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By utilizing Indigogo to raise money for Miles Ahead, a film on the life of legendary musician Miles Davis, Academy Award-nominated actor Don Cheadle joins the growing list of Hollywood heavyweights turning to crowdfunding to bring film projects to life.

RELATED: Don Cheadle To Play Miles Davis In Biopic

Cheadle writes:

I want to tell a story that Miles himself would have wanted to see, something hip, cool, alive and AHEAD.

I’ve taken my marching orders from Miles’ mandates (“Play what’s not there.” “Fear no mistakes. There are none.”) and focused in on a very specific point in his life to explore his relationship with his muse, his voice, his fears and challenges to come out of his silent period and return to the music. I’m hopefully making a movie that tells a story many people can relate to, jazz fan or not.

MILES AHEAD is not just about the music. It’s about what we all face at one time or another in our lives; questions about who we really are, what we have to say and how will we say it. How will we ultimately be defined and who gets to say so?

So far the campaign has raised $277,194 of its $325,000 goal. The deadline is July 10.

“We are eager to get the word out about our film and to build a community of people who are just as excited as we are about a Miles Davis movie,” said Cheadle. “While Miles used his horn to communicate and create ‘social music’ we are using social media and today’s online platforms to reach out to the music community, the film community and all people who are excited to see an explosive, cool music-filled movie.”

According to Variety.com, Miles Ahead is being produced through Cheadle’s “Crescendo Productions along with Bifrost’s Daniel Wagner and Robert Ogden Barnum. Also producing are Darryl Porter and Vince Wilburn on behalf of the Davis estate, Lenore Zerman and Pam Hirsch.”

As previously reported by NewsOne, filmmaker Spike Lee took serious heat for turning to movie-goers to fund his “newest, hottest Spike Lee joint.”

See Lee’s exchange with Bloomberg TV host Trish Regan below: