A trans woman travels to Florida for her conservative uncle’s funeral in a time when anti-trans propaganda runs rampant. While there, she learns from a trans elder, reconnects with family, and goes on a risky date, all while avoiding the reason she’s there - closure.
CRANE COUNTRY follows Finley, a 30 year old Latine trans woman early in her medical transition, after she gets dumped by her know-it-all boyfriend, Ronnie. Soon after, she gets the news that her Christian, Trump-loving uncle, Rick has passed away. In order to attend the funeral, she hesitantly travels to Tampa, Florida, a state where anti-trans propaganda is running rampant under the leadership of their current Governor Ron DeSantis. When she arrives, she is greeted by her accepting, but with a knack for misgendering, mom, Jacklyn; and her uncle’s widow’s cousin, Ruffa, a Filipino trans elder, whom she clicks with immediately. As the week leading up the funeral goes by, more family start to fly in, including Finley’s brother, Matt, and two cousins, Ricky and Danny. They each have different, but similar, feelings about Rick’s death, that they, too, are trying to get a grasp on. Matt didn’t really know him, so he’s more there to support Jacklyn; Ricky, an asexual gay man, was always a mama’s boy and never felt truly accepted by his dad; while Danny, who was the closest to, but also let down by, Rick, struggles with his grief around the family he knows his dad hurt. Finley has a plethora of quirky experiences while in Florida, including hooking up with a gym bro who resembles MGK, discovering a mouse in the house, and seeing cranes in the wild for the first time. Ruffa enlightens Finley that cranes are some of the oldest living birds on Earth that have been here forever and are here to stay.
Ryan Rox(she/they) 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 a Co-Director at the film organization Femme Frontera, supporting marginalized Femme and Gender-Expansive filmmakers of color from border regions, with an emphasis on those in Las Cruces, El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. Rox recently released and licensed her first feature film, HIDDEN FLORA, which will be exclusively streaming on Here TV this Summer. Rox is grateful to have showcased her work at NewFest, TRANSlations, the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, and many more. Rox and her work have been supported by Femme Frontera’s Filmmaker Grant with mentorship from Aitch Alberto; Film Fatales’ Fatales Forward: Trans Stories Fellowship with mentorship from Olivia Peace; Daniella’s Guestbook; and The Dazey Phase. Her primary filmmaking focus is uplifting queer voices and narratives; carving out inclusive spaces for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC employment and community building; and bringing awareness to and sparking empathy in those unfamiliar with or misinformed about the community. Additionally, her acting credits include a role in A24/Showtime’s “The Curse,” alongside Emma Stone.
