John Cameron Mitchell Joins as Executive Producer for PAYING FOR IT Film

Tony-award-winning performer John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Shortbus, Rabbit Hole) has joined the producing team as Executive Producer for Paying for It, the live-action movie adaptation of legendary cartoonist Chester Brown’s best-selling graphic novel, “a comic-strip memoir about being a john."  

In a double act of portraiture, Brown’s real-life ex, filmmaker Sook-Yin Lee (Octavio is Dead! Year of the Carnivore), directs and co-writes Paying For It in a singular work of cinematic auto-fiction that is alive, funny, and moving. The film is completing post-production and is readying for the festival circuit.

The fall will also see a re-issue of Paying For It in a new paperback edition from Drawn & Quarterly, with a cover by Brown inspired by the film adaptation, an introduction written by director Lee, expanded notes, movie stills, behind-the-scenes photographs, and artwork that Brown created for the production. Paying For It: The Film Edition is a must-have for fans of Brown and filmmaking alike.

Paying for It stars award-winning comic actor Daniel Beirne (Twentieth Century, Priscilla), emerging actor Emily Lê (Riceboy Sleeps), acclaimed activist/author/performer Andrea Werhun (Modern Whore, Thriving: A Dissociative Reverie), and is produced by Matt Code of Wildling Pictures, Sonya Di Rienzo and Aeschylus Poulos of Hawkeye Pictures.
 
In the late 90s, Chester and Sonny are a long-term, committed, romantic couple. When Sonny wants to redefine their relationship, Chester, a painfully introverted cartoonist, starts sleeping with sex workers and discovers a new kind of intimacy in the process.

Paying for It is an intelligent and affecting work about love, sex and non-monogamy for adults. The film is an adaptation through a female gaze. Lee pushes perceptions around consensual sex work, allowing sex-worker perspectives to shine through.

Paying for It is produced by Matt Code (See for Me, Mary Goes Round, the upcoming Young Werther), Sonya Di Rienzo (Brother, The Young Arsonists, the upcoming The Players), Aeschylus Poulos (Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, Brother, Sleeping Giant), co-produced by Natalie Urquhart (Suits, Stardust), and Sook-Yin Lee, and Executive Produced by John Cameron Mitchell and Daniel Beirne. The screenplay is co-written by Lee and Joanne Sarazen (Backspot, Tammy’s Always Dying). Dylan Gamble (Hot Garbage) and Lee compose the original score.
 
Paying for It is produced by Wildling Pictures and Hawkeye Pictures with the participation of Telefilm Canada, Ontario Creates and in association with Bell Media's Crave and CBC Films.

Photo Credit: Gayle Ye