With an increased rate of suicide among LGBT Mormon youth, we decided to create a documentary about the difficulty young gay Mormons face within their community and church. Principle photography has been completed and now we need your help to finish this important film.
With an increased rate of suicide among LGBT Mormon youth, we decided to create a documentary about the difficulty young gay Mormons face within their community and church. Principle photography has been completed and now we need your help to finish this important film.
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Story
Mission Statement
The film is geared toward helping the LGBTQ community as well as allies, specifically those that have been affected by suicide. We plan on using the film as community outreach working with local and national campaigns in order to help the LGBTQ youth.About The Project
Two gay ex-mormon missionaries travel across the United States to confront their past and explore their futures while discussing with other gay mormons about the rejection, oppression and the reality of a growing number of suicides they face in the LDS community.
Jonathon Levi Powell, celebrity hair and makeup stylist, and Terry Blas, comic book artist and illustrator, both grew up in the LDS Church. While on a roadtrip journey of discovery, they’ll meet with former and current members of the LDS community including Utah State Senator Jim Debakis, Neon Trees' frontman Tyler Glenn, and Real World's Ammon.
With the current rise of suicides in the gay LDS community, they address the issue through stories from survivors and families that have lost children, family members and friends to this devastating epidemic and try to find solutions and outreach to end the suffering through interviews with politicians, activists and experts in this subject matter.
Incentives
$25
Production Assistant
Social media shout out and thank you.
$50
Production Coordinator
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page.
$100
Production Manager
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film.
$250
Art Department
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Personal digital signed drawing from Artist Terry Blas.
Claimed: 2 of 4
$500
Hair and Makeup Artist
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Hair and Makeup consultation via Skype with Jonathon Levi Powell (can be redeemed in person in Seattle, Miami, and New York).
Claimed: 0 of 4
$1,000
Associate Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Associate Producer credit in film.
$5,000
Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Producer credit in film.
$10,000
Executive Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Executive Producer credit in film.
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$25
Production Assistant
Social media shout out and thank you.
$50
Production Coordinator
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page.
$100
Production Manager
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film.
$250
Art Department
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Personal digital signed drawing from Artist Terry Blas.
Claimed: 2 of 4
$500
Hair and Makeup Artist
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Hair and Makeup consultation via Skype with Jonathon Levi Powell (can be redeemed in person in Seattle, Miami, and New York).
Claimed: 0 of 4
$1,000
Associate Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Associate Producer credit in film.
$5,000
Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Producer credit in film.
$10,000
Executive Producer
Social media shout out and thank you. Acknowledgement on web page. Acknowledgment in film. Honorary Executive Producer credit in film.
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Edwin Scharlau – Executive Producer, Route 7 Productions
A graduate of Miami University’s School of Business, Edwin Scharlau began his career in entertainment on the talent side of the business as a booker at a modeling agency in Chicago. Edwin then moved to Miami in 1998 to run the women’s print division of Karin Models and later helped open Mega Models, a Brazilian modeling agency, where he served as Director for three years.
In 2004, he opened Route 7 Productions, a full service production company for print and film based in Miami Beach. Since opening, Route 7 has done production services on several features films; however, Proxy marks Route 7’s first feature film that they have produced from scratch. Edwin was an Executive Producer on the short film Never Winter which premiered at the Miami International Film Festival in 2010.
He also produced and co-directed the award-winning documentary UNFIT: Ward vs. Ward which premiered at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in 2012 and was an official selection in over fifty film festivals around the world. The documentary racked up numerous awards along the way including Jury Award Best Documentary at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Jury Award Best Social Justice Documentary at the Kansas International Film Festival, and First Place Documentary Feature at the Athens International Film+Video Festival.
Brandon Deyette – Executive Producer/Director
Brandon started producing in 1994 for the Armed Forces Network in Vicenza, Italy. Since then, he’s gone on to work in Broadcast News, produced photo shoots, commercials, theatre, and video; written for theatre and commercials; and acted/modeled in national ads, commercials, films and equity theatre companies including the Regional Tony Award winning Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, GA. Some of his clients include The Home Depot, Ebony, TLC, Kohl’s, Target, JC Penney, Miami Gay Pride Festival, and Showtime.
He holds a BA in Theatre and BBA in Business Management from the University of Georgia and an MA in Film from Georgia State University. His first feature film, “Proxy,” was screened at multiple film festivals and has won numerous awards including Audience Award Best First-Time Director at QFlix Philadelphia Film Festival 2015.
Jonathon Levi Powell – Content Creator/Hair & Makeup Artist
Jonathon Powell was raised in the Seattle, WA. His upbringing was of a blended family and his mother joined the Mormon church when he was 5 years old. As the oldest of the five children in the house Jonathon tried to set an example of the churches standard and focused on his mission just months after high school. He never completed the task due to his coming out of the closet.
Jonathon set out on a path in the hair and makeup industry a few years after his mission. Having opportunities to work with Melinda Gates, Sandra Oh and a few other celebrities Jonathon made the decision to move across country to Miami Florida and pursue a career as a freelance and editorial artist. He is now a frontrunner in the industry working with celebrities including Robin Thicke, Katy B and Olivia Culpo. With huge goals and a desire to help the future generations of the LGBT community he set out to create this movie. He is also featured as a Beauty Expert on Lifetime's new show "American Beauty Star."
Terry Blas – Content Creator/Comic Artist & Illustrator
Terry Blas is the writer and illustrator behind the ongoing web series Briar Hollow and the mini comics, Ghetto Swirl and You Say Latino. He illustrated Mama Tits Saves the World which was published by Northwest Press. His cover work includes: Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, Adventure Time, and Rick and Morty. His debut graphic novel will be published by Oni Press and is a murder mystery set in a fat camp, entitled Morbid Obesity. He grew up in Boise Idaho, and several places in Mexico, including Ixtapa Zijuatanejo, Queretaro and Amecameca. He is Mexican and was raised Mormon, serving a mission for the LDS church from 1999-2001 in New York City, specifically The Bronx and Sleepy Hollow, New York. He no longer considers himself Mormon in any way.
He currently draws an obscene amount of Drag Queens and writes and draws comic books out of Helioscope Studio, the largest collective comic book studio in the United States. He lives with his husband Scott and their dog Audrey in Portland Oregon where they all watch more British TV then is humanly possible.
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