Gossamer Folds
In 1986, nine-year-old Tate Millikin is uprooted and unwillingly moved to the suburbs of Kansas City. As his parent's marriage unravels, Tate finds solace in the unlikely friendships of his new next door neighbors: a retired college professor and his transgender daughter, Gossamer.
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Dash DonatoDirector
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Bridget FlaneryWriter
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Yeardley SmithProducer
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Jordan FoleyProducer
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Jackson Robert ScottKey Cast
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Alexandra GreyKey Cast
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Sprague GraydenKey Cast
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Franklin Ojeda-SmithKey Cast
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Shane WestKey Cast
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Ethan SupleeKey Cast
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Jen RichardsKey Cast
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Project Type:Feature
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Runtime:1 hour 35 minutes
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Completion Date:March 6, 2020
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Production Budget:750,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED Gemini
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Distribution Information
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Indican PicturesDistributorCountry: United StatesRights: Video on Demand, Theatrical
Dash Donato (they/she) is an award-winning filmmaker based in Austin where her work is dedicated to marginalized and underserved communities. Her feature directorial debut, Gossamer Folds, was nominated for Outstanding Picture at the GLAAD awards and has won over 20 grand jury and audience awards on the festival circuit. She co-wrote the feature film, Signature Move, which world-premiered at SXSW, screened at 200+ festivals worldwide, and can now be found on Amazon Prime, HBOMax, etc. (certified 100% Rotten Tomatoes). She directed a telly-winning DocuSeries about drag culture in the US called Behind The Drag which showcases the real lives of American drag queens. She’s earned a passionate following by telling stories that don’t shy from the unique struggles of women—queer and straight—but focus on the power, resilience, and love they demonstrate in the face of them.
Gossamer Folds is unique and innovative in many ways. The film depicts a healthy relationship between a trans adult and a child, which unfortunately, is rare in film & TV. It’s a film about the unlikely friendship between two sets of neighbors who are culturally taught to hate each other: a 10-yr-old white boy and a 25-yr-old black trans woman. This hatred is fueled by the young boy’s transphobic father when he forbids his son, Tate, to engage with their next-door neighbor, Gossamer, a trans woman. Behind his father’s back, Tate forms a friendship with Gossamer and sees beyond the abhorrent discrimination he’s been taught.
Gossamer Folds shows how hatred is a learned experience and how we ultimately have the choice to be open-hearted and kind. Sometimes our biological families aren’t the ones who foster and yield the best versions of ourselves. One of the greatest assets of the queer community is the idea and practice of choosing our families and support systems. Ultimately, this film is about chosen family, unassuming neighbors, and the beautiful and unlikely bonds that can be found next door.