Coming Out

Coming Out from Daniel Van Note on Vimeo.

“Coming Out” was the biggest production I ever did. It has so far won 4 awards in international film festivals, one of which being an award of excellent merit for our incredibly talented Elijah Pluchino, who played Young Man. The story follows Young Man as he attends a meditation retreat and is forced to confront his past of homophobia and neglect - if only he can survive the whispering monkey living on his back.

Based on personal experience, it was a big way to close out my time at Hampshire College. The writing of the script was the most tedious part - with my advisors continuously pushing me to stop diverting from vulnerability to comedy (as is my habit when confronted with my own vulnerability). The final product was true to the script, and I had an amazing team working with me - for free, I might add. Amazing talent and a skilled producer helped pull this vision together, and the final product was something many people later reached out to me expressing gratitude for the accuracy with which I represented being in the closet. Excruciating at times, the process was and continues to be immensely rewarding, and I’m continually inspired when people reach out, sharing their own stories and vulnerability, as a result of watching the film. If you feel moved after watching it, please reach out and let me know how it impacted you!