Gayby Baby

Gayby Baby observes the lives of four children—Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham—whose parents are either gay or lesbian,{{cite news|url=http://www.starobserver.com.au/features/entertainment-features/entertainment-play/gaying-up-the-big-screen/137007|title="Gaying up" the big screen|work=Star Observer|date=24 May 2015|accessdate=3 June 2015}} and explores the ways in which growing up as a "gayby" has affected them.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/same-sex-parenting-addressed-in-gaybies-and-gayby-baby/story-fn9n8gph-1227201995844|work=The Australian|first=Jane|last=Albert|title=Same-sex parenting addressed in Gaybies and Gayby Baby|date=31 January 2015|accessdate=3 June 2015}}

Gayby Baby was produced over three and a half years. It was conceived and directed by Maya Newell, who was raised by lesbian mothers and felt that, in the same-sex marriage debate in the Australian media, "no one was actually talking to any kids".{{cite web|url=http://themusic.com.au/interviews/all/2015/06/03/gayby-baby-maya-newell-sff-anthony-carew/|work=The Music|title=Gayby Baby And The "Ugly Debate" Around Marriage Equality|date=3 June 2015|first=Anthony|last=Carew|accessdate=3 June 2015}} She chose to address the topic of LGBT parenting from an observational perspective without entering the political debate around the issue, so that the film "addresses people's questions about that, but in a very non-political way because we're just watching this kid's life". Newell also intended for the film to be an educational resource for teachers, so that they would be better equipped to answer children's questions about same-sex parenting and to address bullying of children with gay or lesbian parents. The idea for the film originated from a short documentary, Growing Up Gayby, filmed by Newell for ABC2 in 2013.

The families featured in the film were cast from around Australia; the filmmakers considered 30–40 children before selecting four 11–12-year-olds and their families. Newell approached one of the families and asked them to appear in the film after seeing a photograph of them in a newspaper.{{cite web|url=http://www.samesame.com.au/features/12376/Maya-Newell-Why-I-made-Gayby-Baby|title= Maya Newell: Why I made 'Gayby Baby'|first=Glenn|last=Dunks|publisher=Samesame.com.au|date=4 June 2015|accessdate=4 June 2015}}

The film's funding was raised through a crowdfunding campaign and government grants. The filmmakers advertised the project on Pozible, a crowdfunding website, in 2012; it raised A$118,375 from 1244 people, which at the time was the highest number of supporters for a film campaign on the website.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/movies/article/2013/02/26/pozible-gives-birth-gayby-baby|title=Pozible gives birth to Gayby Baby|date=26 February 2013|first=Saman|last=Shad|publisher=Special Broadcasting Service|accessdate=3 June 2015}} In October 2014, Newell pitched the film at Good Pitch Australia, where it received $180,000 in pledges from the Safe Schools Coalition, the Foundation for Young Australians, the Australian Primary Principals Association and the Sydney Film Festival.

Newell and Mars founded their own production company during the making of the film, called Marla House.{{cite web | title=About | website=Gayby Baby| url=https://thegaybyproject.com/about/ | access-date=11 May 2021}}

Initially, film director Maya Newell offered Gayby Baby to be screened in schools ahead of the film's official release for Wear it Purple Day 2015.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/dec/30/maya-newell-2015-gayby-baby-we-learned-some-things-need-to-get-ugly-for-change|title=Maya Newell on 2015 and Gayby Baby: 'We learned some things need to get ugly for change'|last=Tan|first=Monica|date=2015-12-29|newspaper=The Guardian|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|access-date=2017-01-30}}

The world premiere of Gayby Baby was held on 29 April 2015 at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto.{{cite web|url=http://boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/WebSales/pages/info.aspx?evtinfo=38225~446634ba-e848-4237-9b3c-72aceddb5263&|title=Gayby Baby|accessdate=4 June 2015|publisher=Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival}} The film premiered in Australia at the Sydney Film Festival in June 2015{{cite news|url=http://if.com.au/2015/04/28/article/Two-Oz-docs-to-screen-in-family-friendy-Sydney-Film-Festival/MRIILHOHCA.html|title=Two Oz docs to screen in family-friendly Sydney Film Festival|work=IF Magazine|first=Don|last=Groves|date=28 April 2015|accessdate=3 June 2015}} and was released theatrically on 3 September 2015.{{cite web|url=http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/entertainment/movies-2/same-sex-families-doco-gayby-baby-to-open-in-cinemas-next-month-18697.html|title= Same-sex families doco Gayby Baby to open in cinemas next month |publisher=Gay News Network|date=19 August 2015|first=Ron|last=Hughes|accessdate=26 August 2015}}

A screening was planned during class time at Burwood Girls High School on 28 August 2015.{{cite news|last1=Bagshaw|first1=Eryk|title=NSW Education Minister bans schools from screening gay film|url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/nsw-education-minister-bans-school-from-screening-gay-film-20150825-gj7sid.html|accessdate=26 August 2015|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=26 August 2015}} Mark Powell, a Presbyterian minister who gives seminars on Christianity at the school, told supporters he would organise to have the film banned and to contact as many media outlets as possible.{{cite web|url=http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/the-truth-behind-the-gayby-baby-ban-20150901-gjcg0j.html|title=The truth behind the Gayby Baby ban|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=September 2015 }} The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the school did not receive any formal complaints from parents. A subsequent report in The Daily Telegraph said parents had complained to the school, the Education Department and to the Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, who directed all public schools in New South Wales not to show the film during class time,{{cite news|url=http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/gayby-baby-parents-objected-to-gay-films-screening-at-burwood-girls-high-school/story-fni0cx12-1227501843401 |title=Gayby Baby: Parents objected to gay film's screening at Burwood Girls High School |author=McDougall, Bruce|date=28 August 2015|work=Daily Telegraph|accessdate=28 August 2015}} and told Macquarie Radio, "schools are not places for political issues to be aired".{{cite web|url=http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/backlash-over-gay-parenting-doco-in-school/story-e6frfku9-1227499251437|title=NSW govt denies Gayby Baby is banned|work=NewsComAu}} Human Rights Commissioner Tim Wilson says he has no issue with the New South Wales government prohibiting the documentary from being shown.{{cite news|url=http://www.3aw.com.au/news/classroom-controversy-erupts-over-gayby-baby-documentary-20150827-gj9cdd.html |title=Classroom controversy erupts over 'Gayby Baby' documentary |date=27 August 2015|work=3AW|accessdate=28 August 2015}} While Newell stated that she does not "see the film as having a political agenda necessarily or pushing anything down anyone's throat",{{cite web|url=http://www.samesame.com.au/features/12376/Maya-Newell-Why-I-made-Gayby-Baby|title=Maya Newell: Why I made 'Gayby Baby'|author=glenndunks|date=4 June 2015|work=samesame}}{{cite news|quote=not an advocacy film|title=Gayby Baby director: our families are told they are worth less – video|agency=AAP|work=The Guardian|date=27 August 2015}} the film has been marketed as "stirring" political debate on same-sex marriage.{{cite web|url=http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2015/06/good-pitch-film-stirs-gay-marriage-debate|title=Good Pitch Film Stirs Gay Marriage Debate|work=probonoaustralia.com.au}} The debate also included the role of schools in articulating contentious subjects.{{cite news|url= http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-31/jensen-telling-people-what-to-think/6737128 |title=Whatever your thoughts on Gayby Baby, this wasn't about education |author=Jensen, Michael|date=31 August 2015|work=The Drum Australian Broadcasting Corporation ABC|accessdate=2 September 2015}}

The film was acquired for theatrical and digital distribution in the US, UK and Ireland with a release date of April 29, 2016.{{cite news|url= https://variety.com/2016/digital/news/gayby-baby-us-theatrical-release-supergravity-connor-franta-1201730507/ |title='Gayby Baby' Documentary About Kids of Gay Parents Gets Theatrical, Digital Release |author=Spangler,Todd |date=15 March 2016 |work=Variety |accessdate= 15 March 2016 }} In the US it received a PG rating from the MPAA and in the UK at PG rating from the BBFC.

In May 2016 it was reported that the Victorian Government-supported Safe Schools Coalition Australia program will include Gayby Baby as a resource for students in grade five to year 10.{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/preelection-hostilities-reignite-over-safe-schools-program-20160513-gov2rs.html |title=Safe Schools: Pre-election hostilities reignite over |author=Tomazin, Farrah|date=15 May 2016|work=The Age|accessdate=15 May 2016}}{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/gayby-baby-schools-to-get-a-lesson-in-family-diversity-20160507-goouoe.html |title=Gayby Baby: schools to get a lesson in family diversity |author=Tomazin, Farrah|date=8 May 2016|work=The Age|accessdate=15 May 2016}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{IMDb title|3898028}}
• [http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/the-screen-guide/t/gayby-baby-2015/32751?stxt=gayby%20baby Gayby Baby] at Screen Australia
• [http://thegaybyproject.com/ Official Film Site]

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Category:2015 documentary films

Category:2015 films

Category:Australian LGBTQ-related documentary films

Category:Documentary films about LGBTQ parenting

Category:2015 LGBTQ-related films

Category:2010s English-language films

Category:LGBTQ-related controversies in film

Category:2010s Australian films

Category:English-language documentary films