Aliisa Qureshi
Today, trans and queer youth face increasingly hostile environments in their daily lives, including discrimination, bullying, harassment, anti-trans school policies, and restrictions on gender-affirming care. In contrast, these films take you on a journey of trans and queer youth undergoing personal and societal awakenings, showcasing defining moments and empowerment. They show not only growing pains but also gains and triumphs, balancing emotional weight and levity through comedic and emotional trans and genderqueer character-driven stories.
Just as important as what happens on screen is what happens behind the scenes. The Transgender Media Portal, which launched in June 2024, is therefore dedicated to improving conditions for trans filmmakers cinema, and making their work available to filmmakers, researchers, curators and academics, and the public.
Inspired by a “back to school” theme, I began searching the Transgender Media Portal for trans youth coming-of-age films from around the world, leading me to an abundance of compelling works made by and about trans and genderqueer characters from Canada, USA, South Korea, Brazil, and Norway. While the Portal doesn’t store films, it shares information about them and points out where to find them, which is already a radical step against erasure.
This playlist features works spanning from 1995 to 2023, from small indie projects to large mainstream features. Despite the increased number of trans characters in mainstream media during this period, many depictions are created by cis creative teams and use harmful stereotypes that undermine the struggle for trans justice and dignity, fueling anti-trans violence and politics. In this context, improving access to trans-made cinema has significant potential to not only support trans filmmaking but also to validate trans experiences and foster empathy and connection amid growing polarization.

Tahara (Olivia Peace, USA, 2020)
Olivia Peace’s debut film, which they directed and edited, is a quintessential queer coming-of-age drama that delves into the nuances of mortality, identity, and burgeoning sexuality. Two high school best friends attend a funeral of a Hebrew school classmate: faced with grief and the weight of the world, their reflection turns into an exploration of self discovery and questioning, leading to new-found intimacy with each other. Set in Rochester, NY, this feature film explores the complexities of friendship, relationships, and the unspoken tensions that arise in adolescence. As a Black queer director and visual artist originally from Detroit, Peace’s perspective adds to the exploration of intersectional identities in youth on screen.
Trailer: YouTube, Available on: Amazon Prime, Kanopy, Google Play

Adam (Andrea Stoops Villarrubia, USA, 1995)
In this animated short, Adam, a little girl mistaken for a boy, savors the opportunity to explore her identity. Through creative clay animation, the film captures the playfulness of childhood exploration and the fluidity of gender identity and orientation. The tactile nature of claymation and painted animation evokes nostalgia and childhood, making it a compelling medium to explore themes of gender and the early inklings of identity in formative years, highlighting the openness of children in navigating their identities and contributing to a broader conversation on the inherent fluidity of gender exploration.
Available on: Frameline

Like A Virgin (Lee Hae-jun & Lee Hae-young, South Korea, 2006)
Funny, touching and smart, Like A Virgin features the story of high school student Oh Dong-gu, who desperately wants to be a girl. Struggling with ridicule at school and a dysfunctional family life, Dong-gu finds solace in Madonna’s music and fantasy. A wrestling competition with a cash prize and a dreamy coach catches her eye, and she takes on the challenge hoping it will fund her gender-affirming surgery. Through the story of perseverance, Like A Virgin presents an unforgettable and nuanced queer hero.
Trailer: YouTube Available on: Apple TV

Mais ou Menos (Alexander Antunes Siqueira, Brazil, 2010)
Teenager Ivo is constantly bullied by his classmate Sandro. Their troubled relationship seems irreconcilable until an unexpected encounter changes everything. This short film is impactful for its raw depiction of acceptance and the harsh realities many trans and queer youth face, particularly in environments that are hostile to their identities such as the peer environment of high school.
Available on: YouTube

I Am A Girl (Susan Koenen, Norway, 2010)
Joppe, a 13-year-old girl, dreams of asking out the boy she likes, but contemplates how to reveal that she is trans. In Susan Koenen’s documentary, Joppe candidly shares her experiences and feelings about her daily life at school, the reactions of her peers, and her hopes for the future. The film offers an intimate testament of the life of a trans teen navigating her identity in a world that is hesitant to understand her.
Available on: YouTube

The Misadventures of Pussy Boy: First Love (Alec Butler, Canada, 2000)
In this indie animated short, the first of the Misadventures of Pussy Boy trilogy, Alick—a trans/ Two-Spirit/intersex junior high school student—takes a walk in a Canadian birch forest with Kay, the high school siren of their dreams. What follows is a series of seductive misadventures that challenge societal norms and delve into the complexities of young first love. Created by Mi’kmaq intersex playwright and filmmaker Alec Butler, this film and its gender non-conforming teen hero are an unsung trans cinema classic, melting hearts like the snow in its wintery Canadian landscape.
Available on: YouTube

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Aitch Alberto, USA, 2023)
Written and directed by Cuban-American trans director Aitch Alberto, this adaptation of Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s coming-of-age young adult novel takes place in 1987 in El Paso, Texas, following Mexican teenagers Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana as they navigate their evolving friendship. Against a backdrop of cultural and familial expectations, the boys grapple with questions of racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and the search for self. This film stands out for its nuanced portrayal of intersectional identities, weaving the challenges of growing up queer and Mexican in an area where both aspects have been marginalized. With its success at TIFF, Sundance, and other festivals, this production stands out for its heartfelt exploration of identity, love, and belonging.
Trailer: YouTube, Available on: Apple TV, Google Play, Amazon Prime
A massive thank you to Aliisa for putting this brilliant playlist together.
Aliisa Qureshi is a Pakistani-Finnish settler living in Odawa and Tkaronto. She is a recent graduate holding a MA in Film Studies and Curatorial Studies at Carleton University, and is an emerging archivist and film programmer with a passion for archival activism. As a Digital Archivist and Curator for the Transgender Media Portal, Aliisa develops, maintains, and showcases the Portal collection database.