TransMilitary

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

New York Premiere!

Screening followed by discussion with Director Gabriel Silverman, Co-director Fiona Dawson, film subject US Army Corporal Laila Villanueva, and Ryan Thoreson, Researcher, LGBT Rights Program, HRW.

“It is our time now to step forward and say, ‘OK, it’s not about what gender I am, it’s about if I can get the job done. And we for years have shown that, so why not acknowledge us?’”
– Laila Villanueva, film subject, TransMilitary

The military is the largest employer of transgender people in the United States. Amid rapidly changing policies that technically at present bans them from serving, 15,500 troops identify as transgender. TransMilitary documents four brave men and women who risk their families’ livelihoods by coming out to the Pentagon’s top brass in the hope of attaining the equal right to serve. With a new commander-in-chief at the helm, they must traverse a series of successes and defeats, as their careers hang in the balance.

Official selection: SXSW 2018 – Winner for Documentary Audience Award, Independent Film Festival Boston, Martha’s Vineyard Spectrum Film Festival, Frameline

A vital forum for cinema that tackles important global issues, HRWFF annually showcases an international selection of acclaimed films that bring human rights struggles to life through storytelling—challenging, provocative movies that call for justice and social change.

Additional screenings take place at the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Human Rights Watch Film Festival

  • Country USA
  • Language English
  • Year 2018
  • Running Time 92 minutes
  • Website http://www.transmilitary.org/
  • Director Gabriel Silverman, Fiona Dawson
  • Writer Jamie Coughlin, Gabriel Silverman
  • Editor Gil Seltzer
  • Cinematographer Gabriel Silverman

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.