In October, Revry began releasing its 22-episode Queer Youth Animated series worldwide, each featuring a true story told by LGBTQIA+ youth, ages 13-22. One-by-one, these bite-sized documentaries (each under 3 minutes) are featured on Revry’s social media platforms (Instagram and TikTok) and play throughout the day as interstitials on Revry’s free ad-supported television channels on Samsung TV Plus, Vizio WatchFree+, Roku, Rakuten TV, Xumo and more.
In 2022, documentaries comprise 37% of the minutes watched by audiences around the world on Revry each month.
Led by producers at The Future Perfect Project, Queer Youth Animated began as interviews with one goal in mind: to offer a peek into the lives of this next generation, and convey how they are changing the narrative around LGBTQ+ young people. By expressing their lives, youth tell stories of their own resilience, covering common queer topics such as: gender, sexuality, naming, coming out, faith, spirituality, family, relationships, fetishisation, bullying, queer mentorship, and activism. “We’re always changing, striving to better ourselves, finding new things that work for us,” says Fletcher, a featured Queer Youth Animated Storyteller from Kansas City, MO. “I’m over the moon to see this snapshot of my life immortalised by such a great team.”
The Future Perfect Project (FPP) was started by Celeste Lecesne, best known for writing the Academy Award winning short film «Trevor» and launching The Trevor Project, a LGBTQ+ crisis hotline, after HBO aired the film in 1998. «I have seen firsthand the value of telling my own story and what it can do to change the world», Lecesne told us. «By giving this generation a space to tell their stories, we are helping them create a future they are already living, which is, in fact, a better future for us all». Utilising the arts as a pathway for giving voice, FPP is a co-creative network that offers queer- centred art workshops to young people around the world, and produces various media projects by and about the youth they serve.
Queer Youth Animated is story-edited and co-produced by Julie Novak and Emma Jayne Seslowsky. «These animations are a diverse kaleidoscope into the queer experience of young people today», says Seslowsky, «I feel privileged to hear the stories and truths of these LGBTQIA+ youth and to be able to highlight the work of queer animators and composers around the country and beyond». After each interview had been edited down, a diverse roster of animators and composers, all of whom identify as LGBTQIA+, worked to bring each young person’s experience to the screen. «The result is a two-minute look into their unique lives that everyone can learn from», said Ryan Amador, FPP’s co-founder and ASCAP Award-winning singer-songwriter. «Queer Youth Animated spreads the word about queer youth and creates a world where they are safe, seen, and celebrated in their homes and communities».
«Just as my generation fought so hard for the right to be ourselves as out gays and lesbians, this generation is fighting to be recognised and respected as the people they know themselves to be» says Lecesne. «The current generation of queer young people has a lot to teach us about what it means to be fully human—if only we will listen».
Queer Youth Animated is currently being featured on Revry’s Instagram and TikTok 2-3 times per week through December, in addition to airing as interstitials on their network.
For more information on The Future Perfect Project, please visit thefutureperfectproject.com. Celeste Lecesne and all members of the creative team are available for interviews.
