Movies

Why supporting queer indie filmmakers is vital to the future of lesbian visibility

“I want more queer webseries!”

“Why aren’t there more lesbian movies?”

“I wish I saw myself represented more.”

“LESBIAN SEX SCENES. WANT MORE.”

If you have found yourself thinking any of these things, then you are not alone. Working in lesbian media, these are statements and questions I hear on a nearly daily basis. I’ve thought all of them myself. TV is great and has come a long way in representing lesbian, bisexual and queer women, but it’s impossible to ignore that we still crave (and deserve) more content. So, how do we get it? How do more queer feature films and webseries get produced? The answer is quite simple.

We need to help.

Yes, that means money. Putting our gay dollars where our mouths are. There is no denying that creating quality content-that means great scripts, actors, directors, crews-costs money. Gone are the days that we can passively sit back and hope that the next Kyss Mig or Carmilla falls into our laps. It’s become increasingly difficult to get major films made, let alone queer indie cinema. Many webseries are labors of love, and while their budgets might be smaller, they too need funding to produce more episodes and seasons. It’s no wonder so many have turned to crowd sourcing. It allows content to be made much faster, and put out into the world in months rather than years, or frankly, at all.

So, if we are being entertained, why do we balk at opening up our wallets? Why are we willing to spend $5 on a coffee, but hesitate to contribute to a Kickstarter campaign? Because we have been conditioned to think that art should be free, and that talent does not need to be rewarded. Television is not free. We pay cable bills so we can have a constant stream of Chopped marathons and Criminal Minds reruns. Internet isn’t free either. You are paying those big ol’ corporations to send you signals so you can watch Netflix (also not free) and spend hours on your Tumblr dash. If you knew how many actresses and writers you love aren’t getting paid a cent to produce the content you love, you’d spill your Pumpkin Spice Latte.

For $5, you can get a month of membership to Tello Films, and watch great series like Nikki and Nora or Kiss Her I’m Famous and Rent Controlled. The second season of Hashtag comes out this January.

For less than $10, you can watch a full season of Venice the Series or Beacon Hill, both fantastic lesbian centric webseries by soap superstar Crystal Chappell. You will also be supporting future seasons of a show you love.

$20 can help a film like Heartland, Confidential or I Met You First, get made and into your hot little hands. These are just a few of many worthy projects that could use a boost.

If you want to help bring more lesbian/bisexual/queer characters and stories to the big screen, and your computer screen, but simply don’t have the cash, there are other ways you can help. Get the word out-tweet or tell your friends on Facebook and Tumblr.

Besides helping filmmakers by contributing to the content you want to see get made, you are also sending a message to the entertainment world at large. We matter, and our stories matter.

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