trailer: The Go Doc Project

Varie

Doc, a recent college grad, has fallen for a Go-Go dancer in New York City’s nightlife scene. Doc devises a plan to meet Go by pretending he wants him to be the star subject of a documentary. After some convincing, Go agrees to be part of the film, making Doc’s imaginary documentary suddenly a reality. Doc follows his subject, camera in hand all across New York City and into Go’s apartment. Temperatures rise as summer love pays a visit to the boys, but will they be ready to handle a possible relationship or even finish the film on a positive note? The Go Doc Project explores the hazy differences between love and lust and how the promise of 15 minutes of fame can quickly evaporate into reality as two young men step into the future. — (Andres Castillo, MIFF)

INTERVISTA AL REGISTA (di sdgln.com):

SDGLN: What is the buzz on the gay film festival circuit?

We have yet to play a gay fest. We premiered at Miami International and as of this moment we’ve played our second fest, Cleveland International and Nashville. The response has been extremely positive – as in happy – which has been a little surprising. I never thought of it as a “feel good” film but people are really “up” about it afterward. Very excited that the LGBTQIA festivals are programming it in coveted slots with a lot of enthusiasm. It should be a fun summer.

SDGLN: The plot – about an “Internet stalker” pursuing the man of his dreams – seems to capture the sometimes obsessive world of today’s youth, where posting nude photos and sex videos online are commonplace. What does the film say about today’s youth and about our obsession with objectifying sexy young men like the go-go boy named Go?

The idea for the film came largely from my objectifying of Matthew Camp via images online. … So, it’s obviously a large part of this project. The major statement we make is: Get outside and experience the world away from the Internet. I think this “problem” transcends age, gender, sexuality. … I think everyone on the planet with a computer has an increasingly unhealthy relationship to it. When you’re not communicating face to face, soul to soul, with another person, it’s easy to judge them, obsess over them and objectify them.

SDGLN: You cast Tanner Cohen and Matthew Camp as the two leads. How challenging were the steamy sex scenes for cast and crew?

The more intimate scenes unfolded fairly naturally with a minimum of discussion and set up. This being a no budget film – the “crew” was only my partner, Tom, and I. There was no real lighting or camera set-ups. The subjects – the guys in the film – did what comes naturally, as they say. And we made sure the cameras were on.

SDGLN: One of the questions asked by the film is whether gays should assimilate or not? Do you think, in light of the rapid advance of LGBT rights in America, that this is the question of our time?

Absolutely. I don’t know if I know the answer to that question, which is why I encouraged the topic in the film and fanned the flames of both sides of the argument. The most important question, when one entity overtakes another (whether socially, geographically, scientifically), is: “how can we retain what made the ‘overtaken’ unique in this process?” It’s especially important right now as the country finally wakes up to the vast inequities it’s been allowing for so long.

SDGLN: Where did you shoot the movie, and why did you choose this location?

We shot all over NYC. That’s where we live. That’s where the “subjects” are. That’s where the story is. And with a no budget approach, it was our only option.

SDGLN: What do you want audiences to remember about the film after they leave the theater?

My parents used to say during summer vacation when we were kids: “Turn off the damn TV and go outside to play.” I want to say the same thing … I want audiences to remember to step away from their computers, smart phones, tablets, televisions … and live life for real.

SDGLN: Do you prefer the LGBT genre?

I don’t prefer any genre. But I always include the LGBT experience in everything I write.

SDGLN: Has LGBT cinema grown up, is it “crossing over” to attract mainstream audiences, or do you sense it will remain a niche product?

The only time LGBT cinema “crosses over” is if it has an A List star or it won Sundance and some mainstream distributor is “brave” (puke) enough to try to sell it to non-LGBT people. The whole topic makes me a little sick because 99.99% of queer cinema is never seen by anyone other than the intended audience, which includes in the industry. That means there’s a whole world of queer filmmakers who are also invisible to the industry. That is until they have a “mainstream” hit.

Literally, even gay agents in Hollywood will tell you they can’t do anything with you until you have a mainstream hit – while at the same time they’re signing people who’ve directed “straight” films that were festival and commercial flops. Cleveland IFF was a surprise to me and I think should be a guiding light in the festival world. Tom and I were “Someone to Watch” at the festival so they screened all our features – two gay and one Mexican – and to our delight only about 20% of our audience was gay and/or Mexican. They’re doing something right that Hollywood and the larger festivals have never been able to – which is to encourage, inspire, force (I’m not sure how) people to WANT to see films about people that are different from themselves.

SDGLN: What’s next for you?

Too much and not enough. Tom (my partner) and I are working on a few different things. Another film to be made in Mexico (with the same Mexican tax program utilized to make “Mariachi Gringo”). An off-Broadway musical from the mid-’90s that we’re adapting in a very unique way for the camera. We’re also in various states of completion on a handful of other scripts.

SDGLN: What is something your fans don’t know about you?

Hmm … I have a backwards body clock that seems to prefer being awake. I’m not usually tired until after 18, 19 hours of awake time – but I still prefer eight hours of sleep. Do the math … If left to my own devices, within a week I’ll have rounded the clock in falling asleep/waking up times. It’s a curse and I’ve tried light therapy, melatonin, meditation, bourbon … Any suggestions?

SDGLN: If you were granted three wishes, what would you do with them?

Make three movies. It’s so incredibly hard to get a project off the ground. Three movies could keep me busy and happy for a long time.