Close to Home, 32min., USA
Directed by Whitney Skauge
Through the exploration of their personal and shared experiences, four young advocates imagine a world where access to safe, affordable, and reliable housing is not a privilege but an undeniable human right.

https://www.instagram.com/whitneyskauge/

Get to know producer Patrisse Cullors:

1. What motivated you to make this film?
I wanted to help tell a story that so often gets silenced — the story of queer youth navigating houselessness while also finding chosen family and stepping into advocacy. For me, this was deeply personal. I’ve lived that reality, and I know how powerful it can be to see yourself reflected on screen with dignity and truth.

2. From the idea to the finished product, how long did it take for you to make this film?
The process unfolded over a year. From 2023 to the end of 2024. Building trust with the LA Emissary and making sure the film reflected their voices authentically took time, and I see that time as a sacred part of the creative journey.

3. How would you describe your film in two words?
Love and Survival.

4. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in completing this film?
The biggest challenge was ensuring the film didn’t replicate the same harm that institutions often impose on young people. We had to make space for care, for consent, and for the youth to lead the narrative.

5. What were your initial reactions when watching the audience talking about your film in the feedback video?
I felt gratitude and relief. Gratitude that people understood the heart of the film, and relief that the message — that young people are not broken, the systems are — resonated so strongly.

6. When did you realize that you wanted to make films?
As an artist, storytelling has always been part of my practice. I realized film was a medium I wanted to step into when I saw how powerfully it could bring people together to imagine a different future.

7. What film have you seen the most in your life?
I’ve seen Bamboozled, Spike Lee’s film. A satire on Black entertainment and media in America.

8. What other elements of the festival experience can we and other festivals implement to satisfy you and help you further your filmmaking career?
Festivals can do more to support films that center marginalized communities, not just in screenings but in distribution, impact campaigns, and long-term relationships. It’s not only about premiering films, it’s about making sure these stories reach the audiences who need them most.

9. You submitted to the festival via FilmFreeway. How has your experience been working on the festival platform site?
It’s been straightforward and easy to navigate, which is helpful when you’re managing multiple projects.

10. What is your favorite meal?
Anything made with love and shared with community. But if I had to choose: my grandmother’s dirty rice and roasted chicken.

11. What is next for you? A new film?
Yes — I’m continuing to explore abolitionist aesthetics through film, art installations, and live performance. My next projects build on the same themes as Close to Home: care, survival, and imagining new systems of belonging.