Miller & Son

Miller & Son is a 2019 live action short film directed by non-binary filmmaker Asher Jelinsky during their directing MFA studies at the AFI Conservatory.^[1][2] This short film explores the feeling of compartmentalization by portraying the life of a transgender mechanic, performed by then-non-binary actress Jesse James Keitel.^[3] It has been selected and awarded at several film festivals including Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival where it won the Oscar Qualifying Best Live-Action Short Award, the BAFTA Student Film Awards where it won Best Live Action, and the Student Academy Awards where it won its second Oscar Qualifying Award with the Gold Medal for "Best Narrative" (Domestic).^[4]

Miller & Son
Directed by	Asher Jelinsky
Written by	Asher Jelinsky
Produced by	Kate Chamuris
Starring	Jesse James Keitel Ryan Cutrona Alexandra Grey Travis Hammer
Cinematography	Robert Nachman
Edited by	Selinda Tian Jz Zhou
Production company	AFI Conservatory
Release dates	April 14, 2019 (2019-04-14) (Atlanta Film and Video Festival)
Running time	21 minutes
Country	United States

Plot

A trans woman mechanic lives between running her family's auto shop during the day and expressing her femininity at night, until an unforeseen event threatens the balance of her compartmentalized life.

Awards

Since its launch, the film has received numerous awards, and selected in more than 60 festivals around the world.

Year	Presenter/Festival	Award/Category	Status
2019	Student Academy Awards	Best Narrative (Domestic)	Won[5][6]
	BAFTA Student Film Awards	Best Live Action Short Film	Won
	St. Louis International Film Festival	Best Live-Action Short	Won
	Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity	Gold Screen Young Director Award (Film School 6 mins and over)	Won[7]
	Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival	International Competition	Nominated[8]
	Rhode Island International Film Festival	Best Student Film	Nominated
	Ashland Independent Film Festival	Jury and Audience Award for "Best Narrative Short"	Won[9]
	FilmOut San Diego	Outstanding Artistic Achievement	Won
	Nevada City Film Festival	Best Performance	Won
	North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival	Best Long-Form Dramatic Short	Won

References

1. Edwards, Danny (July 22, 2019). "Asher Jelinsky on their award-winning film & the portrayal of trans & nonbinary characters". Shots. As a gender nonbinary person, I also compartmentalise as a coping mechanism and am often confronted with the choice of whether to speak up or stay silent.
2. "Congratulations to AFI's Student Academy Award Winners". AMERICAN FILM INSTITUTE. October 18, 2019.
3. Bahr, Lindsey (October 18, 2019). "Film academy honours 16 Student Academy Award winners". Times Columnist. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019. Authenticity in casting was of utmost importance to Jelinsky
4. "MEDALISTS REVEALED AT 2019 STUDENT ACADEMY AWARDS". The Oscars. 10 October 2019.
5. Williams, Trey (September 12, 2019). "AFI Leads All Universities in 2019 Student Academy Award Winners". The Wrap.
6. Wheat, Lorraine (October 20, 2019). "Rory Kennedy, Gregory Nava Celebrate Films Creating Social Change at 2019 Student Academy Awards". Variety. Narrative (Domestic Film Schools) Gold: Asher Jelinsky, "Miller & Son," American Film Institute
7. "YOUNG DIRECTOR AWARD - WINNER 2019".
8. "Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival - Miller & Son".^{[permanent dead link‍]}
9. "Rhode Island International Film Festival / Sidewalk Film Festival 2019 – Miller & Son". We Are Moving Stories. 13 August 2019. (...) won both the jury and audience awards for Best Narrative Short at the Ashland Independent Film Festival

External links

• Full Film at Vimeo
• Miller & Son official website
• Miller & Son at IMDb