SFTFF 2026 – DOCUMENTARY
The 2026 San Francisco Transgender Film Festival continues with DOCUMENTARY, a shorts block featuring four poignant and explorative films.
3 Hearts of Iron (13:25min)
Ariel del Sol, Costa Rica, 2026
Schuyler Bailar, Chella Man, and Cal Calamia come together through friendship and solidarity to take on an Ironman, claiming, (and fully enjoying) their place in a world of sport where trans bodies are increasingly questioned, politicized, and pushed out.
At a time when public visibility can make trans people both targets and symbols, simply showing up becomes a statement. But 3 Hearts of Iron is not a story about proving their humanity through suffering. Surrounded by a fierce and loving community, Schuyler, Chella, and Cal move through the race with joy, interdependence, determination, and extraordinary athleticism.
Together, they offer a different image of trans life in sport: not one defined by debate or exclusion, but by friendship, excellence, and belonging. In doing so, they show that trans people do more than belong in sports: they have the power to transform and expand what sports can be.
Hustleween (20min)
Samara Perez Santiago, Puerto Rico, 2026
On November 2, 2024, a trans and queer squad celebrates the 5th anniversary of “Hustleween“. A magical, unapologetic, Black, Trans, Queer event that raises funds for Trans Masc people. Honoring Trans euphoria as our right,
¡puñeta!
Reef (Arrecife) (14min)
Ángel Morales Ballesta, Spain, 2025
Ángel es una persona trangénero en transición a punto de operarse de mastectomía. Vive en casa de su abuela de 89 años donde se respira amor, comprensión y apoyo. Se ayudan mutuamente todos los días, tanto Ángeles con la recuperación tras la operación como Ángel en los quehaceres diarios de la casa y las curas a su abuela.
Ángel cuenta en primera persona sobre su proceso, cómo su abuela es un pilar fundamental, sobre cómo el mar es un lugar terapéutico para él y le reconecta con su infancia, la estereotipación del colectivo trans, la disforia, el tiempo y, lo más importante, la reconciliación con el cuerpo, con su casa.
Ángel is a transgender person in transition about to undergo top surgery. He lives in his 89-year-old grandmother’s house where he breathes love, understanding and support. They help each other every day, both Ángeles with the recovery after the top surgery and Ángel with the daily housework and the cures to his grandmother.
Ángel tells in first person about his process, how his grandmother is a fundamental pillar, how the sea is a therapeutic place for him and reconnects him with his childhood, the stereotyping of the trans community, dysphoria, time and, most importantly, reconciliation with the body, with its home.
One Of The Girls (11min)
Alexandra Chandra, United States, 2026
One of the Girls is a short documentary following Mary, a Japanese American immigrant, single mother, and electrologist whose gender-affirming care has made her a trusted figure in the lives of transgender women. Moving between her home and office, the film captures the intimate rhythms of her daily practice through client sessions, conversations, and moments of quiet routine. Weaving together present-day observation with archival materials from transgender history and the AIDS epidemic, the film reveals how Mary’s work extends beyond allyship into a lifelong practice of care, trust, and accomplice-ship.
Approximate running time: 59 minutes
