“TransMilitary”

Feature Documentary

E

Summary

The 2018 SXSW Audience Award-winning feature film debut by Gabriel Silverman, Jamie Coughlin & Fiona Dawson, TransMilitary follows the Emmy-nominated short film Transgender, at War and in Love. Around 15,500 transgender people serve in the U.S. military (notably the largest transgender employer in the U.S.), where they must conceal their gender identity because military policies ban their service TransMilitary chronicles the lives of four individuals (Senior Airman Logan Ireland, Corporal Laila Villanueva, Captain Jennifer Peace & First Lieutenant El Cook) defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own. They put their careers and their families’ livelihoods on the line by coming out as transgender to top brass officials in the Pentagon in hopes of attaining the equal right to serve. The ban was lifted in 2016, but with President Trump now trying to reinstate it, their futures hang in the balance again.

TransMilitary is distributed by Gravitas Ventures, Amazon Prime, and Logo TV. The film screened in more than 100 festivals world wide and has won more than a dozen awards.

Impact

Since its release, TransMilitary, has been used to educate around the globe. At the height of the renewed debate on the ban in 2019, Congressman Joe Kennedy III sponsored a screening on Capitol Hill with an introduction by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. GLAAD sent copies of TransMilitary to all Supreme Court Justices and key Congressional leadership. The film is also being used as an educational tool across US Military bases, including The Air Force Academy where it screened for the next generation of Air Force leaders.

Awards

SXSW FILM FESTIVAL — Audience Award, Best Feature Documentary
FLORIDA FILM FESTIVAL — Grand Jury Award, Best Feature Documentary
GLAAD MEDIA AWARD — Special Recognition
HUMANITAS AWARD — Nominee, Best Documentary
NAPA VALLEY FF — Audience Award, Best Documentary
NAPA VALLEY FF — Grand Jury Award for Best Untold Story
SIMA AWARD — Nominee, Best Feature Documentary
OUTFEST — Grand Jury Award, Documentary Feature Special Mention
HAWAII IFF — Nominee, Emerging Filmmaker Award
NORTH CAROLINA GAY & LESBIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL — Audience Award, Best Transgender Documentary
QFILMS LONG BEACH LGBT FILM FESTIVAL — Audience Award, Best Feature Documentary
KALEIDOSCOPE FF — Audience Award, Best Documentary
OUTSHINE FILM FESTIVAL — Grand Jury Award, Best Documentary Honorable Mention
REALQ PITTSBURGH LGBT FF — Audience Award, Best Documentary
DAYTON LGBT FF — Audience Award, Best Documentary
OUT at the Movies Int’l LGBT Film Fest (Winston Salem) — Jury Award, Best Documentary
VETERANS FILM FESTIVAL (Australia) — Best Film

Additional Info

Credits

A film by

SideXSide Studios & Free Lion Productions

In association with

Archer Gray & Fearless Company

Directed by

Gabriel Silverman

Co-director

Fiona Dawson

Produced by

Jamie Coughlin, Gabriel Silverman, & Fiona Dawson

Written by

Jamie Coughlin & Gabriel Silverman

Original concept by

Fiona Dawson

Executive Producers

Amy Nauiokas, Vinay Singh, James Connolly, Sarah Kate Ellis, Zeke Stokes

Co-producer

Jess Kwan

Cinematography by

Gabriel Silverman

Edited by

Gil Seltzer

Music by

Mark Degli Antoni

Cast

Liala (Villanueva) Ireland, Logan Ireland, El Cook, Jenn Peace, Sue Fulton