Homophobia in football is an issue that has been swept under the carpet over the years, but filmmaker Rhys Chapman is hoping to shed light on how keeping true identity a secret can cause detrimental effects on a professional.
Wonderkid is a 20-minute short film that focuses on the struggles of an unnamed gay footballer trying to search for acceptance in the game, while also dealing with alcohol and OCD issues.
Director Chapman, who co-wrote the script with writer Terence Corless, is calling for people to back the project as he aims to change perceptions of homosexuality in football and highlight the effects that it can have on an individual.
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The 25-year-old, who is an Arsenal fan, is straight himself, but after researching the sport it became clear that sending a message about homophobia within the game was a necessity.
"I'm a massive football fan and I've always wanted to be a filmmaker," Chapman told Sports Mole. "When I set out to be a filmmaker I thought it was important to educate as well as entertain and I think we have a responsibility as filmmakers to show things that perhaps the media can't.
"The media can show you how bad the problem is and give the statistics in football, but you can't see how it would affect a star at the top level, in their private lives and how it would lead to them unfulfilling their potential.
"When I did research into football and I saw the Rainbow Laces campaign a year before last, I realised that it was kind of shocking that it was an issue almost hidden in plain sight. So, I thought it would be interesting to formulate a story around it."
In a bid to gain a wider audience, Chapman has managed to secure the support of A-list English actor Sir Ian McKellen, who met the filmmaker during the march at London Pride with the Gay Gooners back in June.
The two-time Oscar nominee offered to narrate Wonderkid's kickstarter video after being "blown away" by the film's message.
The team also secured a helping hand from the Football Association, who granted them permission to film in England's iconic Wembley Stadium.
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"When I marched at London Pride with the Gay Gooners, [McKellen] was walking around and we just went up to him and told him what we were doing," Chapman added. "He was very positive at a stage when we were struggling to get things going and he said 'if there's anything I can do to help, let me know'.
"The FA let us film at Wembley, which was a great help - they only have 25 filming days a year there, so it was nice to get in there. We made the kickstarter video as it is with me narrating it and we sent it to Sir Ian and he said that he was blown away and wanted to help. It's unbelievable. It made the video more sharable because he's a huge name and also he is the gay activist of his generation, and that communicates to everyone about what we're doing. That's priceless."
Chapman also has future plans to screen Wonderkid in schools and football academies with the hope of spreading a positive message for youngsters, after the project teamed up with London's leading anti-LGBT hate crime charity Galop.
"We're going to hold screenings in schools or academies," Chapman told us. "It's only going to be 20 minutes long and then [we'll] hold a discussion to talk to people about the issue because for so long this issue has been left unsaid. We wanted to show something that perhaps the media can't. What we achieve is to make football more accepting."
For more information on the project, click here.
