"Shade in The Sunshine State" Documentary Film

"Being a part of the LGBTQ community is like a protest. Ballroom is a protest." - Roger Lords, Florida Father of the Legendary House of Lords.

In the face of threatening anti-queer bills passed by Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida, a group of Miami queer ballroom leaders plans the “We The People” ball in hopes of educating their community and to fight for their rights.

Shade In The Sunshine State - a Chapman University short documentary premiering May 2024. Read more below.

Serving an Impact

Over several years, Ron Desantis and lawmakers have passed legislation direly harming the LGBTQ+ community. Listed below are examples of laws that are a danger to the queer folks’ rights, in Florida and beyond. Notably, the infamous “Don’t Say Gay” Expansion Bill (HB 1557) restricts the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida's public schools.

In January 2024, our crew traveled to Miami to document a group of community leaders fighting against the homophobic environment fostered by DeSantis’ government.

As documentary filmmakers, we hope to raise awareness to these bills and how the legislations passed or being proposed harms the LGBTQ community in Florida. The “We the People Ball” exemplifies the power of performance as a symbol for political protest.

We are in post-production of our documentary, and are looking to raise funds for licensing of archival footage, color grading, and to cover film festival and publicity costs.

Our crew:

Olivia Bendis, director and producer, Documentary Production B.F.A. 25'

Jake diTargiani, director of photography and producer, Film Production B.F.A. 25'

Nana Nakano, editor and producer, Documentary Production B.F.A. 25'

Ben Nakhuda, director and producer, Film Production B.F.A. 24'

Julio Rocha, director and producer, Documentary Production B.F.A. 24'

Thank you for your time!

Love,

the Shade in the Sunshine State crew.