A new film already available to see online seeks to center the importance of allyship — and got a nod from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Director Robert Vaughn is getting ready for the New York City premiere of "This Time" at the iconic Stonewall Inn in New York City, a national historic landmark. The 1969 riots at the bar are widely viewed as the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement in the United States.
Vaughn, a straight ally, told the Bay Area Reporter during a Zoom interview that he decided to make the film with his wife, Jennifer Gibson Vaughn, who is also in the movie, because "we've had friends, family members, people in the community who've struggled and been bullied, who've tried self-harm. We were talking that we'd love to make a movie about active allyship and not just passive allyship."
Trudeau stated in a news release, "It is an incredible coming-of-age story on the tremendous impact that allyship can have, and especially to make a difference in a teen's life. 'This Time' is an incredible coming-of-age story on the tremendous impact that allyship can have, especially in a teen's life."
Vaughn is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. He said "we are close to our member of parliament, who is just amazing, and she watched it and she said 'I think I can get this to the prime minister' and I'm like 'OK, yeah, sure.'"
"The idea was for him to do something on his socials, but the letter we got — the letter of endorsement — it was really quite lovely," Vaughn said, adding that while right-wing populism is rising around the world, Canada is a beacon for liberal values.
"There's far-right populism everywhere, don't get me wrong, but there's no assault weapons here," he said.
A news release describes the film as "an entertaining coming-of-age road movie reminiscent of 'Little Miss Sunshine,'" referring to the 2006 Oscar nominee. It "follows a closeted LGBTQ teen (Anwen O'Driscoll) who inherits her deceased father's journal and discovers cryptic clues about his secret life. To fulfill his dying wish, she blackmails an alcoholic hearse driver (Charles Martin Smith) to race her cross-country for a long-shot rendezvous with her father's friend, Liza Minnelli."
Spoiler alert: Minnelli is not in the film.
The movie also features Xtacy Love from "RuPaul's Drag Race," and Lucy Flawless.
"Sometimes, you go down these roads as a filmmaker and artist and you think it's a right road to go down, but when you're thinking it out, the pros and cons, it leads you to something else that's better, something you'd never thought of. I don't want to give away the twist," Vaughn said.
Still, Minnelli, the daughter of Judy Garland who became a star in her own right, is a big part of the film. Vaughn said that to gay men on the production staff, she represented "acceptance" and "unconditional love."
Vaughn is proud of his labor of love.
"We developed the script for about a year and it was one of these projects that — most of the time, you make a passion project and it sits in your drawer for 15 years," he said. "This one came together because people said 'you know what? I want to be a part of this.'"
Vaughn said that they are setting up free screenings for communities in different cities.
"We're trying to get the movie out there," he said. "You don't make a movie to sell it to Amazon for $15,000 and nobody to see it, so we're kind of doing this ourselves."
"Why can't we do grassroots on our own?" he asked.
The New York City premiere at the Stonewall will be August 30. There've already been screenings in San Diego and Los Angeles, and Vaughn said he is in talks for a Bay Area screening.
"In San Francisco, there's a good organization on the ground that works with Frameline," he said, adding that as soon as that's scheduled he'd reach out to the B.A.R.
Allegra Madesn, a lesbian who is Frameline's executive director, stated to the B.A.R. August 12 that she hasn't heard of the film yet but would be happy to screen it.
People who can't make it to a screening can rent the film through December 31 at a link on the film's website, where they can also view a trailer.
Vaughn cited a Trevor Project statistic — that one accepting adult can decrease the risk of suicide among LGBTQ youth by 40%. The Trevor Project is a West Hollywood-based nonprofit that's focused on suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth.
"Don't just be an ally," Vaughn said. "Be an accomplice. When they try to take human rights, speak up. Stand up. You can make a difference in somebody's life."
The film is also supported by Free Mom Hugs, which seeks to empower families with LGBTQ people.
If you are experiencing a crisis, call 988, the national suicide and crisis line. The Trevor Project can be reached at 866-488-7386.
LGBTQ Agenda is an online column that appears weekly. Got a tip on queer news? Contact John Ferrannini at [email protected]
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