We are all used to the idea of coming out of the closet. But in my new musical, Closets, two teens step into a closet to time-travel in LGBTI history. My original short film, Closets, is about two gay teenagers, one living in 1986 and the other in 2016. Both have the same bedroom and their wardrobe is a portal between the two periods, so they can meet.
How Closets came into being
I had made my first LGBTI feature films aged 20 to 27. I financed them mainly by credit cards with fingers crossed, and often met with mixed results. But when it came to Closets, I decided I wanted to make something more focused smaller and with a budget.
My early LGBTI films were my training ground. I learnt so much from just going out there and making films without restrictions, guerilla style. It was fun to work with a similarly-minded crew, as well as my creative partner Neil Ely. The skills I developed making these films contributed to the success of Closets, helping it become an award-winner, and subsequent projects since.