Fursonas (film)

Synopsis

Approaching a community surrounded by so many rumors and misconceptions is no easy task. Director Dominic Rodriguez is not without his own biases, but instead of attempting to deny this fact he faces it head on, unafraid to be shot down by his subjects. "Fursonas" is a whistle-blower film that oscillates between the fantastic and the unusual, with moments of awe and wonder slapped against harsh reality. The audience can delight in infiltrating the fun — and sometimes dark — secrets of an escapist group. Whether or not you’ve heard of the furry fandom, this documentary transcends its bizarre premise to tell a universal story of identity and community. Like a small town in Middle America, you’ll find friends in the most unusual places and unexpected enemies around every corner. Unlike a small town in Middle America, you’ll find furries.

Production

Production of Fursonas began while Rodriguez was majoring in filmmaking at Point Park University. The film was originally a senior thesis project. Also involved were Olivia Vaughn and Christine Meyer. Originally a 12-minute short film, the film was expanded into a feature length documentary when the crew was awarded a 10,000 dollar grant from The Sprout Fund in 2013. In 2014 Christine Meyer and Olivia Vaughn became interns at the Animal Media Group, a production and visual effects studio. Previously, Animal had produced the documentary “Blood Brother”, which won two awards at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Animal allowed the crew to use their facilities to edit the footage of ‘Fursonas’. Later, Animal offered to be the official production company for the documentary.

Premiere

The documentary premiered at the 2016 Slamdance Film Festival.

Reception

Fursonas was well-received, winning a "Spirit of Slamdance" award at its debut film festival. Both Variety and Deadline Holywood featured positive reviews of Fursonas on their websites.

Cast