IN FRANCE MICHELLE IS A MAN’S NAME is an award-winning short film made by a group of trans, female and queer filmmakers. Set against the backdrop of the American West, this 12-minute movie explores fatherhood, rituals of male bonding, masculinity, and the prices we're willing to pay for acceptance.
Screenings & Awards:
Slamdance, 2021 - WINNER Grand Jury Prize Best Narrative Short
Outfest, 2020 - WINNER Grand Jury Prize Best Narrative Short
San Diego International Shortsfest, 2021 - WINNER Best US Short
Kinsale Shark Awards, 2021 - WINNER Best Writing
AFI Fest, 2020
New Orleans Film Festival, 2020
Newfest, 2020
New Filmmakers New York, 2020
Image + Nation Film Festival, 2020
Tampere Film Festival, 2021
Florida Film Festival, 2021
Durango Film Festival, 2021
Milwaukee Film Festival, 2021
Minneapolis St Paul Film Festival
Inside Out Film Festival, 2021
Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival, 2021
New Filmmakers Los Angeles, 2021
deadCenter Film Festival, 2021
Walla Walla Movie Crush, 2021
Short of the Week, 2021
NoBudge, 2021
Press:
DEADLINE announced the film’s Slamdance Grand Jury Prize win in a recent article.
PANAVISION covered the film’s Outfest Grand Jury Prize win in a recent interview with Em Weinstein
THE WRAP included the film in a panel on this year’s top contenders for the Oscar for Best Live Action Short
FREE THE WORK recently featured an interview between Writer/Director Em Weinstein and star Ari Damasco.
FILM THREAT profiled the film in a recent article about Socially Relevant Oscar-Qualified Short Films
SHOTS covered director Em Weinstein in a recent feature.
REDEFINE MAG included the film in a list of best shorts at the Slamdance Film Festival.
THE ADVOCATE announced the film’s Grand Jury Prize with Outfest.
QUELLE MOVIES reviewed the film during the Slamdance Film Festival.
WILLAMETTE WEEK covered the film in a recent article.
CASSIDY QUINN interviewed Em and Ari for a spot on KGW.
THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE interviewed Em about the film.
HOOD RIVER NEWS interviewed Em and Ari about making the film in Wasco County, Oregon.
AWARDS DAILY listed the film as one of the 20 best at Outfest.
IT BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE PODCAST interviewed Em about the film.
Trailer:
About the Writer/Director:
Emil Weinstein (he/him) is an award-winning writer/director for television, film and theater. Em recently directed four episodes of season three of The L Word Generation Q. He’s written for AMC’s Invitation to a Bonfire, and Amazon’s reboot of A League of Their Own.
While getting his M.F.A. at Yale School of Drama, Em directed the first workshop production of Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris, an all-female, pop-infused Romeo & Juliet, and Arden, an immersive original musical.
Em has developed and created work for theater companies such as Rattlestick Theater, New Georges, the 52nd Street Project, New York Theater Workshop, Shakespeare & Company, The Prototype Festival, Collaboraction, Working Theater, En Garde Arts, Two River Theater and the National Queer Theater.
Em’s short film Candace has played at festivals worldwide including the American Pavilion Emerging LGBTQ Filmmakers Showcase at the Cannes Film Festival, where it won Best Film.
Em graduated summa cum laude from Smith College and received an M.F.A. from Yale School of Drama.
