Alliance School
Director:Paul Taylor
Synopsis
Alliance School is a film about acceptance and sexuality in America. The story is told through one of a handful of GLBT schools in the US now facing the very real possibility of closure. The film tells the intimate stories of students, alongside the broader story of a school’s struggle to survive.
Long Synopsis
Alliance is an inner city school for LGBT youth (ages 11-18) most of whom have been severely bullied in previous institutions. Sixty percent of students are from Southern-Baptist families who often find it difficult to accept their child’s choice. Twenty Five percent of students are physically homeless because their families have rejected them entirely.
The Alliance school is a safe haven where truancy rates have dropped and students are receiving the education they deserve. However students often find it difficult to allow themselves to succeed because of the destructive psychological impact of intolerance. Alliance has to work actively to redress this destructive psychology and help students overcome their fear of success.
Unfortunately Alliance is also now facing a funding crisis and the possibility of closure as a result of impending education cuts in Wisconsin. The last round of cuts forced Alliance to reduce school days to four a week. Its no secret there will be further cuts in January and they will face a dilemma: should they close the middle school and send children back to their previous schools?
About the director
Director: Paul Taylor
Paul is a director, producer and co-founder of RISE films. He directed We Are Together, receiving numerous awards including prizes at Edinburgh, Tribeca, IDFA (Amsterdam), Amnesty, One World, a Grierson award and an IDA award. At Rise he developed a number of projects including Kim Longintto’s Sundance award winning Rough Aunties and Steve James’ The Interrupters. Paul is developing new film projects and a play for The National Theatre in London.
Producer: Teddy Leifer
Teddy founded RISE films in 2007 and has since produced or executive produced all of its films and television programmes including We Are Together, Rough Aunties, Cowboys in India, Muslim School, Road to Las Vegas, Knuckle and The Interrupters.
He is currently Executive Producing Kirby Dick's,The Invisible War. RISE Films has a first-look deal for comedy with Universal Pictures and a drama series in development at HBO which is being written by Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting).
Sales/Screening Contact
Name: Rise Films
Email address: info@risefilms.com