students redefine the narrative of consent on campus

watch the trailer

ROLEPLAY is a feature documentary that follows a group of college students as they confront sexual violence on their campus through a transformative theater process.  This urgent coming of age story follows young adults grappling with sex, consent, identity, and power on their paths to adulthood.

  • “It changed me. Access to these brilliant young minds and what they’ve accomplished got to me on a cellular level. I remembered to be hopeful for a moment.”

  • “One of the best docs I’ve seen so far this year is Katie Mathews’ “Roleplay,” a film that truly surprised me because it does what so few films like this are willing to do: It lets its subjects be messy, unpredictable, and human… Mathews has a deceptively subtle voice as a director, providing a supportive platform more than insisting on cinematic results. It leads to a film that’s all the more powerful by virtue of feeling so very real.”

  • “More than a documentary about campus sexual violence, Roleplay is a damning window into the ways society reinforces rape culture.”

SCREENINGS AND WORKSHOPS

Since premiering at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, ROLEPLAY has traveled to festivals, universities, conferences, and independent theaters worldwide. The film resonates deeply with young people and students by authentically reflecting their realities in ways dry presentations cannot. 

We aim to integrate ROLEPLAY into campus and community programs, fostering behavior change through relatable storytelling and meaningful peer-to-peer dialogue about consent and campus culture.

CREATE IMPACT WITH US

  • SCREENINGS EVENTS that include licensing to screen for a large audience.

  • LIVE APPEARANCES AND Q&A with Director Katie Mathews, Producers Darcy McKinnon and Jenny Mercein, and Film Participants.

  • INTIMACY AND EMBODIMENT WORKSHOPS on consent-based devising practices.

  • MASTERCLASSES IN DOCUMENTARY FILM AND DEVISED THEATER with an award-winning team.

  • PBS UNDERWRITING and reach 130 million annual PBS viewers with your message.

Screening Partners Include:

Meet the film team

KATIE MATHEWS

Katie Mathews is a filmmaker, researcher, and educator working across documentary and fiction. Named as one of DOC NYC’s 40 Under 40 Filmmakers, her collaborative approach is focused on creating spaces for truth and transformation. Recent projects include feature documentary Roleplay (SXSW 2024), narrative short Dark Moon (Vimeo Staff Pick 2023), and Signal and Noise (Special Jury Prize NOFF 2022). She is a Princess Grace Award winner and her work can be found on Teen Vogue, Condé Nast Traveler, WIRED, PBS, Hulu, and Disney+. She teaches film at Hunter College (CUNY).

DARCY MCKINNON

Darcy McKinnon is a documentary filmmaker based in New Orleans, whose work focuses on the American South and the Caribbean. Recently released projects include A King Like Me and Roleplay, premiering at SXSW 2024, Commuted, the winner of the New Orleans Film Festival Audience Award and Best Louisiana Documentary (PBS, 2024),  Algiers, America, winner of the NOFF23 Audience Award (Hulu, 2023), Under G-d (Sundance 2023), Look at Me! XXXTENTACION (SXSW, Hulu, 2022) and News & Doc Emmy-nominated The Neutral Ground (Tribeca, POV, 2021), recipient of Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Documentary of the Year 2022. 

JENNY MERCEIN

Jenny Mercein (she/her) is a theater-maker, writer, storyteller, and producer. She’s been at Tulane since 2016, and currently serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre and Dance. Originally from New York, Jenny received a BA in Theater Studies and the History of Art from Yale University and an MFA in Acting from the University of Washington. She is the proud recipient of an Excellence in Teaching Award from the Tulane chapter of Mortar Board in 2023. She is also a member of AEA, SAG-AFTRA, and the National Alliance of Acting Teachers.

KATIE PHAM

Katie Pham is a first generation Vietnamese-American born and raised in New Orleans, and provides operational, producing and archival support at Gusto Moving Pictures. Recently released projects include being Associate Producer on Commuted (dir. Nailah Jefferson, New Orleans Film Festival 2023), Under G-d (dir. Paula Eiselt, Sundance 2023), The Neutral Ground (dir. CJ Hunt, Tribeca 2021). She is the Co-Producer on Roleplay (dir. Katie Mathews, SXSW 2024) and currently supporting production on The Gardeners (dir. Crystal Kayiza), Chinatown Down South (dir. Nancy Lauland), and The First Plantation (dir. Jason Fitzroy Jeffers). She also has experience in film festival operations, at fests including the New Orleans Film Festival and Overlook Film Festival.

LISA ALLEN

Lisa Y. Allen is a creative distribution strategist and impact producer based in Washington, DC, specializing in partnerships for documentary films that address social impact issues such as press freedom, criminal justice reform, and sexual consent on college campuses. Films include ROLEPLAY (2024 SXSW), BAD PRESS (2023 Sundance), HOME IS A HOTEL (2023 SFFILM), NO MATTER WHAT (2023 ReelRecovery), FIRST VOTE (2020 America ReFramed), and MAMA HAS A MUSTACHE (2021 MountainFilm).

THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS