Blonde Artemis is a proof-of-concept short film that tells a queer story in a radically new way.
It follows Selene's discovery of romance and purpose when attending an all-female nudist Ancient Greek style wrestling tournament. Like cult classics Love Lies Bleeding and Bottoms, it is unafraid to show female characters sweat.
When was the last time you saw a film that featured strong, empowered women, fully developed queer characters, Ancient Greek mythology, and nude wrestling?
WHO ARE WE?
My name is Lily Farizon. I am the director and writer of Blonde Artemis. I first began writing Blonde Artemis over 5 years ago. After years of work, I finished it as a full feature script. I have been working on other projects since, but the women of “CetoBia” have not left my mind.
I've always felt that queer coming of age films can be especially powerful, as many queer people have different timelines of self discovery and empowerment as compared to their peers. Personally, I have felt that kind of confusion and aimlessness as an adult, both being queer and pursuing a career in the arts. It's why adult coming of age stories speak to me— they remind me that not everyone has it figured out by 25. I have decided that I need to make this feature happen, and the first step for me in that is making this proof of concept.
We hope you will join Blonde Artemis. Your support will help us fund:
TALENT & STUNTS - Our film is heavily stunt based. Many of our actors will be asked to perform stunts, and in order to do it safely, we need to surround them with well trained professionals. Almost half of the movie is brutal wrestling!
CAMERA & LIGHTING EQUIPMENT - This film may be short, but it's fantastical! We have two dream sequences, one of which involves VFX. We also have to film many fight scenes, so we require a range of equipment to suit each section of the film well.
CREW - Blonde Artemis requires a big team to make it happen. The majority of our budget is allocated to crew labor costs. Even with rates much lower than normal, a crew of our size is costly. Some films can go without a few departments, but each element of this film is essential, from the Greek robes to the fight continuity. And we require insurance and contingencies to keep everybody safe!
ART, WARDROBE, & HMU - What do chitoniskos, black eyes, and wrestling arenas have in common? They are all big parts of Blonde Artemis! To transform our locations and our actors, we need materials.
POST PRODUCTION - We are focused on getting Blonde Artemis to the finish line - that includes editing, sound, music, and color. These can cost thousands of dollars, and lack of funding can delay the process for years. We want the film done as soon as possible; we need this as our proof of concept so we can make the full feature film happen!
We plan to begin shooting late summer 2026, and hope to have Blonde Artemis in post ASAP for fall festivals next year!
Your support would be incredibly meaningful to the Blonde Artemis team. If you can give at any level, we would deeply appreciate it. If giving isn't in the cards right now, you can support us through sharing our page on Instagram (@BlondeArtemisMovie).
Your donation to Entertainment 2 Affect Change (E2AC), on behalf of this project is fully tax deductible. You will immediately receive a receipt from Mazlo, the platform handling our finances. Within two business days, you will receive an official tax letter with your donation amount and E2AC's Federal Tax ID.
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