Little Miss Westie

Directed By Joy Reed

Little Miss Westie chronicles a year in the life of two transgender siblings as they navigate puberty, a local beauty pageant, and transitioning in the Trump era.

  • ABOUT
  • BIO
A loving and insightful portrait of two transgender siblings — Luca and Ren — and their parents, set in the changing social climate following the 2016 presidential election. LITTLE MISS WESTIE takes audiences behind the scenes as the family navigates puberty, school, dating and more as the children begin living in their authentic genders and Ren participates in the Lil’ Miss Westie Pageant.

Joy E. Reed brings over a decade of experience as an associate editor (HOW TO DANCE IN OHIO, ERNIE & JOE News & Documentary Emmy® for Outstanding Editing 2020),  editor (LITTLE MISS WESTIE) and animator (32 PILLS: MY SISTER’S SUICIDE), and is a Karen Schmeer Editing Fellow. They have been on the editing team of a number of Audience Award winners at Sundance, including BUCK (2011) and THIS IS HOME (2018). Joy’s Work has been broadcast on PBS, HBO, and played at festivals worldwide.

Community is fundamental to shaping the stories Joy helps to tell, ensuring that the narratives are authentic and ethical. By uplifting voices that might otherwise go unheard, we create a more compelling and truthful portrayal of events and experiences than those told by outsiders. Joy is drawn to character-driven, humanizing documentaries that champion the underdog in order to create empathy from the wider world.