Queers Who Pray
Hello, my name is Elisha Lim! I love to adorn, decorate and celebrate my queer community. I'm immensely proud to illustrate comics, books and anthologies, to exhibit portraits in international galleries, to screen short films in many continents, and to self-publish pin-up calendars like annual love letters.
I also love to praise God, which feels almost scary to admit. So many religions persecute and oppress queers, and my community is justifiably wary of them.
But I say - no misguided religious leader can extinguish my faith. That's what this film is about: the indestructible persistence of queers who keep praying. This fifteen-minute film will feature seven queers with different faith backgrounds - Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Catholic and Protestant. I will draw their faces as they pray in the background.
I was a very lucky recipient of one film grant from the Quebec Arts Council. But I still have just a little further to go. I have recorded, edited, illustrated and paid honoraria to two queers so far to participate in this film, and I have five left.
What I need & what you get
This is where your money will go, approximately:
- Honorarium to each participant ($100 each)
- Recording suites at Charles Street Video ($20)
- Equipment from Long & McQuade for remote recordings ($40)
- Editing suites and assistance from CSV (thank goodness for the pros) ($80)
- Promotional materials for the launch and international festivals ($60)
- My time illustrating six full colour portraits ($1,200)
- My time filming and editing ($100)
I need to reach at least $700. The rest contributes to my salary, which is the flexible part involving excitement and gratitude.
This is what you will get in exchange. You can contribute less - but these amounts will earn:
- $25 - an art care package of a blank sketchbook, coffee-themed art postcards, and three dreamy queer greeting cards.
- $50 - your name in the credits at the end of the film.
- $100 - an original Elisha Lim digital colour portrait of any person or pet you request
- $200 - an original Elisha Lim hand drawn portrait of any person or pet you request (in the style of Vivek's face in the film. I usually charge $400)
My track record
I was encouraged to make this film after a sound installation that I did for a 2010 Pride Exhibit. The reaction was immensely moving - folks saying that this was the kind of union that they live, and want, and need to see more of in their lives.
This will be my third short film. The first three: an animation collaboration called "The Hawker", a claymation called "100 Butches #9", and the first instalment of this film - have travelled to art and queer film festivals in Canada, the States, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Jerusalem, Australia, Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Russia.
My goal is to release and circulate this short in 2014, and I can't wait. It will be my proudest and dearest film.
Maybe like me, you have no money but lots of enthusiasm
Hooray! It will mean so much to me if you contribute by spreading the word, re-posting this campaign, sharing my website, and coming out to see the movie when it's done.
- This is the film description on my website!
- This is the facebook page where I post news and fresh daily art.
