About this submission
I wanted to tell a trans story that avoided the tropes of a traditional coming out narrative, instead leaning into the slow burn of alienation and the euphoria of self-actualization. This took the form of a psychological horror film, where coming into yourself is a bloody and terrifying process, filled with sharp teeth and screaming onlookers. Shooting on 16mm film allowed us to emphasize the tactility of our main characters' transformation and create a distinct world separate from reality. For me and my lead actor, this genre-inspired fantasia felt more true to our experience of queerness than any alternative.
Creator
Jack Warren is a New York-based nonbinary filmmaker hailing from the Hudson Valley. Their award-winning short film, ARTEMIS, has screened internationally and across the US, including the Woodstock Film Festival and the London FRINGE! Queer Film and Arts Festival. Their most recent short, When the Man Comes Around, began its run at the Rome International Film Festival and most recently played the Hudson Valley Film Fest. They’ve shot music videos for world-renowned songwriter Machan Taylor, local rockstar Amanda Palmer, and legendary cult horror auteur Larry Fessenden, lurking around abandoned train yards and sculpture gardens to discover all the cinematic secrets of the Catskill Mountains they call home. more...