'Boys From Brazil' Documentary

This 1993 documentary introduces us to the world of Brazilian travestis Samira, Luciana and their friend Gaspar.   It discusses their lives in Brazil, their first failed attempt to enter Italy and follows Gaspar as he later does so alone and hooks up with another another group of Brazilian travestis living in Rome named Claudia, Sabrina and Marcela. 

There's also a segment of it in which we see Luciana in the hospital getting silicone removed from one of her hips.   Yep, injecting silicone is a problemn for the Brazilian girls too just like it is here in the States..

Some of the video is NSFW, so you'lll probably need to wait until you get home to watch it.. 

But once again it drive home the point of trans people being part of the diverse mosaic of human life and how in many case the issues of transpeople in different parts of the world sometimes has a common thread running through them. 




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Thanks Y'all For Helping MAJOR! Win Again

MAJOR! was up for IndieWire's Project Of The Week which was being voted on until the poll closed at 11 AM EDT yesterday. 

I wrote a post asking you loyal TransGriot readers to support it and help Annalise and StormMiguel win this IndieWire vote for Team Trans, and in case you were wondering what the results were for this vote, I'm about to tell you.

Out of the 608 votes cast in the poll, MAJOR! won the Project of the Week with 294 votes or 48.36% of the total!  Next closest project came in with 175 votes  (29% of the total)

So with this latest win Annalise and StormMiguel are not only in the running for IndieWire's Project of the Month, they will receive a digital distribution consultation from SnagFilms.  

Annalise and StormMiguel asked me to thank you peeps who voted for MAJOR! on their behalf.  They will let me know what happens and how the Project of the Month winner will be determined.  If they win Project of the Month, they will be awarded with a creative consultation from the peeps at the Tribeca Film Institute!  

Congrats again for another win Annalise and StormMiguel!
 

Help MAJOR! Win Again

Thanks to those of you who helped MAJOR! in its Kickstarter campaign raise over $27,000 to get the movie funded.   Now Annalise and StormMiguel are asking for your help once again, and this time it won't require any cash to do so.   

MAJOR! is in the running on Indiewire for the Project Of the Week which is determined by votes.  The winning filmmaker when the voting concludes at 11 AM EDT on October 21 will receive a digital distribution consultation from SnagFilms and will become a candidate for Project of the Month.

If MAJOR! becomes the candidate for Proect of the Month and is the winner, Annalise and StormMiguel will be awarded with a creative consultation from the peeps at the Tribeca Film Institute!

As of this writing MAJOR! has 140 votes and is in the lead, but could use some help to get it over the finish line because the next closest film project has 77 votes.   

So people, let's handle our business.  Please take a moment to vote for it, pass on and share the link to the contest in you social media circles and help get Miss Major's story on the silver screen so it gets the attention it deserves.  

'The New Black' Documentary Trailer

I've been aware that this Yoruba Richen documentary film was in the making, and was a little bummed when the initial opening film festival tour rotation for The New Black was Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C. and San Francisco with DC getting a second chance to see it during the recently concluded 2013 edition of OUT on the Hill.

A trailer has finally been released for The New Black and when it hits your town I would recommend you see it.

It discusses how the African-American community is grappling with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in light of the marriage equality movement and the fight over civil rights.

It also asks the more pertinent question of why are African-Americans, and especially the Black church being made the faces of anti-gay hatred and who benefits from that? 

It was filmed during the 2012 marriage equality battle in Maryland and has a few familiar faces in it for me as I watched the trailer.  Maryland eventually became one of three states during the 2012  election cycle that approved marriage equality by a 52%-47% margin.   

MAJOR! Obliterates Fundraising Goal!

Congratulations go out to Annalise and StormMiguel who not only hit but exceeded their fundraising goal for getting the MAJOR! documentary completed and at a theater near you.

They have at this writing 541 backers who have contributed $26,122 toward getting this project done.  

See trans community and allies, we may not have a whole lot of money in the community, but when we come together and pool it, we can make some amazing things happen like getting a POTUS elected and reelected, a trans hackathon funded, and now a documentary movie funded.  

They still have in this Kickstarter campaign until 6:00 PM PT-9:00 PM ET Tuesday night to raise those much needed production funds.  Since they cleared their goal, they'll get everything they raised, now let's help them keep going and see if we can get them to $30,000!

Miss Major Griffin-Gracy's story is too important, NEEDS to be told, and needs to be preserved for history's sake and for future generations of trans people.   Every dollar still matters. Please continue to support them with $1, $5, $10, $20 or whatever you wish to contribute until the clock runs out to get this much needed movie made!

MAJOR! Documentary Kickstarter Campaign In Final Days

I talked about the Kickstarter campaign that is happening to fund the documentary MAJOR! by filmmakers Annalise Ophelian and StormMiguel Florez.   With just four days left they have at the time of this writing raised $19,824 toward their goal of $25,000 

Every little bit helps toward getting this film made.  You can donate, $1, $5, $10, $20 or more.  There are perks being offered at certain donation levels like an advance autographed copy of Janet Mock's upcoming book Redefining Realness  (of which there are only 3 of those left) if you donate $125.

It would be nice if Annalise and StormMiguel hit their goal because as I said in the September 21 post and will repeat here, this a film that not only needs to be made but once it's completed seen for ours and future generations.     

They are agonizingly close to hitting their fundraising target.  Your donation could be the one that gets them closer to meeting their goal or puts them over the top for it, so please consider doing so before the 9 PM EDT October 8 deadline.. 

MAJOR! Documentary Kickstarter Campaign

Two of the many people I met during last weekend's Trans*H4CK were longtime TransGriot reader StormMiguel Florez and Annalise Ophelian.

In addition to the long, thoughtful conversations I had with both of them Friday night we talked about the documentary project they are filming and raising funds in a Kickstarter Campaign in order to complete it.

The documentary they are filming is called MAJOR!  It's about one of our trans icons in Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, who is an internationally recognized human rights activist who transitioned back in the 50's, the Executive Director of the Oakland based Transgender Gender Variant Intersex Justice Project (TGIJP) and a Stonewall veteran.

At age 70, she's still traveling the nation and the world lecturing, speaking and fighting for the human rights of the trans community. 

Miss Major testified at the United Nations about the abuses that trans women of color are dealing with and is a beloved elder stateswoman in the community. 

I met Miss Major when I was invited to speak at the TransPride March and Rally in 2008 and she was the Grand Marshal for the event.  Every now and then we end up in the same space like we were last year at the TransFaith In Color conference in Charlotte and when that happens, I don't hesitate in stopping what I'm doing and taking a few moments to bask in her wisdom and knowledge,

She'll also call and check in on me to see what's happening in my world in addition to her being one of the people I talk to when I want to know something about the back in the day history of the trans community.



This is a documentary film that needs to be completed because Miss Major's story is one that needs to be told and preserved for the benefit of ourselves and future generations. It would be nice if MAJOR! can be finished and shown in theaters while she's still here with us in this plane of existence to enjoy it. 

If Annalise's name sounds familiar, it's because of the last award winning documentary she directed and produced entitled Diagnosing Difference, which looks at how medicalizing certain gender identities as "disorders" affects trans people.  StormMiguel in addition to being a media worked at TGIJP for five years with her.  

They have raised $11,611 toward their goal of $25,000 by the 9 PM EDT October 8 deadline as of this writing, so if you can contribute a little something to help StormMiguel and Annalise reach their fundraising goal, please do so. You can also check out the Major! Facebook page for up to date information about it.

Even $1, $5, $10, $20 or whatever amount you can afford will get them that much closer to making this film a reality.  

'Game Face' Documentary

While catching up on all the backlogged messages I had on Facebook because of Computer Prime being in the shop, was excited to see I had one from Fallon Fox. 

She not only thanked me for my unwavering support of her back when she was getting all that Hateraid for coming out as a trans WMMA athlete, but sent me a link to a still in production documentary featuring her entitled Game Face that also has another of my fave people in Kye Allums in it.

Game Face tells the coming out stories of TBLG athletes before and after doing so and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished work when it comes out (pun intended).

Good luck 'Queen of Swords' in your upcoming October 12 CFA featherweight championship bout against Ashlee Evans-Smith and know I and your trans family will always be in your corner.

I'm also looking forward to meeting you in the near future.  

Here's the Game Face trailer featuring Fallon

Truth.Be.Told. Take Two IndieGoGo Campaign In Homestretch

Learned recently about an IndieGoGo campaign which is focused on funding a pilot for a documentary TV series called Truth. Be.Told. that focuses on Black :GBTQIA-SGL-TS visionaries to tell their stories.

Over 50 people have committed to tell their stories in Seasons 1 and 2 including Staceyann Chin (Jamaican-born, Tony Award-winning playwright); Emil Wilbekin (Editor at Large for Essence magazine), Patrik-Ian Polk (Creator of Logo TV's "Noah's Arc" series); Mia McKenzie (Creator of the Black Girl Dangerous blog) Linda Villarosa (a former Editor for the New York Times); Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs (Co-Creator of the Mobile Homecoming Project); Dr. Kortney Ryan Ziegler (Filmmaker/Transgender Rights Activist); and Justin Robinson (Grammy Award-winning musician, formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops).

The Truth. Be.Told. Executive Producers are Carol Ann Shine (who produced Noah's Arc for Logo TV, plus all of Patrik-Ian Polk's films), and Jennifer MacArthur,  Public Media Engagement Consultant for Independent Television Service (ITVS) and former Director of Television + Digital Media Engagement at the National Center for Media Engagement. Katina Parker is the Creator/Director for Truth. Be. Told.

From the IndieGoGo page, here's the explanation of the basic premise of the proposed documentary series.

The basic premise of Truth. Be. Told.: is in order to become all of whom we were sent to be, as Queer Black people, we have been pushed to question everything about our multiple layers of identity - race, gender, sexuality, class, vocation - and then reconcile who we know ourselves to be with the identities our families and society-at-large have constructed for us. Some of us face rejection from our parents, children, spouses, and other family; some of us experience job loss, religious persecution, personal attacks and violence; some of us are more afraid of who we might become than our loved ones who have been waiting for us to speak our own truth. By virtue of being Queer, we do this work in spite of the risks, in order to live more fully.

Truth. Be. Told. is a success that we build together. If you fund it, I will make it. And what I make will do us proud. Together, we will create the most comprehensive exploration of Queer Black identity, to date.  

To make that season happen, they are trying to raise $4000 to produce a pilot episode for Truth. Be. Told  to augment the $4000 already raised from their first campaign.  The deadline for this campaign is June 17 at 11:59 PM PDT

So if you can, consider dropping $5, $10 or if you're feeling generous more to help reach this fundraising goal and bring this much needed documentary series to life. 

Indonesia's Trans Muslims

Here's a documentary focusing on our Indonesian trans sisters.   They have been catching hell there lately, and the anti-trans attitudes whipped up by fundie Muslims  even affected a 2010 international trans conference held there.   The anti-trans hatred is felt even more keenly by our Indonesian trans sisters who are Muslims who simply want to be themselves and practice their faith.

Seattle And Portland Screenings Of 'Still Black' This Weekend

In the interest of journalistic integrity I do wish to disclose that I'm proud to know one of the transmen featured in it and the director of this award winning documentary.

But for those of you in the Portland and Seattle areas, Dr Kortney Ryan Ziegler is headed your way with his groundbreaking film 'Still Black A Portrait of Black Transmen'.

The screening is a collaborative effort of Gender Odyssey and Sister Sinema  with partial proceeds going to the Gender Odyssey Scholarship Fund.

The Seattle screening is scheduled for Saturday, May 11 and the Portland one on Sunday, May 12, so use this link to purchase tickets for one excellent film spotlighting the lives of six transmen.

here's hoping for sold out screenings on both nights and y'all show Dr. KRZ some love.

Trans Francisco Documentary

This 2010 documentary by Glenn Davis delves into the lives of several transwomen in the San Francisco Bay Area.   It features Miss Major, Cecilia Chung, Kayla, Tiffany Woods and Theresa Sparks

Skip The Makeup's Gina Morvay wrote a review of it when it debuted back in July 2010. 

Since then Trans Francisco has been screened at LGBT and trans film festivals around the world, and you can get more information about the award winning film at its transfrancisco.com website. 

Trigger alert for discussions of graphic sexual assault and anti-trans violence

Trailer




Kayla discussing her relationship with her parents




Alexandra Cruz



Cecilia Chung



Miss Major

The Gender Puzzle

This is an Australian documentary that focuses on the lives of several Australians that have gender issues..  One is a model with AIS (androgen insensitivity syndrome, while the others are trans.

There are also interviews in with with researchers and lawyers discussing the medical and legal issues and their impact on Australian law, society and these individuals.

The Gender Puzzle is a fascinating documentary and hope you enjoy it.   

Rio Fashion Week 2011 Documentary

Interesting documentary that focused on Rio's 2011 edition of International Fashion Week.   It's one of the few that has no problem using trans models, and that tradition goes back to Roberta Close in the 1980's  

This one mentioned trans model Carol Marra, who parlayed this Fashion Week 2011 appearance into a Brazilian TV reporting job..

 

Janet Jackson's Truth Documentary-Initial Video

As some of you may have heard, Janet Jackson is producing a documentary on trans issues along with director Robert Jason called 'Truth' that started production earlier this summer . 

Here's some initial video from that project and I see one familiar face in it so far in Laverne Cox.



As a bonus, here's some video that that one of our trans elders, Cheryl Courtney-Evans submitted for it.

'Style Exposed' Trans Documentary

Robert Jason, the director tapped to produce Janet Jackson's upcoming documentary on the international trans community entitled 'Truth', produced this 2011 one chronicling the lives of four trans New Yorkers called 'Style Exposed: Born Male, Living Female'.

One of the things I didn't like about this documentary is that once again, the lone Black trans woman in it was the one who was A) an escort  B) battling a drug addiction and C) living up to the many of the negative stereotypes we are saddled with.    





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It's Janet..Producing A Trans Documentary.

Janet Jackson that is (although y'all know how much love, admiration and respect I have for Ms. Mock)

It's old news, but wanted to point out how happy I was to hear that one of my favorite artists is planning to executive produce a documentary on the lives of trans people.around the wold called 'Truth' that is set to begin production later this summer.

Jackson hopes the documentary that will reportedly include stories from North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America will help stop discrimination against the transgender community.

It will be directed by Robert Jason, who directed the Style Network's trans documentary Style Exposed: Born Male, Living Female that featured four trans New Yorkers.


"All people are very important to me. I've been fortunate to make friends and learn about very different lives," Jackson is quoted as saying. "'Truth' is our small chance to ask that you try and understand someone who lives their life in a way that is a little bit different from yours, even though all of our hearts are the same. We want to stop the hate and find understanding."

There's also word that Janet may also conduct some interviews in the soon to be produced documentary as well. 

It's always nice to hear that one of your favorite artists supports your community.  If Janet executive producing it has the effect of getting more curious eyeballs on the finished product to watch it, and the vfinished product is well done and informative on top of that, then that's all good as well.

The Road We've Travelled

Here it is, the documentary about the first term of the Obama presidency that the conservafoools love to hate on.



Is it November 6 yet?

'Queens Of New York' Documentary

Here's another interesting documentary by Kara David that focuses on the transpinays living in New York.