SHELTER screens for Gay/Straight Alliance Teens

The cast and filmmakers from SHELTER screened the gay surf film to an audience of teenagers from Gay/Straight Alliance groups from local high schools at Crossroads School in Santa Monica on Wednesday night.

Here's some music from SHELTER by the talented songwriter/performer SHANE MACK. Push play and listen while you read along. I think this guy is just sensational - I mean, crazy talented - and this is one of the songs from the film.

http://www.myspace.com/shanemackmusic

So the following cast and filmmakers drove down to Santa Monica to screen the film and have a chat with the youths.


And of course, our wonderful here! Studio Exec Matt Freeman was there as well.

This photo is from the first day of shooting. Look how much fun we're having unleashing our homosexual agenda!!

Of course, a local Catholic Web Site picked up on the screening and wrote a piece about how we were "unleashing our homosexual agenda on our youth". This spawned a heated comment roll on that site (and on other Christian sites that picked up the story) basically just slamming gays.

The article headline reads: "A sexy, sensory treat -
Parents pay Santa Monica school up to $26,000 a year so their children can see films romanticizing teen homosexuality"

Click here to read Catholic News Article on SHELTER

Needless to say, we all drove down to Santa Monica to screen the film and chat with the kids.


I videotaped the q and a, which was outstanding, but I could not broadcast it because of "rules". Meanwhile, several of the kids came up to me afterwards and told me to post it anyway (god, I love them! Out, proud and defying authority! My type of kids!)

The best of of it was when the moderator asked the kids what they thought of the Catholic press and comments, and if they felt they needed to be protected from this film. The answer was, "Duh, no!" No, actually there were so many wonderful, insightful and well spoken comments about this.

But anyway, sans the video, I still vlogged about it:


And I can put up the q and a of the cast, so here's some of that.

Here's Brad Rowe answering a question about being straight, but playing a gay role and also reflecting on his role in another gay film, BILLY'S HOLLYWOOD SCREEN KISS.



If you like Brad, here's a snippet from a radio interview he did on the Frank DeCaro Show a few months back.



When asked about his personal experience with friends that have come out, Ross had this to say about an incident in his college fraternity:


Thank you again so much, Katie, Ross, Brad, Shane (I HEART SHANE MACK!!!!) and of course, writer/director Jonah Markowitz for sharing their time by coming down to talk to the kids. And for being part of this film. Making this film was, for me, why I got into the business and why I love making movies. Thank you all for lending your incredible talents and hard work to this project.

As always, I'll see you all at the gay movies!!!