Rain Valdez Wants Nothing Less Than to Change the Face of Hollywood

Aside from a few celebrated anomalies like Lily Gladstone in Killers of the Flower Moon, representation of historically marginalized groups both in front of and behind the camera has been stagnating or decreasing. Emmy nominee Rain Valdez is looking to change that with her new production company.

Best known for her Emmy-nominated performance in the short-form series, Razor Tongue, Valdez has launched a trans-led, equity-focused production company called Rainbow Entertainment. With it, the Filipina creative hopes not only to elevate underrepresented groups, but to change how the business of Hollywood gets done.

In her launch post on Instagram, Valdez describes the physical space of Rainbow Entertainment’s office as a physical manifestation of their mission:

“Rainbow Entertainment is more than a production company; it is a thriving community, an extension of an ever-expanding family. We proudly employ a diverse army of queer and trans artists, both in front of and behind the camera, ensuring that every facet of our productions reflects the richness and complexity of the human experience.”

I had the chance to chat with Valdez to get more in-depth about her vision for the company. In the Deadline piece announcing the launch, Rainbow Entertainment was described as an “equity-centered” company, and I asked Valdez to elaborate on what that means.

She describes a culture with equity baked into its language. Taking issue with the terms “above the line” (where the “higher up” creatives are accounted for on a budget) and “below the line” (where crew is accounted for), she plans on removing this “archaic language” at Rainbow.

“This language always bothered me,” Valdez explains. “Because anyone who isn’t an EP or a highly paid actor is considered ‘below the line.’ This language insinuates that those who are below the line have less value and are replaceable. It fosters a hierarchy that just feels so unnecessary.”

The shift doesn’t stop at language. It will be baked into how the company handles its documentation and organizing itself, as well as how content is created. She’s community-minded when it comes to development. “Instead of appointing a Head of Development, we will assemble a dedicated team to serve as Head of Championship,” Valdez says. “This team will focus on identifying and curating works and voices that are already well-formed and developed. The aim is to let creators shine in their authentic expression, minimizing top-down gatekeeping directives that can dilute the essence of the art and story.”

Rainbow’s focus right now is financing the upcoming magical realist rom-com, When Jupiter Returns, Mahal. Mahal, a Filipino, trans woman, is impulsive and loveable, but decides to confront the Universe itself after the sudden death of her sister. She then meets Aarush, a mysterious inventor. As they fall in love, despite The Universe’s prophecy, Mahal grapples with whether she can create her own destiny or if it’s all fated in the stars.

It’s still weirdly revolutionary to have a romantic film starring a trans woman, and I love that this film isn’t a tragic drama, but a story that plays with multiple genres. Valdez stresses that she wants to tell a broad swath of trans stories.

“I am deeply committed to working on aspirational content which includes romantic comedies and magical realism projects,” she says. “Not only do I have a passion for these genres, but I believe they hold significant political weight. Rom-coms, due to their widespread appeal and easy consumption, act as a form of propaganda, dictating who deserves love and a happy ending in society.  Living as a trans woman in today’s world is surreal. There is something magical about our existence and our ability to still find love among the chaos and the hate.”

Valdez hopes to collaborate with talented trans voices worldwide. On her wish list is horror writer/director Alice Maio Mackey, a young, trans filmmaker from Australia, whom she met at the LGBTQIA+ film festival, Outfest. She also has a pretty impressive mentor and Executive Producer on Mahal in Lilly Wachowski, with whom she hopes to collaborate on other projects as well.

Keep your eyes on Rainbow Entertainment, as I expect lots of quality, compelling genre content to be coming out of there in the next few years!

(featured image: Jason Riv)