The Film

The idea for Romantic Chorus began in the minds of Jeff M. Giordano and Aaron Gwynn all the way back in the ancient year of 2018. They were interested then, as they are now, in exploring romance and relationships in an open way that would give voice to a wide range of people. Jeff had the brilliant idea to have the film animated, both for the anonymity of the 21 interviewees and for the chance to collaborate with a gaggle of artists. They reached out into the murky world of social media to find these wonderful creators and have managed to assemble a squad of 17 remarkable folks from around the world. Since then, they have added to their mighty force a web designer extraordinaire, and a sound engineer with ears of gold.

Beyond the process of creation, which Jeff and Aaron both love dearly, they see the film as both a unique movie-watching experience and an educational tool. Whether you end up seeing Romantic Chorus on your computer for an online screening, in a Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies classroom, or (gasp!) on a first date, they feel that you’ll get lots out of it.

Everyone will connect to at least one member of the chorus, and we hope it can be used as part of a larger movement towards inclusivity and tolerance. We are also creating learning materials to accompany the film for professors wishing to use the film in the context of their curriculum.

Jeff and Aaron are infinitely proud not only of the work they’ve done to this point, but also with the amazing crew that has been built so far. They couldn’t have done a thing without Stefanie, Silvia, Rebecca, Peter, Lincoln, Laurent, Keira, Joe, Gigi, Cloud1984, Emma, Eli, Diana, Dave, Claudia, Chhaya, Christopher, Annie and Angaelica, Mariane, and Lucía.

The film has played during Arizona State’s Pride Week festivities, at the Melbourne International Animation Festival, in Paris with the collaboration of Le Centre LGBTQI+ Paris-ÎdF, and at Studio 23 in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2022, the Tindirindis International Animation Film Festival in Lithuania also awarded Romantic Chorus their Special Mention Diploma.

“Romantic Chorus is best watched with a partner and the remote.” –Michael Fox, KQED