A critically acclaimed Australian film Gayby Baby is a powerful and compassionate portrait of same-sex families
In a nation first, Gayby Baby is also enabling high schools from around the country to screen the film ahead of the cinema release, on national Wear It Purple Day, August 28 – in a partnership with the youth-led, not-for-profit group Wear It Purple. Participating schools will be able to screen the film in their halls to students, teachers and families in a simultaneous mass screening.
“Having a hybrid-cinema release and screening in schools on Wear It Purple Day really encapsulates the way we believe Australian indie films can make a lasting impact. For us it’s not about trying to compete with huge studio pictures, it’s about empowering audiences and taking the film to the people at a time when the film’s themes are once more on the national political agenda,” said producer Charlotte Mars.
Recently nominated for an AACTA and AWGIE Award, Gayby Baby had its world premiere earlier this year at Hot Docs International Documentary Festival, the world’s most prestigious documentary film festival, screened to packed houses at the Sydney Film Festival in June and will screen at next week’s Melbourne International Film Festival.
The film, directed by Maya Newell and produced by Charlotte Mars, has also been selected to screen in competition at several upcoming international film festivals, which will be announced next month.
Gayby Baby addresses the marriage equality issue from the unique perspective of the children of same-sex partners – a perspective that, until now, has not been heard in the debate.
The film introduces audiences to four Australian kids – Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham – whose parents all happen to be gay. As they each wrestle with the challenges of oncoming adolescence, the outside world wrestles with the issue of marriage equality, and whether or not kids like them are at risk.
Gayby Baby was one of seven Australian documentary films chosen for the inaugural Good Pitch2 Australia program. Good Pitch brings together documentary filmmakers with foundations, not-for-profits, campaigners, philanthropists, policymakers, broadcasters and key players in the film industry, around leading social and environmental issues, to forge coalitions and campaigns that are good for all these partners, good for the films and good for society.
Gayby Baby campaign partners and ambassadors include Westpac, former AFL footballer Lachlan Beaton, MP Alex Greenwich, Australian Marriage Equality, Safe Schools, Beyond Blue, Wear It Purple and GetUp.
In partnership with GetUp, Gayby Baby will release a series of clips from the film in the lead up to the anticipated Federal Parliamentary vote on Marriage Equality.
GetUp campaigner Sally Rugg said: “As the campaign for marriage equality in Australia reaches a fever pitch, we see opponents of equality resorting to out-of-touch and prejudiced assertions about children and families like the ones we see in the film.
“GetUp members are very excited to use the film as part of their marriage equality campaign, as a way of amplifying the true stories of the same-sex families already living, already thriving in our community, and giving a voice to the children who are so often incorrectly spoken for.”
