Disney has released some details on the upcoming If/Then short program, which focuses on production and career training for nonfiction filmmakers elevating LGBTQ stories.    Since the project launched in 2017, it has supported more than 90 short documentary projects and the program amplifies regional, community-centered stories and supports nonfiction filmmakers through a combination of project grants, mentorship, industry consultations, editorial feedback, filmmaker advocacy and multiplatform distribution support.

Three different teams have been awarded $30,000 in production funding as well as the opportunity for six months of individual mentorship through a production intensive led by If/Then and Hulu.   Once these shorts have been completed, they will be shown at a special screening in-person event at Outfest in Los Angeles in September. Hulu will review them and decide if they want to acquire or further develop the project.

If/Then co-director Caitlin Mae Burke said in a statement to Variety:

“We cannot wait to begin this journey with these exceptional teams.  These stories each engage with diverse interpretations of ‘home’: building it, returning to it, reshaping it, through strength of self and support of the queer community. Each of these filmmakers is at such an impressive moment in their careers, receiving national and international acclaim, and we are very fortunate to collaborate with them on their next project.”

Details on the three shorts have been revealed:

“Mother” from Meg Shutzer and Brandon Yadegari Moreno

In San Francisco, a city known for its vibrant gay community, nowhere feels like home anymore to Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke who sets out to build a space for the next generation of women and femmes.

Shutzer’s short documentary “8 Days at Ware” was part of a multimedia investigation into a juvenile detention center that included a front-page story for the New York Times. The project was recently broadcast on PBS Reel South and was. Moreno has produced shorts for the Atlantic, the Guardian and KQED.

“One Night at Babe’s” from Angelo Madsen Minax

At Babe’s Bar, cribbage tournaments overlap with punk shows, while drag performances weave through afternoons of football and potluck chili. “One Night at Babe’s” takes an intimate glimpse into the life of a rural queer bar and its dynamic intersection of patrons to trace a tenuous yet rich alliance.  Minax is a current USA Artists and Guggenheim Fellow. His most recent short film, “Bigger on the Inside,” premiered at TIFF and screened at New York Film Festival and Sundance.

“Stitching Forward” from Hao Zhou and Tyler Hill

Reuniting with their craft, family and culture, a costume designer travels from Iowa to their homeland of Guam to create costumes for a children’s theater production.  Zhou and Hill’s most recent collaboration, “Here, Hopefully” premiered at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival and will be broadcast as part of Homegrown: Future Visions, a short film series supported by Firelight Media, CAAM and PBS.

Would you be interested in watching any of these shorts?  Let us know on social media!

Roger Palmer

Roger has been a Disney fan since he was a kid and this interest has grown over the years. He has visited Disney Parks around the globe and has a vast collection of Disney movies and collectibles. He is the owner of What's On Disney Plus & DisKingdom. Email: Roger@WhatsOnDisneyPlus.com Twitter: Twitter.com/RogPalmerUK Facebook: Facebook.com/rogpalmeruk

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