Brief Explanation

Our film captures the joy marriage brings to every couple, with powerful, universal moments cut from over 150 hours of real wedding footage donated by LGBTQI+ couples to reveal a simple truth — love is love regardless of gender. With zero production budget, it aired during the convergence of two significant moments — a postal vote that would determine the future of same-sex marriage, and the finale of TV’s highest rated celebration of heterosexual marriage, The Bachelor. The film aimed to influence fence-sitters to vote ‘Yes’ with an uplifting, human message, and boost morale of the vulnerable give hope to those feeling vulnerable and fearful, who would be affected by the outcome. Set to a cover of the iconic Crowded House track ‘Don't Dream It's Over’ performed by Australian artist, Sarah Blasko, the film creates a positive representation of same-sex marriage that every Australian, regardless of background, can relate to.

The greatest casting challenge was the 12 day deadline from idea to screen, the $0 production budget, and the need for emotionally resonant and authentic moments. Via social media, we asked for donated same-sex wedding footage, effectively casting real LGBTQI+ couples in the film. Over 5 days, we received 150 hours of footage, and used these as a screentest, considering look, chemistry and diversity. Those 150 hours were whittled down to 3 minutes of emotional highlights. Speaking individually to each of the couples (some also needed to perform media interviews), we narrowed these highlights down to the final cast. Due to the political nature of the film, we needed signed consent and police checks for the couples, and also for any recognisable guests. Many dropped off the list, fearing for their jobs or the public scrutiny, resulting in black holes in the edit, requiring new moments and new cast.