Trans and non-binary filmmakers bypass studios to tell their own stories

Trans and non-binary filmmakers are increasingly distancing themselves from the Hollywood studio system, aiming to gain greater control over their storytelling and, as some describe it, build a new industry. A report by Variety highlights this trend and the experiences of several independent filmmakers. Vera Drew, director of The People's Joker, stated that while making her ambitious debut feature, she was uncertain if audiences would connect with a personal parody of superhero films centred on gender transition. She described the experience of meeting a trans audience member who resonated with the work after a public screening as incredible. Drew told Variety that while other trans filmmakers exist, she was unsure if there was an audience for a work so independent and explicit in its personal approach to a trans coming-out story, noting that she initially felt she was making the film for herself. The Variety report, written by Matt Munton, focuses on the efforts of trans and non-binary filmmakers to produce and distribute their work outside traditional studio structures, which these creators argue often fail to accommodate their personal and identity-based narratives. The report also features Luis Verde and Jane Schoenbrun alongside Drew, identifying them as part of a generation of filmmakers who rely on independent production to both control their own stories and forge new paths within the film industry. The report encapsulates this approach with the quote: We are building a new industry.