SFTFF: Program 2
Shipping Them
Director: Ryan Rox
Runtime: 15 minutes
Shipping Them tells the story of LUX, a day-dreamer who pines for the life of JENNA, the girl next door. Magically, Lux is transported into Jenna’s world and lives out their ultimate fantasy – the handsome husband (LIAM), a beautiful baby, their dream house… But, Lux finds out life isn’t always greener on the other side… Liam resents Lux, and subsequently turns to alcohol, leaves Lux for someone younger, and forces Lux into single parenthood – mirroring Lux’s parents. Lux is left wondering why they aren’t enough for anyone. They wake up on their mother’s lap. It was all a dream. Lux comes out to their mother as non-binary. Lux’s mother not only accepts them, but expresses her unconditional love for them. www.imdb.com/title/tt21617970/
—–
Ryan Rox(they/she) is a queer, Latine Director, Writer, and Actor of Trans Non-Binary experience, living and working in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Rox also works as the Artist Support Manager at the film organization Femme Frontera, supporting marginalized Femme and Non-Binary filmmakers of color from border regions, with an emphasis on those in Las Cruces, El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Rox has written and directed several short films including SHIPPING THEM – an autobiographical dramedy that explores navigating gender identity as a closeted, queer, Latine youth in a bordertown; while being raised by parents dealing with divorce, alcoholism and generational toxic masculinity. Rox is grateful to have showcased their work at TRANSlations, The Bush Films, Santa Fe Film Festival, Melbourne Women In Film, Cine Las Americas, and many more. Rox and their work have been supported by Femme Frontera’s Filmmaker Grant with mentorship from Aitch Alberto; and Film Fatales’ Fatales Forward: Trans Stories Fellowship with mentorship from Olivia Peace. Their primary filmmaking focus is telling queer stories from a queer perspective, while creating jobs for LGBTQIA+ individuals, bringing awareness to our humanity, and sparking empathy in those unfamiliar with and possibly misinformed about the community.
I SEEK YOUR HELP TO BURY A MAN (Procuro Teu Auxílio Para Enterrar Um Homem)
Director: Anderson Bardot
Country: Brazil
Runtime: 20 minutes
Brazil, 1870. Gita is a transgender woman doomed to die or suffer the consequences of her traditions. The half-breed soldier is fated to uphold and serve the unjust laws of his country. The old woman in black needs to save her indigenous son from the claws of the Brazilian Empire. The child claims that the purpose of love, the greatest universal law, is the breaking of the cycle of all tragedies.
——-
Emerging Artists Award Winner at the Out South Queer Film Festival (USA, 2021), Anderson Bardot is an artist and filmmaker from Espírito Santo, Brazil. Bardot is the founder of the production film company Vale Encantado Filmes and holds a degree in cinema and audiovisual media from UFES. Anderson Bardot is the director, screenwriter, and producer of the short film “Inabitáveis/The Uninhabitable Ones”, which premiered at the 49th International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2020 and participated in more than 80 film festivals and screenings around the world, winning 13 awards. In 2023, Bardot came back to the 52nd edition of IFFR in order to release their new short film “Procuro Teu Auxílio Para Enterrar Um Homem/I Seek Your Help to Bury a Man”. The film has already been selected for 12 international festivals and won a prize for best cinematography at the 11th Nyack International Film Festival (USA, 2023) and Best Director at the 9th Santos Film Fest.
Sir Valence Presents: Watching U
Director: Sir Valence
Country: United States
Runtime: 5:28
Set to “Watch Me” and “Faceshopping” by trans musicians, Anohni and the late SOPHIE (respectively), this experimental video concoction is a mediatized rumination on the double-edged sword of [hyper]visibility (of queer and trans, disabled, PoC, etc. bodies) vs. the police surveillance state/the Panopticon (and its enmeshments with Christocentric white supremacy, ableism, #Academia, etc.) in the Zoom/COVID era–and possible Community interventions to burn all that shit down.
—-
Rev. g (they/he) is a crip Corean transDisciplinary artist-activist + healer-abolitionist + scholar-masochist, who dreams of Queer Utopia and Access Intimacy. Sir Valence was spawned as a dragged embodiment of that which is most feared: the Panopticon. And ‘Watching U’ was conceived as a Community response to conquer it.
The Story of Mafalda (A História de Mafalda)
Director: Daniel Herz, Luis Felipe Sá
Country: Brazil
Runtime: 6 minutes
“The Story of Mafalda”- narrates the story of a transgender prostitute who’s brutally murdered by her lover, a man who killed her due to prejudice, caving into the social pressure and conservatism surrounding him.
—–
Daniel Herz, theater director and filmmaker. Herz has worked in the Brazilian theater industry for forty years, he has directed over forty plays throughout the years, including Mozart e Salieri”, (by Rimsky-Korsakov)”Piedade” (by João Guilherme Ripper),“Ubu Rei” (by Alfred Jarry), “Corcunda, dueto para ator”, (Daniel Herz, Mauricio Grecco and Tiago Herz) and multiple plays with Companhia Atores de Laura since 1992. Herz has worked for Rede Globo directing the TV show “Tomara que Caia” He also directed the feature “The Best Version”.
Luis Felipe Sá, an audiovisual director, has worked on TV Globo for almost 30 years, directing television and various formats. He directed the show “Brasil Legal” with Regina Casé in 1996/97; “Malhação” in 1998/1999; Linha Direta from 1999 to 2003; Other shows include “A Grande Familia,” “Cilada,” “Liga das Mulheres,”
“Junto e Misturado” (2010), and the second season of “Força Tarefa.” Sá was the showrunner for “A Grande Familia”- one of Brazil’s top sitcoms from 2011 to 2014. Additionally, he’s directed several art films with figures such as Abraham Palatnik and Iole de Freitas. In 2021 he directed the queer theatrical feature “The Best Version.”
The Little Piratemaid
Director: Luke Beatrice
Country: United States
Runtime: 3:05
The Little Piratemaid is about what it’s like to discover yourself as a trans person in a cis-normative world—even if that world is one of pirates and mermaids! This short film focuses on the moments of realization, the initial stages of transition, and the courage it takes for a little pirate girl to simply be herself. https://www.lukebeatriceart.com/the-little-piratemaid
—–
Luke Beatrice is an animator, illustrator, comic artist, and dungeon master. He specializes in visual storytelling and has a love for developing diverse characters. As a trans person and member of the LGBTQ+ community, exploring the vast spectrum of gender and representation of trans and nonbinary people is at the heart of his work. He is a recent graduate of Lesley University where he studied Animation and Motion Media.
Ordinary
Director: Atlas O Phoenix
Country: United States
Runtime: 12 minutes
A patchwork quilt of intersecting identities, Ordinary, weaves together multiple storylines to explore the purpose of identifiers and their meaning. Atlas questions whether identifiers truly identify anyone.
In a recent article from the Star Tribune, author Sheila Regan explores Phoenix’s journey. Phoenix made a conscious decision to temporarily detach from identifying with specific racial, biracial, sexual, and gender identities. They expressed a desire to be acknowledged simply as a human being. Phoenix’s piece in the “Off-Kilter Cabaret” called “Ordinary” delves into all aspects of their skin, including but not limited to color. By addressing racism, fatphobia, and bigotry, Phoenix examines their own personal intersections of race and gender identity. Their ultimate message revolves around appreciating one another as fellow human beings, regardless of the hue, shape, condition, or tone of our skin. https://filmfreeway.com/projects/2500159
——
Atlas O Phoenix, using they/them/theirs pronouns, is a highly acclaimed director, writer, producer, and editor known for creating impactful and dynamic films that explore both the shadowy and uplifting aspects of humanity, whether through fictional narratives or documentaries.
Furthermore, they have also showcased their talents as an actor and performer in esteemed productions such as Dykes Do Drag (2017-2020) and The Naked I series (2018/2020).
Atlas is the visionary behind Trans-LATE!, a wellness event that deliberately centers on the well-being of transgender, intersex, agender, and nonbinary individuals, as well as their allies. Combining elements of cabaret and dance, Atlas has successfully created a unique space for their communities to experience joy, revel in spontaneity, and anticipate the unexpected.
Currently, Atlas is involved in the production of a compelling feature-length documentary film and accompanying web series titled Beautiful Boi. This project chronicles their personal journey of transition and delves into the profound impact it has had on their mental well-being over the course of nearly four decades. Stemming from a deeply meaningful connection with their first love and the subsequent heart-wrenching loss of that beautiful friendship, this narrative aims to inspire and uplift audiences. Despite the challenges faced, Atlas has found strength and fulfillment in the pursuit of love for the past three years, and their resilience shines through in this upcoming project.
Not All Boys Look The Same
Director: Felix Conroy
Country: United States
Runtime: 5:06
This is a coming of age story about a young trans boy, who struggles to come to terms with the way he looks, but with the help of friends and trans content creators, he realizes that he is FTM and starts his journey of self acceptance.
—–
Felix Conroy is just a beginner filmmaker, he attends athenian where he has been partaking in their filmmaking program for the past year, this is the second film festival he has ever been in.
Papergirl
Director: Jack Warren
Country: United States
Runtime: 5:08
En route to a party, a lonely traveler discovers that their skin is turning to paper. The more they try to hide, the more they fall apart, until gender dysphoria and euphoria clash in a mess of spilled ink and torn paper.
—-
Jack Warren is a New York-based nonbinary writer and filmmaker hailing from the Hudson Valley. Their award-winning short film, ARTEMIS, has screened internationally and across the US, including at the Woodstock Film Festival and the London FRINGE! Queer Film and Arts Festival. They’ve shot music videos for world-renowned songwriter Machan Taylor, cabaret rockstar Amanda Palmer, and legendary horror auteur, Larry Fessenden. Their newest project, Papergirl, began its run at St. Bimbo’s Film Church and has gone on to play for fans of queer horror all over the world, screening at the GAZE International LGBTQ Film Festival and TRANSlations. In their free time, they work as a camp counselor for The Wayfinder Experience, a live action roleplaying summer camp where they first discovered the power of swinging a foam sword and playing pretend. You can read Jack’s writing on movies at jackwarren.substack.com.
Presented as part of San Francisco Transgender Film Festival.
COVID Policy:
- Audience is required to be KN95 masked for the entirety of their time inside the building. Our staff will provide KN95 masks to everyone before they enter the building; audiences may also bring and wear their own KN95, N95 or N100 mask (unless someone’s disability, chronic illness or health condition means they cannot wear a mask).
- By attending in person, you agree to the following:
- You do not have any signs of contagious illness (COVID or otherwise), including pink eye, that aren’t fully explained by a non-contagious health condition that you have
- If you have had COVID, it’s been at least 10 days since your first symptoms or positive test if you were asymptomatic.
