With gender and identity in flux, Corey and Mia struggle to redefine their relationship.

Corey is experimenting with being gender neutral. Mia finds herself floundering as the previously settled boundaries of their long-term relationship begin to change.

Created in 2022 by writers and filmmakers Beck Kitsis & Chris McNabb, Valentine is a reflection of the writers’ real-life relationship. Chris became transgender at the age of 26, two years into a relationship with straight ciswoman Beck. This created a period of uncertainty in their relationship.

During this time in our relationship, we felt really alone. We didn’t have any friends who had gone through similar situations, and when we looked to mainstream storytelling for comfort, we couldn’t find a single story like ours to relate to. Too often do I see this type of film end in total rejection of the trans character. In our short, we wanted to tell a more nuanced story, one that doesn’t shy away from the complexities of transitioning within a romantic partnership, but that is handled with compassion and care to reflect our own authentic experience.

Valentine has screened at these film festivals:

Tribeca 2022
Palm Springs ShortFest 2022
Outfest 2022
Adelaide Film Festival 2022
Cucalorus 2022
Florida Film Festival 2022
Frameline 2022
HollyShorts 2022
Hong Kong Pride 2022
Inside Out 2022
Maryland Film Festival 2022
Montclair Film Festival 2022
Oak Cliff Film Festival 2022
OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival 2022
Q Fest 2022
Tallgrass Film Festival 2022
Tampa Bay International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2022
Vancouver Queer Film Festival 2022

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