Melbourne Documentary Film Festival 2019 – Prom Night
Billie, a 17-year-old non-binary teenager, prepares to attend a formal for underage queer youth for the first time. As they choose their outfit and get their hair dyed, they reveal how they navigate the awkwardness of adolescence while also dealing with the anxieties that come with being young and queer.
Interview with Director Sam McGowan
Watch Prom Night here:
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Being a teenager, going through puberty and growing up can be really difficult experiences, and all of this is magnified when you're queer. I wanted this film to show people how growing up queer comes with its own unique hardships as well as its own unique beauties, and I also wanted to really celebrate the resilience of the kids that go through the worst possible stuff every day, but still manage to shine so brightly and bring so much colour to the world.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
For me, Billie's story and their journey make this a film worth watching. I was so blown away by Billie's ability to talk so eloquently about queer issues and the hardships they go through, while still keeping such a positive outlook on life. Billie was just 17 when we made this film, and when I think back to when I was 17 I wasn't even half as insightful or articulate about queerness or identity as Billie is. I met a lot of young people while making this that are so loud and proud about being queer, which is such a beautiful thing, and I think everyone can be inspired by the strength of these kids.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think everyone can relate to the awkwardness and excitement that comes with adolescence. Seeing Billie go through all the classic teenage moments, like giving a corsage to their girlfriend and walking into the prom holding her hand, is such a wonderful thing to witness from a queer perspective. When I was growing up I only saw these moments from a heterosexual perspective, so seeing these themes and experiences from a queer point of view is central to all of my work.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
From the beginning, we set out to make a film that placed a queer teenager at the centre and made it their story. Once we met Billie it was such an exciting and fulfilling experience finding out their unique story and shaping the film around them.
We made this film with a very small crew on shot most of it on the fly, which was both exciting and terrifying. We went into each day of filming not really knowing what we were going to get, and we ended up filming some very touching and unexpected moments, which is what I love about documentary filmmaking.
Once we shot everything, we spent a lot of time during editing trying to tell Billie's story in a way that was both faithful and entertaining, and I hope we succeeded in that!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
The feedback so far has been all positive, and having the film premiere at Melbourne Queer Film Festival was so exciting. A lot of people have told me they really related to the personal stories being told in our film, and I hope that this continues as we show it at more festivals!
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Seeing people embrace and celebrate Billie's story so wholeheartedly has been surprising and rewarding. The feedback that means the most to me is from Billie's family. After the film showed at MQFF, Billie's dad told me they cried every time they watch it (I hope he doesn't kill me for saying this), so seeing how important the film is to the people that are in it is really wonderful for me.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I want as many people as possible to see this film and to hear Billie's story!
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love anyone to come on board and help do this! We're currently going through the film festival circuit and would love to get this film shown at as many festivals as possible. Following this, we're hoping to find a place for the film online, so Billie's story can be heard by many more people.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I hope people watch this and think more about how we can make life easier for queer people who are growing up. They're some of the most vulnerable people in our community, yet they're so overlooked by many. Having supportive people around them can mean the difference between life and death for queer teenagers.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I think an important question to ask as an audience member, and even for myself as a creator, is what can I do to be an ally for queer people? The conversation on queer rights is so often dominated by white gay cis male issues, and I hope by amplifying the voices of people like Billie we can bring more attention to the issues that the more marginalised members of the queer community face. Being an ally means more than just voting 'yes' in the plebiscite, and it's so important to pay attention to the issues beyond gay marriage and to listen to the people that are impacted by these issues.
Would you like to add anything else?
This film wouldn't have been possible without the support of Billie, their family, and Minus18, and I'm so grateful to them for welcoming us into their lives to make this film. Minus18 is doing amazing work to support queer teenagers and educate people on the issues that face them, so I would encourage anyone who wants to know more / get involved with the community to check them out and see what you can do to help.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
I'm currently working on my graduate short film, titled Looking, which is a coming of age short about a gay 17-year-old desperately trying to lose his virginity before midnight on New Year's Eve.
Interview: May 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Prom Night
Billie, a 17-year-old non-binary teenager, prepares to attend a formal for underage queer youth for the first time. As they choose their outfit and get their hair dyed, they reveal how they navigate the awkwardness of adolescence while also dealing with the anxieties that come with being young and queer.
Length: 10:47
Director: Sam McGowan
Producer: Caroline Tranberg
Writer: Sam McGowan
About the writer, director and producer:
SAM MCGOWAN is a filmmaker from Melbourne, Australia. He is currently studying Film and Television at Swinburne University. In 2018 he directed two documentary shorts that uncover some of the diverse stories that make up Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ community, as well as a queer coming of age short film. His anti-smoking short film Fuming was also selected to screen at the beginning of every session of the 2019 Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
Looking for: sales agents, journalists, film festival directors, distributors, producers, buyers
Hashtags used: #Coming of age, #LGBTQIA, #Queer, #Trans, #Non-binary, #Student, #Formal
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Melbourne Documentary Film Festival - July 22nd, 8:30pm. "LGBTIQ / Aboriginal Shorts