Safelight

Introducing Safelight, a queer experimental drama. This short film is produced as a third year screen arts project through Massey University.

A non-binary youth, Illume, processes prints in a photographic darkroom. They are in constant conversation with The Shadow, a quiet figure who embodies Illume’s traumas. Safelight follows Illume’s journey of healing, where they must reconcile with the Shadow. The cyclical repetitions of darkroom printing is linked to modes of healing such as EMDR processing.

In vignette scenes, we encounter a range of characters who share their own thoughts around healing and change. The vignettes include an existential discussion at a bus stop, and a social justice protest rally.

Safelight holds a reflective, grounded grasp of healing that avoids pitfalls of empty toxic positivity. We are conscientious of injustices of this world, and know access to healing can be a privilege. Healing, identity, and life may always be in development, and there is seldom a linear progression from “bad” to “better”.

Frustrated about the limited representations of non-cisgender people, our project's aim is to cast gender-diverse people in all key character roles.

Our writer and director, Matthew/Moth Hutton, is a genderqueer creative who enjoys working in the darkroom, who has had their own journey of healing from trauma.

Our incredible crew includes:

• Writer, director — Matthew/Moth Hutton (they/them)
• Producer — Jeanette Skarstedt (she/her)
• DOP/Cinematographer — Jayden Simpson (he/him)
• 1st AD — Sarah Penny (she/her)
• 2nd AD — Max Woolf
• 1st Assistant Camera — Ben Smith (he/him)
• 2nd Assistant Camera — Adam Gregory
• Gaffer — Amy Morris (she/her)
• Lighting assistant — Lachlan Gillespie
• Sound recordist — Chris Whiting (he/him)
• Art department — Ethan Chung, Sean Roode, Imogen Scott
• Costume, intimacy co-ordinator — Mikayla Robinson
• DIT, art assisant — Arlo Macmillan (he/him)
• Continuity — Fionn Bowler (he/him)
• Composer — Boya Zhang (she/her)
• BTS — Stephen Clarke, Elaina Lim

Where will funds go?

• Kai — to keep the film production (and humans in general) running smoothly we need to feed our amazing cast & crew.
• Cast — we want to support our actors for their contributions towards this project.
• Art department, props and set design.

We want to see more projects about queer and gender-diverse people, and your contribution will help us enormously in our goal at getting more diverse stories on our screens.

We appreciate any and all the help we can get, no matter how big or small the donation. Every bit helps, even one dollar!

Boosted works on an all-or-nothing principle, meaning that if we do not reach our goal all donations will be refunded.

As part of the Arts Foundation you can claim a 33% tax credit on your donation.

Thank you!