Sundance Institute Announces 2024 Trans Possibilities Intensive Fellows
The Sundance Institute has officially announced the fellows selected for the 2024 Trans Possibilities Intensive, a prestigious program designed to support transgender storytellers of color. This year’s event will take place online from July 22-24, offering a unique platform for six emerging artists to enhance their skills, foster community, and tackle the challenges that often exclude transgender creatives from the industry.
The fellows chosen for the 2024 program are Khaleb Brooks, Kyle Casey Chu, Mariales Diaz, Gulet Ahmed Isse, Sepi Mashiahof, and AX Mina. These artists will be mentored by an impressive lineup of creative advisors, including Zackary Drucker ("The Stroll"), River Gallo ("Ponyboi"), Lyric Cabral ("P.O.V."), and Roberto Fatal ("Do Digital Curanderas Use Eggs in Their Limpias?"). The intensive aims to provide these storytellers with the tools and support necessary to bring their projects to life and make a significant impact in the world of cinema.
Now in its third year, the Trans Possibilities Intensive continues to offer direct support through project-based grants, recognizing emerging trans talent and providing tailored creative and professional development opportunities. The program was recently named a grantee by the Jerome Foundation, which will enable it to further its mission of empowering transgender artists of color.
“The response to the Intensive — both from applicants and the industry — proves how vital creating spaces like the Trans Possibilities Intensive is. Visibility has never been enough nor has it been our sole goal; we need sustainability, intentionality, and opportunity, and that is what our program uniquely offers. Uplifting a variety of trans voices and offering these storytellers intentional resources and a lasting community opens up opportunities for the artists and audiences eager to hear their stories alike,” said Moi Santos, Manager of Equity, Impact, and Belonging at the Sundance Institute.
Throughout the three-day intensive, fellows will engage in a variety of discussions, including a notable fireside chat with filmmaker Lilly Wachowski, who will share insights from her own journey and her work with Anarchists United. Additionally, the program will culminate in a public discussion on Sundance Collab titled "Toward Trans Possibilities: Transgender Storytelling," featuring Zackary Drucker and River Gallo, moderated by Santos.
The Sundance Institute Trans Possibilities Intensive has a proven track record of success. Past fellows such as River Gallo, who premiered the feature film "Ponyboi," and Malik Ever, whose short film "Gorditx" won Best Narrative Short at the Seattle Trans Film Festival, exemplify the program's impact. Previous alumni advisors include notable figures like Sam Feder, Yance Ford, and Tourmaline.
Supported by the Jerome Foundation, the intensive is part of Sundance Institute’s broader Equity, Impact, and Belonging program, which is made possible by various supporters, including The Walt Disney Company, Apple, Gold House, NBCUniversal, and Netflix.
2024 Trans Possibilities Intensive Fellows:
- Khaleb Brooks (Writer-Director) with "May the Road Rise Up to Meet You" (U.K.): A married woman and a transgender man navigate their desperation to love and be loved at a bus stop in London.
- Kyle Casey Chu (Writer-Producer) with "After What Happened at the Library" (U.S.A.): After her Drag Story Hour is stormed by far-right extremists, an overwhelmed drag queen goes viral and struggles to find justice and resolution. Inspired by Kyle’s true experience.
- Mariales Diaz (Writer-Director) with "Today and Tomorrow" (U.S.A.): As two best friends embark on their after-school routine together, they are confronted by their attraction for one another for the first time.
- Gulet Ahmed Isse (Writer-Director-Actor) with "Khutbah" (U.S.A.): A would-be sheikh struggles to reconcile his faith, queerness, and a passion for rock ’n’ roll. When a death in the family radically derails the trajectory of his life, he must find a way to honor tradition without sacrificing his heart’s true desires.
- Sepi Mashiahof (Writer-Director) with "Tell Me About The Fairies" (U.S.A.): Alienated by the sexual wonderland of college life, a sheltered queer Iranian “boy” has an encounter with fairies who curse him with an aroma that makes men hopelessly attracted to him as his body rots away like spoiled fruit.
- AX Mina (Director-Producer) with "Rubbish: The Queer Kingdom of Leilah Babirye" (U.S.A., Italy, Uganda, U.K., France): This film tells the decade-long story of a queer artist-activist from Uganda transforming discarded rubbish into visions of liberation.