Follow J.Lo’s Nibling Brendon Scholl in ‘Draw With Me’

Presented by Ithaka Films, Draw With Me by Constantine Venetopolous introduces audiences to Brendon Scholl, Jennifer Lopez’s ‘nibling’ (a gender neutral term used in place of niece or nephew).

Identifying as trans and nonbinary, Scholl is a talented, teen visual artist whose work has been a vital outlet for self-expression. From coming out and consequently attempting suicide to becoming an advocate, Draw With Me is the intimate portrait of Scholl and their supportive family.

Featuring appearances by Scholl’s mother, Leslie Ann Lopez, auntie J.Lo, and even President Joe Biden, Draw With Me was powered by the Onassis Foundation and in partnership with the Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention line for LGBTQ youth. The film has greatly impacted the LGBTQ movement by playing at the Tribeca Film Festival with the support of GLAAD, being the subject of the first-ever panel at the United Nations on Transgender Health, and it has been screened at several high schools in conjunction with the New York Department of Education. Now, it may be a contender for an Academy Award.

OFM had the opportunity to chat more with Venetopolous and Scholl about the film.

Hello! Thank you both for taking some time to chat with me about Draw With Me. Constantine, why did you want to create this film, and what drew you specifically to Brendon’s story?
Constantine Venetopolous: It was quite organic how it came together. I have been a part of the Trevor Project for many years, and I met Brendon through Brendon’s mother, Leslie Ann. A friend of mine, producer Marco Marangello introduced me to Leslie Ann. She is in my feature film, The Man in the Attic. When I was invited to their home, I got to briefly meet Brendon, and we kind of clicked.

Brendon showed me around their room, and I saw all that art. I was just fascinated by the art. Then, we started talking, and Brendon then told me a little bit about the Trevor Project and their coming-out journey. I just loved the whole story, and I related to it personally through my own coming-out journey. It started to evolve into how we could tell this story to have a positive impact.

Brendon, what was your reaction when you found out this project was going to be made?
Brendon Scholl: I kind of had this idea that this was just going to be a little thing, a little film. It’s not going to go really far. By the time filming came around, it was like, oh! This is a legit setup with cameras and everything. It was kind of a disbelief that was even happening.And how exciting is it to not only have your mother, but your aunt, the one and only Jennifer Lopez, to be involved as well?
BS: It is so funny to me whenever I talk about my titi Jen. Everyone is like, oh my God! It’s J.Lo! I’m like, yeah, that’s my aunt [laughs]. She is my relative first and foremost before she is a celebrity. So, in my mind, it was like, I got the whole family here. Everyone is here.

What do you hope audiences take away from Draw With Me?
CV: I hope they take away a little bit of acceptance. Understanding change and how society evolves. Things are not static, and things keep moving. For example, Brendon’s mother says in the documentary, she says something like, one day, we will be in a society where it will be okay to say, hey, I am so and so. What’s your preferred pronouns? So, things like that. The White House recently announced on all their forums, they have gender neutral pronouns. I think even sparking that conversation in itself is already a lot, but to go further with mental health issues, coming out, and being understood. All those things together is also part of the conversation.

BS: I hope they take away that we are all just people with our own struggles. For all the trans youth who see the film, I want them to know that they are not alone, and that other people have gone through what they are going through. They come out the other end. If we can do it, then you can do it too.

How does it feel to know that film may be up for an Oscar nomination?
CV: It feels exciting and surreal, but most importantly, it feels great. The Trevor Project was one of the reasons why we were inspired to do this, and as you know, the Trevor Project is the leading suicide prevention line for LGBTQ youth. It started 22 years ago when a short film got an Oscar, and that turned into the Trevor Project. So, to even be following in those footsteps and face his possibility is fantastic. Even if we can help one person, the Oscars is something that will help spread the platform much faster.

Related Article: Mike Heslin’s New Comedy Show ‘The Influencers’

How were you feeling once you saw the final product?
CV: I felt very proud, very touched, and very relieved because this project came with a great sense of responsibility. I even told Brendon at some point when we were setting it all up, I had cold feet. Like, whoa! Can I handle this? I come from filmmaking in the fiction world, and this was the first time I was working on a documentary. There is so much responsibility in telling a person’s story and their family’s story than it is to do a cartoon or thriller. If you do a horror film, it’s either good or bad, and that is it. This is people’s lives. When the family saw it and the grandparents, I realized that in addition to telling Brendon’s story and the positive impact it will have, I feel like it also brought the family together in a strong way. I was very happy.

BS: For me, it was very surreal because I have never really seen myself on a screen before other than school projects where we had to do something with video. Just to see myself and my story in this official environment, it was surreal. Like, that’s me.

Brendon, can you tell us more about your artwork and how it became your outlet for self-expression?
BS: Yeah! I have always had a hard time verbalizing my feelings when I am currently going through something. After the event has passed, I have no problem talking about it and how I was feeling at the time, but when I am in the middle of something and feeling it, I am not good at picking the right words. I am not good at opening up a line of communication to say those words. So, art gave me an opportunity to rather than try and say the words, to show the feelings. I could tell other people how I was feeling and just get those feelings out of myself, so I am not bottling it up. Art gave me an outlet to release some pressure.

What kind of art do you do?
BS: I do a little bit of everything, but I mostly paint. Painting is my go-to medium, and I play around with it the most. It makes me comfortable. But I will really try anything.

You said art saved you from wanting to commit suicide. Would you like to talk more about that?
BS: Basically, when I would have these really big, self-destructive urges and dark thoughts and impulses, rather than acting them out on myself or on others, I was able to draw or paint it. I was able to release them in a constructive way rather than destructive way. I could satisfy the urge without causing any harm.

Constantine, what did you find to be the most rewarding part about creating Draw With Me?
CV: There were a lot of things, but the most rewarding part was really connecting with Brendon. Telling their story and learning a lot about being trans and the differences that come from being gay. The journey, the value of life, the value of telling a story. I learned that through art, you do not just have to create fiction. You can make art through something real, and that was very valuable.

Do you have any upcoming projects in the works?
CV: Yes, definitely. I have been working on a few fiction projects, and then I also collaborated with actor Ian Alexander. I am also developing with Eddie Ndopu, who is the first disabled person that is going to go into outer space. We are talking with Eddie, and he is actually Black and gay. He always says, I have all these minority elements. So, we are in talks with that, and then I am working on a horror film. It will be my second feature film.

What is next for you, Brendon? You are currently in college pursuing acting?
BS: I am kind of in a weird crossroads right now where I am between wanting to continue to pursue acting or go in a completely different direction. I am looking into mortuary science. These are vastly different careers with no overlap, but they are both really interesting to me. So, I am currently taking anatomy courses, as well as my regular drama curriculum. I am kind of seeing what becomes of it. We will see whichever way the wind blows.

To stay up-to-date with both Venetopolous and Scholl, follow them on Instagram. Draw With Me runs theatrically now at ArenaScreen through Feb. 9.