“Have you ever pulled a vegetable straight out of the ground and taken a bite? This is queer love.”

- Jennifer Parkhill

On the night Grayson leaves, Alice & Grayson experiment with ways of dismantling Grayson’s socialized masculinity while reconciling the end of their romantic partnership. After Alice tries making love to Grayson with a strap-on, they painfully find solace in one another: Grayson grappling with the unknown of gender's transit, Alice mourning her crumbling expectations of family life.

In pent-up fits of rage and sorrow, Alice yearns to do this together, regardless of Grayson's gender identity. Grayson urges Alice to let them be free, so they can discover themselves in their own sovereignty.

Image courtesy of Kimberly Millard

As the Sun rises on a new day, the two cook breakfast in quiet amends. The casualties of acceptance sink in. Amongst the swaying sunflowers, they share a final, heated embrace. Shirts open, skin on skin. Grayson drives away leaving Alice to mourn and, in the stillness, find immense pride for the person Grayson is becoming.

Honey & Milk will leave the audience contemplating how some of the most unconditional expressions of love often come at a personal cost. Love holds the sweet grief of impermanence.

Honey & Milk is an event: heart-forward art, unapologetic activism, & intersectional community collaboration. The team will hire an all-femme/genderqueer crew, pioneering a safe space for collaboration, creativity and equality. Amidst the pandemic, violence against trans folks, & infamous crew mistreatment, H&M exemplifies a newer and safer future for filmmaking. 

To honor the craft of acting, Dame and JP will live as the characters for several days before production begins to backlog the relationship, and innately transform.

We are currently in the Development Stage: finalizing the script, location scouting, and engaging with nonprofits & local businesses to build community relationships.

The film will feel like an imminent memory. To accomplish savoring every moment, we will apply the following cinematic elements:

1) Strong color stories with in-camera and/or grain filters.

2) Shots that feel like a painting.

3) Shoot in 4:3 aspect ratio to emphasize the emotional processes of our main characters & give it a nostalgic ‘film strip’ feel.

4) Shoot tight and abstract during the intimate scenes. Key shots will look like two genderless humans in the frame.

5) It will be executed with a combination of handheld and tripod shots to show the psychological evolution of each character.

We're heavily inspired by the chemistry between the actors in Blue Valentine; the rich colors & poetic tone of Carol; the creative camera framing & method acting in Marriage Story; and the musical intimacy of Call Me By Your Name.

While I was on the leadership board for the Denver Chapter of the Human Rights Campaign from '06-11, each year we’d march on Capitol Hill and educate Representatives on the myriad of rights denied to the LGBTQ+ community. We influenced massive change for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals - but the trans community was always left behind. One trip, we invited a group of politicians to a film screening called, Trans. The crowd was so moved by it that the majority gathered afterwards, discussing gender identity until 3AM. It was at that moment that I realized I wanted to be a new kind of activist for trans rights: a filmmaker.

My sexual orientation and gender identity have always fallen somewhere among the gray areas of the queer spectrum: pansexual & genderqueer/nonbinary. I was drawn to Honey & Milk for so many reasons, but mostly because it’s a story of gender identity that I've yet to see. Most studio-backed productions use queer folks to portray archaic stereotypes or to fulfill a diversity quota.

This project is fresh and comes from a place of lived experience. In a time when we are more open to explore our gender identities, it’s important to examine the interpersonal dynamics affected by personal transformation. How does a romantic relationship survive? And if it doesn’t, how can we show an accurate and loving way to say goodbye?

-Lisa Donato (they/she)

After two years of drafts and pre-production meetings, we now know we are ready. We need your help to see this hard work through to the end!

Making movies is expensive and your donations go a long way. We need support to cover costs such as: equipment rental & kit fees, locations, payroll, etc. Our team is determined to pay all of our crew so no one is working for free or “doing a favor.” Collaborative equality & safety is our number one priority. With your help, we can move the needle on toxic set culture, protecting trans, NB & femme folx. 

Please help us make this film a reality so we can share it with you & the rest of the world!

How else can I help?

Help us by liking the Honey & Milk Facebook Page, following Honey & Milk on Instagram, sharing our campaign on social media, and telling your fam & friends!

Feel free to copy & paste either of these blurbs to share on social media, thank you so much!

I just watched the pitch video for HONEY & MILK directed by filmmaker @directordonato and WOW, you've got to support this Queer & Trans short film! Join them on @honeyandmilkfilm and @seedandspark: https://bit.ly/honeyseedspark

Want to support Queer and Trans filmmakers? Pledge to @honeyandmilkfilm on @seedandspark! Pushing beyond the recycled tropes of “coming out,” HONEY & MILK expands through a portrayal of authentic femmes navigating their ever-changing hearts. Only with your help can we bring this incredible film to life! Support them on @honeyandmilklfilm @seedandspark: https://bit.ly/honeyseedspark