LGBT Baha'i Experience Documentary
Donation protected
With your help, our goal is to produce the following documentary:
“No Matter How Fine a Love: The LGBTQ Baha'i Experience” will be 1-hour documentary which will highlight stories of the LGBTQ Baha’I community who have either left the faith or have been driven away due to sexual orientation. To showcase to the World that the message the Baha’I community is getting is not necessarily the one that is the truth. This has been an internal struggle for an American who was born into the faith, then discovered that his life was turned upside down, when he was told that he could be gay in the faith, but never be in a same sex relationship, and then he found love. He has since left the faith but is very active in social media and behind the scenes trying to help others overcome the same trauma he faced. His years of conversations with other LGBTQ Baha’Is and LGBTQ allies has now led him to move forward to tell the stories of others, and to educate the Baha’I community, and the World that that the newest World religion, that prides itself on the “Unity of Mankind,” and “Unity in Diversity,” has turned a blind eye to loving everyone, and to allow everyone to love who they want. A story of love, betrayal and religion, a story told too often, using the real-life experiences of the Baha’I community.
Production of “No Matter How Fine a Love: The LGBTQ Baha'i Experience” has already begun, with principal photography taking place in California. Trips to Haifa and Acre Israel, Wilmette, Illinois, and other locations for on camera interviews beginning this Fall.
We need funds to cover our filming expenses, which will include travel expenses, equipment rental and purchases like a new small portable camera which will allow us to shoot some video in areas that won’t require a full team, such as the world renowned Baha’i Shrine and gardens in Haifa, Israel. We will also need help with production costs for crews that will edit and finalize a rough cut that we will submit to film distribution companies. If accepted, we then will be able to have funds to finalize the final version which we plan to submit to Film Festivals across the World, and any TV Network that might want to purchase the rights.
Production timeline looks like this:
Underway- Research, resource gathering and social media awareness
5/18-1/19 - Principal shooting
2/19-4/19 – Post production for rough cut
4/19- Will begin process of talking with production companies and film distributors.
The remainder of our timeline will depend on the talks with companies, but we anticipate to begin our final version mid-2019, so we can be ready for the 2020 Film Fest cycle, hoping to start with the Palm Springs International Film Fest which runs in early January. We are not doing this to make a profit. Most of the principal production team are volunteering their time. It will cost big $$$ to create and we can't do it without you! Thanks in advance for your help in what we hope will have a lasting impact and create massive change around the World.
“No Matter How Fine a Love: The LGBTQ Baha'i Experience” will be 1-hour documentary which will highlight stories of the LGBTQ Baha’I community who have either left the faith or have been driven away due to sexual orientation. To showcase to the World that the message the Baha’I community is getting is not necessarily the one that is the truth. This has been an internal struggle for an American who was born into the faith, then discovered that his life was turned upside down, when he was told that he could be gay in the faith, but never be in a same sex relationship, and then he found love. He has since left the faith but is very active in social media and behind the scenes trying to help others overcome the same trauma he faced. His years of conversations with other LGBTQ Baha’Is and LGBTQ allies has now led him to move forward to tell the stories of others, and to educate the Baha’I community, and the World that that the newest World religion, that prides itself on the “Unity of Mankind,” and “Unity in Diversity,” has turned a blind eye to loving everyone, and to allow everyone to love who they want. A story of love, betrayal and religion, a story told too often, using the real-life experiences of the Baha’I community.
Production of “No Matter How Fine a Love: The LGBTQ Baha'i Experience” has already begun, with principal photography taking place in California. Trips to Haifa and Acre Israel, Wilmette, Illinois, and other locations for on camera interviews beginning this Fall.
We need funds to cover our filming expenses, which will include travel expenses, equipment rental and purchases like a new small portable camera which will allow us to shoot some video in areas that won’t require a full team, such as the world renowned Baha’i Shrine and gardens in Haifa, Israel. We will also need help with production costs for crews that will edit and finalize a rough cut that we will submit to film distribution companies. If accepted, we then will be able to have funds to finalize the final version which we plan to submit to Film Festivals across the World, and any TV Network that might want to purchase the rights.
Production timeline looks like this:
Underway- Research, resource gathering and social media awareness
5/18-1/19 - Principal shooting
2/19-4/19 – Post production for rough cut
4/19- Will begin process of talking with production companies and film distributors.
The remainder of our timeline will depend on the talks with companies, but we anticipate to begin our final version mid-2019, so we can be ready for the 2020 Film Fest cycle, hoping to start with the Palm Springs International Film Fest which runs in early January. We are not doing this to make a profit. Most of the principal production team are volunteering their time. It will cost big $$$ to create and we can't do it without you! Thanks in advance for your help in what we hope will have a lasting impact and create massive change around the World.
Organizer
Rich Tarpening
Organizer
Palm Springs, CA
