TVO goes big on body size and beauty in the world premiere, TVO-commissioned documentary Chubby Chaser, September 26

TORONTO, Aug. 28, 2012 /CNW/ - On Wednesday September 26 at 9 pm, TVO presents the world premiere of the TVO-commissioned, one-hour documentary Chubby Chaser. From first-time, Toronto filmmaker Jeff Sterne, Chubby Chaser is an honest and humourous coming-out story about Sterne's love of full-figured women and chronicles how the ideals of beauty have gone from real size to no size. Blending live action and animation, the film tackles the subject of size acceptance through a man's eyes as it follows Sterne's engaging personal odyssey.

For Sterne, big is beautiful. A lifelong "fat admirer" (FA), he's what some might call a "chubby chaser." But he was reluctant to fess up about it until he read a worrisome Facebook post from his young niece describing herself as "fat and ugly." Her bald statement of feeling physically unacceptable prompted him to address his own feelings of isolation for preferring larger women.

In Chubby Chaser, Sterne searches out fellow FAs and discovers he's part of a subculture of people who think bigger is better. He finds the "Hugh Hefner of fat chicks," Bodacious magazine publisher and owner Zik Uwaje; attends a BBW (Big Beautiful Women) bash in Vegas; meets a plus-size Canadian couple living - and loving - large in Texas; and talks to Bill Fabrey, founder of the North American Association for Fat Acceptance. With insights from Ryerson University professor Dr. Kimberley Wahl and novelist/cultural commentator Russell Smith, Sterne traces how popular culture's definition of beauty has evolved over the past century and investigates why society marginalizes the overweight. Along the way, he tries to find acceptance for himself and help his niece become confident in her own skin, no matter what her size.

"I wanted to make a documentary that created a dialogue about feminine beauty. I felt that by understanding how beauty influences us, a documentary like Chubby Chaser might be able to change someone's negative perception of themself," says writer/director Jeff Sterne. "Making a personal documentary is extremely challenging and I appreciated having TVO's experience behind me."

Jeff Sterne joins a host of other Canadian filmmakers whose stories have found a platform on TVO. TVO is a proud supporter of emerging and established Canadian filmmakers, commissioning eight to ten Canadian point-of-view (POV) documentaries per year.

"We're excited to enable Jeff Sterne to tell his story," says Jane Jankovic, commissioning editor for TVO. "In an age where the images in advertising and magazines drive young girls to mold themselves to unrealistic expectations, we feel that Chubby Chaser plays an important role in helping us embrace beauty in all its forms."

Chubby Chaser will also be available for viewing on TVO's Doc Studio following the broadcast. Doc Studio is an online showcase for documentary filmmakers and their work, and also acts as a learning community supporting POV filmmaking.

For more information about the film, including comments from director Jeff Sterne, a trailer and images, visit docstudio.tvo.org/story/chubby-chaser or www.chubbychaserdoc.com.

Chubby Chaser is produced by Jeannette Loakman (Cat Ladies, Peep Culture, Spam: The Documentary), owner of Toronto-based Chaser Films. The film is a production of Chaser Films in association with TVO and Canal D.

About writer/director Jeff Sterne

Jeff Sterne has coordinated and managed a variety of film and television productions, working for the National Film Board of Canada/Ontario Centre and a wide collection of independent Toronto production companies. He has written and directed a series of short creative films that have screened at numerous international film festivals.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. TVO is funded primarily by the Province of Ontario and is a registered charity supported by sponsors and thousands of donors. For more information, visit tvo.org

Where to Find TVO

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SOURCE: TVO

Media contacts:

For TVO:
Angela Garde
T: 416.484.2600 x 2305
E: [email protected]

For Chaser Films:
Jeremy Katz
T: 416.656.6970
C: 416.997.6970
E: [email protected]