Her Story is a new media series that looks inside the dating lives of trans & queer women as they navigate the intersections of desire & identity. The plot centers around two trans women in Los Angeles who have given up on love, when suddenly chance encounters give them hope. Violet is drawn to Allie, a reporter who approaches her for an interview, while career-driven Paige meets James, the first man she’s considered opening up to in years.
Her Story stars transgender writer and actor Jen Richards, accomplished trans entrepreneur and actor Angelica Ross, and writer/actor Laura Zak, star of the hit web series #Hashtag.
Jen Richards and Laura Zak are co-writers on the series, with award-winning filmmaker Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest) directing. It's Executive Produced by playwright and activist Eve Ensler and Katherine Fisher of Speed of Joy Productions.
We are currently in post-production and will be releasing Her Story in the fall of 2015.
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Principal photography concluded in May 2015, but we still need your help!
Our goal is to raise at least $35,000 in 42 days. These funds will be used to help cover post-production costs include editing, sound, music, color correction, and publicity.
If we exceed our goal, funds will be used towards the costs of shooting additional scenes, as well as added time and resources allocated to getting this series out to a larger audience.
Ultimately, we would love to turn Her Story into a full series that centers the experiences of marginalized women.
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Trans women in the media have long been punchlines, killers, indications of urban grit, pathetic tragedies, and dangerous sirens. Rarely have they been complex characters who laugh, struggle, and grow, who share strength in sisterhood, who seek and find love. Her Story depicts the unique, complicated, and very human women we see in queer communities, and explores how these women navigate the intersections of label identity and love.
At its core, this project accomplishes what we feel is most important right now for trans and queer content. From writing, to directing, to acting, to crew, Her Story tells the stories of trans and queer individuals by trans and queer individuals.
With this project we have the opportunity to positively shift cultural perceptions of trans and queer women. We invite you to join us in helping to make visible the lives of women who too often are made invisible.
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From the beginning we wanted to make Her Story available to everyone, everywhere, for free. We wanted to bring to life human experiences and characters that have previously been underrepresented, and make it available to the audience that might not have access to an online subscription. By doing so we hoped to give people of all ages and economic backgrounds access to content that better represents them, while proving to networks and studios that content is desired and therefore lucrative.
Despite limited financial resources, we were able to not only complete principal photography, but we did so with some of the top professionals in the entertainment business.
The challenges that await us include securing the funds to finish post-production, making sure we position Her Story in a way that gets the word out to the furthest reaches of the internet, and proving to networks and studios this this is content that the people want to see.
By completely self-funding pre-production and production, we hope that we’ve proven to our supporters that we will achieve our goals, and the quality and integrity of the project will be maintained throughout post-production and distribution.
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We understand not everyone can contribute financially and are so grateful for any assistance you can give to spread the word. A tweet, a text, a blog item, a Facebook or Instagram post, anything you can do to share our campaign with your networks will be immeasurably helpful in helping us reach our goal.
Her Story really is our story, it's for us, it's by us, it's about us, and we hope you will join us in whatever way you can.
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Violet
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A newcomer to Los Angeles, Violet is just beginning to break free from a self-imposed isolation. She is charismatic but presents a cautious aloofness toward those who try to know her more deeply.
Played by Jen Richards
Paige
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A driven, top attorney for LAMBDA Legal, Paige projects an image of composure and success, while tending to mask her vulnerability with her ambition.
Played by Angelica Ross
Allie
A reporter with a passion for social change and an endless curiosity for experiences that differ from her own, Allie sometimes struggles with remaining objective.
James
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Intelligent and grounded, James carries the air of someone who has conquered his demons and feels ready to find a romantic partner whose sensibilities match his own.
Played by Christian Ochoa
Kat
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With a laissez-faire attitude when it comes to other people’s sexuality and relationships, Kat enjoys using humor to challenge the firmly-held opinions of others.
Played by Fawzia Mirza
Lisa
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After overcoming violence and discrimination in her own life, and working for years at a women’s shelter, Lisa is opinionated and wary of perspectives that challenge her own sense of hard-won identity.
Played by Caroline Whitney Smith
Bad Penny
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A queer musician born in the UK, Bad Penny gained a cult-following among the LGBTQ community in Brooklyn. She is playful and irreverent.
Played by Elizabeth Francis
Jenna
Easy-going yet discerning, Jenna has spent most of her adult life surrounding herself with like minds, and holds a cynical curiosity about those outside of her usual circles.
Played by Kristina Mitchell