I’ve known Lillie Claire for most of her life.

Of all the images I have of her the most vivid is of a three year old, naked, covered in dirt and scratches emerging from the dust cloud after her father rolled his truck on a lonely dirt road outside the small Northern Territory township of Beswick in the mid-eighties.

She was thrown clear from the truck and landed – intact and somewhat bemused – while all around her was wreckage. The truck was a write off.

Then – as now – I knew that Lillie Claire was tough. Tougher than that Toyota Hi-Lux at least.

Lillie has been living and working in the US and beyond for the past few years as an actress and director.

In 2011 she played the lead female role in the WWII Feature Film, ‘Angel of the Skies‘.

You can see the promo trailer which played at the Cannes Film Festival in 2012 here.

The film is now complete and will premiere at Cannes in May 2013.

Lillie says the film is:

…based on a true story of a South African pilot who volunteered for the RAF during WWII, leading his team courageously through the skies to defend Great Britain. I play Deborah Caldwell, his pregnant fiance, who is the voice of justice for the young men who risk their lives and also for the women who must stand by, waiting for their loves to return home.

This beautifully shot independent film was produced and shot in South Africa in 2011 by a very talented Writer/Director/Editor, Christopher-Lee Dos Santos. It’s world premiere is at the Cannes Film Festival this month! We have Distibutors from the UK and Producers from South Africa going to represent us.

Which gets me very much to the point of this post.

Lillie needs some bucks to get to Cannes for the premier of Angel of the Skies and she is crowd-sourcing for funds via this site at YouCaring.com.

As she says there:

I have been invited to the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, May 15-26, to support the feature film that I starred in, called ‘Angels of the Skies.’ but I need your support to be able to get there. I am humbly asking that you find it in your hearts to contribute to my campaign so that I can attend this career-enhancing, life-changing opportunity…because without your support, I will be unable to afford the trip.

From my heart, I want you to know the gratitude that I have for any and all levels of contributions you and your friends provide…it all makes a huge difference. ;-)
…
What I will do
If you know me, you will know that I am self-motivated in my career…I don’t sit back and wait for something to happen or someone to bring it to me. My dream is to make a difference through story-telling and it’s too important to leave to chance. I’ve written, produced, and starred in my own films…now I have a wonderful, well-told story that can use my support to help sell. I plan to meet as many people as I can, and follow up on all those connections for my career and for the film. I will also provide a daily update to all my contributors so you get a glimpse of what I’m doing, experiencing, and you can come along for the ride of a lifetime!

Every penny you donate, I will use toward my flights, travel, and any other necessary costs…maybe spend a little on food too! I hope to be sleeping on a friend’s floor in Cannes.

I’ve coughed up a few sous as a contribution to this worthy cause.

What about you?

You can see Lillie Claire’s Workbook page here.

And the promo trailer for Angel of the Skies is here.

Lillie Claire’s IMDb page is here.

And finally – you can donate towards getting Lillie Claire to Cannes later this month at YouCaring.com here.