Hero Camp!
At a live action role-play (LARP) camp, three queer teens on the path to self-discovery must defend the fantasy realm of Sidleterra. Bolstered by the support of a queer-affirming space, they’re free to fight monsters and figure out who they are.
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SoulFeaturing
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AnakinFeaturing
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RyanFeaturing
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Sam HoDirector
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Alissa FaginProducer
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Claire OgdenProducer
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Colin HodgsonEditor
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Sam HoEditor
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Daniel TimmonsSupervising Sound Editor
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Wren Stark HavenSound Designer
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Cassidy AmesComposer
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Giuseppe DesiatoComposer
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Sam HoCinematographer
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Colin HodgsonCinematographer
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Catherine SillarsLine Producer
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Emma CopelandAnimator
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Jeremy StebensColorist
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Rosemary BucknellNarrator
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Mark DelleloConsultant Editor
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Project Type:Documentary, Feature
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Genres:Documentary, Fantasy
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Runtime:1 hour 16 minutes 47 seconds
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Completion Date:June 24, 2024
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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:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:1.85:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Sam Ho is a Chinese American documentarian from Bedford, Massachusetts. His work has been selected for the Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Arts and the Boston Student Film Festival. He has interned at a variety of organizations, including NFL Films and the Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange. In 2020, he graduated from Brandeis University with a Bachelor’s degree in Film and Economics. He currently works as a videographer for Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI. When he's not making films, you can find him at his weekly clowning class.
In the summer of 2018, I worked at a LARP camp without knowing what LARPing was. I was expecting your typical summer camp activities, but instead was immediately transported to a fantasy world called Sidleterra. It was a world where young people could express themselves creatively and without judgment. As someone who grew up in a Chinese, Christian household where I wasn’t allowed to watch Harry Potter, it was a real culture shock for me.
Seeing young people role play within Sidleterra quickly expanded my view of what stories are capable of. I noticed how campers used their characters to try out different versions of themselves — one day they would become someone more outgoing, another day they would try using different pronouns for the first time. Beyond the dragons and knights were young people seeking to understand themselves. I knew I needed to dive deeper into these complex stories, using their camp characters as a lens into their growth in the real-world.
This coming of age film is about three self-proclaimed outsiders, each of whom identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The camp has fostered an accepting space for them, something Ryan, the eldest of the three, describes as "unlike anything else I've ever seen in my life." With so much hostility surrounding LGBTQ+ youth today, this camp dares to provide a space where being a young trans person is normal, where young people can experiment with their pronouns through role playing. They take pride in who they are, while simultaneously making it seem like not a big deal. This story will show queer kids today that they matter.
Communities for young people like this are rare; I feel called to share their unique and inspiring journeys. I've dedicated the past six years of my life to telling their stories, and with your help, we can give this community the spotlight it deserves.