TÊTE À TÊTE: The Short Film
Toronto, Canada | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
This bilingual short film explores themes of biphobia and social facades. A famous lesbian comedian in the LGBTQ+ community and a high-profile corporate lawyer with little in common discover they share a similar fear of losing their status over living their true identity.
TÊTE À TÊTE: The Short Film
Toronto, Canada | Film Short
Drama, LGBTQ
1 Campaigns | Ontario, Canada
Green Light
This campaign raised C$6,100 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
91 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
This bilingual short film explores themes of biphobia and social facades. A famous lesbian comedian in the LGBTQ+ community and a high-profile corporate lawyer with little in common discover they share a similar fear of losing their status over living their true identity.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
85% of our budget has been pledged by the Ontario Arts Council provided that we raise the remaining 15% through crowdfunding. Join our community and help us take the last step in bringing Tête à Tête to life today!
*$5,500 is the bare minimum required to unlock our funds*
*$11,000 is our goal so we can increase production value and give back to the community by supporting LGBTQ+ non-profit Get REAL*
_____________________________________________________________________________
STORY
Tête à Tête separately follows two women struggling with their respective sexual identities, until they meet for a transformative one-night stand. It will invite its audience to share the characters’ journey, empathize with their insecurities and better understand the prejudices they face.
The main characters are both Canadian francophones living in anglophone environments, a common trait that contributes to their strong instant connection.
_____________________________________________________________________________
CHARACTERS
Mathilde is a NYC-based goal-driven corporate lawyer leading a somewhat conventional 'heterosexual' life. She has felt it necessary to keep her attraction to women a secret from her conservative family and male dominated workplace. Not even fully admitting it to herself she has never acted on these feelings. After experiencing a professional set-back and blow to her confidence in a city where she knows no one, she decides it's finally time to follow her passion instead of her family pressure. A business trip to Toronto becomes Mathilde’s perfect chance to try a dating app for women for the first time.
Gabrielle is a well-known figure of the lesbian community: fun, talented and determined, she’s the head of a collaborative comedy sketch show about the realities of being a gay woman. But Gabrielle has a secret she cannot reveal without disappointing her fans and facing discrimination within her own community: she is in fact bisexual. Her neighbour and male sex friend Ivan is the only one who knows about this. Gabrielle’s curiosity is piqued when she matches with Mathilde, who indicated “bi” on her profile, not knowing any better.
The stage is set for Mathilde and Gabrielle’s conflictual and passionate encounter, a parenthesis in their day-to-day lives that allows them to face and speak the truth about themselves for once.
_____________________________________________________________________________
OUR PLAN
This film is not just any other story. Gabrielle and Mathilde are not simply stereotypes or tropes seen in mainstream media. They are fully realized characters with much more that defines them than their sexualities. Every cent you contribute will help us accomplish this and spread accurate representation!
We have big dreams for Gabrielle and Mathilde! Once the film is completed Summer 2020 Tête à Tête will hit the festival circuit. We have the classics in our sights as well as French and LGBTQ+ specific festivals. With your help we plan to take Tête à Tête worldwide.
Say no to tropes
Say no to stereotypes
Say YES to real LGBTQ+ characters!
Hooray for accurate LGBTQ+ content!
_____________________________________________________________________________
VISUALS
Cinematography in Tête à Tête will underline the narrative opposition between the first and the second half of the film. It starts by mimicking the whirlwind of Mathilde and Gabrielle’s respective daily lives through the use of Cinéma Vérité-inspired shots, hand-held cameras and documentary-evocative framing. Close ups are rare, profile angles abound: the main characters practically escape the gaze of the camera, creating some frustration in an audience that wants to learn more about them. Mathilde and Gabrielle are hiding in plain sight, from their entourage as well as from the spectator.
The turning point of their encounter starts with a meeting in a bar. There, the low-key atmosphere justifies the shadows still lingering on their faces - much is yet to be revealed. Still, the two women quickly enter an intense two-person exchange. Their attraction and fascination with one another narrow their focus and the camera starts to adopt their perspectives much more. The frame tightens, longer lenses are used to progressively relegate the rest of the world to an out-of-focus background.
Finally, when the protagonists enter Mathilde’s hotel room, they become isolated together, shut from exterior solicitations. They can only concentrate on one another. The editing slows down, still frames replace the handheld cameras of earlier, and quasi-frontal shots finally allow the audience a more direct access to the characters’ faces and emotions. The slightly overlit functional bedroom provides no shadows in which to hide anymore. It is time for a moment of visual and emotional revelation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Why are YOU here?
Through online discussions, fundraisers, and screenings of the film we plan to start a community with YOU!
Welcome to the team!
_____________________________________________________________________________
CAMPAIGN MILESTONES
Along with incentives we have created perks for each milestone we reach throughout the campaign!
75% = Interviews from our collective - Once we reach 75% of our goal we will release 4 exclusive interviews. DONE- check our 'Updates' section for the links ;)
90% = Coming out story - Our producer has offered to share her personal coming out story as a 'thank you' for helping us get this far!
100% = The Francophone Guide to Toronto - Once we reach 100% EVERYONE who contributed will get a PDF guide to all the hidden French/Quebecois gems in the city. Poutine here we come!
100% to 125% = 10% of the anything over 100% raised will go to the LGBTQ+ non-profit Get REAL
125% to 150% = 25% of the anything over 100% raised will go to Get REAL
150% to 200% = 50% of the anything over 100% raised will go to Get REAL
Get REAL is a Canadian non-profit organization whose mission is to combat 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination and bullying in schools, summer camps, and workplaces across the country.
Learn more about this incredible non-profit here
_____________________________________________________________________________
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Department
Costs C$1,500
Rentals.Rentals.Rentals. And the people to operate those rentals. But damn, cameras are expensive.
Sound Department
Costs C$1,500
We're always forgetting these poor guys. But who could forget pink shorts guy. Look at that form!
Lights
Costs C$1,500
We thought about shooting the whole thing at golden hour but Emmanuel Lubezki is busy so...
Food
Costs C$1,000
Pizza rat likes his greasy slice but our cast and crew might not. Thumbs up for healthy local food!
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a collective of four Toronto-based female artists with one common goal: to create and connect via storytelling.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I am made and remade continually. Different people draw different words from me.
-Virginia Woolf
But who am I, to me?
Hi! My name is Chloë Sando and I am a Toronto-based producer and filmmaker originally from Calgary, Alberta. I'm a big fan of collective collaboration, art with a purpose, and trying to make the world a slightly better place. My focus in film is creating work to represent marginalized communities.
Hello, I am Florence Sobieski, a French director currently working full-time for the French-speaking TV channel TFO, in Toronto. Born in France, I have worked in Lyon, Paris, New York and Toronto, on both French and North American feature and TV series productions. My two latest fictional shorts -”Voyeuse” and “Still”- have screened at international festivals around the world and won several awards.
Hey, there! I'm Genevieve Fontaine, a bilingual actress and writer originally from Montreal. I’ve studied acting in Montreal, Toronto, and New York and have several years of experience as an on-camera, voice, and theatre talent. As a writer, I have short films and a feature in the writing. I’m also the co-founder of Kino Toronto. What I like the most about being a storyteller is the magic of a team bringing life into words to create compelling and human stories that matter.
Salut! Moi, c'est Catherine Daoust-Pichette. I am an actress originally from Montreal and moved to Toronto two years ago, after finishing the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City. I have performed in multiple theater and film productions. I also bring my skills as an assistant producer to this project.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
85% of our budget has been pledged by the Ontario Arts Council provided that we raise the remaining 15% through crowdfunding. Join our community and help us take the last step in bringing Tête à Tête to life today!
*$5,500 is the bare minimum required to unlock our funds*
*$11,000 is our goal so we can increase production value and give back to the community by supporting LGBTQ+ non-profit Get REAL*
_____________________________________________________________________________
STORY
Tête à Tête separately follows two women struggling with their respective sexual identities, until they meet for a transformative one-night stand. It will invite its audience to share the characters’ journey, empathize with their insecurities and better understand the prejudices they face.
The main characters are both Canadian francophones living in anglophone environments, a common trait that contributes to their strong instant connection.
_____________________________________________________________________________
CHARACTERS
Mathilde is a NYC-based goal-driven corporate lawyer leading a somewhat conventional 'heterosexual' life. She has felt it necessary to keep her attraction to women a secret from her conservative family and male dominated workplace. Not even fully admitting it to herself she has never acted on these feelings. After experiencing a professional set-back and blow to her confidence in a city where she knows no one, she decides it's finally time to follow her passion instead of her family pressure. A business trip to Toronto becomes Mathilde’s perfect chance to try a dating app for women for the first time.
Gabrielle is a well-known figure of the lesbian community: fun, talented and determined, she’s the head of a collaborative comedy sketch show about the realities of being a gay woman. But Gabrielle has a secret she cannot reveal without disappointing her fans and facing discrimination within her own community: she is in fact bisexual. Her neighbour and male sex friend Ivan is the only one who knows about this. Gabrielle’s curiosity is piqued when she matches with Mathilde, who indicated “bi” on her profile, not knowing any better.
The stage is set for Mathilde and Gabrielle’s conflictual and passionate encounter, a parenthesis in their day-to-day lives that allows them to face and speak the truth about themselves for once.
_____________________________________________________________________________
OUR PLAN
This film is not just any other story. Gabrielle and Mathilde are not simply stereotypes or tropes seen in mainstream media. They are fully realized characters with much more that defines them than their sexualities. Every cent you contribute will help us accomplish this and spread accurate representation!
We have big dreams for Gabrielle and Mathilde! Once the film is completed Summer 2020 Tête à Tête will hit the festival circuit. We have the classics in our sights as well as French and LGBTQ+ specific festivals. With your help we plan to take Tête à Tête worldwide.
Say no to tropes
Say no to stereotypes
Say YES to real LGBTQ+ characters!
Hooray for accurate LGBTQ+ content!
_____________________________________________________________________________
VISUALS
Cinematography in Tête à Tête will underline the narrative opposition between the first and the second half of the film. It starts by mimicking the whirlwind of Mathilde and Gabrielle’s respective daily lives through the use of Cinéma Vérité-inspired shots, hand-held cameras and documentary-evocative framing. Close ups are rare, profile angles abound: the main characters practically escape the gaze of the camera, creating some frustration in an audience that wants to learn more about them. Mathilde and Gabrielle are hiding in plain sight, from their entourage as well as from the spectator.
The turning point of their encounter starts with a meeting in a bar. There, the low-key atmosphere justifies the shadows still lingering on their faces - much is yet to be revealed. Still, the two women quickly enter an intense two-person exchange. Their attraction and fascination with one another narrow their focus and the camera starts to adopt their perspectives much more. The frame tightens, longer lenses are used to progressively relegate the rest of the world to an out-of-focus background.
Finally, when the protagonists enter Mathilde’s hotel room, they become isolated together, shut from exterior solicitations. They can only concentrate on one another. The editing slows down, still frames replace the handheld cameras of earlier, and quasi-frontal shots finally allow the audience a more direct access to the characters’ faces and emotions. The slightly overlit functional bedroom provides no shadows in which to hide anymore. It is time for a moment of visual and emotional revelation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Why are YOU here?
Through online discussions, fundraisers, and screenings of the film we plan to start a community with YOU!
Welcome to the team!
_____________________________________________________________________________
CAMPAIGN MILESTONES
Along with incentives we have created perks for each milestone we reach throughout the campaign!
75% = Interviews from our collective - Once we reach 75% of our goal we will release 4 exclusive interviews. DONE- check our 'Updates' section for the links ;)
90% = Coming out story - Our producer has offered to share her personal coming out story as a 'thank you' for helping us get this far!
100% = The Francophone Guide to Toronto - Once we reach 100% EVERYONE who contributed will get a PDF guide to all the hidden French/Quebecois gems in the city. Poutine here we come!
100% to 125% = 10% of the anything over 100% raised will go to the LGBTQ+ non-profit Get REAL
125% to 150% = 25% of the anything over 100% raised will go to Get REAL
150% to 200% = 50% of the anything over 100% raised will go to Get REAL
Get REAL is a Canadian non-profit organization whose mission is to combat 2SLGBTQ+ discrimination and bullying in schools, summer camps, and workplaces across the country.
Learn more about this incredible non-profit here
_____________________________________________________________________________
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Camera Department
Costs C$1,500
Rentals.Rentals.Rentals. And the people to operate those rentals. But damn, cameras are expensive.
Sound Department
Costs C$1,500
We're always forgetting these poor guys. But who could forget pink shorts guy. Look at that form!
Lights
Costs C$1,500
We thought about shooting the whole thing at golden hour but Emmanuel Lubezki is busy so...
Food
Costs C$1,000
Pizza rat likes his greasy slice but our cast and crew might not. Thumbs up for healthy local food!
Cash Pledge
Costs C$0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a collective of four Toronto-based female artists with one common goal: to create and connect via storytelling.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
I am made and remade continually. Different people draw different words from me.
-Virginia Woolf
But who am I, to me?
Hi! My name is Chloë Sando and I am a Toronto-based producer and filmmaker originally from Calgary, Alberta. I'm a big fan of collective collaboration, art with a purpose, and trying to make the world a slightly better place. My focus in film is creating work to represent marginalized communities.
Hello, I am Florence Sobieski, a French director currently working full-time for the French-speaking TV channel TFO, in Toronto. Born in France, I have worked in Lyon, Paris, New York and Toronto, on both French and North American feature and TV series productions. My two latest fictional shorts -”Voyeuse” and “Still”- have screened at international festivals around the world and won several awards.
Hey, there! I'm Genevieve Fontaine, a bilingual actress and writer originally from Montreal. I’ve studied acting in Montreal, Toronto, and New York and have several years of experience as an on-camera, voice, and theatre talent. As a writer, I have short films and a feature in the writing. I’m also the co-founder of Kino Toronto. What I like the most about being a storyteller is the magic of a team bringing life into words to create compelling and human stories that matter.
Salut! Moi, c'est Catherine Daoust-Pichette. I am an actress originally from Montreal and moved to Toronto two years ago, after finishing the Tom Todoroff Conservatory in New York City. I have performed in multiple theater and film productions. I also bring my skills as an assistant producer to this project.