Lionheart is, and why it matters.
It's not a festival. It's a community.
The version of Burning Man that most people know is simply a surface level misconception about what Burning Man is. Underneath all of that is something that nobody has ever captured on film before, the stories of the families that come back year after year, not for the parties but for the community.
Lionheart covers all of Burning Man, but it focuses on the families within Kidsville. Their stories are the ones we aim to tell, and through those stories lies the truth about what Burning Man truly is.
"The moment I went to Kidsville, I realized I knew nothing about what Burning Man actually was. You could tell who had been there their entire life. The playa had shaped each of them."
Charlie Lister, Technical DirectorEvery shot and every sound in this film is designed to make you feel like you're there with us. Less spectacle, and more emotion.
How We're Making It
Run & Gun
Two cinema cameras, a drone, and action cameras. Nothing staged. The playa doesn't let you fake it.
20+ Interviews
Adults and kids, out in the dust, talking about what this place actually means to them.
Original Soundtrack
An original score built to match the film. Every sound designed to put you on the playa with us.
Kidsville
The core of Burning Man and the core of this film. Following Dano and Children of the Abyss.
Post-Production
40 minutes to 2 hours. The runtime depends on the footage. No padding.
Community, Not Spectacle
Less about the art. More about what it feels like to be part of something most people don't know exists.
Back Lionheart
Every dollar goes to gear, production, and getting this crew to the playa.
- Your name in the credits
- Email updates from the field
- First access to the finished film
- Everything in Spark
- Digital download of the film
- Behind the scenes photo series
- Everything above
- Associate Producer credit
- Private screening invite
- Signed production print
- Everything above
- Video call with Trace and Charlie
- Named in the documentary
- Physical copy of the film
- Everything above
- Executive Producer credit
- Ongoing creative updates
- Input on distribution strategy
- Premiere invitation
Who We Are
A small crew with one goal: show what Burning Man actually looks like from the inside.
Second generation burner. Been attending since age two. Now ready to share the story of the community that raised him.
Outsider turned believer. His first burn changed everything. His perspective gives Lionheart its bridge to newcomers.
Iraqi immigrant, artist, filmmaker. First burn in 2027. Bringing fresh eyes and deep instinct.
Playa veteran and Trace's father. The backbone of on the ground logistics.
Runs Children of the Abyss. Connective tissue between the film crew and community.
Shapes the narrative structure to match the emotional weight of the footage.
Keeps the crew fed and functional through desert heat and dust storms.
Supports the creative team across every phase. Gear, interviews, unscripted moments.
Questions
This Story
Needs You.
The version of Burning Man that nobody's seen. Help us put it on screen.