How Not To Date While Trans

Last updated
How Not To Date While Trans
Directed byNyala Moon
Written byNyala Moon
Produced byEileen Makak
Chien-Yu Wang
CinematographySusan Mei
Edited byNyala Moon
Music byChanell Crichlow
Release date
  • April 6, 2022 (2022-04-06)
Running time
14 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

How Not To Date While Trans is a short film created by Nyala Moon. It is a dark comedy about a trans woman navigating the dating world.

Contents

It premiered in 2022 and has been in over 30 festivals. The film has won awards from Iris Prize, NewFest, InsideOut Toronto, Translations: Seattle Trans Film Festival, and Milwaukee International Film Festival.

Plot

The camera pans from an affectionate couple in the park to a woman, Andie, who feels that she could never be like them because she is transgender. Andie then introduces herself and acknowledges how dangerous it is to not directly tell her dates that she is trans, which leads to a three-date rule. Andie explains how she weeds out incompatible dates, presented similarly to running a game show. A montage ensues in which she asks each date about LGBT topics, only to receive some unsavory answers. After escaping one date, she says that the third date is when she mentions that she is transgender. Andie leads Date Guy 1 to sit, asking him about social issues regarding transgender people. He goes on to explain that people should be able to be themselves and that transgender people are being treated horribly. She asks him how he would feel if he dated a trans woman, then tells him that she herself is transgender. He rejects her and leaves. Andie then meets up with Random Stud Guy, with the intent to have sex with him. Andie explains that she is “post-op” and counters that she doesn't need to inform him that she is trans because he is a one-night stand and there isn't a noticeable difference. Andie attempts to leave and ghost him, but he wakes up and tries to convince Andie to stay. Random Stud Guy attempts to get to know her better, and she tries to ward him off by saying he is not her type. Disappointed, he helps her get dressed. She faces the mirror and visualizes herself as a male. She leaves, with voiceover playing of Andie ruminating on her place in society.

Background

In 2023, Filmmaker magazine named Nyala Moon as one of the top 25 faces of independent film. Before she pursued a career in filmmaking, Moon worked in a nonprofit community to help other transgender and queer people of color access of healthcare necessities. She believes that her purpose in life is to assist in the creation of understanding marginalized communities and overall media outlook. [1] The dates in the film were based on real-life people, with a google doc containing the most memorable experiences. Moon is drawn to comedy in order to subvert trans women often being portrayed as a joke in media, as well as making it easier to relate and empathize not only with her characters but marginalized groups as well. [2]

Awards

Cast

Related Research Articles

<i>How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days</i> 2003 romantic comedy film

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days is a 2003 romantic comedy film directed by Donald Petrie, starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. It is based on the picture book of the same name by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long. The book has no narrative, only a list of comedic dating "don'ts", so the characters and plot were created for the film. In the film, advertising executive Benjamin Barry makes a bet that he can make any woman fall in love with him, while women's magazine writer Andie Anderson plans to write an article about how she led a man to dump her, putting them at cross-purposes after they choose each other as their quarries. Andie employs a number of the dating "don'ts" from the picture book in her efforts to get Ben to break up with her.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jenni Olson</span> American filmmaker

Jenni Olson is a writer, archivist, historian, consultant, and non-fiction filmmaker based in Berkeley, California. She co-founded the pioneering LGBT website PlanetOut.com. Her two feature-length essay films — The Joy of Life (2005) and The Royal Road (2015) — premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her work as an experimental filmmaker and her expansive personal collection of LGBTQ film prints and memorabilia were acquired in April 2020 by the Harvard Film Archive, and her reflection on the last 30 years of LGBT film history was published as a chapter in The Oxford Handbook of Queer Cinema from Oxford University Press in 2021. In 2020, she was named to the Out Magazine Out 100 list. In 2021, she was recognized with the prestigious Special TEDDY Award at the Berlin Film Festival. She also campaigned to have a barrier erected on the Golden Gate Bridge to prevent suicides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inside Out Film and Video Festival</span>

The Inside Out Film and Video Festival, also known as the Inside Out LGBT or LGBTQ Film Festival, is an annual Canadian film festival, which presents a program of LGBT-related film. The festival is staged in both Toronto and Ottawa. Founded in 1991, the festival is now the largest of its kind in Canada. Deadline dubbed it "Canada’s foremost LGBTQ film festival."

The Iris Prize, established in 2007 by Berwyn Rowlands of The Festivals Company, is an international LGBT film prize and festival which is open to any film which is by, for, about or of interest to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender or intersex audiences and which must have been completed within two years of the prize deadline.

<i>Transamerican Love Story</i> American TV series or program

Transamerican Love Story is an American reality dating show in which suitors woo transgender woman Calpernia Addams. Addams chooses a suitor by process of elimination. When the show first aired, viewers could vote their preferences online, but it was Addams who chose whom to eliminate. Calpernia is accompanied by her friend Andrea James; each episode is hosted by comedian Alec Mapa.

<i>By Hook or by Crook</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Harry Dodge

By Hook or by Crook is a 2001 buddy drama film written, directed by, and starring Harry Dodge and Silas Howard. The story follows two unlikely friends as they commit petty crimes and figure out their places in the world.

Kumu Hina is a 2014 American LGBTQ related documentary film co-produced and co-directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson. It is based on the story of Hina Wong-Kalu, and stars Wong-Kalu, Haemaccelo Kalu and Hoʻonani Kamai. The film premiered at the Hawaii International Film Festival on April 10, 2014, and had its television debut on Independent Lens in May 2015.

Jake Graf is an English actor, screenwriter, director, and transgender rights activist. Graf specializes in short films dealing with transgender issues in an effort to normalize queer and trans experiences to a wider, more mainstream audience. Many of Graf's films emphasize the daily lived experiences of trans men.

Cary Cronenwett is an American transgender writer, director, and producer born in Oklahoma. He is most well known for directing Maggots and Men (2009), Peace of Mind (2015), and Valencia (2013). Cronenwett's films vary from documentaries to short films. In addition to working behind the camera, Cronenwett has also starred in a video entitled Sexperimental 90s (2000). Cronenwett has been cited as one of the leading directors within the LGBTQ community focusing upon trans sexuality.

<i>Sex Change Hospital</i> American TV series or program

Sex Change Hospital is an American documentary-style reality television series about 12 transgender people who have sex reassignment surgery at the Mt. San Rafael Hospital in Trinidad, Colorado, under the care of OB/GYN Marci Bowers. The patients talk about their lives and viewers follow them through their consultations with Bowers, the surgical procedures, and their post-surgical experience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniela Vega</span> Chilean actress and mezzo-soprano singer (born 1989)

Daniela Vega Hernández is a Chilean actress and mezzo-soprano singer. She is best known for her critically acclaimed performance in the Academy Award-winning film A Fantastic Woman (2017). At the 90th Academy Awards in 2018, Vega became the first transgender person in history to be a presenter at the Academy Awards ceremony. In 2018, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Leitis In Waiting is a 2018 feature-length documentary about transgender rights in Tonga. It was produced and directed by Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson and Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu. The filmmakers previously explored trans rights in the Pacific in their films Kumu Hina and A Place in the Middle.

Rain Valdez is an American actress, writer, and producer who rose to prominence with her award-winning short film, Ryans. She stars in the web series Razor Tongue, which she created and which has earned her a Primetime Emmy nomination in Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

<i>Rūrangi</i> 2020 New Zealand LGBT-related drama film

Rūrangi is a 2020 New Zealand LGBT-related independent drama film directed by Max Currie. The queer and trans-positive drama was written by Cole Meyers and Oliver Page. It stars Elz Carrad in his feature film debut, along with Arlo Green, Kirk Torrance, Awhina-Rose Ashby, Aroha Rawson, Renee Sheridan and Ramon Te Wake. The film had its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival on 26 July 2020. It was screened at the Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco, where it won an Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature, and was released to New Zealand theatres on 4 February 2021. All of the trans characters in the film are portrayed by trans actors. The project was initially released as a five-part web series, which was edited into a feature film for international release.

<i>Mama Gloria</i> 2020 American film

Mama Gloria is an American documentary film directed by Luchina Fisher. The film tells the life story of Gloria Allen, a septuagenarian trans woman from the south side of Chicago. Mama Gloria premiered in October 2020 at the Chicago International Film Festival. The film received awards from the Teaneck International Film Festival and the Milwaukee Film Festival.

Apayauq Reitan is an Iñupiaq dog musher from Norway. She participated in the 2019 Iditarod as a rookie, finishing in 28th place in 12 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes, and 17 seconds. She also ran the Yukon Quest that year, also as a rookie. In 2022, she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Iditarod. She is a citizen of both Norway and the United States.

Asog is a 2023 Canadian-Philippine docufiction film, directed by Seán Devlin. Incorporating both fictionalized and documentary elements, the film stars Filipino transgender comedian and activist Rey "Jaya" Aclao, who is taking former student Arnel Pablo on a road trip to a drag competition; along the way, they meet various people whose lives have been impacted by corporate greed and climate change in the aftermath of destructive typhoons.

Scaring Women at Night is a Canadian short drama film, directed by Karimah Zakia Issa and released in 2022. The film stars Izaiah Dockery as Ash, a Black transgender man who is walking alone in the dark, but becomes very nervous that Ella, a woman also walking alone nearby, may potentially view him as a threat.

References

  1. ↑ , “Nyala Moon.” Nyala Moon, nyalamoon.com/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  2. ↑ , “How Not to Date While Trans - an Interview with Nyala Moon.” Iris Prize, irisprize.org/blog/how- not-to-date-while-trans-an-interview-with-nyala-moon/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  3. ↑ Not to Date While Trans is a break-the,love but ends with heartbreak, “How Not to Date While Trans.” Iris Prize, irisprize.org/film/how-not-to-date-while- trans/#:~:text=How%20Not%20to%20Date%20While%20Trans%20is%20a%20break%2Dthe. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  4. ↑ "Carter Smith's Queer Horror 'Swallowed,' Juliana Curi Doc 'UÝRA — The Rising Forest' Among NewFest Jury Award Winners (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. 2022-10-22. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
  5. ↑ , “The New Class: Celebrating Emerging Queer Voices.” NewFest, newfest.org/events/thenewclasscelebratingemergingqueervoices/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  6. ↑ , Hipes, Patrick. “Inside out 2SLGBTQ+ Film Festival Winners Include ‘We Will Never Belong’, ‘Homebody’, More.” Deadline, 6 June 2022, deadline.com/2022/06/2022-inside-out-2slgbtq- film-festival-winners-list-1235039066/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  7. ↑ , “Encore Film Guide.” Three Dollar Bill Cinema, threedollarbillcinema.org/virtual-film-guide. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  8. ↑ , MILWAUKEE FILM ANNOUNCES the 2023 MILWAUKEE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARD WINNERS and RECIPIENTS of the 2023 ABELE CATALYST AWARD. mkefilm.org/getattachment/Home/MFF-Awards-Press-Release-2023-(1).pdf.aspx?lang=en- US. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  9. ↑ , White, Abbey. “Frameline Announces ‘How Not to Date While Trans,’ ‘Lucky Fish’ as 2023 Voices Short Program Selections (Exclusive).” The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Dec. 2022, www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/frameline-2023-voices-short-program-selections-1235280842/. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
  10. ↑ , IMBD. “How Not to Date While Trans.” IMDb, 6 Apr. 2022, www.imdb.com/title/tt19394992/?ref_=ttrt_ov. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.