From the Courts to the Screen: How GLTA and Local Queer Leagues Inspired the New Short Film Sissies
For so many of us, stepping onto a tennis court isn’t just about perfecting a cross-court forehand or moving up a division. It’s about finding a home. Whether you are playing a local weekend ladder or traveling across the globe for a GLTA World Tour event, our sport has a unique way of serving up exactly what we need off the court: a chosen family, a safe space, and a profound sense of belonging.
That exact magic—the complex, beautiful, and deeply personal nature of the queer tennis community—is the driving force behind Sissies, an upcoming short film project by independent filmmaker and fellow GLTA player Alon Borten.
A Story Born on the Courts of Los Angeles
Alon, a queer filmmaker currently living in Los Angeles, is a familiar face on the local tennis scene. Like many of us, his perspective shifted when he discovered the local queer sports community and joined OutLoud Sports and the Los Angeles Tennis Association (LATA) after moving to the city in 2017.
“What I found there—the community, the belonging, the complexity—changed something in me,” Alon shares. That profound personal transformation sparked the idea for Sissies, a narrative built by and for the very community that inspired it.
The Story of Sissies:
The film follows a young, famous, and closeted actor who joins a queer tennis league in Los Angeles, searching for a place where he can finally belong. While his Hollywood career depends on him staying in the closet, the league forces him to navigate a delicate tension. Most members welcome him with open arms, but others question whether someone can truly share in the warmth of a community without publicly claiming it. Ultimately, the courts become the arena in which he must decide whether he is ready to be true to himself.
Award-Winning Potential
The script for Sissies is already getting a lot of love, placing in several highly competitive arenas, including the Austin Film Festival Screenplay Competition, Final Draft Big Break, and the Santa Barbara International Screenplay Awards. Furthermore, Alon’s previous short film, This Is For You (2023), struck a massive chord with audiences, racking up over 6 million views on YouTube. With Sissies, he is bringing that same authentic storytelling to the sport and the community we all care about.
Connecting With Our Global Community
As a global network of players, allies, and clubs, the GLTA thrives because we share a common bond. Sissies touches on themes so many of us recognize: the struggles of identity, the sanctuary of the court, and the diverse personalities that make our leagues so vibrant.
Alon has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help bring this vision to life, and we wanted to share it with our global network for anyone who might feel inspired by the project.
If this story resonates with you, feel free to take a look at his project page, watch the trailer video, or pass it along to your local tennis clubs and league friends who might be interested in independent queer cinema.
Campaign Details: The project is running on Kickstarter through July 2nd.
Learn More: You can read more about the creative team and follow the project’s journey directly on their official page.
We are always proud to highlight the incredible creative endeavors of our players off the court. We wish Alon the absolute best of luck in bringing this meaningful story to the screen!
Explore the project here: sissies short film kick starter
