In PONY, our protagonist, Zoe, a late-'90s genderqueer pre-teen, defies a grieving mother to embody their true gender and sexual identities in the wake of a family tragedy. Zoe uncovers their gender at a time where all trans representation in the media was either harmful and peripheral, or absent.
In PONY, our protagonist, Zoe, a late-'90s genderqueer pre-teen, defies a grieving mother to embody their true gender and sexual identities in the wake of a family tragedy. Zoe uncovers their gender at a time where all trans representation in the media was either harmful and peripheral, or absent.
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Story
Mission Statement
PONY is created by an-all LGBTQ+ team with the common goal of achieving gender, sexual, and racial equity on film and on set. At our helm is Halo Rossetti, a nonbinary writer/director who has been making queer video, art, and film for over a decade. PONY especially highlights at-risk trans youth.About The Project
*PONY is fiscally sponsored by The Film Collaborative, a 501(c)3 organization. All donations are tax deductible.
Hey Ponies! Welcome to our post-production fundraiser for PONY, a very special short film about a genderqueer preteen coming of age in the late-90s, when access to trans information and representation was inaccurate and scarce. Please visit our website here, and keep reading to learn more about our film.
With the help of our fans and community, we had a very successful fundraiser last summer ($28,290 raised!), which, combined with several grants from Temple University, allowed us to shoot PONY in early October 2020 in Bucks County, PA, USA, while it was still a green zone (i.e. between the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic). Using our COVID set safety protocols, we ran a safe set, nobody contracted the virus, and we shot a beautiful film. With first-round funding we have completed PONY all the way to the end of the rough cut!
We are now raising $15,000 to cover post production, exhibition and distribution costs so that we can finish, show and distribute our film! These will include, most importantly: picture-locking the film, professionally finishing sound design (including mixing and mastering our soundtrack) and color correction and grading, funding our animated intro and end title sequence, and generating our electronic press kit. With these funds we will also be able to hire a conform editor to do a final assembly and export our DCP for our film festival run! Final funds will be used for publicity, festival entrance fees and travel to festivals where we get accepted.
As we raise funds to finish this beautiful trans film project, we ask that all funders consider making a matching donation to The Okra Project, a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally-specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever they can reach them.
PONY is a genderqueer take on the traditional coming-of-age narrative. Set in the late-90s, our protagonist, Zoe, a genderqueer preteen, defies the gender expectations of their mother and best friend as they grieve the death of their twin sibling. This story is based on my (director Halo Rossetti's) own experience as a gender-confused millennial child growing up in the '90s and '00s, in a thoroughly haunted house.
PONY also unfolds against the backdrop of the epidemic of queer and trans youth suicides that affect my community every day. The rate of LGBTQ+ suicides is disturbingly high amongst children and youth. LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers (Massachusetts Department of Education, 2009).
More than half of transgender male teens who participated in a survey recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics reported attempting suicide in their lifetime, while 29.9% of transgender female teens said they attempted suicide. Among non-binary youth, 41.8% of respondents stated that they had attempted suicide at some point in their lives.
Through the completion of PONY, I wish to bring visibility to at-risk LGBTQ+ teens. Identifying as non-binary and using they/them pronouns myself, I understand the struggle of questioning one’s identity in a binary-heteronormative world and how isolating that experience becomes.
Prevention and elimination of these deaths are only possible through building acceptance, awareness, and characters with whom these children can identify.
My name is Halo Rossetti (they/them), and I am a queer and non-binary artist and filmmaker. In my work I center the queer and trans experience, from my own perspective, and from the identities that intersect with my own. As previously mentioned, this film weaves together my personal experience growing up as a gender-confused millennial child in the '90s and ’00s, against the backdrop of queer youth suicide, which affects my community every day.
With my years of queer community building and visual storytelling experience (MFA in Film and Media Arts, Temple University, 2021) I believe that I am the right person to tell this timely story. I hope that you will join me on this journey.
Not only is there an epidemic of LGBTQ+ suicides in this country, but our community is now faced with a pandemic of a different sort. The social fallout from COVID-19 has in many ways been just as all-encompassing as the financial one, and LGBTQ+ people have been particularly affected.
We are the more likely to be immunocompromised (HIV/AIDS) and smokers, and our community is more reluctant to seek out care due to discrimination (National LGBT Cancer Network, 2019). Not only this, but our community is still traumatized by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a virus that decimated our numbers and left my generation without many queer elders to look up to.
The impact of COVID-19 expands beyond even this, as LGBTQ+ youth were initially forced out of their college dorms and back home with their families—many of whom are not accepting of their gender and sexual identities—and then forced back into dorms where they are put at much higher risk of contracting the virus. Additionally, over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were passed during the Trump administration, many of which while the world was distracted by COVID-19. It will take a long time for the Biden administration to undo all of this damage, and the ramifications of this legislation have already been deeply felt.
We need accurate, enlivening LGBTQ+ stories, media representation, and solidarity in the film industry. Now more than ever, we are stronger together.
Whether you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community or in solidarity with us, we hope that you will consider joining us on this journey.
Out of every one-hundred dollars ($100 USD) awarded by foundations in the United States, only three cents are focused on transgender communities (LGBT Funders, 2020).
Through this crowdfunding campaign, we hope to not only fundraise for our project, but raise awareness for our cause, and bring together a community of LGBTQ+ folks and allies.
By joining our campaign and supporting us, you can help us to make the world a more inclusive and possible place.
Incentives
$10
Social Media Shout-Out
Thank you! Receive a social media shout-out for contributing to our film. <3
$20
Advanced Digital Copy of the Film
Receive an advanced digital copy of the film (post-festival season).
You'll also receive a social media shoutout!
$25
Personalized Thank You Cake
You'll receive your very own, personalized digital "Thank You Cake," modeled after our Birthday Cake image from PONY. Feel free to share your new cake with your friends!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout and an advance digital copy of the film!
$35
Signed Digital Poster!
At this level you will receive our ~~newly created~~ digital PONY poster, complete with Halo Rossetti's digital signature!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, and a personalized thank you cake!
$40
Signed Digital Stills
After PONY is finished, we'll send you a HIGH QUALITY, color graded still from the film, signed digitally by our Director, Halo Rossetti!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, and a personalized thank you cake!
$50
Handmade PONY Zine!
Receive a digital copy of our PONY zine, handmande by writer/director Halo Rossetti, in which Halo talks about some of the challenges and triumphs of making the film, including going to production in a global pandemic!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, and signed digital stills!
$60
Special Thanks Credit
If you pledge $60 or more, your name will be included in the "Special Thanks" section of our credits!
You'll also receive a digital handmade PONY zine, social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, and signed digital stills!
$75
Personalized Postcard
Receive a handwritten postcard from writer/director Halo Rossetti thanking you for your support! Now THERE'S something you can hang on your fridge!
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You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
$85
Signed Digital Copy of the Script
You will receive your very own signed, digital copy of PONY's shooting script!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, and our digital handmade PONY zine!!
Claimed: 2 of 15
$90
Exclusive, Signed Copy of "The Ship We Built"
We are THRILLED to partner with trans writer, actor, and filmmaker Lexie Bean to offer a limited edition, exclusive, SIGNED COPY of their NEW book, "The Ship We Built!" Tender and wise, "The Ship We Built," about a preteen late-90s trans boy called Rowan, stuck in Michigan's conservative Upper Peninsula, is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself—even to those you love—and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.
Sold Out!
$100
VIP Screening
You'll be invited to attend a private, VIP screening of the finished film! See PONY before the rest of the world, alongside our cast, crew, and selected friends and family!
*Please note that this screening may be virtual or in person, depending on the updating health guidelines of the COVID-19 pandemic*
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, a signed digital copy of the script, and our digital handmade PONY zine!!
$250
Script Consultation from Halo Rossetti
Have a pilot episode or short script that you want coverage on? Halo's got you! At this level, you'll get in-depth feedback on a script of your choosing! And in case you haven't heard, Halo's just been selected for the prestigious Circle Of Confusion Inaugural Writers Discovery Fellowship, so you know they've got skills!
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You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, and tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 1 of 5
$500
"This film was made possible with the support of..."
Pledge $500 and you will be credited in the "This film was made possible with the support of..." section in the PONY credits!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
$4,500
Co-Executive Producer Credit
Pledge $4500 and you will be credited as a Co-Executive Producer on our film! Affords a credit in the main titles or in the end credits, and affords a static company logo (if applicable) in the logo section of the end credits.
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 2
$11,250
Executive Producer
Pledge $11,250 and you will be credited as an Executive Producer of our film! Affords a credit in the main titles and a static company logo (if applicable) in the logo section of the end credits.
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 1
$15,000
"In Association With" Credit
"In Association With" credit with your name/company in the main credits of the film. Affords a static or animated company logo in the main credits of the film, and up to two individual Executive Producer credits in the main titles, if requested.
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You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 1
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
Social Media Shout-Out
Thank you! Receive a social media shout-out for contributing to our film. <3
$20
Advanced Digital Copy of the Film
Receive an advanced digital copy of the film (post-festival season).
You'll also receive a social media shoutout!
$25
Personalized Thank You Cake
You'll receive your very own, personalized digital "Thank You Cake," modeled after our Birthday Cake image from PONY. Feel free to share your new cake with your friends!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout and an advance digital copy of the film!
$35
Signed Digital Poster!
At this level you will receive our ~~newly created~~ digital PONY poster, complete with Halo Rossetti's digital signature!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, and a personalized thank you cake!
$40
Signed Digital Stills
After PONY is finished, we'll send you a HIGH QUALITY, color graded still from the film, signed digitally by our Director, Halo Rossetti!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, and a personalized thank you cake!
$50
Handmade PONY Zine!
Receive a digital copy of our PONY zine, handmande by writer/director Halo Rossetti, in which Halo talks about some of the challenges and triumphs of making the film, including going to production in a global pandemic!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, an advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, and signed digital stills!
$60
Special Thanks Credit
If you pledge $60 or more, your name will be included in the "Special Thanks" section of our credits!
You'll also receive a digital handmade PONY zine, social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, and signed digital stills!
$75
Personalized Postcard
Receive a handwritten postcard from writer/director Halo Rossetti thanking you for your support! Now THERE'S something you can hang on your fridge!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
$85
Signed Digital Copy of the Script
You will receive your very own signed, digital copy of PONY's shooting script!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, and our digital handmade PONY zine!!
Claimed: 2 of 15
$90
Exclusive, Signed Copy of "The Ship We Built"
We are THRILLED to partner with trans writer, actor, and filmmaker Lexie Bean to offer a limited edition, exclusive, SIGNED COPY of their NEW book, "The Ship We Built!" Tender and wise, "The Ship We Built," about a preteen late-90s trans boy called Rowan, stuck in Michigan's conservative Upper Peninsula, is about the bravery it takes to stand up for yourself—even to those you love—and the power of finding someone who treasures you for everything you are.
Sold Out!
$100
VIP Screening
You'll be invited to attend a private, VIP screening of the finished film! See PONY before the rest of the world, alongside our cast, crew, and selected friends and family!
*Please note that this screening may be virtual or in person, depending on the updating health guidelines of the COVID-19 pandemic*
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, a signed digital copy of the script, and our digital handmade PONY zine!!
$250
Script Consultation from Halo Rossetti
Have a pilot episode or short script that you want coverage on? Halo's got you! At this level, you'll get in-depth feedback on a script of your choosing! And in case you haven't heard, Halo's just been selected for the prestigious Circle Of Confusion Inaugural Writers Discovery Fellowship, so you know they've got skills!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a Special Thanks credit, a personalized postcard, and tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 1 of 5
$500
"This film was made possible with the support of..."
Pledge $500 and you will be credited in the "This film was made possible with the support of..." section in the PONY credits!
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
$4,500
Co-Executive Producer Credit
Pledge $4500 and you will be credited as a Co-Executive Producer on our film! Affords a credit in the main titles or in the end credits, and affords a static company logo (if applicable) in the logo section of the end credits.
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 2
$11,250
Executive Producer
Pledge $11,250 and you will be credited as an Executive Producer of our film! Affords a credit in the main titles and a static company logo (if applicable) in the logo section of the end credits.
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 1
$15,000
"In Association With" Credit
"In Association With" credit with your name/company in the main credits of the film. Affords a static or animated company logo in the main credits of the film, and up to two individual Executive Producer credits in the main titles, if requested.
You'll also receive a social media shoutout, and advance digital copy of the film, a personalized thank you cake, signed digital stills, a personalized postcard, tickets to our VIP screening, and our digital handmade PONY zine!
Claimed: 0 of 1
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
PRODUCING TEAM
Halo Rossetti
Writer | Director | Producer
Website | Instagram | Vimeo | IMDb
Halo Rossetti (they/them) is a writer, director, performer, and artist, worldbuilding positive futures in the husk of the capitalist experiment. Their short film, SUNRIDER, premiered at Les Femmes Underground International Film Festival in Phoenix, AZ in September 2018, and was featured at a MONO NO A WARE screening at Anthology Film Archives in New York in April 2018. SUNRIDER was also officially selected for Lift'Off's First-Time Filmmaker Sessions, September 2019, for The Bush Films' Queer Sci-Fi & Fantasy Short Films screening in August 2020. Rossetti’s short film, The French Chef with Julia Child: Abortifacient Herbs, premiered and was a finalist in the Get Free Film Fest in Los Angeles, 2019, and was the featured video for Vox Populi's 4th Wall film and video program, September 6–October 13, 2019. Rossetti was a finalist for the Tribeca Film Institute/Sloan Discovery Student Award 2020, with their TV pilot, WELL, under the mentorship of Jenny Halper. Rossetti is a 2021 recipient of Circle of Confusion's inaugural Writers Discovery Fellowship with their TV pilot, ALOFT, under the mentorship of Lawrence Mattis.
Meaghan Wilbur
Post Producer
Meaghan Wilbur (they/them) is a producer and filmmaker whose work focuses on the intersection of art and advocacy. Their producing career includes award-winning feature films like Deb Shoval’s AWOL and Cat Papadimitriou’s Nia On Vacation. They are best known for their editing work on HBO’s 2 Dope Queens, and Bola Ogun’s award-winning short film Are We Good Parents? Their editorial career spans a diverse range of projects and genres, from the subversive cult comedy Wonder Showzen to groundbreaking Netflix comedy AJ and the Queen. As part of their ongoing commitment to mentoring emerging talent in post-production, Wilbur has served as an executive committee member for the Blue Collar Post Collective. They are thrilled to be part of the PONY team.
Kathryn R Foley
Creative Producer
Kathryn R Foley (she/her) is a creative producer and screenwriter based in the Greater Philadelphia area. In her work, she strives to create more representation and inclusion within film and television. This first started with her short anthology, Imperfect the Series, where each episode shows an individual character's experience with body image. This series combats the idea that narratives should focus on one shape or size, and challenges ideas of standardized beauty. Reflected in all her projects, Foley believes in media representation as a means for social change and strives to help others find their voice through cinematic and media arts.
Cybee Bloss
Associate Producer | Editor | Animator
Cybee is a nonbinary video editor and animator who is drawn to projects about intimacy, friendship, and mental health. Originally from West Virginia, they have called Philly home for over a decade. They spend most of their time at PhillyCAM, Philadelphia’s public access TV station, producing content with other community members. They recently created a series called Theydies and Gentlethems, which is a playful guide to using trans and nonbinary affirming language for adults. When they are not in front of their screen, they are gardening with their twin, DMing their D&D campaign, and teaching video game design at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Hansen Bursic
Associate Producer | Social Media Manager
Hansen Bursic (he/him) is an award-winning filmmaker and LGBTQ+ rights activist currently based out of Pittsburgh, PA. For the past four years, Bursic has been working as an independent filmmaker and media consultant in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Much of his film work has been dedicated to telling transparent, meaningful stories that center marginalized voices, specifically of LGBTQ and rural people. Bursic's short documentary on a trans girl and her family living in rural Pennsylvania, The Toothmans, screened internationally, including a screening at Frameline42 and an award from The Foundation for The Contemporary Family. Most recently, Bursic finished his thesis film Halloween 1987, a narrative film about a gender-questioning teen in the 1980s who struggles with their identity following a gender-bending Halloween costume. The film is based on a memoir by Jenny Jae Cory, a transwoman living in rural Appalachia who Bursic has been doing a documentary on for the past three years.
Ken Sogabe
Associate Producer | Grant Writer
Ken Sogabe (he/him) is an ambitious and hardworking student at Temple University. He prides himself on taking on any challenge that he faces with vigor and the determination to overcome. He finds great joy in helping his friends transform scripts into beautiful films. Ken is now working on a number of shorts and is very much enjoying writing grants for PONY.
POST-PRODUCTION CREW
Lana Duda
Editor | Colorist
Lana (she/her) is an editor and colorist who sees film as a way for people to make change and inspire. Currently a senior at Temple University, Lana is excited about the future and hopes to be a part of more projects that send these messages.
Fiora “Feathers” Wise
Music Composer | Sound Design Consultant
Fiora “Feathers” Wise (she/her) is an actor, singer-songwriter, and music producer out of Brooklyn, NY. She has released two EPs, recorded mainly with Phil Carroll and RAD (Recording Artists Development), titled “Let the Chaos Feed My Evolution” (2019) and “I Am Not Afraid” (2020). Through RAD, Wise also produced Ella Boy’s EP Cutting You Off (2020), and numerous singles with JR Price (2019–2020).
Wise wrote the soundtracks for Halo Rossetti’s films SUNRIDER (2018), PATRICK (currently in post-production), Hold (2019), and now PONY. She also played synthesizer and sang in Reverend Yolanda’s Church with a 2 Drink Minimum (2018–2019), and sang in the Intersectionals Choir at Jean Grae’s Church of the Infinite You (2017–2020).
Ari Pelna
Sound Designer
Ari Pelna (he/him) is currently a senior at Temple University in the post-production concentration! The opportunity to work on this project is really important to Ari being an ally of the LGBTQ+ community. He is drawn to the film’s mission and story and loves being a part of the PONY team.
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Media
Videos
Images
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Community
Supporters
Followers
