$12K raised to fund doc is missing, and no one seems to know where it's gone
Film documents ordeal of sex assault victim Mandi Gray
A Toronto filmmaker is finding out that one small number can produce some very big problems after her effort to crowd-fund her latest documentary went wrong, resulting in the disappearance of thousands of dollars.
Kelly Showker is completing a film based on the high-profile sexual assault of York University student Mandi Gray by a fellow student in 2015.
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The feature length documentary called Slut or Nut: The Diary of a Rape Trial, plus several shorter versions meant to be screened for high-school aged women, is designed to offer advice and encouragement to victims.
To raise money for the production, Showker ran a two-month-long Indiegogo campaign earlier this year that ultimately raised over $12,000.
But when it came to time collect, the money was nowhere to be found, she told CBC Toronto on Friday.
"I don't know if it was stolen by a hacker, or re-directed by mistake," Showker said, "but we have been trying for four months to get Indiegogo to take action.
"There's costs to finish a film: you have music; you have finishing touches on post production, so we're in a post production stage ... We had over 100 people donate and we haven't been able to deliver."
Indiegogo is strongly disputing Showker's version of events.
A company spokesperson said Showker provided an incorrect transit number. So when they delivered the money to the Royal Bank of Canada, as Showker had asked, the money went to the wrong branch.
"Indiegogo dispersed the funds to the bank account that the campaign owner provided when she set up the campaign. The campaign owner later realized that she had provided an incorrect routing number and she has admitted that this was her mistake," the company said in a statement to CBC Toronto.
"We have been working with her to remedy the situation and have advised her to escalate it at her bank. Traces and recalls can take time, sometimes up to several weeks. Indiegogo will continue assisting the campaign owner as appropriate."
Showker said that while it's possible a member of her team entered the wrong transit number, she's not completely convinced that happened.
The bank also provided a statement Friday, telling CBC Toronto on Friday that they are looking into the problem and are hoping to resolve it soon.