With speculation running wild about the possibility of two Premier League soccer players coming out as gay before the next competition begins, a new short film about a closeted professional player struggling to come to terms with his sexuality is putting the concept of openly gay soccer players firmly on the agenda.
The film Wonderkid focuses on the pain and inner turmoil of a player who is afraid to come out of the closet while struggling with the stress of the game.
Written and Directed by Rhys Chapman, the film is part of the “Football v Homophobia” campaign that is hoping to raise awareness about the lack of LGBT professionals in the sport.
In its production stage, it has received the support of Sir Ian McKellen & Stephen Fry, as well as organisations such as The Telegraph, Adidas, The FA, The Premier League, Kick it Out, Watford Football Club, Tottenham Hotspur & Sky Sports.
There are no openly gay footballers among the 5,000 active players in the UK professional game.
In a promotional video to assist the filmmakers to raise funds for the film Sir Ian McKellen volunteered to be the voice: “Imagine stepping out in front of a packed stadium, 90,000 people chanting your name. What if they knew your secret and these chants were meant to intimidate you because you were gay?
“At the heart of this project is the desire to question what is and what isn’t acceptable behaviour to fellow human beings. This is an issue that should be talked about more.”
A report by Brighton & Hove Albion said nearly 60 percent of their games last season featured homophobic chants such as “does your boyfriend know you are here?” and “you’re just a town full of faggots”.
WONDERKID will premiere in London before the start of next season and will be released online shortly afterwards.
View the trailer below.
Last Updated on Jul 4, 2016
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