The Battle for Transmecula
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
LGBTQ, Documentary
In Temecula’s wine country, Trans icon Love Bailey battles a corrupt council, hateful evangelicals, and right-wing podcaster to save her queer sanctuary, Savage Ranch. This powerful docu-narrative hybrid is a bold fight for visibility, safety, and freedom.
The Battle for Transmecula
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
LGBTQ, Documentary
1 Campaigns | California, United States
6 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$405
Goal: $40,000 for production
In Temecula’s wine country, Trans icon Love Bailey battles a corrupt council, hateful evangelicals, and right-wing podcaster to save her queer sanctuary, Savage Ranch. This powerful docu-narrative hybrid is a bold fight for visibility, safety, and freedom.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
LOVE BAILEY - TRANZ PANIC! MUSIC VIDEO
Trans icon, artist, and activist LOVE BAILEY thrives in the heat. Whether she's filming high-fashion projects around the world or standing up for Trans liberation in a hostile America, she's in her element when shaking the system. After founding the Savage Ranch with her ex-con lesbian mom Mama Savage, a sanctuary for retired racehorses and queer artists, Love became a target in her hometown of Temecula. The threats started coming fast. Doxing. Vandalism. Even physical assaults in her local grocery store. So she did what she always does. She stood up and pushed back.
LOVE BAILEY - THE SCARLET TRESSED WOMAN
Love doesn’t back down. In 2024, she packed up The Dolls and started showing up at Temecula city council meetings in full glam, crimson hair blazing. She lit up the mic, calling out policies that forced LGBTQ+ kids out of the closet and into the streets, gutting DEI and CRT, and cozying up with local evangelical churches. Her speeches exploded online, sparking love, outrage, and headlines. One of those views came from longtime collaborator and visionary filmmaker MATT BOMAN. After a quick call that December, they agreed on one thing: “Let’s make a f---ing movie.” And now, we are.
WATCH LOVE TAKE ON THE TEMECULA CITY COUNCIL
“Fascists are sharpening their knives” isn’t just a lyric from Love’s new track TRANZ PANIC! It’s the world we’re living in. Rights are being stripped, voices silenced, and the LGBTQ+ community is under attack. We won’t list every loss here, but we know one thing: now is the moment to tell Love’s story. A story not just for her community, but for anyone who gives a damn about freedom. Supporting this film, whether with dollars or with a share, is a real, tangible way to fight back. Every bit counts, and we’ll put every penny to work. The time is now. And if you’re still reading this, you probably feel it too.
We’re using this Seed & Spark campaign to rally our community and raise the funds needed to finish filming and create something powerful. The Battle for Transmecula is a 15-minute docu-narrative hybrid based on Love’s real fight with her hometown. With real-life characters and a few actors for spice, we’re telling a story that uplifts queer voices and maybe, just maybe, opens a few hearts along the way. It’s not a hit piece. It’s a hope piece. And it’s the kind of healing story the world needs right now.
The visual style of this film is Gritty Glam Surrealism. One Louboutin planted in reality, the other diving into fantasy. We’re chasing bold, brain-burning visuals with razor-sharp focus from Love and Matt, and stunning camera work from cinematographer LUKE DYRA. Think Brazil, Priscilla, Little Shop, Romeo + Juliet, with a splash of Borat chaos for good measure.
The Battle for Transmecula is a high-energy, surreal dramedy-documentary where Love Bailey and her queer chosen family fight to save their utopian Savage Ranch from a far-right podcaster and an evangelical city council hellbent on erasing them.
To outmaneuver a corrupt law, they launch a chaotic, wine-soaked scheme that tricks Temecula’s MAGA elite into funding their survival. But as their movement gains momentum, their enemies escalate, leading to a brutal raid, false accusations, and a final, high-stakes showdown between Love and hate. A neon-drenched call to action, this film fuses real-world urgency with Borat-style satire and cinematic spectacle, igniting a cultural moment that demands to be seen.
We’ve already started filming The Battle for Transmecula, capturing several key scenes during the TRANZ PANIC! shoot. We had the crew, the gear, the energy, so we kept rolling. That head start gave us momentum, but now we need the support to finish what we began.
Our $40,000 budget is designed to stretch every dollar while keeping the production fully local. We're not outsourcing or cutting corners. We're hiring LA-based cast and crew and reinvesting directly into the community that built this industry.
Temecula is a two-hour drive from LA, which means housing the crew for four days on location. That budget covers a high-end cinematographer, dual Sony Venice cameras to capture every moment from multiple angles, thoughtful production design, catering, insurance, and the grip and electric gear needed to bring this story to life. Every cent shows up on screen. Every bit helps us push this vision across the finish line.
LOVE BAILEY: This film began with the realization that a camera can be both witness and healer. Raised by my showgirl grandmother, I used filmmaking to process trauma, turning pain into art and resistance. More than an LGBTQ+ story, this is a universal tale of resilience, one girl finding her fire and overcoming oppression, echoing the struggles of all who exist in the shadows of political forces. Representation is a lifeline, and I believe sharing my story can save lives. For a decade, I’ve fought to bring this vision to life, defying short-form trends to create something lasting. With your support, we can turn this dream into reality; bold, beautiful, and impossible to ignore.
MATT BOMAN: "Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it." Bertolt Brecht's quote from decades ago still drives my process as a filmmaker and artist. As a straight, cis white man, I recognize my privilege in this industry and believe in using it to uplift voices all to often unheard. The Battle for Transmecula isn’t just a film, it’s a chance to challenge oppression, amplify queer resilience, and create lasting impact. True allyship means action, and I’m committed to ensuring this story is told with the power, scale, and visibility it demands.
One thing you will notice about our timeline, is it's short! Thankfully we're no stranger to quick turnarounds and tight deadlines. Co-Director MATT BOMAN and Executive Producer AMANDA MORONES actually cut their teeth together doing YouTube news for one of the platforms biggest networks. With the urgency of our timeline comes a need for maximum efficiency and realistic expectations, core principles that will ensure we're can hit our major goal by delivering a rough cut of the film to our Sundance contacts before September 1st of this year.
We most certainly plan on hosting screenings in several cities, NYC and LA being easy options, and will keep all donors up to date on where, where and how they can see the incredible film they helped create. Our main focus currently is getting the film funded, and photographed, and will re-apply that same energy to maximizing screens, and donor enjoyment, once it's ready to share.
Thank you for making it this far. Just being here, reading these words, already means something. But if this story moved you, even a little, please share it with three people you trust—people who believe in outsider voices, who care about art that speaks up and out. In a world where attention is currency, passing this along is power.
And if you can chip in, just know it’s not just about making a movie. You're helping a Trans woman stand tall in her own backyard. Your sprinkling empathy across the land, and fighting hate, with Love.
If they want a battle, we’ll give them one. This is The Battle for Transmecula. And you’re part of it now.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew Lodging
Costs $4,000
Filming 3 hours from LA in Temecula, we will need to provide lodging for our cast and crew.
Crew Labor
Costs $10,000
We will need to fairly pay our dedicated team of industry professionals, from our seasoned DP Luke Dyra, to the greenest office PA.
Hair & Make Up
Costs $2,000
Seeing as how Love Bailey is a glam icon we will need to enlist her team of top notch hair and makeup artists.
Red 1967 Cadillac Convertible Rental
Costs $1,000
For two important scenes, we will need to rent a vintage red convertible from Paramount Picture Cars.
Editing of the Film
Costs $3,000
Director Matt Boman will lend his supreme editing chops to editing this film, and at a much reduced daily rate!
Color Finishing
Costs $1,500
With a proven collaboration track record, colorist legend Alexander Schwab will truly make this film pop!
Post Sound Mix
Costs $1,000
Great sound is critical to a great film. We have several trusted sound mix companies we enjoy working with and will choose the best.
Grip & Lighting
Costs $2,000
We will obviously need a modest grip and lighting package for our remaining days of filming and have several great vendors we work with.
Art Department Materials
Costs $2,000
Our production calls for a modest amount of art department materials, both purchases and rentals.
Marketing / Festival Submissions
Costs $1,500
A24's iconic film Anora famously spent 3x of the production budget on marketing. Though we won't need near that much, we will need some.
Cast Payments
Costs $3,000
Though many people appearing in the film are "playing" themselves, we will still need to compensate them as well as all other talent.
Insurance & Permits
Costs $1,000
As any film, we require money set aside for insurance as well as permits.
Production Supplies
Costs $1,000
Hard drives, walkie talkies, office supplies, printing and shipping costs, these sorts of items are all essential to a film production.
Sony Venice Camera Package
Costs $3,000
We need this camera package so that our cinematographer, Luke Dyra can expertly photograph our film.
Set Rental
Costs $2,000
Leveraging most locations for free, some of them, courtroom, jail cell and church, are LA based sets we will need to pay to rent.
Catering for 20 people for 4 days
Costs $2,000
Food is not cheap! Especially in this economy. We spent $2k on catering for our initial filming and expect to do the same for the 2nd half.
Share this update!
About This Team
Icon, activist, and filmmaker LOVE BAILEY is uniquely suited to co-direct and star in The Battle for Transmecula, because she’s lived the story firsthand. Her years spent causing “Good Trouble,” fighting fiercely for her community, combined with her extensive creative experience as director, photographer, and visionary collaborator with top-tier brands, position her perfectly to bring this powerful narrative to life.
MATT BOMAN, co-director and editor of this project, is the founder of Studio Boman, a production company behind standout work for brands like Apple Music and Warner Records. With a track record that includes raising one million dollars twice from Google’s Original Channel Initiative, Matt brings viral instincts and cinematic craft to every project. His goal with this film is to amplify Love’s story and shape it into bold, festival-ready cinema with high production value and heart.
Watch his heart pounding demo reel HERE.
AMANDA MORONES is an award-winning Executive Producer with 15+ years driving culturally resonant storytelling across documentary, narrative, and branded content. Committed to amplifying marginalized voices, she combines creative vision and operational excellence to deliver impactful stories that inspire action.
LUKE DYRA is an LA-based Cinematographer and Steadicam Operator committed to elevating underrepresented voices through dynamic visual storytelling. His credits include the award-winning short Close Ties to Home Country, features Ghostlight (Sundance 2024) and Nickels (2025 theatrical release), and serving as DP on HBO’s hit doc series The Ren Faire.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
LOVE BAILEY - TRANZ PANIC! MUSIC VIDEO
Trans icon, artist, and activist LOVE BAILEY thrives in the heat. Whether she's filming high-fashion projects around the world or standing up for Trans liberation in a hostile America, she's in her element when shaking the system. After founding the Savage Ranch with her ex-con lesbian mom Mama Savage, a sanctuary for retired racehorses and queer artists, Love became a target in her hometown of Temecula. The threats started coming fast. Doxing. Vandalism. Even physical assaults in her local grocery store. So she did what she always does. She stood up and pushed back.
LOVE BAILEY - THE SCARLET TRESSED WOMAN
Love doesn’t back down. In 2024, she packed up The Dolls and started showing up at Temecula city council meetings in full glam, crimson hair blazing. She lit up the mic, calling out policies that forced LGBTQ+ kids out of the closet and into the streets, gutting DEI and CRT, and cozying up with local evangelical churches. Her speeches exploded online, sparking love, outrage, and headlines. One of those views came from longtime collaborator and visionary filmmaker MATT BOMAN. After a quick call that December, they agreed on one thing: “Let’s make a f---ing movie.” And now, we are.
WATCH LOVE TAKE ON THE TEMECULA CITY COUNCIL
“Fascists are sharpening their knives” isn’t just a lyric from Love’s new track TRANZ PANIC! It’s the world we’re living in. Rights are being stripped, voices silenced, and the LGBTQ+ community is under attack. We won’t list every loss here, but we know one thing: now is the moment to tell Love’s story. A story not just for her community, but for anyone who gives a damn about freedom. Supporting this film, whether with dollars or with a share, is a real, tangible way to fight back. Every bit counts, and we’ll put every penny to work. The time is now. And if you’re still reading this, you probably feel it too.
We’re using this Seed & Spark campaign to rally our community and raise the funds needed to finish filming and create something powerful. The Battle for Transmecula is a 15-minute docu-narrative hybrid based on Love’s real fight with her hometown. With real-life characters and a few actors for spice, we’re telling a story that uplifts queer voices and maybe, just maybe, opens a few hearts along the way. It’s not a hit piece. It’s a hope piece. And it’s the kind of healing story the world needs right now.
The visual style of this film is Gritty Glam Surrealism. One Louboutin planted in reality, the other diving into fantasy. We’re chasing bold, brain-burning visuals with razor-sharp focus from Love and Matt, and stunning camera work from cinematographer LUKE DYRA. Think Brazil, Priscilla, Little Shop, Romeo + Juliet, with a splash of Borat chaos for good measure.
The Battle for Transmecula is a high-energy, surreal dramedy-documentary where Love Bailey and her queer chosen family fight to save their utopian Savage Ranch from a far-right podcaster and an evangelical city council hellbent on erasing them.
To outmaneuver a corrupt law, they launch a chaotic, wine-soaked scheme that tricks Temecula’s MAGA elite into funding their survival. But as their movement gains momentum, their enemies escalate, leading to a brutal raid, false accusations, and a final, high-stakes showdown between Love and hate. A neon-drenched call to action, this film fuses real-world urgency with Borat-style satire and cinematic spectacle, igniting a cultural moment that demands to be seen.
We’ve already started filming The Battle for Transmecula, capturing several key scenes during the TRANZ PANIC! shoot. We had the crew, the gear, the energy, so we kept rolling. That head start gave us momentum, but now we need the support to finish what we began.
Our $40,000 budget is designed to stretch every dollar while keeping the production fully local. We're not outsourcing or cutting corners. We're hiring LA-based cast and crew and reinvesting directly into the community that built this industry.
Temecula is a two-hour drive from LA, which means housing the crew for four days on location. That budget covers a high-end cinematographer, dual Sony Venice cameras to capture every moment from multiple angles, thoughtful production design, catering, insurance, and the grip and electric gear needed to bring this story to life. Every cent shows up on screen. Every bit helps us push this vision across the finish line.
LOVE BAILEY: This film began with the realization that a camera can be both witness and healer. Raised by my showgirl grandmother, I used filmmaking to process trauma, turning pain into art and resistance. More than an LGBTQ+ story, this is a universal tale of resilience, one girl finding her fire and overcoming oppression, echoing the struggles of all who exist in the shadows of political forces. Representation is a lifeline, and I believe sharing my story can save lives. For a decade, I’ve fought to bring this vision to life, defying short-form trends to create something lasting. With your support, we can turn this dream into reality; bold, beautiful, and impossible to ignore.
MATT BOMAN: "Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it." Bertolt Brecht's quote from decades ago still drives my process as a filmmaker and artist. As a straight, cis white man, I recognize my privilege in this industry and believe in using it to uplift voices all to often unheard. The Battle for Transmecula isn’t just a film, it’s a chance to challenge oppression, amplify queer resilience, and create lasting impact. True allyship means action, and I’m committed to ensuring this story is told with the power, scale, and visibility it demands.
One thing you will notice about our timeline, is it's short! Thankfully we're no stranger to quick turnarounds and tight deadlines. Co-Director MATT BOMAN and Executive Producer AMANDA MORONES actually cut their teeth together doing YouTube news for one of the platforms biggest networks. With the urgency of our timeline comes a need for maximum efficiency and realistic expectations, core principles that will ensure we're can hit our major goal by delivering a rough cut of the film to our Sundance contacts before September 1st of this year.
We most certainly plan on hosting screenings in several cities, NYC and LA being easy options, and will keep all donors up to date on where, where and how they can see the incredible film they helped create. Our main focus currently is getting the film funded, and photographed, and will re-apply that same energy to maximizing screens, and donor enjoyment, once it's ready to share.
Thank you for making it this far. Just being here, reading these words, already means something. But if this story moved you, even a little, please share it with three people you trust—people who believe in outsider voices, who care about art that speaks up and out. In a world where attention is currency, passing this along is power.
And if you can chip in, just know it’s not just about making a movie. You're helping a Trans woman stand tall in her own backyard. Your sprinkling empathy across the land, and fighting hate, with Love.
If they want a battle, we’ll give them one. This is The Battle for Transmecula. And you’re part of it now.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast & Crew Lodging
Costs $4,000
Filming 3 hours from LA in Temecula, we will need to provide lodging for our cast and crew.
Crew Labor
Costs $10,000
We will need to fairly pay our dedicated team of industry professionals, from our seasoned DP Luke Dyra, to the greenest office PA.
Hair & Make Up
Costs $2,000
Seeing as how Love Bailey is a glam icon we will need to enlist her team of top notch hair and makeup artists.
Red 1967 Cadillac Convertible Rental
Costs $1,000
For two important scenes, we will need to rent a vintage red convertible from Paramount Picture Cars.
Editing of the Film
Costs $3,000
Director Matt Boman will lend his supreme editing chops to editing this film, and at a much reduced daily rate!
Color Finishing
Costs $1,500
With a proven collaboration track record, colorist legend Alexander Schwab will truly make this film pop!
Post Sound Mix
Costs $1,000
Great sound is critical to a great film. We have several trusted sound mix companies we enjoy working with and will choose the best.
Grip & Lighting
Costs $2,000
We will obviously need a modest grip and lighting package for our remaining days of filming and have several great vendors we work with.
Art Department Materials
Costs $2,000
Our production calls for a modest amount of art department materials, both purchases and rentals.
Marketing / Festival Submissions
Costs $1,500
A24's iconic film Anora famously spent 3x of the production budget on marketing. Though we won't need near that much, we will need some.
Cast Payments
Costs $3,000
Though many people appearing in the film are "playing" themselves, we will still need to compensate them as well as all other talent.
Insurance & Permits
Costs $1,000
As any film, we require money set aside for insurance as well as permits.
Production Supplies
Costs $1,000
Hard drives, walkie talkies, office supplies, printing and shipping costs, these sorts of items are all essential to a film production.
Sony Venice Camera Package
Costs $3,000
We need this camera package so that our cinematographer, Luke Dyra can expertly photograph our film.
Set Rental
Costs $2,000
Leveraging most locations for free, some of them, courtroom, jail cell and church, are LA based sets we will need to pay to rent.
Catering for 20 people for 4 days
Costs $2,000
Food is not cheap! Especially in this economy. We spent $2k on catering for our initial filming and expect to do the same for the 2nd half.
Share this update!
About This Team
Icon, activist, and filmmaker LOVE BAILEY is uniquely suited to co-direct and star in The Battle for Transmecula, because she’s lived the story firsthand. Her years spent causing “Good Trouble,” fighting fiercely for her community, combined with her extensive creative experience as director, photographer, and visionary collaborator with top-tier brands, position her perfectly to bring this powerful narrative to life.
MATT BOMAN, co-director and editor of this project, is the founder of Studio Boman, a production company behind standout work for brands like Apple Music and Warner Records. With a track record that includes raising one million dollars twice from Google’s Original Channel Initiative, Matt brings viral instincts and cinematic craft to every project. His goal with this film is to amplify Love’s story and shape it into bold, festival-ready cinema with high production value and heart.
Watch his heart pounding demo reel HERE.
AMANDA MORONES is an award-winning Executive Producer with 15+ years driving culturally resonant storytelling across documentary, narrative, and branded content. Committed to amplifying marginalized voices, she combines creative vision and operational excellence to deliver impactful stories that inspire action.
LUKE DYRA is an LA-based Cinematographer and Steadicam Operator committed to elevating underrepresented voices through dynamic visual storytelling. His credits include the award-winning short Close Ties to Home Country, features Ghostlight (Sundance 2024) and Nickels (2025 theatrical release), and serving as DP on HBO’s hit doc series The Ren Faire.