Season 1 revealed the story of one queer couple adopting from foster care in Oakland, CA. Season 2 continues their story while amplifying other voices in the foster care world: birth families, foster youth, adoptees, P.O.C. perspectives, and social entrepreneurs working to make things better.
Season 1 revealed the story of one queer couple adopting from foster care in Oakland, CA. Season 2 continues their story while amplifying other voices in the foster care world: birth families, foster youth, adoptees, P.O.C. perspectives, and social entrepreneurs working to make things better.
in partnership with
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Story
Mission Statement
Our project is about our queer transracial family’s journey. As white fost-adopt parents to a Black and Filipino boy, we want our son to grow up proud of who he is. We demonstrate our commitment to anti-racism & celebrate diverse racial & LGBTQ identities on camera & behind the scenes.About The Project
We need your help to create Season Two of The F Word!
The F Word is a heartfelt, emotional and often funny docu-series my wife and I created about our process adopting a child from foster care. By the end of Season One (spoiler alert!) our dream came true and we took home a foster son. We are totally in love with him, but the story's not over.
Digging into the foster system -- whose stories get told? The foster care system is full of kids who urgently need homes, like our son J, but fostering is a complex process. Many birth parents who’ve had kids removed from their homes are working to reunify and bring them home. The basic tenet of foster care, and the core complication, is that it is meant to be a temporary solution, not an adoption plan.
Season Two aims to address this complication head on. Up until this point, The F Word has really only represented our voice - the voice of the prospective foster-to-adopt parent - and there are many other voices in this story that demand to be heard. For example, what are the stories of the birth/first parents? What about foster parents who aim to provide temporary care rather than foster-to-adopt? Most importantly, where is the adoptee voice and the foster youth voice in all of this?
Season Two of The F Word intends to lay bare the tension that arises when we acknowledge our personal stake in this complex, emotional process while exploring the system’s goal of reunification and the importance of family preservation and forgiveness.
We're ready to amplify these voices and we need your help to do it. Your tax-deductible pledge will pay for film equipment and will also pay our hardworking crew who are all committed to bringing these perspectives to life in Season Two. We have a lot of great incentives related to adoption, queer families, and filmmaking in general -- check them out and help us make this project a reality!
SELECT PERKS:
$35 PERSONALIZED BOBBLE HEAD IMAGE
$50 CHILDREN'S BOOK
$100 MOVIE PACKAGE
Incentives
$10
VIRTUAL HIGH FIVE
Social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$25
SNEAK PEEK
Preview Season 2 before it's widely available!
+ Social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$35
PERSONALIZED BOBBLE HEAD IMAGE
Appear on social media as an animated bobble head like Nicole & Kristan! Share your personalized image and let everyone know you supported our campaign.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 23 of 50
$50
GIVE TO FOSTER YOUTH and HOLIDAY CHEER
Together We Rise is a nation-wide organization changing the way youth experience foster care. They are partnering with The F Word to donate a duffel bag to a foster youth for every $50 contribution we receive. This program ensures that foster youth don't need to move from home to home with all of their belongings in a trash bag, which is unfortunately the norm.
Besides knowing you did a really good thing today, you'll also receive a personalized holiday greeting from Nicole, Kristan and Baby J!
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 44 of 75
$50
CHILDREN'S BOOK
Little Milo is turning five and his whole neighborhood's celebrating at the Old Beehive! It's the first time many of his friends will meet his birth parents, foster parents AND adoptive parents. How neat! You will receive this book in a PDF format. Written by Nicole Opper & Sarah Eggers and illustrated by Sarah Eggers.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$75
PHONE CONSULT
Phone call with a licensed social worker, therapist or psychologist to answer your adoption-process questions!
*OR*
Phone call with director Nicole Opper to chat about their foster-to-adopt process, filmmaking, or any old thing you would like to discuss!
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 3 of 10
$100
MOVIE PACKAGE
Digital downloads of all of Nicole Opper's films about family, adoption and/or LGBTQ experience. (Off and Running, Visitor’s Day, Mezzo)
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$150
MASSAGE GIFT CERTIFICATE
Experience the most incredible 60 minute massage of your life at Bayan Roots (http://www.bayanroots.com/), a queer POC-owned wellness center in Oakland, CA. Stay local and support our community! Travel not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Sold Out!
$200
FAMILY WEEK 2018!
Experience a life-changing family vacation for queer-identified families at Family Week 2018! Family Week in Provincetown, MA is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ parents and their children in the world. Enjoy an unforgettable week with hundreds of other LGBTQ families July 28 to August 3, 2018. This perk includes early bird registration with Family Equality Council for your family household, to be redeemed between 12/1/17 and 1/31/18. Does not include special event tickets, travel or lodging. Read more about family week here: https://www.familyequality.
org/familyweek + Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 1 of 3
$250
RAISE A CHILD EVENT - LA
Be a guest at our partner's annual Raise A Child event in Los Angeles with 2 VIP tickets on Sat, June 23rd at the Jim Hensen Company Lot. As special guests you get to meet the honorees and enjoy the open bar. A $600 value. Learn more about the organization here: https://raiseachild.org/
Claimed: 0 of 2
$300
ROUGH CUT SCREENING
Be a part of our creative team by joining our feedback session at a crucial stage of Season 2. You'll join an esteemed group of independent filmmakers in the Bay Area.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$500
IN-PERSON Q&A
Co-host a private screening in your home with the filmmakers/subjects. Travel not included. Skype Q&A are also an option for those not local to the Bay Area.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$750
LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES
4 tickets to the premiere of Season Two at a Bay Area movie theater. Drink and popcorn included. Transportation not included.+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.$1,000
DINNER PARTY
Join the filmmakers and their community of fost-adopt parents for dinner at Oakland, CA home. Plus ones welcome; travel and lodging not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$2,500
MOTION PICTURE FAMILY PORTRAIT
Director/Producer Nicole Opper will film with you and your family for an afternoon and create a beautiful and intimate short motion picture portrait that you'll enjoy for a lifetime. Travel not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
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Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
VIRTUAL HIGH FIVE
Social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$25
SNEAK PEEK
Preview Season 2 before it's widely available!
+ Social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$35
PERSONALIZED BOBBLE HEAD IMAGE
Appear on social media as an animated bobble head like Nicole & Kristan! Share your personalized image and let everyone know you supported our campaign.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 23 of 50
$50
GIVE TO FOSTER YOUTH and HOLIDAY CHEER
Together We Rise is a nation-wide organization changing the way youth experience foster care. They are partnering with The F Word to donate a duffel bag to a foster youth for every $50 contribution we receive. This program ensures that foster youth don't need to move from home to home with all of their belongings in a trash bag, which is unfortunately the norm.
Besides knowing you did a really good thing today, you'll also receive a personalized holiday greeting from Nicole, Kristan and Baby J!
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 44 of 75
$50
CHILDREN'S BOOK
Little Milo is turning five and his whole neighborhood's celebrating at the Old Beehive! It's the first time many of his friends will meet his birth parents, foster parents AND adoptive parents. How neat! You will receive this book in a PDF format. Written by Nicole Opper & Sarah Eggers and illustrated by Sarah Eggers.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$75
PHONE CONSULT
Phone call with a licensed social worker, therapist or psychologist to answer your adoption-process questions!
*OR*
Phone call with director Nicole Opper to chat about their foster-to-adopt process, filmmaking, or any old thing you would like to discuss!
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 3 of 10
$100
MOVIE PACKAGE
Digital downloads of all of Nicole Opper's films about family, adoption and/or LGBTQ experience. (Off and Running, Visitor’s Day, Mezzo)
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$150
MASSAGE GIFT CERTIFICATE
Experience the most incredible 60 minute massage of your life at Bayan Roots (http://www.bayanroots.com/), a queer POC-owned wellness center in Oakland, CA. Stay local and support our community! Travel not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Sold Out!
$200
FAMILY WEEK 2018!
Experience a life-changing family vacation for queer-identified families at Family Week 2018! Family Week in Provincetown, MA is the largest annual gathering of LGBTQ parents and their children in the world. Enjoy an unforgettable week with hundreds of other LGBTQ families July 28 to August 3, 2018. This perk includes early bird registration with Family Equality Council for your family household, to be redeemed between 12/1/17 and 1/31/18. Does not include special event tickets, travel or lodging. Read more about family week here: https://www.familyequality.
org/familyweek + Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
Claimed: 1 of 3
$250
RAISE A CHILD EVENT - LA
Be a guest at our partner's annual Raise A Child event in Los Angeles with 2 VIP tickets on Sat, June 23rd at the Jim Hensen Company Lot. As special guests you get to meet the honorees and enjoy the open bar. A $600 value. Learn more about the organization here: https://raiseachild.org/
Claimed: 0 of 2
$300
ROUGH CUT SCREENING
Be a part of our creative team by joining our feedback session at a crucial stage of Season 2. You'll join an esteemed group of independent filmmakers in the Bay Area.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$500
IN-PERSON Q&A
Co-host a private screening in your home with the filmmakers/subjects. Travel not included. Skype Q&A are also an option for those not local to the Bay Area.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$750
LET'S GO TO THE MOVIES
4 tickets to the premiere of Season Two at a Bay Area movie theater. Drink and popcorn included. Transportation not included.+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.$1,000
DINNER PARTY
Join the filmmakers and their community of fost-adopt parents for dinner at Oakland, CA home. Plus ones welcome; travel and lodging not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
$2,500
MOTION PICTURE FAMILY PORTRAIT
Director/Producer Nicole Opper will film with you and your family for an afternoon and create a beautiful and intimate short motion picture portrait that you'll enjoy for a lifetime. Travel not included.
+ Season Two preview, social media shout-out, email & photo updates from Nicole & Kristan.
- Updates
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Current Team
About This Team
Director/Producer:
Nicole Opper is an Emmy®-nominated filmmaker who directed and produced the feature documentary Off and Running, an Audience Favorite at Tribeca and winner of ten international awards including Best Documentary at Outfest and Best Documentary Screenplay at Silverdocs. The film was nationally broadcast on P.O.V. in 2010. She received a Fulbright Fellowship to direct Visitor’s Day which is supported by New York State Council on the Arts, Chicken & Egg Pictures and The Independent Television Service. She’s also produced films for The Discovery Channel and Here TV, and was selected for Filmmaker Magazine’s annual “25 New Faces of Independent Film”. Nicole has taught filmmaking at Stanford University and San Francisco State University, among other schools.
Camera:
Mario Furloni is an award-winning Brazilian filmmaker and cinematographer based in Oakland, CA. His latest project, the short documentary GUT HACK (co-directed with Kate McLean), premiered in competition at SXSW 2017 and on season 6 of the NYT OpDocs series. He is the cinematographer and co-producer of the critically-acclaimed documentary THE RETURN which chronicles the end of California’s three strikes law through the eyes of former lifers. THE RETURN won the Audience Award at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, and the Golden Gate Award at the 2016 San Francisco International Film Festival. It was the series opening film shown on PBS POV this year, and was nominated for a Peabody Award and an Emmy. Mario has directed a number of documentary and fiction projects, including POT COUNTRY and the Brazilian short fiction film SOMEONE IS HAPPY SOMEWHERE, official selection for San Francisco International Film Festival, and the Havana International Film Festival, and the feature documentary FIRST FRIDAY, which broadcast nationally on PBS' AfroPop. Mario shot the short documentary “After My Garden Grows,” by Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Megan Mylan, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2014. He was awarded a Kenneth Ranin Foundation screenwriting grant for the feature fiction project FREELAND, currently in development (previous winners include “Fruitvale Station” and “Short Term 12”) and a residency with the San Francisco Film Society. He has a master’s degree from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.
Editor:
Laura Green is a documentary director and editor who hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has directed five short documentaries, Lady Razorbacks, Neve & Sons, DISASTER (a personal geography), Installation, and Everybody’s Business. They have played at numerous festivals, including Palm Springs Shortfest, Aspen Shortsfest, Sarasota Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Outfest, and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. She most recently edited True Son, a feature length documentary, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival in April. She is also a lecturer at Stanford University and the Art Institute of California – San Francisco.
Animator:
Sam Berliner is a Bay Area-based filmmaker and animator best known for his engaging and accessible films about gender non-conformity. His award winning short films, Dating Sucks: A Genderqueer Misadventure, Genderbusters and Perception have screened all over the world. When not actively making films, Sam is the festival director of Translations: the Seattle Transgender Film Festival. He also gives presentations about gender at organizations and schools. He freelances as a camera assistant, still photographer, animator, producer and editor. Sam graduated in 2005 from Smith College with a BA in Film & Theatre and earned an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University in 2013.
Campaign Manager:
Nicole Miyahara is an ethnographic documentary filmmaker from the Bay Area. She holds a Master’s degree in Visual Anthropology from the University of Southern California. She is turning her thesis film THE MAKING OF A KING into a feature film. Her short film TO SIT WITH HER premiered at the Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival. She has managed several documentary crowdfunding campaigns and currently is a social media consultant for a production company in Los Angeles.
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