Trans director makes Oscars history with a little lift from Elliot Page

The 19-minute film, An Avocado Pit, is making Oscars history. It has been shortlisted in the “Best Live Action Short Film” category.

Produced by Elliot Page and Pageboy Productions, and directed by Ary Zane, it’s the first film directed by a transgender person to be considered for the prestigious award. It stars Gaya Medeiros, a trans woman.

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Unlike the all-too-common trauma fare of most modern films centered around trans people, An Avocado Pit is wholeheartedly positive and affirming.

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In the movie, Larissa (Medeiros), a trans woman, and Cláudio (Ivo Canelas), a cis man, meet one night in the streets of Lisbon and dance their differences away till morning light. It is, as the film’s official summary states, “an empowering story, free from violence and filled with light and hope for the better days yet to come.”

After winning over 20 awards, the film is considered a strong contender to be selected for the Oscars category.

“An Avocado Pit is exactly the kind of project we at Pageboy Productions are drawn to. We are proud to board this short and it is an honor to amplify Ary Zara’s important work,” Page said.

“It wasn’t a goal to get to the Oscars, I don’t think it was even in our imagination,” Zara admitted. “Gaya’s from Brazil, I am from Portugal. We are both trans artists, and I think that even though we are very creative, this didn’t fit in our universe.”

“We feel grateful, but I think that we are also very scared to dream this big dream and then fall. But we dare to dream and we will be dreaming every day until the day we know that we are going to be nominated.”

Oscars nominations will be announced on January 23. The ceremony happens on March 10.

The movie is currently available to stream.