Synopsis

15-year-olds Katie, popular and Maura, a misfit, are on opposite ends of the social spectrum. After both fail the first hurdle in becoming Weeki Wachee mermaids, they bond over their shared dream. Mentored by an aging former mermaid who drinks a bit much, it looks within their reach until Maura reveals her romantic feelings for Katie, threatenting to ruin everything.

Inspiration

Based on Cummings' short film of the same name, Weeki Wachee Girls screened at the International Jackson Heights Food and Film Festival to enthusiastic audience acclaim. After the screening, a group of teenagers from Generation Q, a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens in Queens, NY, told Cummings that they had come to the festival just to see Weeki Wachee Girls and that they had loved it. They shared with her heart-breaking stories of straight friends who had rejected them; they quoted statistics from various sources that show how 97% of students in public high schools report regularly hearing homophobic remarks from peers, 53% report hearing such comments made by school staff, and 41.7% of LGBT youth do not feel safe in their schools because they are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. Surprised to learn that most teens still face rampant homophobia in their schools and in their lives, Cummings knew she needed to make a feature.