Transcendent Storytelling

Hosted by Outfest Fusion

March 27th 2023

Film Fatales and Outfest Fusion hosted a live panel discussion about Authentic Storytelling. We heard from new voices in trans cinema including Fatales Forward fellows M.G. Evangelista (Burning Well) and Seyi Adebanjo (Ọya: Something Happened On The Way To West Africa!) as they discuss their filmmaking process and the power of storytelling as a tool for meaningful cultural change. Despite the increased visibility of trans characters on screen, opportunities for gender-expansive directors behind the camera are virtually non-existent. By sidelining gender nonconforming voices, Hollywood is actively contributing to the misrepresentation that leads directly to real-world violence. We need more gender-nonconforming storytellers behind the camera to ensure the authenticity of the stories being told. Moderated by Nava Mau.

Fatales Forward: Trans Stories is a trailblazing fellowship from Film Fatales created to uplift trans and gender diverse filmmakers by fostering an enduring collaborative community of creators. This event is free and open to the public.

Details

Date:: March 27, 2023
Event Categories:: Documentary, Development, Narrative, Activism, Directors, Equity, Featured

Details

Date:: March 27, 2023
Event Categories:: Documentary, Development, Narrative, Activism, Directors, Equity, Featured

Additional Resources

Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop

Beyond Representation

Disclosure Toolkit

DGA LGBTQ+ Committee

GLAAD Media Reference Guide

HRC Glossary

National Center for Transgender Equality

North American Queer Festival Alliance

Trans Allyship Workbook

Trans Film Center

TransJustice

Trans Resilience Fund

Transgender Law Center

Transgender Media Portal

Transgender Talent

Trans Women of Color Collective

UN Gender Inclusive Language

Panelists

M.G Evangelista (they/them) is a filmmaker born in the Philippines and raised in California’s Bay Area. Evangelista was recently named a 2023 United States Artists (USA) Fellow. Their debut feature film, Burning Well, currently in development, has been supported by Tribeca, Array, the Torino Feature Lab, and the Film Fatales: Trans Stories Fellowship. Their feature is based on their short film Fran this Summer which won the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest before playing in thirty festivals, including Sundance.

Seyi Adebanjo (they/them) is a Queer Gender-Non-Conforming Nigerian artist who raises awareness around social issues through video. Seyi‘s work exists at the intersection of art, imagination, ritual, and politics. Seyi is a 2023 Sundance: Trans Possibilities Fellow. Seyi was awarded a residency with The Laundromat Project and Fatales Forward: Trans Stories Fellowship. Seyi‘s current project Afromystic is a lyrical documentary guided by four LGBTQ Yorùbá practitioners across Nigeria, the US, and Brazil reclaiming lost mythologies.

Nava Mau (she/her) is an award-winning filmmaker, actress, and cultural worker. Nava wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the short film Waking Hour, was selected as a Production Fellow for the Netflix documentary Disclosure, and worked as a producer on the short film Work, which premiered at Sundance. She has also acted as a series regular in the HBO Max series Generation and the upcoming Netflix limited series Baby Reindeer.

Event Partners

Outfest creates visibility for diverse LGBTQIA+ stories and empowers storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change. Outfest programs give artists, filmmakers, and entertainment professionals the opportunity to discover their voice, provide the pathways to the visibility of their work by all members of the public, and assure that their legacy will live on for generations to come.