What Self Evident Truths is:

NYC based artist iO Tillett Wright has launched a limitless photographic record of LGBTQ America today, through a series of single portraits, each one demonstrating the humanity that exists in every one of us through the simplicity of a face. Anyone living in the United States that feels they are anything other than 100% STRAIGHT can have their picture taken, as they too qualify for discrimination under numerous active laws in this country. To do this, she and her team are embarking on a series of road trips around the USA. Salazar films wants to travel with iO and the project, documenting it's growth, and making a series of short films about exceptional subjects she meets along the way, bringing you a series of vignettes looking at the many faces of what it means to be other than straight in America today, entitled "What's Your Story". But we need your help! Watch the successful original manifesto video for S.E.T. below:

"The concept behind Self Evident Truths is simple: It is impossible to deny the humanity in a face. We are all human, we all have hearts and emotions and eyes that speak to these, whether we're gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, black, white, Latino, Asian. You get the picture..." - iO Tillett Wright

What has been done So Far:

As of January 2012 iO has photographed over 850 people in NYC, Palm Springs, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The project has been featured in numerous publications and on NBC news while in San Francisco. http://www.nbcbayarea.com/video/#!/news/local/LGBTQ--Smile-/133267348 What’s Next:

Self Evident will be traveling though the Heart of the South in Late February and March, shooting as many subjects as possible in just over 2 weeks. The trip will culminate with iO giving a lecture about the project at the University of Tenessee, in Knoxville. Salazar wants to be there the whole way, starting in New York city and chronicling the journey through Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Jackson Mississippi, Mobile Alabama, Birmingham, Atlanta, Athens, Charleston South Carolina, Charlotte North Carolina, and Knoxville Tennessee. Along the way the Salazar team will be filming individuals they meet, with exceptional stories to share. This footage will be used to create a whole new way of expressing the core goals of Self Evident Truths through the "What's Your Story" campaign.

The What’s Your Story Project:

During the project's trips to San Francisco and Los Angeles we met dozens of people who shared stories and experiences from their lives with us. We filmed a bunch of these and thought they were so captivating that they we had to share them with the world, and birthed the "What's Your Story" campaign - a series of short films. The goal is to film 26 different What’s Your Story videos and release them on the Self Evident Truths website every two weeks for a year. Each video will focus on separate individuals who represent different aspects of the LGBTQ experience in America. We’ll combine these different individual stories to create a patchwork snap shot of the diversity found within the overall LGBTQ community.

In addition to filming people’s stories we’ve also been filming the entire Self Evident Truths Journey. We plan to continue filming through every step of the way. This Kickstarter is specifically to fund The What’s Your Story campaign but we’ll be filming for the longer narrative piece as well! By contributing now you’re not only helping us create and launch the What’s Your Story Project but your also helping us capture and tell the whole story of Self Evident Truths.

Who are the filmmakers:

Salazar is an independent boutique production company specializing in documentary, narrative, and commercial films. The project is being headed up by Jeff Petry and Nathan Drillot.

www.salazarfilm.com What we want to Do / Make:

26 What’s Your Story episodes: released every two weeks for one year starting in March 2012 after the end of our 2nd Self Evident Road Trip.