Peggy Rajski facts for kids

Peggy Rajski is an American filmmaker who has directed and produced many movies. She is most famous for her short film Trevor, which won a very important award called an Academy Award, also known as an Oscar.

After making Trevor, she helped create The Trevor Project. This is a special organization that provides help and support to LGBTQ+ young people who are feeling sad, alone, or are going through a difficult time.

Besides making films, Peggy Rajski has also taught filmmaking to college students. She was the dean, or head, of the film and television school at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles from 2018 to 2021.

Early Life and Schooling

Peggy Rajski was born in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. She grew up in a large family and was one of ten children. When she was young, she was a member of the Girl Scouts.

In high school, Rajski was very active. She was a cheerleader and helped create her school's yearbook. After graduating in 1971, she went to college to study art. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

A Career in Filmmaking

After college, Rajski moved to New York City to start her career in the film industry. She quickly began working with famous filmmakers. In 1983, she met director John Sayles and producer Maggie Renzi. They hired her to help manage the production of their movies.

Rajski worked with Sayles and Renzi on several projects. In 1984, they made the music video for Bruce Springsteen's famous song, Born in the USA. She also helped produce some of Sayles's early movies, like The Brother from Another Planet and Matewan.

Over the years, Rajski worked with many other talented people in Hollywood. She produced the movie Little Man Tate, which was directed by and starred the actress Jodie Foster. She also co-produced the film The Grifters with the famous director Martin Scorsese.

The Film Trevor

In 1994, Peggy Rajski directed a short film called Trevor. The movie is about a 13-year-old boy named Trevor who loves theater and has a crush on a boy at his school. When other students find out, they are not kind to him, and Trevor feels very alone.

The film was a huge success. In 1995, it won an Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. This is one of the highest honors a movie can receive. The story of Trevor later became a musical, which was shown on Disney+ in 2022.

The Trevor Project

Why She Started The Trevor Project

When the movie Trevor was going to be shown on the TV channel HBO, Rajski wanted to make sure that any young viewers who felt like the character Trevor had a safe place to get help. She looked for a support hotline for LGBTQ+ youth but couldn't find one that was open 24 hours a day.

So, in 1998, she decided to create one herself. Along with the film's writer, Celeste Lecesne, and producer, Randy Stone, she founded The Trevor Project. It was created to be a 24/7 support service for young people who are part of the LGBTQ+ community.

How The Trevor Project Helps

When Trevor first aired on HBO, a phone number for The Trevor Project's crisis line was shown on the screen at the end. That very first night, the counselors received over 1,500 calls from young people who needed someone to talk to.

The organization has grown a lot since then. It has worked with popular TV shows like Glee to spread awareness and offer support. Today, The Trevor Project helps hundreds of thousands of young people every year through phone calls, texts, and online chats. Rajski has remained very involved with the organization and even served as its temporary leader, or CEO, from 2022 to 2024.

Awards and Honors

Peggy Rajski has received many awards for her work in film and for her efforts to help young people.

• Muse Award from New York Women in Film & Television (1991)
• Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film for Trevor (1995)
• Distinguished Alumnus Award from her college, the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point (2014)
• Pioneers of Queer Cinema award from the UCLA Film Archive (2022)

Filmography

This is a list of some of the movies Peggy Rajski has worked on.

See also

• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women