Since QUEERGURU’s first emerged over 10 years ago, QUEER CINEMA has developed to such an impressive art form that now both celebrates and pays its due to our community on so many levels. No longer content wih just entertaining but it also educates us too of the whole LGBTQ+ spectrum and its sheer diversity. As we get to take a closer look at some of the journeys that others take to be able to proudly be their own selves, we see the need for unity, mutual respect and most importantly support for each other.
Queer film plays such a crucial role in all of this especially those made by trans filmmakers who give us such an insight into their part of the community. Each year we get to view such excellent feature films and docs from all over the globe, and be in a position to share them with you plus help them find the audiences they so deserve.
Here then is OUR LIST OF MUST SEE TRANS MOVIES OF 2024 (in alphabetical order)
Any Other Way – The Jackie Shane Storythe spotlight shines on pioneering 1960s Black trans soul musician/performer Jackie Shane whose star shone brightly in the 1960s before she abruptly disappeared in the 1970s, remaining a recluse for fifty years until a brief comeback before her death in 2019. This fascinating documentary combines interviews with Shane, her family, fellow performers, industry associates and current black trans commentators, amazing archive footage and beautiful animation, to tell the life story of the ground-breaking singer/activist with such a special voice.
It wasn’t so long ago that transgender men and women were portrayed on film as freakish figures of nature, and then that developed into them been shown as the stars on their own tragic dramas. However if Blue Sunshine is to be seen as the new norm, then that is now fading into the past.
This captivating new drama, the debut film from an Indian filmmaker, lays out a story of transitioning that is refreshingly unsensationalized. Writer/director/star Samyuktha Vijayan may have no prior experience of filmmaking but as a transwoman she speaks with a quiet unshowy professionalism that is determined we fully understand the reality of the situation of her character.
P,S. You may also like to check out Queerguru’s conversation Samyuktha Vijayan who wrote, directed and starred in this captivating new drama, as she talked Queerguru about the journey of the film to date and where she hopes it will lead to in the future.
DESIRE LINES is an inclusive celebration of gay trans men and gay trans-masculine lives “Can a vagina be masculine?” This, and many more thought-provoking questions, are posed by interviewer/director Jules Rosskam, in his innovative new documentary which examines the lives of trans men who also became gay men after transitioning. Rosskam’s film, which premiered at Sundance, combines drama with documentary.
“India’s 1st best Trans Model Agency ‘ This intriguing look into India’s Hijras. (third gender) as a community of ‘holy hermaphrodites’ is the debut feature of Indian/British filmmaker Ila Mehrotra that took over 7 years to make. It shows us another interpretation of transgender and non-binary at a moment in time when that community is facing particularly political pressure which is attempting to change public acceptance. In India, thanks to Hindu Scriptures , Hijras have legal and cultural recognition but as Mehrota’s film shows, it still doesn’t have real public acceptance.
Love Jamie is a heartfelt documentary short, profiling the life and work of incarcerated 64-year-old Mexican-American trans-woman artist Jamie Diaz, and her close relationship with pen-pal Gabriel Joffe. We follow the pair as they prepare for Diaz’s first solo art exhibition, ‘Even Flowers Bleed’ shown at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in New York. Director Karla Murthy has created an intimate portrait of the pair who have exchanged over three hundred surreal/fantastical illustrated letters and cards during the past ten years, plus countless phone calls. The focus of the film is on positivity rather than negativity.
Dev Patel’s directing debut MONKEY MAN is a thriller about a fight club and the desire for retribution, but it’s also about the trans community in India. Also the co-writer and star, Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) told Variety how the film is an “anthem for the underdog, voiceless and marginalized.“
‘My First Time’ is a series on ‘We Are Pride‘ channel (and globally on the YouTube channel) that is made for queer people and their allies by members of the community. From coming out, crushes, gender identity, love and heartbreak, and allyship to family, death, suicide, and sex, the series will explore the transformative nature of queer first experiences
Out of the Dark: Cal Calamia. is an intimate and inspiring look at the journey of professional athlete Cal Calamia, a transgender marathon runner who is advocating for inclusion in the running world. It’s a short documentary that delves into Cal’s journey, from their upbringing in a conservative suburb to his decision to come out as trans-masculine and begin hormone therapy. It explores Cal’s profound struggles with mental health, and how they ultimately found the support necessary to survive and eventually go on to dominate the non-binary category in major marathons, as well as become an advocate for gender inclusivity in racing and transgender rights.
Spookable, is an humorous offbeat trans werewolf horror story with an entirely trans cast and crew. This 15 min film is a werewolf story of two trans best friends who venture into the woods on a cabin getaway vacation only to end up part of a horny supernatural world. It’s a clever inversion of cinematic horror and comedy tropes to explore trans identity and masculinity. Produced by acclaimed trans-filmmaker and artist Zackary Drucker, Spookable is directed and co-written by trans-masculine filmmaker Jonathan Andre Culliton, and it is co-written and stars trans-masculine heartthrob / comedian / performer Marval Rex.
PS You may also like to check Queerguru’s interview with filmkaker Marval Rex HERE
Unfightable is an intimate profile of female trans MMA fighter Alana McLaughlin, directed by Marc Perez, We follow Portland-based, late thirties Alana for a couple years as she tirelessly overcomes hurdle after hurdle to prepare for her first fight against a cis-woman MMA fighter. Perez combines fly-on-the-wall footage of McLaughlin with interviews with both her, her friends and supporters (including veteran trans-woman MMA fighter Fallon Fox) as well as her detractors. What emerges is a heartfelt, thought-provoking study of the challenges faced by trans-women sports people just to perform their sport, let alone compete professionally. McLaughlin is highly intelligent, very fluent, good looking and extremely likeable, so she makes for easy viewing
Woman Of (Korbieta Z) is a powerful, heartfelt feature drama detailing the life and transition of a small-town Polish trans-woman, Andrzej Wesoly to Aniela Wesoly. Spanning over four decades from 1980 to 2023, the latest feature film from Polish directors Małgorzata Szumowska and Michal Englert
This is probably the most comprehensive analysis of the trans journey to date. Great cinematography in a beautiful pastel colour palette combines well with a gentle poetic soundtrack. The vintage 1980s – 2000s Poland set designs are spot-on. Excellent casting and performances complement each other. Hajewska in particular paints a stoic picture of trans life in a brutal, largely small-minded, Polish society, which still does not have any law on gender recognition. Hurdle after hurdle need to be overcome, medically, socially, legally and professionally. Attitudes to Aniela are largely cold and misunderstood, sometimes even cruel, but these are tempered by brief shots of warmth from unexpected quarters. A beautiful, poignant study of the loneliness of a long-distance runner. Highly recommended.
