A coming-of-age story about a transgender teenager with dreams of musical stardom is featured during the next Indie Lens Pop-Up community film series in Lincoln.
“Real Boy” starts at 1 p.m., Sunday, June 25, at the Sheldon Museum of Art, 12th and R streets, in Lincoln.
The film, by Shaleece Haas, is a moving and intimate story of a family in transition. “Real Boy” follows the journey of trans teen Bennett as he navigates adolescence, sobriety and the physical and emotional ramifications of his changing gender identity.
Through the process, his mother Suzy makes her own transformation — travelling a difficult road toward accepting that the daughter she raised as Rachael is now her son Bennett.
Filmed over the course of four years, “Real Boy” is a love story about a mother and son who rediscover connection with each other and find support from their communities, reminding us that families are not only given, but chosen.
Following the film, a panel discussion with transgender Nebraskans will be facilitated by Abbi Swatsworth and Ryan Fette of Outlinc, a nonprofit organization in Lincoln that works with the LGBTQ community.
The Indie Lens Pop-Up community film series confronts real-life issues while bringing people together for community-driven conversation around films from the award-winning PBS series. It is free and open to the public. This is the final film in the 2016-17 series.