We think it is important to represent non-traditional stories in film in order to demystify the "trans condition." Our cast, made up of a trans male and a lesbian woman, collaborated and consulted on the writing of the story -- to ensure accurate representation of otherwise underrepresented groups.

Our film, Backsiders, is a story about two characters -- Andy, a transman, and Holly, his ex-girlfriend from before his transition -- reconnecting in their hometown after years spent apart. Their lives have taken divergent paths, and a relic from their relationship has pulled them together one final time. During the course of a single day, they attempt to reconcile their past and come to an understanding -- both of each other and themselves. Then they live the day, again.

 

The story came about from a collaborative writing process taken on by Jen, Michael, and Craig. We were then lucky enough to receive an artist residency from The Barn Arts Collective on beautiful Mount Desert Island, Maine. Making the most of the stunning landscape and misty weather, the location infused our story with texture, mood, and heightened our themes of memory and longing. It became a character in and of itself.

 

We were tremendously grateful for the generous community of Southwest Harbor. Our project was working on the slimmest of budgets, and the community welcomed us with open arms, providing us with incredible locations and undreamed-for assistance. Our small production crew captured moving performances from our two distinctly powerful actors, Hennessy and Liza J. Bennett.

 

Indeed, we were a small production team: two actors, two directors, one director of photography, one AC/gaffer, one sound mixer, one PA, and one hair-and-makeup artist. We had an incredible shoot, and the ensuing footage showcases the talents of all the artists working together toward a single vision.

 

We are extremely proud of the initial cut of the piece, and we are now in the process of finishing the film. We've just recently “locked the picture,” which means completion of the first phase of post-production: editing. Now we are moving on to sound-mixing and design, color correction, and special effects -- to be followed by submission to film festivals.

 

Our sound designer, Alexandre Beullier, will be designing a rich and diverse soundscape as well as a minimalist score, which will be finished at Gigantic Post in NYC. The soundtrack will be mixed in a gorgeous 5.1 surround-sound. Color correction and special effects will also be professionally executed in order to bring the experience of the film to life.

 

In order to accomplish all this, we need your help. There's a lot of work to be done, and we're going the distance to give a rich and varied palate to the film, so it can truly live in the viewers' eyes and ears. 

 

We are submitting to many festivals, including The New York Experimental Queer Film Festival, the OUTsider Film Festival in Austin, The Teddy Awards in Berlin, Tribeca, Sundance, South By Southwest, and many more. We want to carry this progressive and heartfelt story to as many audiences as possible. With this film we hope to spark a dialogue about what it means to transition in every sense of the word.

 

We feel it is of utmost importance to tell stories of people who are all too often marginalized, but in a profoundly humanistic way. Moving beyond gender identity as the central point of an individual's life, we aim instead to explore the fullness of our characters' humanity.

 

We hope you will contribute to the film and join us in bringing our vision to the big screen (and many small screens).