SECRET GAYGENT is a satirical comedy that explores the notion of what happens when a worldview adhered to with militaristic rigidity is completely overturned, with monumental personal consequences.

Carla Frame, a top detective in the Gay Bureau of Investigation, polices the LGBT+ community with an iron gaydar and gets results, damn it! She's tough, by the book, and knows the manual back to front. However, when she meets Andy Lez, an enigmatic barista, she finds her belief system overturned... Who is she? And how does she identify in the face of this new information?

Why are you making this film?

Labels such as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, etc all help to clarify our understanding of gender and sexuality, offering a shorthand on grasping the core principles of the complexity that is our identity. However, they are just that: a shorthand.

The script was written while witnessing that the dialogue around these labels risked becoming increasingly myopic. While well-intentioned, it risked engendering a circular descent into identity politics, fostering a sense of “us vs them” and negating the productivity of these debates. The anonymity afforded by the Internet also heightened the isolated nature of these discussions and compounded the loss of perspective.

SECRET GAYGENT puts forward the notion that we must be free to navigate within and beyond those labels as we choose: we are our own person, and we are allowed to define ourselves as we please—without being policed. Who can resist a good pun?

Why support this film?

I (Chloe) have three mission statements with SECRET GAYGENT that I would love to share with you:

1. To open minds and offer a different perspective on weighty and consequential matters through comedy. SECRET GAYGENT has the potential to contribute to the narrative around what it means to be fluid in today’s society. This film has a happy ending (spoiler alert?!) and we would so love to add to the library of queer cinema with something uplifting and hilariously fun to enjoy. 

What do we want? Queer folk making queer things for queer people! When do we want it? Now, with a donation of your choice!

2. To contribute to the voices and presence of actors of colour on Western screens. We make up a fair chunk of the demographic these days. The world needs more Asian protagonists! I believe so strongly that it begins with me as a content creator. And with your help, it will be achievable.

3. To make female-centric filmmaking a norm rather than a quota. Women make up 50% of the population! Or thereabouts. But we do not make up even close to 50% of the screen creatives community. We’re definitely working on it—and it’s all about progress, not perfection. But again, it begins with me as a content creator. By fostering a team of women, it opens up opportunities to network and find fellowship.

BEHIND THE CAMERA

WRITER + DIRECTOR + PRODUCER: CHLOE WONG

Chloe is a screenwriting student at RMIT with big ideas in a tiny body. Chloe has been published in RMIT’s Visible Ink short story anthology, as well as Overland literary magazine. 

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: MAGGIE EUDES

[Picture coming! We had to reach out to her via satellite phone...]

Maggie is a product of Swinburne University, with a keen eye for how things should look and the best way to get them from the camera. Most recently she wrote and directed the short film "The 5 Second Rule," a comedy of when food and karma collide.

OUR AMAZING ACTORS

CARLA FRAME | RA CHAPMAN

The team is so fortunate to have landed Ra in the lead role as top GBI detective Carla Frame. Ra is a phenomenal actress, both in television and theatre. She is probably best known for her role as Kim in Wentworth and as Michelle in Neighbours. 

BEAT COP | MAX BROWN

Max is another ridiculously talented Australian actor and creative who has acted alongside Anna Torv(!!!) in Secret City and has well-proven comedic chops as actor and producer in parody short film Kung Blue. 

ANDY LEZ | JULIET HINDMARSH

Juliet's range is incredible; a prolific actor in theatre as well as short and feature films, she's been a part of award-winning productions and we're excited to have her on board as enigmatic barista Andy.

What next?

After the film is completed, we will be submitting it to film festivals internationally, focusing on contributing to and fostering the discussion around LGBT+ matters worldwide. Iris Prize, anybody?! Your contribution will also help put a 100% female-driven project onto Australia’s diverse cultural landscape.

Thank you for reading about our project, we appreciate the time and the support! 

Your donation will help fund camera and lighting hire, production design in props and wardrobe, and permits for filming. We have the majority of capital covered but need YOUR HELP in getting us across the line! The money raised from this campaign will also pay back the Pozible platform’s fees. They do great work and so charge a small fee for their services. 

If you would like to contribute, you can donate and choose one of the awesome perks to the right. Please share this link if you are unable to donate, but know someone who may be interested in doing so! 

Independent filmmaking is a challenge for even the most experienced individual. This is Chloe's first production and that makes it all the more difficult. However, she has a clear vision that has been communicated to the veteran cast to bring this story to life, supported by a team that has been through it before. The main challenge is distribution when all is wrapped. The way we're tackling this is to build up our audience ourselves, through crowdfunding and social media, keeping our backers and supporters updated regularly as our journey moves from pre-production to production, and eventually release. This is just the first step in our journey to diversify queer media and film in Australia in general, building a sustainable career as potent storytellers, and we invite our audience to follow us.