Transliteracy and the Trans New Wave: developing a new canon of cinematic representations of gender diversity and sexuality

Trans New Wave is an emergent genre of independent gender-diverse films that require the ability to read and think across a range of cultural and theoretical perspectives. The use of transliteracy is presented as an innovative theoretical approach to reading film representations of the Trans New Wave. The research is focused upon transliterate exegesis of key texts, focusing upon transmale representations, supported by interviews and surveys with key Trans New Wave filmmakers and independent film festivals that screen gender-diverse films. The identification of a recognizable canon of gender-diverse representations utilized by Trans New Wave filmmakers internationally is emerging from this research. Transliteracy is discussed as an innovative theoretical approach that will contribute to literate reading of texts that are embedded within queer and transgender social structures, establishing a developing cinematic canon of Trans New Wave films. This article is first publication on developing a canon of independent Trans New Wave Cinema.