Documentary Feature Film — In Post-Production
Movie Poster
About this film
Who do we become when we belong?
Since 1983, a little coffee shop in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood has grown into a community center that has transformed countless lives—becoming a home for generations of queer people searching for a place to belong.
This is the story of the Castro Country Club.
Watch a Trailer
A note from the Director
This film has become something much bigger than I first imagined.
Since we began Meet Me at the Club: The Castro Country Club Story in 2021, the film has evolved far beyond the straightforward history I first imagined. More than 60 interviews and 180+ hours of footage later, we’re deep in post-production, carefully shaping the strongest version of the story we found.
I’m enormously grateful to everyone who has contributed their time, trust, resources and support along the way—from those who sat with us for interviews and shared deeply personal parts of their lives, to our producers, partners, supporters and the wider Castro Country Club community who continue to believe in what we’re making.
Read my full post-production update here:
https://libertylanefilms.com/mmatc-production-update
Yours In Community,
Meet me at the club is the inspiring story and legacy of one of the nation’s oldest LGBTQIA+ sober community centers—San Francisco’s Castro Country Club—as told by the folks whose lives were saved.
by the numbers
180 Hours & Counting
We’ve captured over 180 hours of interviews, b-roll, and other footage—most of it in 6K. This is a phenomenal amount of footage that will inform not only the main documentary feature, but also the companion footage that we will produce to support the film.
128 Terabytes
All that footage means a LOT of data to wrangle, organize, manage and backup. (That’s to equivalent 250 MacBook Pros!) In addition to footage captured by our team, we’ve developed a range of assets and a library of news clips and other archival footage that we are using to help shape the story and guide the edit.
60+ Interviews
Since this project’s inception in 2021, we’ve captured the life, truth and history of dozens of individuals. We’ve interviewed folks from the community, conducted follow-up interviews, and interviewed their families and friends. We’ve conducted interviews in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Virginia, New York, Washington D.C., and Alabama.
43+ YEars of History
This film is about more than the history of a building; Meet Me at the Club is 43+ years of the personal histories of resilience, resistance and recovery. This film is trans history, is the history of AIDS in San Francisco and the histories of the countless lives who’ve been saved since the Castro Country Club opened it’s doors on March 1, 1983.
Fundraising
Since launching our fundraising efforts on August 1, 2022, we've raised a total of $40,070.95 in mostly small-dollar contributions. After taxes, platform fees, and credit card processing fees, our net amount raised is $27,575.35. Director & Executive Producer, J. Andrew, has personally invested over $70,000 so far into this production.
$450,000 Projected Budget
Our projected final budget is $450,000, based on our documentary production benchmark of $3,750 per finished minute for our anticipated 120-minute feature film. This positions our film at the lower end of budgets typically seen for feature-length documentaries.
* Figures reported here are current as of March 17, 2025.
WAYS YOU CAN HELP
HELP COMES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.
Donate
We need your help to bring this story to the big screen. So far, the net amount we have raised is $27,575.35. But we are still short of our goals. Our total projected budget is $450,000.
Spread
the Word
We are immensely grateful for the community support this project has received. But, there are other ways you can help: talk with your friends about the film, and share this page!
Host a
Fundraiser
As we work our way through post-production, we are looking for volunteers to host a private, in-home fundraisers for the film where they can invite friends to donate.
WHAT FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE FILM
Backer & Producer Testimonials
“Telling the story of the CCC—a sober sanctuary that's been supporting our community for over 40 years—is more vital today than ever before. It’s an empowering story of recovery, belonging and hope.”
Sister Roma
Producer
“I’m supporting this film because this community saved my life. We all need a place like the Castro Country Club where we can be unapologetically ourselves—in recovery and beyond.”
Yifan Gong
Co-Executive Producer
“As a transgender senior woman, supporting this film means a great deal to me. It explores a uniquely welcoming space—a rare refuge of acceptance for me and so many others who are often overlooked. This story needs to be shared.”
Lynn Riordan
Executive Producer
“The CCC holds a special place in my heart. It’s where I found healing, community and a solution. This film tells stories of hope, faith and courage that will help others find the inspiration to transform their lives. That's why I'm proud to support this project.”
Philly Lasiter
Co-Executive Producer
FROM THE INTERVIEWS
“I have seen many many people come here off the streets, wanting to get sober. Some people do go out and relapse, are gone for a while, but they come back in here because they know that we’re a safe space, and we’re going to accept them, give ‘em a hug, give ‘em a cup of coffee.”
— Lee Hewitt
Choose your Donor LEvel
Receive an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER credit in the opening title sequence of the film, and have your name listed as an Associate Producer on the film's IMDb page.
Receive a PRODUCER credit in the opening title sequence of the film, and have your name listed as an Producer on the film's IMDb page and on the official movie poster. You'll also receive one limited-edition t-shirt from your choice of artist. Other perks, including a private pre-screening at the Director’s home will be scheduled at a later date.
Receive an EXECUTIVE PRODUCER credit in the opening title sequence of the film, and have your name listed as an Executive Producer on the film's IMDb page. You'll also receive three limited-edition t-shirts—one from each artist. In addition to the other perks, you will be invited to a private dinner at the Director's home.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The short answer? When it’s done. Unlike in scripted films, documentaries take much longer to pull the story out of the captured footage. And the producers and filmmakers behind this film are methodically working their way through post-production so that the version of the film that premieres reaches the largest audience and has the greatest impact.
Click here to read the October 2026 Post-Production Update from Director and Executive Producer, J. Andrew. -
Every dollar generated goes directly to support the film’s production-related expenses. Some money goes to pay the credit card processing fees, typically 3.5-6.5% and taxes. If your donation contains a physical perk (e.g. T-Shirt or movie poster), then some of that money goes to cover the costs associated with producing and shipping for those items.
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In order to minimize the costs associated with perk fulfillment, like T-Shirt printing, the producers have chosen to delay perk-fulfillment until Spring 2026, ahead of the film’s premiere.
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Since launching our fundraising efforts on August 1, 2022, we've raised a total of $40,070.95 in mostly small-dollar contributions. After taxes, platform fees, and credit card processing fees, our net amount raised is $27,575.35. Director & Executive Producer, J. Andrew, has personally invested over $70,000 so far into this production. We have ongoing monthly expenses and our crowdfunding supports the production while we work to secure additional sources of funding.
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Actually we have! We’ve been honored to receive some small grants that have assisted us throughout the project since 2021; however, most larger film and arts granting organizations require a minimum film budget of $500,000 to even apply, and others require seeing a more substantive version of the film, and we just aren’t there yet.
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If you have ideas or expertise and you wish to contribute meaningfully to the project, we are always open to helpful ideas. Feel free to reach out to the production team here for any specific questions.
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No, donations are not tax-deductible.
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Donor-producers, Consulting Producers and others who have given at higher levels to this project do not have ownership rights to the film. If you would like to become an equity investor in the project, please contact us here.
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No. Unless one of the outlined perks specifically includes a ticket or a reserved pass, all project backers and producers are asked to purchase tickets to the festival or other premiere event. If a movie is premiering at a private event where we are responsible for the ticket sales, it may be possible to accommodate complimentary ticket requests. In all cases, please send us a message on our website’s contact page.
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No. The funds raised to support Meet Me at the Club: The Castro Country Club Story do not directly benefit the Castro Country Club. The Producers, production team and associated individuals are not affiliated with the CCC. This film is a project of Liberty Lane Films, LLC. To donate to the Castro Country Club, please visit https://www.castrocountryclub.org/
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Though the filmmakers and members of the team consider the CCC their home-away-from-home, this film is not affiliated with the CCC in any way. But, we could not make the film without the cooperation of the CCC community and the CCC Advisory Board. We deeply appreciate their cooperation in letting us tell this story.
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More than 85% of ALL money raised to date has originated from outside the CCC community. We have project supporters and donors from as far away as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Italy. And of course many of our supporters right here in California.