Melbourne, AUS | August 6, 2015 — Premiering at the Melbourne International Film Festival this month, the film ECCO HOMO is in its final stages of production and has launched a crowd-funding campaign to raise $40,000 to fund restoration of extraordinary archival footage, an evocative music score and marketing the film to showcase Peter Vanessa ‘Troy’ Davies’ story to the international market.
ECCO HOMO is the much anticipated part-detective story, part-social history feature length documentary from Lynn-Maree Milburn and Richard Lowenstein that delves deeply into the life of transsexual pioneer, provocateur, artist and chameleon that was Peter Vanessa ‘Troy’ Davies.
ECCO HOMO enables viewers to enter the vivid and intoxicating world of the late Davies – along with his friends including musicians Bono and Michael Hutchence (of INXS), performer George Huxley, film directors Kriv Stenders, Paul Goldman, author and playwright Tobsha Learner as well as Hunters and Collectors’ original percussionist, Greg Perano. Davies’ little known life story was a kaleidoscope of secrets, lies, prostitution, art, HIV, abuse, incest and gender subversion. www.youtube.com
“As filmmakers, we want our films to be as immersive and entertaining as possible,” said ECCO HOMO director Lynn-Maree Milburn. “This time our choice of music and the restoration of our vintage footage and the means by which to give life to the film beyond the festival has exceeded our funds — so we are reaching out for support through this crowd-funding campaign.”
“Support through crowdfunding is encouraging and empowering and ultimately pivotal in getting the film made and out there. We hope people will join with us and help take the film to an audience beyond the Melbourne International Film Festival,” said Milburn’s directing partner Richard Lowenstein.
Escaping a dysfunctional outer suburban home framed by incest and child abuse in the late 1970s, Peter “Troy” Davies journeyed through a world of drag, prostitution, and artistic excess. By the early 1980s Davies had become notorious within the Sydney and Melbourne club, music, art and fashion movements. Word had spread of Troy’s groundbreaking and unique styling, make-up, and design concepts, he was soon in demand on music videos for U2, Cold Chisel, INXS, Hunters and Collectors and Crowded House.
He was diagnosed HIV positive in 1987, and became one of the world’s longest surviving AIDS patients. Throughout his life Davies obsessively documented his own existence. From black and white photo booths to video diaries, these images and voices chronicle the fascinating journey of a unique life dedicated to a deliberate and confounding exploration of identity and gender, myth and legend, truth and lies.
ECCO HOMO will premiere at Melbourne International Film Festival as part of the First Glance – Premiere Fund on Friday August 14 at 9:00 p.m. at ACMI Cinema 2 and Sunday August 16 at 1:30 p.m. at ACMI Cinema 2.
The trailer can be viewed at the Pozible crowdfunding site: www.pozible.com
For more information contact – Jeff Muir, jeff@artisanmarketingpartners.com
