PROTECT THE NEXT CHILD

Finish the Film That Exposes the System That Failed Them.

WHERE WE ARE

Filming is 100% complete. 81% funded. $27,900 more to unlock WeFunder's commitments. Sprint to the finish line for a September release.

Invest with principal returned first + 10% of net profits. After film's theatrical and streaming release, license a child safety curriculum to 50,000+ schools with Shark Tank winner, Brandi Dugal's collaboration.

Reserve Your Investment ($100 minimum)

WHY INVESTORS ARE CHOOSING OPEN SECRET

WHY THIS FILM MATTERS

For five years we followed courageous citizens in Wilmington, North Carolina, as they unite to confront decades of discrimination, child sexual abuse and institutional cover-ups in public schools.

This isn’t one predator. It’s a broken system that protected reputation over children. Time and again.

Open Secret releases at a moment when America is demanding accountability (NCMEC’s 36.2 million reports of child exploitation in 2023 alone). The evidence is documented. The courage is captured. We're accepting investors to join this last sprint to complete and release it.

The headlines are with us. The Epstein files elevated our film from domestic interest to international interest. Institutions and high ranking individuals are being held accountable in ways that were unthinkable five years ago.

We did not plan this timing. We collided with it.

Dual Return: Money + Meaning

Your investment delivers:

1. Financial: 100% principal returned first, then pro-rata share of 10% net profits from theatrical (Regal interest), streaming (Netflix/Amazon/HBO relationships), educational licensing, events, and any sequels.
2. Impact: A film sparking a national prevention curriculum collaborating with Brandi Dugal (Shark Tank winner, Fidget Games) whose educational product is already successful and reaching 50,000+ schools across all 50 states. Recurring revenue and a film that promotes lasting change.

Use of Funds (Simple Visual Breakdown)

1. Final edit, sound mix, color grading: 80%
2. Marketing, festivals, theatrical/streaming release: 20%

Total film budget remains lean and is estimated to complete for under $500K. Comparable documentaries have generated $500K–$4M+ across similar windows and the following documentaries out performed excitingly.

Open Secret releases into a public that no longer needs to be convinced the problem exists. They want to understand

How it works

Who enables it

How to stop it.

The same structural policies documented in New Hanover County have been identified by child safety experts in districts across America. Prevention is possible with parental engagement. We share how.

OPEN SECRET FILM CLIP

Assistant District Attorney, Connie Jordan, a talented and experienced legal authority in New Hanover County handled the Michael Kelly case.

Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan, "He was guilty of these acts all along."

Judge: "Are you Condemning the school system?"

Connie Jordan: 'How can I not?"

INVESTOR TESTIMONIAL

Rafe Furst — 5x Founder, 2x Unicorn Investor, World Series of Poker Champion, Author: The Future of Venture Capital: How to Win the VC Game & Create Positive Impact - Father of 3 - Boulder, CO

"I've been a huge fan, supporter and collaborator with Kerry for over 20 years, and in all the projects she's directed and produced, I've never seen Kerry more passionate and committed to telling the story far and wide than with Open Secret. I'm personally passionate about this project, not just because I have three young kids, but because the corruption and cover-up of child sexual abuse is not limited to this one small town, it's EVERYWHERE. The perpetrators DEPEND on us looking the other way and not wanting to see what's happening.

The reason I'm investing in the film (rather than donating) is that I want to be truly invested. I know that when I make a charitable donation, I'm done with my support once I write the check. But as an investor, something alchemical happens within me and I end up investing way more than my money."

Erik Horbacz — Entrepreneur, Angel Investor, Father of Two-Wilmington, NC

"I believe in the power of people and projects that embody a hopeful vision for our children, their children, and generations yet to come. ....This project does more than just cast light into the darkness; it empowers parents with tools to protect their children, it encourages communities to seize control of their destinies and nurture their children. It inspires them to become shining examples of resilience and hope for the entire world to follow."

A CLIP FROM OPEN SECRET: THE FILM

Attorney, Faith Fox, also a mom:

🛑 SUMMARY

For five years, we filmed a small group of citizens in New Hanover County, North Carolina doing what established institutions refused to do: confront institutionalised corruption with the truth. A relentless journey seeking justice and accountability for the children and families who were betrayed by those entrusted to keep them safe.

Open Secret exposes generational child sexual abuse and discrimination in a public school district, which systematically protected or enabled predators. Well documented proof consistently prioritized reputation and predator protection, over child safety.

Open Secret is not a story about one predator. It is a story about a broken system and the courageous few, who unite to challenge and dismantle it.

Corruption and cover-ups, lies and betrayal - is there a silver lining from these stories and the lives affected? We think so - and we present the case in Open Secret.

DIRECTOR'S STATEMENT

There are films you choose, and films that choose you.

Open Secret chose me in 2019, when a community in Wilmington, North Carolina trusted me with truths they had carried alone for decades. What began as a story about institutional failure evolved over five years of filming into something far more urgent: a documented record of calculated betrayal. Of children, of families, and of every brave adult punished for trying to stop it.

I am a BAFTA voting member with 25 years in film and television. My previous documentaries have screened at 75+ international festivals, appeared on CNN, BBC, and The Today Show, and earned a TEDx invitation. I share this not to impress, but to assure you: I know the difference between a story worth telling and one worth fighting for. Open Secret is both.

What I was not prepared for was the human cost of bearing witness. We filmed a whistleblower—a mother of two—who documented child endangerment, presented evidence to every school board member, and as a result was demoted, relocated, her salary was cut, her reputation tarnished, and her peace of mind was forever altered. We captured families who stayed silent for years after seeing what happened to those who spoke out.

And then we filmed the ones who refused to stay silent. The outliers.

This is the film I am asking you to help us complete. Not because the story is easy, but because it is necessary...right now. With national attention finally turning toward accountability for crimes against children, the window for real change is open.

Your investment doesn’t just finish the edit, sound, and release. It ensures these stories cannot be ignored any longer and helps fuel a national child safety curriculum already in development with Shark Tank winner Brandi Dugal. Tools that will protect future generations.

The courage of the survivors and advocates we filmed deserves to be witnessed. With your support, it will be. The finish line is so close now.

With deep gratitude,

Kerry

Questions? You can reach me here: [email protected]

"I have the greatest admiration for the survivors and advocates we filmed. They dared greatly against the odds. Their courage deserves to be witnessed."

Kerry David, Director, Producer, Writer - Open Secret

Filmmaker Bio, Kerry David.

The Filmmakers

OPEN SECRET: FILM PRODUCTION TEAM BIOS

PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, WRITER

Kerry David is an award-winning producer, writer and director whose previous films have screened at 75+ international festivals and earned numerous awards across three continents. A BAFTA voting member, she has been featured on CNN, BBC and The Today Show for her documentary work, and was invited to speak at TEDx Charlottesville for Breaking Their Silence: Women on the Frontline of the Poaching War.

<$90M box office receipts, not including streaming platforms.

TEAM OF CONTRIBUTORS

Five years of community trust and unrestricted access, something no outside production was able to commit to or produce.

Our contributors include:

1. Professor Clyde Edgerton — UNCW Professor, relentless pursuit of justice for the children
2. Rev. Dante Murphy & Prof. Clyde Edgerton — community protagonists who challenged the school board openly on the record
3. Raymond P. Boucher — California trial lawyer; settled Catholic Church abuse cases totaling over $1.2 billionAttorney Faith Fox — child advocate and parent
4. Pulitzer Prize Winner David Zucinno — journalist & author of "Wilmington's Lie"
5. Ben Schacthman — Now Senior Editor of WPQR News Radio
6. Tim Kennedy — Special Forces veteran, Bronze Medal for Valor, co-founder of Apogee Schools
7. Matt Beaudreau — TEDx speaker, educator, Apogee co-founder
8. Sherri Yelton — whistleblower who documented child endangerment and was demoted, salary-reduced, relocated and placed on unpaid leave in retaliation

"A culture of fear so deeply embedded in this community it became normal.”

THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT

Goal: Open Secret curriculum licensed and taught in 50,000 schools across the U.S.

We have an existing collaboration with Brandi Dugal, founder of The Fidget Games (featured on Shark Tank), whose programs currently reach 50,000 schools across all 50 states. She has committed to co-developing a child safety curriculum built around the film — creating a recurring institutional licensing revenue stream that most documentaries never access.

"I am so honored and thrilled to be a part of something so transformational." — Brandi Dugal, Entrepreneur & Founder

Beyond the Film's Release Platform

Open Secret is not a single release. It is the foundation of a national prevention initiative.

Goal: License curriculum to 50,000 schools across the United State, equipping students, parents, educators and administrators with information and tools to identify grooming before it begins.

Every dollar invested does two things: it completes this film, and it funds the infrastructure to prevent predator complacency in the school district.

THE INVESTMENT CASE - A DEEPER DIVE

Terms: 100% of principal returned + pro-rata share of 10% of net profits on the film and all sequels Budget: Under $500,000 total Stage: Post-production. Filming complete. Use of funds: Edit, sound, color, marketing, initial release

Revenue Window Channel

Theatrical Regal Cinemas, community screenings, town halls,

educational venues

Home Entertainment Downloads, Pay-Per-View, Blu-Ray, DVD

Streaming Netflix, Amazon, HBO and equivalents

Television Domestic and international licensing

Educational Schools, universities, libraries. licensed as curriculum

Ancillary Hotels, airlines, military bases, airplanes, international markets

Comparable community-driven documentary releases have generated between $500K and $4M across combined windows within 24 months. Surviving Ohio State. backed by George Clooney and HBO, took six years to complete. We have five years of groundwork and a fraction of the overhead.

100% of Principal plus pro-rata share of 10% of profits of the film and any sequels.

Film Budget: Estimated to complete at $500,000 total production

Stage: Filming complete, Commencing Editing, Post-production,

Use of finishing funds: Edit, sound, color, marketing, and initial release

PERKS

We love to bolster our perks - and while the following is a guaranteed perks, whenever we can we endeavor to bolster each level from $100 to $30,000+

$30,000 Executive Producer Credit

Your name in the film's opening credits credits, on the poster artwork and any other advertising where other producers are credited, the poster, and on IMDb. Two tickets to the premiere & after party (if any). Invitation to any private cast and crew screenings and events. Invitation to participate in post screening Q&A at a specified screening. Plus all the perks from all levels below.

Access perks:

1. Private dinner (location to be determined) with the filmmaker and notable key cast.
2. Named as a consulting producer with genuine involvement, invited to view rough cuts and discuss film with director prior to lock.
3. Invitation to the filmmaker's private industry screening before the public release (if any) - invited to all events where physical producers attend.

Legacy perk at $30K (unique to mission-driven films):

1. Named dedication in the film "This film is dedicated in part to [name or company of choice]"
2. Your name or company logo in the film and other materials, if legally possible, including the film's educational curriculum materials.
3. A personal meeting with one of the film's subjects.

Business perks

1. First right of refusal to invest in Kerry's next project
2. Invitation to the distribution strategy meetings

$20,000 — Co-Producer Co-Producer credit on screen and IMDb. Invitation to a private cast and crew screening along the release. Invitation to the film's Premiere and after party (if any) Signed limited edition poster. Invitation to attend Q&A Panel Discussion post screening at a specified performance. Invitation to any Zoom conversations with the filmmaking team prior to launch.

$10,000 — Associate Producer Associate Producer credit on screen in the end titles. Invitation to the Premiere and after party. Signed limited edition poster. Private screener link after film's initial release. BluRay of film once created.

$1,000 — Special Thanks Special Thanks credit in the end titles, on screen. Invitation Private screener link after initial release. Personal thank-you card from the filmmaker. Invitation to Zoom events and private screenings as well as a screening near you.

$500 — Founding Supporter Private screener link upon film's release. Invitation to a screening and or Open Secret event near your location.

✅ 💰 Support A High-Impact Investment

For investors who align with globally relevant, critically urgent issues that take a small amount of courage to fund, which promises to deliver measurable impact for ending child abuse in ALL schools.

This is a values defining investment for all time.

INVEST

$100 or $10,000. The amount reflects your capacity. The decision reflects your values.

Every dollar is a force multiplier, for completion, for release, for the children in schools right now with nowhere to turn.

The systems that failed these children are counting on public indifference.

Prove them wrong.

Questions? Kerry is available directly: [email protected]

TIK TOK @OpenSecretTheF

X: @OpenSecret2026

✅ HOW FUNDS WILL BE UTILIZED, AND PERPETUATED IF OVERSUBSCRIBED

A CLIP FROM OPEN SECRET: THE FILM

Journalist to School Board: "Why hold a press conference if you aren't going to answer these questions that everyone in this county wants to know?"

Poised at the intersection of community, social justice and child safety, "Open Secret" is a mission driven, grass roots feature documentary on a mission to end abuse in all schools.

'How did they get away with it for so long?'

Because people who knew, did nothing to help. These people are one of two things; perpetrators or enablers.

Every dollar you invest in Open Secret, will protect a child you'll never meet from a predator who's counting on your indifference.

The people who enabled this system are hoping you scroll past this WeFunder raise.

Amounts don't matter. Participation does. $100 or $10,000 - you decide your commitment level to protecting children from predators.

Fact: Thousands of children are being abused by sexual predators in schools-right now. Without support and with nowhere to turn.

Child sexual abuse is growing. In 2023 alone, NCMEC's Cyber Tipline received 36.2 MILLION reports of suspected child exploitation.

Less than 6% of children lie about sexual abuse. Yet victim blaming and shaming perpetuates.

The current cover-up culture empowers predators - and survivors quiet.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES CLIP:

Producers, Erik Horbacz, Ben Schachtman, and Director, Kerry David roundtable with Open Secret protagonists, Reverend Dante Murphy and Professor Clyde Edgerton. Reflecting on five years of filming:

FILM CLIP: The Whistleblower

Whistleblower: Sherri Yelton. The retaliation she experienced for pointing out child endangerment was devastating.

Clip from Open Secret

Documentaries are having a resurgence and part of that has been linked to the popularity of User Generated Content (UGC), considered the fastest growing sector in the entertainment industry.

OPEN SECRET FILM CLIP

"There are reasons for that fear."

Several families were reluctant to come forward after witnessing retaliation against others in their community.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES ON OPEN SECRET:

We have a wealth of experts speaking up for children in our film, including California trial lawyer Raymond P. Boucher who successfully settled numerous sexual abuse cases against school districts, the foster care system and the Catholic Church. The latter totaling $1.2 billion and rising. Through his work, we learned how predators operate across system and how chillingly similar their methods are.

A Powerful Team of Allies And Wide Network:

Open Secret's growing cast of contributors, experts, investors, podcasters and allies collectively open up a vast marketing network to our team as we release the film.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES with Tim Kennedy and Matt Beaudreau, Apogee Schools.

Special Forces, Bronze Medal of Courage Recipient, Tim Kennedy and TEDx Speaker, Disruptor and Educator, Matt Beaudreau, Co-Founders of Apogee also support Open Secret.

What's Your Why? Tim Kennedy's "Why"

MMA/UFC fighter, Special Forces, Bronze Medal for Valor, Entrepreneur and Apogee Co-Founder, supports and contributes to our documentary, Open Secret - "What's Your Why?"

Open Secret Director/Producer/Writer interviewed by SuperPowers' Host & Founder, Devin Thorpe:

The clip below is from a recent interview of Open Secret's producer, writer and director, Kerry David and Founder of SuperPowers, Devin Thorpe.

Open Secret's Director, Kerry David, interviewed by Devin Thorpe, host and founder of Super Powers for Good.

"I have the greatest admiration and respect for the survivors and advocates we filmed. They dared greatly against the odds, and challenged the systemic corruption that has traumatized so many children and families in their community.

For me it's simple, their courage and unity deserve to be witnessed." Filmmaker, Kerry David

Our social media platforms: IG and TikTok (@OpenSecretTheFilm)

Click here for Kerry's Film & TV Credits