TRANS SUMMIT

The category is… INTERSECTIONALITY.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: ANGELICA ROSS

Angelica Ross is a multi-hyphenated powerhouse – actor, writer, producer and human rights advocate. Her groundbreaking role as the witty and fiesty Candy Abundance on Ryan Murphy’s hit FX series Pose, was written specifically for her and became part of TV history as one of five transgender women of color to be cast as a series regular for a scripted series. Ross has been featured in film, TV and theatre, and gained recognition through her starring role in the Emmy Award-nominated short form series Her Story (2016). Behind the camera, Ross continues to grow her skills as a producer, executive producing the short film Missed Connections, an official 2017 Outfest LA selection, and most recently, BET’s short form series King Ester. Beyond the screen, Ross uses her platform to advocate for the rights of trans people and people of color. She is the founder of TransTech, an organization empowering LGBTQI+ people with practical, career-ready technical skills. A devout Buddhist, Ross walks with compassion and believes that all people have worth.

FILMMAKER PERSPECTIVES

AT THE INTERSECTION OF…
KING ESTER (Ep. 1 – 2)
Directed by Dui Jarrod, USA, 2018, 15 mins
Ester is a black trans woman with dreams of modeling who lives in pre-Katrina New Orleans. Trading sex work to pay for a modeling course in preparation for an upcoming expo, Ester tenaciously chases her aspirations in search of a better life. In the wake of an evacuation order, Ester is forced to make a choice that will impact her future forever. Through Ester’s story of survival under the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, writer-director Dui Jarrod explores the intersection of race, class, and gender.

BEYOND TRANSITION NARRATIVES
RAZOR TONGUE (Ep. 1 – 4)
Created by Rain Valdez, USA, 2018, 19 mins
Belle, a trans woman of color with a razor-sharp tongue isn’t afraid to call people out, especially men. Whether on a date, at a job interview, or at a party, Belle uses her wit to cut men down, exposing their toxic behaviors for her own personal fulfillment. When Belle is pushed into publicly calling out someone she loves, she finds herself becoming the epitome of toxic “call out” culture. Employing 80% trans, queer, female and POC identified people in front of and behind the camera, Razor Tongue re-envisions the future of trans storytelling beyond the transition narrative.

REVIVING TRANS HISTORY
FRAMING AGNES
Directed by Chase Joynt & Kristen Schilt, USA, 2018, 19 mins
In the late 1950s, a woman named Agnes approached UCLA Medical Center seeking sex reassignment surgery. Her story was long considered exceptional and singular, until in 2017 filmmaker Chase Joynt and sociologist Kristen Schilt uncovered never-before-seen case files of other patients, gender non-conforming contemporaries of Agnes. Through reenactment and documentary, Framing Agnes puts the life stories of Georgia, Denny and Henry in conversation with Agnes, reviving trans history and inviting the cast of contemporary trans culture-makers to reimagine their place in the making of that history.

PANEL

We Exist: Trans Masculinity in Entertainment

In front of or behind the camera, in a writer’s room or in the director’s chair, the representation of trans masculine people in entertainment is either extremely limited or missing altogether. This panel challenges the notion that trans masculinity does not exist in entertainment. To culminate the Trans Summit, join us for a dynamic fishbowl panel discussion featuring a diverse group of trans masculine creatives sharing their experiences navigating the industry as trans AND at the intersection of race, class, age, ability, time in industry…etc.

Participants: Scott Turner Schofield (Actor, Activist, Educator), D’Lo (Actor, Comedian), Brian Michael Smith (Actor), Shaan Dasani (Actor, Producer), Ser Anzoategui (Actor, Playwright, Artivist), Jett Garrison (Writer, Director)

“The Trans Summit is a snapshot of emerging themes in trans and non-binary storytelling. A space for trans and non-binary storytellers and audiences to come together to explore and celebrate our stories, our collective history, and our intersectionality. Trans and non-binary folks continue to break down barriers in entertainment, imagining a future for trans narratives in full bloom. In the wake of our political climate, the Trans Summit serves as a safe space to manifest change through inclusive storytelling and spirited dialogue.”

– Kieran Medina, Trans Summit Programmer

Preceded By

KING ESTER

Directed by Dui Jarrod

Under the backdrop of Hurricane Katrina, this story of survival explores the intersection of race, class, and gender…

FRAMING AGNES

Directed by Chase Joynt, Kristen Schilt

Watch as preeminent trans culture-makers of our time breathe new life into a 1950s archive of never-before-seen histories of transgender people.

RAZOR TONGUE

Directed by Kalena Ranoa, Natalie Heltzel, Puppett, Sarah Poynter

Belle is the queen of calling out all the problematic people in her way, but falling in love with a flawed, cis white man forces her to explore a new gray area.