Gender Reveal
A film by
Mo Matton
Synopsis
Rhys, a dedicated people pleaser, winds up at their boss’ gender reveal party with their two partners. The trans throuple soon realizes that they are dealing with more than they were prepared for and their ability to survive the event comes into question.
Highlights
120+ festivals, 15+ awards.
Tags
2024
Comedy
Fiction
Genre
Comedy
,
Country
Canada (Quebec)
Year
2024
Length
12'36"
Themes
Sexuality
,
LGBTQIA+
,
Social Justice
,
Trans
,
Satire
,
Distribution
Ayo Tsalithaba, Kě Xīn Li, Lyraël (Alex) Dauphin
Production
Léonie Hurtubise (Colonelle films)
Director
Mo Matton
Screenplay
Mo Matton
Artistic Direction
Kenny Dorvil
Cinematography
Christophe Dalpé
Editing
Myriam Magassouba
Sound
Jordan Choinière, Samuel Gagnon-Thibodeau
Music
Samuel Gougoux
Director's Statement
GENDER REVEAL takes place at a time when trans people are facing an astonishing rise of anti-trans violence and legislative backlash. With the far-right using the same rhetoric of the American “parental rights” movement of the 1970s that sought to fight against lesbian and gay rights, the paranoid propaganda to “protect the children” (from our perverted influence, scary trans people) is being rebranded as a palatable new concept for the masses. Paradoxically, cis people’s very own obsession with gender seems to exponentially be reaching new heights: with the binary-enforcing trend of gender reveal parties, where parents engage in a ritual to reveal their babies’ genitals to family and friends.My film is a dark comedy about a fantasy of many and a nightmarish extension of reality for others; a never-ending spectacle that just gets worse and worse and worse. My love for satire resides in the possibilities it offers to rip apart societal hypocrisies, play with the unexpected, and hopefully, in the process, spark a shift in perspective. As a trans filmmaker, it was important for me to create a film that centers complex trans characters, who are full of life, love and rage. While a trans throuple attending a gender reveal party might seem a little surreal to some, transness has always existed beyond the realm of the possible to begin with. I believe there’s an inherent magic and creativity to trans people, in our ability to break apart and reimagine possibilities of embodiment, as well as in our resilience.Throughout the film, we follow Rhys’ journey towards figuring out how much of themselves they are willing to compromise in order to fit in. We get a glimpse of the absurd challenges they face as they try to live their life with integrity – and without limitations. It was important for me that the trans characters not willingly ruin the party and that instead, the cisgender characters set themselves up for failure. In their desire to appear inclusive by inviting trans people to a transphobic celebration, they create an inevitable ground for chaos on their own, and the audience is left to deal with the consequences.
Mo Matton
Mo Matton
Mo Matton is a trans filmmaker based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. They previously co-directed SWARM OF SELENIUM (2017) and FLY AWAY WITH ME (2021), two short films created with collectives. GENDER REVEAL is their first solo directorial film. They are an IFFR Sessions alumni and past participant of the artist residency District* (Berlin).
Filmography
Gender Reveal | Short Fiction | 2025
Fly Away With Me | Short Fiction | 2021
Swarm of Selenium | Short Fiction | 2017
Social media
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Festivals
Calgary Underground Film Fest, Canada | 2025 * Jury Award * Best Canadian Short, Audience Award * Best Canadian Short
Les Percéides, Canada | 2025 * Best Quebec Short Film Award
Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Canada | 2024 * Audience Award
Vilnius Queer Festival “Kreivės”, Lithuania | 2025 * Audience ward *Jury's special Mention
Bref International Short Film Festival, Italy | 2025 * Jury Special Mention
Soho Horror Film Festival, UK | 2025 * Sohome Horror Pride Audience Awards
Norwegian Short Film Festival, Norway | 2025 * The Youth Award
Filmfest Dresden, Germany | 2025 * Short film award of the German Film Critics Association
Miami Film Festival, USA | 2025 * International Short Film Award
Courts Mais Trash (Queer Mais Trash), Belgium | 2025 * Best Queer Film Award
Florence Queer Festival, Italy | 2025 * Best short film award
Brussels Int. Short Film Festival, Belgium | 2024-2025 * Special Mention for Best Interpretation: AYO TSALITHABA, KE XIN LI, LYRAËL DAUPHIN
Taiwan International Queer Film Festival, Taiwan | 2024 * Grand Prize for International Queer Short Film
Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland | 2024
Talent tout court - Clermont-Ferrand, France | 2024
Oslo/Fusion Film Festival, Norway | 2024
Bushwick Film Festival, USA | 2024
Fringe! Queer Film & Art Fest, UK | 2024
Slash Fantastic Film Festival, Austria | 2024
Séquence Court-Métrage, France | 2024
BFI London Film Festival, UK | 2024
OFF-Odense, Denmark | 2024
MIX Copenhagen LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Denmark | 2024
OFF-Courts de Trouville et Marché, France | 2024
Vevey Very Funny Film Festival, Switzerland | 2024
Winterthur Int. Short Film Festival, Switzerland | 2024
NewFest, USA | 2024
Stockholm Int. Film Festival, Sweden | 2024
Queer Lisboa Film Festival, Portugal | 2024
Pink Screens Queer Film Festival, Belgium | 2024
Seattle Queer Film Festival, USA | 2024
Kyiv International Short Film Festival, Ukraine | 2024
MixBrasil, Brazil | 2024
Cinemaforum Short Film Festival, Poland | 2024
Corto Dorico Film Festival (focus Québec), Italy | 2024
Toronto International Film Festival – TIFF, Canada | 2024
Tampere Int. Film Festival, Finland | 2025
Atlanta Film Festival, USA | 2025
KINO Athens International Independent Film Festival, Greece | 2025
OUTshine Film Festivals, USA | 2025
PÖFF Shorts, Estonia | 2025
Short Shorts Film Festival, Japan | 2025
Santa Barbara International Film Festival, USA | 2025
Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, USA | 2025
Queer Screen's 30th Mardi Gras Film Festival, Australia | 2025
Psarokokalo International Short Film Festival, Greece | 2025
Roze Filmdagen; the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Netherlands | 2025
BoneBat Comedy Of Horrors Film Festival, USA | 2025
Glasgow Short Film Festival, Scotland | 2025
Tournai Ramdam Festival - Festival du Film qui dérange, Belgium | 2025
PinX LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, Belgium | 2025
BFI Flare, UK | 2025
Leeds Queer Film Festival, Ireland | 2025
Bolton International Film Festival, UK | 2025
Short Encounters International Film Festival, Greece | 2025
Indy Shorts International Film Fest, USA | 2025
Frameline, USA | 2025
FEST - New Directors/New Films Festival, Portugal | 2025
Festival Quebecuá, Spain | 2025
Festival Canadien de Dieppe, France | 2025
Vues du Québec, France | 2025
Trans Film Festival Stockholm, Sweden | 2025
Cinéma en liberté, France | 2025
SouthSide Film Festival in Bethlehem, USA | 2025
Wicked Queer: Boston’s LGBT Film Festival, USA | 2025
Geelong Pride Film Festival, Australia | 2025
Provincetown International Film Festival, USA | 2025
Orlando Festival, Italy | 2025
The Minnesota Genre Film Exposition, USA | 2025
Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival (section online), USA | 2025
Filmets Badalona, Spain | 2025
Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, USA | 2025
Rio LGBTQIA+ International Film Festival, Brazil | 2025
Hamburg International Queer Film Festival, Germany | 2025
Braunschweig International Film Festival, Germany | 2025
Reel Queer Film Festival in Little Rock, USA | 2025
Toko Film Fest, Italy | 2025
HaHaArt Film Festival, Portugal | 2025
Drunken Film Festival Bradford, UK | 2025
Queer Film Festival Utrecht, Netherlands | 2025
La ReA Short Film Festival, Belgium | 2025
CinéPride, France | 2025
Queer Film Festival Perlen, Germany | 2025
Castiglioni Film Festival, Italy | 2025
CinemaQ Film Festival, USA | 2025
Film Festival at Hollywood Park, USA | 2025
HOLLYWOOD QUEER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, USA | 2025
Luststreifen – Queer Film Festival Basel, Switzerland | 2025
QUEER Filmfest Weiterstadt, Germany | 2025
Festival Mix Milano, Italy | 2025
Helsinki International Film Festival, Finland | 2025
Festival Court Métrange, France | 2025
Way OUT West Film Fest, USA | 2025
Scottish Queer International Film Festival, Scotland | 2025
Festival D'un bord à l'autre, France | 2025
Out On Film: Atlanta's LGBTQ Film Festival, USA | 2025
shnit worldwide shortsfestival, Switzerland + other countries | 2025
All Inclusive Film Festival, Poland | 2025
FLIFFShorts, USA | 2025
PROUD! Film Festival - LesbianBiGayTransQueer Film Festival, Denmark | 2025
QUEER-Streifen Festival Regensburg, Germany | 2025
OUT HERE DAYTON FILM FEST, USA | 2025
Festival du Film Court de Saint-Pierre, France (La Réunion) | 2025
Projection en collaboration avec Filmfest Osnabrück, Germany | 2025
Recifest LGBTQIA+ Film Festival of Recife, Brazil | 2025
Charlotte Film Festival, USA | 2025
Ravenna Nightmare Film Fest, Italy | 2025
Cinema Queer, Sweden | 2025
Festival Regard, Canada | 2024
Rendez vous Québec Cinéma, Canada | 2024
SPASM, Canada | 2024
Festival Plein(s) Écran(s), Canada | 2025
Festival du film de la Ville de Québec, Canada | 2025
Festiqueer, Canada | 2025
Festival Court & Queer, Canada | 2025
Charlottetown Film Festival, Canada | 2024
Dawson City International Short Film Festival, Canada | 2025
Canadian Screen Awards, Canada | 2025
International Film Festival of Ottawa, Canada | 2025
ICFF IncluCity Festival, Canada | 2025
Ottawa Film Festival, Canada | 2025
Fogfest Horror Film Festival, Canada | 2025
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Caroline Rompré | pixelleX communications | 514-778-9294 | caroline@pixellex.ca
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