With a new wave of anti-trans bills sweeping across the United States and European Union, it is more important than ever to showcase transgender and non-binary stories in media. The importance of telling these stories is paramount. Research shows that when people outside a marginalized can see the value of that community —even if that value is shown through a fictional narrative —that it has an impact on the civil rights of the community and on people's ability to see marginalized people in positions of power (in real and fictional worlds).

In furtherance of that goal, today, the nonprofit Sundance Institute shared the names of the six transgender storytellers of color selected for the second edition of the Trans Possibilities Intensive. The Fellows selected for 2023 are: Seyi Adebanjo, Rajvi Desai, Malik Ever, Nick Janaye, Jamie John and Tee Park Jaehyung. This year's Creative Advisors include Sydney Freeland (Drunktown’s Finest), Aitch Alberto (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe), Félix Endara (UNSEEN) and Chase Joynt (Framing Agnes).

The Trans Possibilities Intensive is a three-part event taking place from March 27-29 under the leadership of Moi Santos, Founder of the Trans Possibilities Intensive, guidance from experienced creative advisors and Sundance Institute’s Equity, Impact, and Belonging Program. The Intensive is an ancillary environment for participating artists to enhance their voice and craft, foster relationships with each other, and challenge the obstacles that continue to exclude transgender artists. Founded in 2021, the one-of-a-kind program directly supports transgender artists of color through project-based granting, supporting the advancement of trans-led projects at all stages of their life-cycles; nurturing and identifying emerging trans talent; and year-round custom creative and professional development opportunities.

"Meaningfully supporting and advancing trans people, voices, and stories remains a priority for Sundance. The recent, incessant, and baseless scrutiny is nothing new to trans people, and further reflects the need for opportunities for trans people to have the autonomy to explore their transness on their own terms," said Santos. "This year’s cohort uplifts an extensive and essential range of artistic approaches, stories, and experiences, and we’re looking forward to developing a relationship that will birth creative possibilities, risk-taking, and necessary change in this industry."

Related: 12 Trans Women in the Film Industry You Should Know About

Fellows Selected for the 2023 Trans Possibilities Intensive

Six Storytellers Selected For Second Edition of Project and Professional Development Program Designed for Trans Storytellers of Color
Sundance

Read more about the Fellows selected for the 2023 Trans Possibilities Intensive below:

Seyi Adebanjo (director) with Afromystic (U.S.A.): Afromystic is a lyrical documentary guided by four LGBTQ Yorùbá practitioners across the waters of Nigeria, the US, and Brazil reclaiming lost mythologies such as deities who change gender and are born from the love of two womxn. Afromystic weaves animated Queer & Trans Òrìṣà mythology, poetry, theater, and ritual. Adebanjo is a Queer Gender-Non-Conforming Nigerian artist who raises awareness around social issues through video. Seyi's work exists at the intersection of art, imagination, ritual and politics.

Rajvi Desai (director, co-producer, co-cinematographer, editor) with Mother Wit (U.S.A.): An ailing Black trans matriarch struggles to inculcate the values of education and survival in her community before she runs out of time.

Desai is a non-binary South Asian filmmaker and editor based in New York City. Rajvi’s work focuses on gender issues as they intersect with race, class and caste, both in the United States and in South Asia.

Malik Ever (director/writer) with GutBucket (U.S.A.): After his estranged mother's sudden death, West, a 54 year old trans man, returns home for the first time in twenty years to clean out his childhood home, where he starts to uncover his mother's secrets. Ever (they/them) is a trans/nonbinary, queer first generation Algerian American filmmaker. Originating in the theatre as “a heart-wrenching and hilarious physical theater performer and writer” (Phindie), they recently graduated from the AFI Conservatory with an MFA in Directing. Their short film, Gorditx, premiered at GLAFF in LA.

Nick Janaye (writer) with Dead Ringer (U.S.A.): After volunteering to prepare his father’s destination wedding, a trans man desperate for approval is tasked with killing a shapeshifting entity that ultimately threatens the lives of attendees. Janaye is an award-winning screenwriter and graduate of the Sidney Poitier New American Film School. Known for his bold supernatural stories that combat marginalization, Nick is proudly genderfluid and dead set on amplifying LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and POC representation in film.

Jamie John (director/writer) with 2Spirit Water Carrier (U.S.A.): 2Spirit Water Carrier is an experimental work reflecting the Anishinaabe responsibility of carrying water and queer and trans Indigenous bodies. Ideas of gender sovereignty, land and queer body autonomy, and gender variance found throughout nature and history will be communicated through moving images of bodies, gender presentation, landscapes, and text. John is a two-spirit trans and queer Anishinaabe and Korean-American multi-disciplinary artist (he/him and they/themme). They are a tribal citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.

Tee Park Jaehyung (writer) with Destiny in Sedona (U.S.A.): The lives of various lovelorn transgenders intertwine as they travel through the Arizona desert. Park Jaehyung is a filmmaker originally from Seoul, Korea. Her filmography includes the Pupal Stage, Winter Insect Summer Flower, and Tofu. A trans woman of immigrant experience, Park’s work explores alienation, unconventional bonds, and flawed female protagonists. She's also a USC Screenwriting graduate and a proud SoCal girl.