Back in March I wrote about a new LGBT-themed transmedia project we were planning. I am delighted to announce that the first part is finished!
Short version: Family Restaurant is a media project for young children whose parents are lesbian or gay. It features cute puppets and real children of gay or lesbian parents. My producing partner Jamie is a gay dad, and he and his family appear as the heroes who save the day.
The story takes place in a magical diner where all the table items come to life at night. Their leader is a toothpick dispenser named Picky, and he is, well, a little picky. When some new neighbors arrive, Picky gets upset because one couple is a pair of ketchup bottles and the other is a pair of mustard bottles. Picky thinks each table should have one ketchup and one mustard. I'm sure you get the analogy.
Picky soon has some troubles because of his stubbornness, and he has to be rescued by his new neighbors with the help of a little boy and his two dads.
The film stars Jamie and his husband Alec Mapa (from Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives), with Amy Hill (Enlightened, Cat in the Hat, That's So Raven and All-American Girl) and drag superstar Miss Coco Peru as sassy waitresses. It's the first role for Alec and Jamie's son Zion, and he did a really nice job! It's super-cute, if we do say so ourselves!
Thanks to many generous individuals, we were able to get the funding we needed on Kickstarter. But that was just the start. This production would not have happened without the help of all our amazing friends, many of whom volunteered their time and talents just like Jamie and I did. If there's anything better than working on something you believe in while surrounded by your fabulous friends, we'd like to hear about it.
You can watch the trailer below:
We have more details on the scope and purpose of the project in our press release.
The 10-minute film is available at our brand-new website, ThoughtMoment.com. We even have a special autographed copy.
Our hope is to create an "It Gets Better"-type series of videos where kids with LGBT parents can interact with the puppets and talk about their families. Visit ThoughtMoment.com to learn more.