A daring, authentic, unabashedly funny documentary about midlife sexuality for women.

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Casting Call

We’re looking for people experiencing perimenopause/menopause to share their stories on camera for a documentary film about sex and sexuality in midlife. 

HOT! looks at menopause through a different lens. Exploring the sexual changes that result from perimenopause and menopause, the film reveals the physical, psychological and/or cultural roadblocks faced by women during and after this transformative time.

Through personal journeys of real people navigating issues of midlife sexuality, HOT! is an unbiased conversation about what happens to women’s bodies with age, and how we can find authentic answers and solutions for ourselves as well as self-esteem and well-being in midlife. It’s about living boldly and unapologetically.

Although the film will speak with experts, influencers, hosts, and celebrities, at this time, we are searching solely for “real people” stories.

If you’d like to tell your story, please fill out this interest form

Interest Form

FILM TEAM

Lina Lyte Plioplyte

Director

Lina Plioplyte is an Emmy, Silver Lion, and Clio-winning director and cinematographer. As a filmmaker, her work bridges documentaries, commercials and short films that have aired on MTV, PBS, VICELAND, Pitchfork, A&E and screened at various film festivals, including Hot Docs, MIFF, and IDFA. Lina's feature-length directorial debut ADVANCED STYLE is currently streaming on Hulu and YouTube, after a successful run on Netflix. Her second feature, PERIODICAL, is all about the menstrual cycle, and can be seen on Prime or Peacock. She’s currently working on multiple projects involving taboos, gender norms, and how we see the world.

Lina loves featuring individuals living unapologetically and striving to make the world a better place. Her goal as a director is to call in the mystery of life and provoke change by telling compelling stories with both humor and raw honesty. She also believes in integral filmmaking, by hiring women and minorities, highlighting and supporting the communities that she films in, and making her film sets plastic-free.

Dr. Maria Sophocles

Consulting Producer, Medical Expert, and On-Camera Talent

Dr. Maria Sophocles is an internationally respected gynecologist and thought leader in sexual health and menopause. Her mission is to educate women and clinicians about menopause and sex and to foster the right to sexual pleasure and consensual, satisfying sex for all women. She is the author of the forthcoming book The Bedroom Gap and her viral TED talk about sex in midlife has nearly a million views. She practices in Princeton, New Jersey and through her virtual clinic.

KRISTI FRAZIER

PRODUCER

Kristi Frazier is a documentary and commercial animation producer with multiple award-winning films and national advertisements to her credit. Her recent feature, SHOUTING DOWN MIDNIGHT, premiered at SXSW in 2022 and is part of the Turning Point series - executive produced by Trevor Noah - broadcasting on MSNBC. She produced and directed the feature film TAKE PAINS, broadcasting nationally on PBS and co-produced THE SECRET LIFE OF LANCE LETSCHER, which premiered at SXSW in 2016. Other films include A SINGLE FRAME, honored at the Austin Film Festival and Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Wrenched, garnering numerous festival awards. She was a commercial animation producer at the celebrated Celluloid Studios working on iconic national commercials for top advertising agencies such as Foote, Cone & Belding, Leo Burnett and Saatchi and Saatchi.

CATHY TREKLOFF

PRODUCER

Cathy is a founding partner, business manager, and producer at Milkhaus. Her main career focus has been keeping projects and “creatives” organized. She is well-versed in documentaries, docu-series, and animation projects. She served as Associate Producer and Production Coordinator on the Academy Award® & Emmy Award® winning short documentary SAVING FACE for directors Daniel Junge & Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy (HBO, Ch.4). She was a Co-Producer on 78/52: HITCHCOCK’S SHOWER SCENE (Documentary, IFC, Arte), Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on the Exorcist, and The Taking (Documentary) – all three directed by Alexandre O. Philippe and Produced Kerry Deignan Roy. She has served as a post-producer, coordinator, and graphics producer on several projects for Discovery, HBO, and Netflix, among others. She recently produced ARTIFICIAL GAMER following engineers at OpenAI as they develop an AI agent to play and beat the world’s top Pro e-sports teams in “DotA”. She is currently producing the film LOVE IVAN about the complicated 20-year friendship between a father and his daughter’s killer.

KERRY DEIGNAN ROY

PRODUCER

Kerry has over 30 years of experience as a producer. For her independent production company, Exhibit A Pictures, Kerry produced the pop-culture deep dives YOU CAN CALL ME BILL (SXSW ‘23), LYNCH/OZ (Tribeca ’22), THE TAKING (Fantastic Fest ’21, BFI London FF ’21), LEAP OF FAITH: WILLIAM FRIEDKIN ON THE EXORCIST (Venice ’19, Sundance ‘20), MEMORY: THE ORIGINS OF ALIEN (Sundance ’19), 78/52: HITCHCOCK’S SHOWER SCENE (Sundance ’17), DOC OF THE DEAD (SXSW’14) and THE PEOPLE VS. GEORGE LUCAS (SXSW ‘10) with her long-time partners: director, Alexandre O. Philippe, and cinematographer, Robert Muratore. For AMC/ Shudder and director Stephen Scarlata (Jodorowsky’s Dune), Kerry produced SHARKSPLOITATION (‘23) and is currently executive producing the upcoming TRAILBLAZER: THE DEBRA HILL STORY with Causeway Pictures out of Northern Ireland. For Milkhaus, she produced ARTIFICIAL GAMER (‘22), and was a graphics producer for UNCHARTED (TRIBECA ‘23), NO ACCIDENT (HBO ’23), LIVE TO 100: SECRET OF THE BLUE ZONES (NETFLIX ‘23), DOWNFALL: THE CASE AGAINST BOEING (NETFLIX ‘22), UPROOTED (Discovery+ ‘21).

GABRIELLA ESPINOSA

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

Gabriella Espinosa is the host of the podcast, 'Pleasure in the Pause' and the creator of 'Women’s Body Wisdom', an online coaching platform empowering women through menopause with pleasure, power, and purpose. A dedicated educator, coach, and advocate for women’s health and sexual wellness, she develops menopause education programs for major platforms and collaborates with US and UK women’s health brands. Gabriella is committed to broadening menopause awareness in the Latina community, actively creating educational resources. She also supports female-led startups and fundraises for nonprofits in women’s health and the arts.

LEVELS OF GIVING

MAKE A TAX-DEDUCTIBLE DONATION THROUGH OUR FISCAL SPONSOR

By supporting this documentary, you are contributing to breaking down barriers, promoting understanding, and empowering women to embrace this phase of life with confidence and knowledge. Your donation will help in creating a more inclusive and informed society on these crucial subjects – and will help increase awareness, educate the public, and reduce the stigma surrounding menopause and women’s sexuality.

Austin City Art Fund aspires to collaborate on ambitious projects with the leading artists of our time. A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the mission of Austin City Art Fund is to support the production and exhibition of art and film. Every donation supports new work created in collaboration with internationally-recognized artists, curators, and filmmakers. 

Reach out about checks or Donor Advised Funds

MICHELLE VOSS
moc.s1751113851sovel1751113851lehci1751113851m@eml1751113851iame1751113851

Austin City Art Fund, Michelle Voss 

P.O. Box 301985 Austin, Texas 78703 

EIN: 20-5239085 

austincityartfund.org

*BUDGET UPON REQUEST

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

$100K

Main Title Credit
Plus two tickets to the premiere and select screening events.
*travel not included

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

$75K

Main Title Credit

CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

$50K

Main Title Credit

CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER

$25K

End Credit

CO-CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER

$10K

End Credit

THIS FILM COULD NOT HAVE BEEN MADE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF

$5K

End Credit

DONATIONS RECOGNIZED IN "THANKS"

>$1K

End Credit

Impact Campaign

By pairing film screenings with experts, we hope to reach audiences in overlooked areas of the country and add value. By educating these populations about menopause, sexual health and the (lack of) gender equality in healthcare, in society, and in the bedroom, this is a proxy for the bigger health and pay gaps that are deeply etched in society.

We also look to spark dialogue and change among medical schools, physicians, key stakeholders and decision makers about best practices to empower women struggling with menopausal and sexual health issues.

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