Watch the trailer for ‘Draw With Me’
Jennifer Lopez is in a film about the coming out journey of a trans youth and how art became their outlet for self-expression.
Ithaka Films and the Onassis Foundation have announced the theatrical release of the official Oscar entry for Documentary Short Subject, Draw With Me, about the journey of trans youth, Brendon Scholl, who uses their art as an important outlet while navigating life’s challenges with their their family, featuring a special introduction by their aunt Jennifer Lopez. The film runs theatrically now at ArenaScreen through Feb. 9th.
Talented teen artist, Brendon Scholl, who identifies as trans non-binary and whose art has been a vital outlet for self expression., went from attempting suicide to becoming an advocate for coming out and surviving. This intimate portrait of Brendon and their supportive family’s trials dives deep into what was endured and overcome in this heartwarming journey of acceptance.
“Talking about your identity as a person – sexual preference has to do with who you go to bed with, and your identity is who you go to bed as,” shares Brendon’s mother, Leslie Ann Lopez. Aunty of Brendon, Jennifer Lopez, has supported the film with a special message:
Created in partnership with The Trevor Project, Draw With Me has been presented at Tribeca Film Festival with the support of GLAAD, having been the subject of the first-ever panel at the United Nations on Transgender Health, and having screened at numerous high-schools in conjunction with the New York Department of Education.
National Coming Out Day, October 11 2020, marked a milestone for the film when President-elect Joe Biden supported the LGBTQ+ movement in an award show that honored Brendon with the Revry Visibility Award presented by Jennifer Lopez.
“The film is important and timely in its story and message, and can have a huge impact, ” says Jennifer Lopez in the film. “It’s a story that is very close to my heart, because it is a family affair. It’s about accepting change and challenges with love, and that knowing when we do, everything is possible.” When referencing Brendon, their aunt Jennifer uses the gender-neutral term “nibling”, coined in 1951 by American linguist Samuel Elmo Martin in referring to a child of one’s sibling as a replacement for “niece” or “nephew”.
Brendon has expanded their artistry beyond drawings and painting, and is now a sophomore in college studying acting. An advocate for acceptance, Brendon’s message for all those whose family, friends or co-workers may be trans is simple and clear, “Believe us when we say who we are.”
Watch the trailer here.
