Director D.W. Waterson (they/them) discusses their upcoming film Backspot and how they seek to dive deeper into queer relationships and the shockingly dark world of cheerleading. According to Waterson, they are seeking to shoot a cheer drama similar to “many gritty male sports films in my life.”

The film follows driven cheerleader Riley (Devery Jacobs) as she struggles to handle her relationship with her girlfriend Amanda (Kudakwashe Rutendo) and her incredibly competitive cheer squad and harsh coach Eileen (Evan Rachel Wood). According to Riley, the film’s conflict will be more centered on the harshness of cheerleading than on Riley’s queerness. “It’s the performance, it’s the sport, it’s the attitude, it’s the expectation that’s the issue — it has nothing to do with them being queer,” Waterson explained.

Before starting the film, Waterson, Jacobs, and writer Joanne Sarazan researched Cheer Fusion All-Stars outside of Toronto. Over five years, the trio noticed both the free spirits of the cheer members and the injuries and concussions suffered. Waterson even notes how most films about cheer don’t show them pounding food. In their movie, Riley and her cheer squad are “crushing burgers and onion rings, and then they’re gonna go flip too because that’s what teenagers do.”

Waterson has expressed their excitement for what the film could mean to many queer artists through its primarily queer background, from the actors to train actor Elliot Page’s production company Page BoyTo them, the feeling of so many queer people backing and supporting the film has been “so instrumental in creating a fantastic film.”

According to Waterson, the film is meant to show the world the grueling process that cheer squads endure while exposing the inner turmoils of teenagers worldwide. They hope this film will encourage others to “reach out more and open those conversations about mental health.”

Backspot is set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8.