“A spirit message of support to all of us struggling to just be ourselves”
~Beverly Glenn Copeland
Reach the Sky is a QSO produced animated short, a love letter to the 2SLGBTQ community inspired by iconic Canadian songwriter Rita MacNeil, and Toronto crochet artist Chason Yeboah and her KnotNaked Dolls. Reach the Sky was written and directed by Daniel Sterlin-Altman alongside a brilliant team of animators and designers, and set to a Thom Gill arrangement of Rita MacNeil’s We’ll Reach the Sky Tonight. The film follows three friends on a road trip who are separated by an unexpected fork in the road. Through their individual journeys the three encounter and reckon with queer love, lineage, and shame, and when they reunite each has brought with them a new companion who helped them along the way.
Set for online release on March 18, 2020, Reach the Sky has been an official selection at the following international film and animation festivals:
2019 Merlinka Queer Film Festival, Serbia
2019 Queer Media Festival Manchester, UK
2019 Porn Film Festival Berlin, Germany
2019 ASIFA East 3rd annual Queer Animation Show, USA
2019 Outfest LA LGBT Film Festival, USA
2019 Fest Anca International Animation Festival, Slovakia
2019 Kashish Mumbai Int. Queer Film Festival, India
2019 Halifax Animation Festival, Canada
2019 Kyiv Int. Short Film Festival, Ukraine
2019 TLV Fest - Tel Aviv Int. LGBT Film Festival, Israel
2019 Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, Canada
2019 Athens Animfest, Greece
2019 Animac Catalunya, Spain
2019 LGBT + Afro Film Festival Massimadi, Canada
2019 Reelout Queer Film + Video Festival, Canada
2018 CutOut Animation Festival, Mexico
2018 Image + Nation LGBTQ Festival, Canada
2018 Sardinia Queer Short Film Festival, Italy
2018 Austin Music Video Festival, USA
2018 NEWFEST, NYC LGBTQ Film Festival, USA
2018 LesGaisCineMad LGBT Film Festival, Spain
2018 TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival, USA
2018 New Chitose Airport International Animation Festival, Japan
2018 Tacoma Film Fest, USA
2018 Holebikort Short Film Festival, Belgium
2018 Montreal Stop Motion Festival, Canada
2018 Encounters Film Festival, United Kingdom
2018 Krok International Animation Festival, Russia
2018 Ottawa International Animation Festival, Canada
2018 Linoleum Animation Festival, Ukraine
2018 The Austin all Gender, Lifestyles, Identities, Film Fest (AGLIFF), USA
2018 TAIS Animation Showcase, Canada
2018 Barcelona Stop Motion Film Festival, Spain
Producer: Shaun Brodie
Creators: Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Shaun Brodie
Writer & Director: Daniel Sterlin-Altman
Director of Photography: Evan DeRushie
Set Designer: Sage Szkabernicki-Stuart
Puppets: Chason Yeboah
Animators: Evan DeRushie, Daniel Sterlin-Altman, Martha Grant
Puppet Costumes: Bonni Burns
Portraits: Dorsa Bidhendi
Electronics: Philip Eddolls & Martha Grant
Arrangement: Thom Gill
Performed by the Queer Songbook Orchestra:
Guitar & Voice - Thom Gill
Piano - Ghislain Aucoin
Double Bass - Daniel Fortin
Drums - Stefan Schneider
Chorus Vocals - Alex Samaras, Alanna Stuart,
Lief Mosbaugh, Ghislain Aucoin
We'll Reach the Sky Tonight
Written by Rita MacNeil
Big Pond Publishing & Productions (SOCAN)/Canadiana Music (SOCAN)
With production and studio support from TAIS (Toronto Animated Image Society)
Special thanks: Jenn Snider Cruise, Andrea Vela Alarćon,
Wade Langham, Virpi Kettu, Stephen Dunn, Mingus New, Micajah Sturgess, Jennifer Burford,
Evan Lamberton & Amy Fritz.
This is one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts New Chapter initiative. With this $35M initiative, the council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.
World premiere of Reach the Sky, at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, June, 2018.
