Using magical realism, a young trans man navigating early transition has to confront the everyday challenges of fitting into the binary.

Primarily Colourless explores the fragility of safe spaces and how quickly they can dissolve for trans people at the start of their transition. What was once ordinary like a shared kitchen, a gym’s changing room, or your go-to bar, can become threatening overnight, demanding constant vigilance and emotional labor. This instability shapes not only how trans people move through the world, but also how we inhabit our own bodies. This physical effect, and the difference between safe and unsafe spaces, is what we hope to explore in Primarily Colourless.

As a trans filmmaker, I am uniquely positioned to tell this story with authenticity, urgency and care. Through my own transition and talking to my trans siblings, I have heard that so many of us experience this in a very similar way. The film draws directly from my own lived experiences, balancing fear with humor, severity with tenderness, and realism with the heightened inner logic of anxiety. I am interested not only in highlighting seemingly mundane elements of the world that can cause harm, but also in revealing the quiet resilience and self-soothing practices that allow survival and the community care that allows emotional processing and growth. 

As anti-trans legislation rises globally and trans narratives are increasingly politicized, nuanced representation becomes both rarer and more necessary. The film pushes back against distortion by offering an intimate, human-scale portrayal that affirms trans existence without spectacle. This film  intentionally aims to not vilify cis characters, and instead highlights that Valentino’s struggles come from ignorant exclusion rather than malice. This approach allows audience members to see the ubiquity of transphobia, without feeling personally accused, fostering a space for growth and empathy rather than defensiveness. 

For trans viewers, the film is meant to feel like recognition and reassurance, a love letter and a warm hug. For people outside of the trans community, it is an invitation to witness, listen, and rethink. At its core, Primarily Colourless asserts that trans lives deserve softness, complexity, and a place in the cinematic imagination, not as exceptions, but as part of our shared world.

Director's Statement

I have spent the past eight years working across various corners of a film set: as an actor, an art director, production design assistant, and a director of trailers and visual poems. Across these roles, I’ve experimented and developed the skills necessary to make a story come to life. 

Acting taught me how to direct performers, what they need to hear and what they don't. As I stepped away from acting in front of the camera during my transition, I found a second education in the Art Department, where I spent assisting various set dressers before working as an Art Director myself, and more recently assisting transmasc Production Designer Giovanni Barbra. Working in the Art Department, I absorbed color theory, the psychology of space, and how a set can reach directly into a viewer’s nervous system. These experiences developed my understanding of performers from the inside while also building my capacity to create worlds that feel. Together, they form the foundation of the short film I am now ready to make. My creative goal for Primarily Colorless is to make a film that doesn't explain transness, but places the audience inside it.

As the film follows Valentino, a trans man navigating a world that has no comfortable place for his changing body— the visual language is rooted in realism. This grounding realism is then used to make two surrealist sequences hit harder. As Valentino enters a women’s changing room (imagine hyperfeminine pink tiles, neatly folded tutus, ballet shoes lined up perfectly) and then the men's (flickering lights, clothes on the floor, an unexplained puddle in the corner), he is completely out of place in both. In the women's room he makes himself small, shrinking so as not to threaten. In the men's he performs confidence, shoulders back, but the same frightened eyes give him away. These rooms formulate the argument of the film: a world designed to make your body wrong, rendered in its full absurdity.

Timeline

We have been in pre-production for a little while. Taking place from May 2026 through July 2026, we’re focusing on finalizing the production budget and locking in  the shooting schedule. Our core creative leads, including the Director of Photography, Production Designer, and principal cast will begin preparation, while contracts are finalized and the full crew is confirmed. We have fully confirmed DoP, Production Designer, Lead Actor, Supporting Actress, and our Composer. In June, we’re conducting a casting call and auditions, finalizing storyboards and shot lists, scouting locations, and implementing any necessary script rewrites. The money of this fundraiser will support final production costs. 

July will be centered on rehearsals with cast, technical scouting with department heads, location lock-ins, and finalizing permits and insurance. In mid to late July, we complete accounting and bookkeeping, lock all locations, confirm the post-production team, and carry out art department and costume purchases. 

Production will take place in the first week of August 2026. End of July is dedicated to final rehearsals and production prep. Principal photography will take place 3rd to 5th of August. During production, footage and sound are organized to streamline post-production workflows. 

Post-production will be August through September 2026. After production wrap on August 5th, footage will be handed off to the editor and editing begins. Color tests commence with the colorist, and a trailer will be cut. By mid-August, a first assembly will be  completed and delivered to the composer. ADR sessions are scheduled if needed, stills are edited, and festival strategy development begins. In early September, we initiate festival submissions, launch promotional and marketing efforts, and achieve picture lock. 

After our original Crowdfunding campaign and two very fun and successful fundraisers, our remaining $15,000 goal is the bare minimum needed to get the film made at a production quality everyone involved can be proud of. 

• If we raise $12,000, we'll be able to make a version of the film that still holds the heart and soul of the story;
• If we raise $15,000, we'll be able to realize the full vision of the film;
• If we raise $25,000, we'll be able to fully market & distribute our film to share with the world!

Characters

Valentino

Valentino is trying to find his place in the world, as a young person, but also as a newly trans person. He values his friendships more than his family. He has a physical tic of cracking his knuckles when he gets nervous or uncomfortable. Valentino started his transition in a DIY form, so his need for community is strong not only on a mental level, but also on a medical level.

Damsel & Allanna

Damsel is in the same boat as Valentino, she started her transition not long ago. She uses humor to cope with her feelings of fear. She relates heavily to Valentino's fear of the outside world, and his anxiety towards being in public.

Allanna is a successful lawyer who started transitioning at an early age. She has a calm energy. She can still relate to Damsel and Valentino's thoughts and fears, but is definitely more used to moving throughout the world as a trans individual. Allanna is the voice of reason between the three.

Hassan

Hassan is the manager of Valentino's gym. He is a DL man, moving through the world as a straight man, but is secretly bisexual. He understands his employee's confusion when she sees Valentino's ID, but because Hassan has been on apps like Grindr, he knows exactly what's going on. Hassan knows boys like Valentino in more ways than one.

Team

WRITER / DIRECTOR

Indigo Envie (they / he)

Indigo Envie is a writer, director and actor of Tanzanian and Dutch descent. Having worked as a professional actor for eight years, they learned a lot about all aspects of being on set. During his transition, he started working behind the camera as an assistant director, and in the art department as an art director and set dresser. As a filmmaker, instead of focussing on the pain and struggle that is so often visualized in trans characters, they aspire to make films that showcase the beauty and softness that is present in trans lives. Indigo continues to explore the nuances that live within an individual and strives to showcase this nuance of trans people through head-strong, well rounded three-dimensional fictional characters. 

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Meicen Meng (they / them)

Meicen Meng is a New York City-based Director of Photography dedicated to uplifting the voices of their community through the craft of cinematic translation—turning a director's dream into beautiful, visceral imagery. Their unique path began at the School of Visual Arts, where they wrote and directed the award-winning thesis film Beyond The Green Mountain, forging an innate understanding of narrative. Their cinematic education continued not behind the camera, but in the world of light. Working as a gaffer, Meicen honed their craft on projects ranging from narrative features premiering at Tribeca and SXSW to documentaries streaming on Hulu. This crucial period was a masterclass in "painting with light," building the technical foundation to craft images that are not only beautiful but emotionally compelling. Now, as a Director of Photography, Meicen brings this full-circle perspective to their work, lensing editorial features for prominent titles including Vanity Fair, Allure, and GQ. They are deeply driven to support the creative expressions of their community, believing in the power of cinema to tell the stories of queer and trans people of color with authenticity, artistry, and heart.

PRODUCER

Sasha Gheesling (she / her)

Sasha Gheesling is a Brooklyn-based producer, actor, and director. As the co-founder of Para Noir Pictures, an independent queer production company, she has produced three short films, including the award-winning On The Floor. Sasha's production portfolio features work for brands and institutions like Edikted, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Wonderkind Works, and Vulp Productions. As an actor, her television credits include Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Law & Order: SVU, Dear Edward, and The Crowded Room.

PRODUCER

Melissa Rodriguez (she / her)

Melissa Rodriguez is a seasoned Producer, experienced in narrative and unscripted films, commercials, radio, and digital content. She's led national and digital campaigns for major brands like Apple, Pepsi, Verizon, Bomb Pop and El Pollo Loco, managing projects from concept to delivery from budgeting to post-production. Her recent projects include "Wild Animals" (Woodstock Film Festival, 2025), a narrative short starring Larry Fessenden, which I produced, and "Fix Mi Casa" (2025), a design-renovation TV series she produced and directed for Freedom Studios Inc.

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Leora Shlasko (she / they)

Leora Shlasko is a New York City-based producer and writer. She has produced comedy shows across New York and Paris, and her commercial work producing advertisements and brand activation spans brands like Rachel Riley and Architectural Digest. With experience across live entertainment, advertising, and fundraising, Leora loves bringing her Capricorn focus to the team!

COMPOSER

Taul Katz (they / he)

Taul Katz is a composer, sound designer, and creative technologist. In 2021 they graduated from California Institute of the Arts where they received a B.A. in music technology. Their pieces range from classical modern composition centering orchestral instruments to experimental sound design that utilizes sonic world building to create emotive and textured narratives. They have written for the Bulgarian Orchestra in Varna, scored interactive installations and built immersive worlds with audio for film and video work. They have collaborated with Alima Lee, Antonio Marzaile, Oliver Coates, James William Blades, and scored for brands like Calvin Klein and Dior. Over the past year they have had work at Sundance, The Berlinale, API fest, Chicago film fest, Blackstar and many more.

Taul was nominated for best instrumental composition at the Grammy’s this year in 2025.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Giovanni Barbra (he / him)

Giovanni Barba is a New York based production designer and fabricator, with over 5 years of experience working in film/TV, commercial, and events, doing scenic design and installation for a variety of sets and spaces. Frequently working with clients like Nike, DAZED, KAYTRANADA, Childish Gambino, Timberland, Hinge, Damson Madder and Theory, Giovanni specializes in carpentry and custom building, in addition to general set dressing and art direction. 

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Hêja Güler (he / him)

Hêja Güler is a graphic designer based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Through a multidisciplinary approach, he works with visual systems, typography, and image-based design, developing projects that balance clarity, emotion, and experimentation.

Previous work

https://vimeo.com/806890966?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci

dey Dream (2023) directed Indigo Envie, mo Futures

https://vimeo.com/914223226?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci

The Queer Nature of Everything (2024) directed Indigo Envie

https://vimeo.com/395763577

PUPA (2020) directed Indigo Envie

More work on Indigo's website

www.indigoenvie.com