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Logline

Jack, a gay farm boy from Nebraska, finds anything but the promised land he envisioned when he visits a San Francisco gay club for the first time.

Synopsis

Cowboy Boots explores the intersection of accepting one’s sexual identity and trying to find the community in which it can reside. It is at once a dive into the longings and desires of a young, rural gay man and the realities of being a newcomer in a world that he doesn’t know or understand. While the story is queer in nature, the themes of finding one’s place, and the discomfort that comes along with doing so, are universal.

Cowboy Boots was originally published in 2005 as a short story in Instant City: A Literary Exploration of San Francisco.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Eric Delehoy – Writer/Director/Producer
Eric Delehoy (he/him) holds an MFA in Creative Writing, Fiction, from Antioch University Los Angeles. He has been a leader within the queer community for four decades, serving as Executive Director of a non-profit queer community center in northern Colorado/southern Wyoming, later as President of the Board of that organization. In 1999, he founded Gertrude, a literary arts journal and eventual press. Most recently he served as Chair of the Basic Rights Oregon Equality PAC Board–an organization that raises money for and supports queer candidates running for public office. He also ran for the office of Oregon State Representative in 2022.

His fiction and poetry have appeared in the following publications: The Armchair Aesthete (Issues 18 & 23), Coal City Review, Cranial Tempest, Emerging Voices, HazMat Review, Kaleidoscope, northVIEW, Onthebus, Rockford Review, Seedhouse, 10th Street Miscellany, Upstairs at Duroc, and Weird Sisters.

Jamie Goodwick – Director of Photography
On his arrival to Portland, Oregon, Jamie started PORTLANDRONE in 2016 and Portland Video Production Company in 2020. With over 10 years experience as DP and as an aerial cinematographer, Jamie has had the honor to direct, produce and create with Netflix, Verizon, The New York Times, NBC Sports, National Geographic, ZXbox, Wieden+Kennedy, Nike, Discovery, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery, Ad Council, and Lexus, among others.

Bryan Tranel – Script Supervisor
Bryan has a passion for storytelling and loves collaborating with other people to tell their stories. After traveling the country in search of the perfect place to call home, he finally settled in Oregon. His work in the industry has spanned both coasts, living in Los Angeles and New York City. His foundation is a BA in Film and Television from Montana State University, Bozeman and an MA in Screenwriting from California State University, Northridge.

Michael Ridley – Lead Actor “Jack”
Michael Ridley is a stage and film actor. He has appeared in such films as Knee High (2023), Nate and Moriah in Venice (2023), Blueberry Island (2023), Zero Road (2022), Knee High (short 2019), July Rising (2019), Our Souls at Night (2017), and Good Kids (2016), among others. He was nominated for the Central States Indie Fan Film Fest Award Best Actor in a Leading Role, Los Angeles Lady Filmmakers Film Festival Award Best Supporting Actor, and Online Indie Society Best Performance by a Young Actor.

On stage, Michael has appeared in A Doll’s House, Backpacking, Lady of the Chimney Corner, Spring Awakening, Almost, Maine, Grease, and All My Sons, for which he was nominated for the Irene Ryan Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Play.

Kevin Cook/Poison Waters – Supporting Actor/Cameo
Kevin Cook, widely known as Poison Waters, is a Portland Drag Celebrity and tireless champion of inclusion and human rights throughout his career. He is the emcee and hostess of Darcelle XV Showcase, a longtime Portland queer entertainment venue featuring female impersonators. He regularly serves as emcee for non-profit fundraisers and other charitable events, represents Ilani Casino, has had multiple appearances on local television shows including AM Northwest, and performs in the Oregon Ballet’s annual production of The Nutcracker.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.