“WONDER” Makes World Premiere at OUTFEST Los Angeles Film Festival on July 20 at TCL Chinese Theater
-- Short Film Follows a Boy from The Hood Who’s Secretly Dreaming of Being Wonder Woman for Halloween --
WONDER, a poignant short film about an 11-year old boy from the hood questioning the traditional gender system, makes its World Premiere at the Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival on Saturday, July 20, at 4:45 pm in House B at TCL Chinese Theater.
WONDER tracks the events that transpire when Sammy (Benji Siegel) encounters a heroic drag queen (Jamyl Dobson) and secretly starts dreaming of trick-or-treating as Wonder Woman for Halloween. Confused and fearful of these unfamiliar feelings, Sammy begins to question his gender in relation to the world around him, and how this secret will affect his relationship with his blue collar, single father, Frank (Gabriel Furman).
“This is a film about breaking stereotypes, loving our kids unconditionally, and letting them know that they’re perfect just the way they are. I hope it inspires people to let go of who they believe they have to be, and to open their hearts to discover who they really are,” says Gabriel Furman, Co-Creator/Writer/Producer.
“This generation of kids are asking hard questions about our gender system -- we can choose to accept, nourish and support them – or we can continue to condition them with stereotypical beliefs. WONDER starts that conversation that will one day lead to a society where our differences are embraced as an important part of our unique greatness,” states Javier Molina, Co-Creator/Director/Producer.
“If you look a bit deeper, you’ll realize it’s a story of what happens when a loved one goes through the arduous work of becoming oneself, and how that challenge is magnified in a culture where you are taught to conform in order to survive. It’s the potential sweetness of not being alone on the journey, and the real-life danger of confronting those who cannot accept anything different than what they know,” adds Goya Robles, Executive Producer.
WONDER is produced by Real Talk Films’ Javier Molina and Gabriel Furman, in association with Pogo Piggybackers’ Paolo Monico, and is executive produced by Goya Robles (EPIX’s “Get Shorty”). The film received a grant made possible by The Queens Council on the Arts with funding from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Special thanks to the Gender & Family Project of the Ackerman Institute for the Family for consulting with the filmmakers. The GFP empowers youth, families and communities by providing gender affirming direct services, community training, and research.
WONDER has a roster of film festival premieres lined up later this summer and throughout the fall. View the official film trailer here.
Review link is available upon request.
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Contact:
Coterie Media
818/788-7650
