Sponsor the Cardigan · a NonDē experiment

Five spots on my cardigan. The money makes my first feature.

-- left · closes· ends on my 41st birthday ·

$0 raised for Burying Doris

$100K good$300K great
1 2 3 4 5

No bids yet. The first one is $100.

The board

Who's in.

Sponsors · the cardiganStandings →
    Backers · the credits

      Back the film

      From $11. Your name in the credits.

      No auction and no outbidding. $50 or more also gets you lifetime access to my Chain of Title Vault.

      Why

      Films shouldn't need permission.

      I promised myself I'd direct my first feature by 40. I missed it by a year, so this is me trying again in public, where my kids can see it.

      Indie films wait on gatekeepers who mostly say no. Brands have budgets and need to be seen, and people watch me make this film every week in THE SHOT. So I'm trading what I have for what the film needs: open prices, no middlemen. That's NonDē.

      F1 drivers, pro skaters and golfers wear their sponsors. A filmmaker can too.

      On screenEvery episode of THE SHOT and most reels on @byrekola, January to the August 2027 shoot. The account: 910K views in 90 days, 14K followers.
      Called outThe standings are announced in every episode.
      In the creditsA thank-you in the end credits of Burying Doris.

      About Burying Doris ↗What is NonDē? ↗Who sees your brand →

      Not money? Bring gear, services, a location or a wardrobe collab.

      The fine print

      Live standings · Media kit · · @byrekola ↗ · Questions: Mike@RekolaStudios.com · Every dollar goes to Burying Doris. · Disclaimer

      December 30, 2026

      Why my 41st birthday?

      I always promised myself I'd direct my first feature by 40. I missed it by a year.

      I'm teaching my kids that failing is okay. You don't quit. You just try again. So this is me trying again, out in the open where they can see it.

      Burying Doris won't be shot by my 41st birthday. But when bidding closes that night, I'll have the budget to make it.

      $100K makes it good. $300K makes it great. Either way, we make it with what we raise, or fail trying.

      — Mike

      This is the real cardigan.

      The 3D model on this page is a Polycam scan of me in it. This is the same cardigan and cap, on the farm, and the spots I'll stitch your brand onto.

      Partner with the production

      Not a bid. Tell me what you'd like to offer Burying Doris and I'll get back to you personally.

      Already on set

        Brands I buy and use with my own money. None of them pay me. If you're one of them, let's make it official.

        What would you like to offer?

        Back Burying Doris

        No auction, no outbidding. Every backer gets a thank-you in the film's end credits.

        Back $50 or more and get lifetime access to my Chain of Title Vault: the contracts I use to make films, as I build it. What "lifetime" means

        $11 and $41 check out on Purpleturret. Your credit uses the name you give there.

        Bid on the chest

        Minimum $100. Charged now. Refunded in full if someone outbids you.

        All fields are required.

        Press inquiries

        Fill this in and it opens in your own email, addressed to me and ready to send.

        The story: a filmmaker is auctioning sponsor patches on the cardigan he wears in every episode of THE SHOT to fund his first feature, Burying Doris. Bidding closes Dec 30, 2026, his 41st birthday.
        The film: a dark comedy written by Nick Gambino, directed by Michael Rekola, shooting August 2027 on the family farm in Brooklyn, Connecticut. About the film · Media kit

        What do you need?

        Email app didn't open? Write to Mike@RekolaStudios.com ·