executive summary

The 2026 JAHA Film Festival was the first of its kind: a film festival designed both to engage and to educate, opening a world of trans, intersex and nonbinary (TIN) filmmakers of the Global South to a truly global audience. In our first season, we demonstrated proof of concept with remarkable grassroots impact across US communities, as well as internationally. 

The JAHA Film Festival responds to a situation of danger for TIN people globally, as the criminalization of gender variance and homosexuality has risen to epidemic levels in the past 30 years. According to recent data from Statista, 64 countries currently criminalize same-sex sexual activity and/or transgender presentation; while many of these countries are in Africa, Asia, and the SWANA region, “anti-gender ideology” movements are a global phenomenon, encompassing Global North and South political networks. As Judith Butler writes (2024), the Roman Catholic Council for the Family’s identification of “gender” as a political target beginning in the 1990s, and the current alliance between the Vatican and the Evangelical Church in Latin America have together strengthened the global power of the “anti-gender ideology” movement, which promotes legal and organized social violence against LGBTQAI+ populations. This movement has now had success in many political arenas, including limits and bans on gender-affirming care, eradication of queer and trans-positive curricula, and exclusion from participation in basic civic activities and basic rights in North and South nations. For immigrant and indigenous TIN communities in the Global North, these forms of legal oppression are intensified by an overall climate of anti-immigrant and neocolonial racism.

At the intersection of anti-trans criminalization in the Global South and a backlash against progressive movements for gender and sexual freedom in the North, JAHA presents a vision for transnational TIN power. Our work is popular: this year, we reached over 203,000 audience members and facilitated 206 community screenings, including multiple US locations on a minimal budget. As an experiment, JAHA has been remarkably successful: our work offers “proof of concept,” evidencing the popular desire for trans, intersex, and gender variant stories from Global South and Indigenous communities living in the Américas. To contribute to the ongoing educational promotion of TIN films as educational texts, we also launched a free online Film School with six educational modules that continue serving US educators and students as a public educational resource.

From the high level of audience engagement to the participation in educational programming, we met and exceeded our goal to familiarize audiences with TIN arts and politics of the Global South. Through our survey and qualitative interviews with a small selection of viewers, we also learned important lessons which we plan to integrate into our next season.

Community Response: survey and interview 

We created a survey for festival attendants, asking for responses to the following         questions:

• “Before participating, how familiar were you with experiences, issues, and histories of transgender, intersex and nonbinary (TIN) people of the Global South?”

• “After watching JAHA films, my interest in and understanding about TIN - Global South issues has increased.”

• “Describe something new you learned from JAHA programming.”

• “Did any particular film or curriculum shift your perspective? Please describe.”

Responses to the survey:

Survey results showed a dramatic increase of awareness of TIN experiences in the Global South, but also within a personal context. This type of introspection exemplifies the connection between representation, community, and both the similarities and differences between Global North and the Global South TIN experience and knowledge. Global North attendants reported increasing their knowledge and understanding of the identities and the challenges facing TIN people in and from the Global South.

Given a scale ranging from -2 to 2, attendees confirmed their interest and understanding of TIN Global South issues increased by over 100%, marking a successful outcome for increased education and awareness.

Responses to the qualitative interviews:

JAHA employed a student intern who interviewed several festival attendees. In brief, participants reported their great appreciation of the JAHA films, including special praise for particular narratives of importance, with statements like this one, which is typical: “…it really made me think more about the trans experience, there's more joy to be found anywhere in the world. You know, not necessarily just the Global South….” 

Respondents also made some suggestions for our next season. In the section that follows, we represent their responses, beginning with their descriptions of affirmative experiences and learning, followed by suggestions for improvement in our next season.

Our interview respondents identified keywords related to their experiences, which evidence further the positive feelings and associations attendees retained from their viewing.

Keywords shared by interviewees:

• Trans joy

• Community 

• Connection 

• Representation 

• Senses 

• Live giving

We also received several suggestions for increasing the representation of unique identities and individuals, with enthusiasm for increased representation of trans masculine experiences. 

Accessibility of the digital platform was a topic that was touched on during further interviews. It was suggested that the interface and platform for the film festival may benefit from a more accessible format and digital infrastructure, including:

• Adding a menu that categorizes the genres offered through the film festival, making it convenient for those who are seeking a specific experience or education on a particular issue. 

• Longer time period: we received a suggestion that access to the films could be offered for a longer interval of time.

• Educational clips: a suggestion that portions of films can be compiled as an educational tool to spotlight TIN experiences, artists, and communities of the Global South. 

Overall, participants in the survey are looking for ways in which JAHA can expand their presence and impact moving forward. 

Interview questions:

• What brought you to this festival–how did you hear about it? What did you expect to see?

• What did you know about trans, intersex and nonbinary people of the Global South before watching JAHA films?

• Can you give examples as to how some of the films increased your awareness of trans and nonbinary people and experiences from the Global South?

• Tell us more about X film (which you mentioned in your survey). What about that film was meaningful for your learning? (describe a scene, plot point, character…)

• Looking forward to next year’s films, what would you like to see and learn?

  • What more do you want to know about the lives and the struggles of trans people from the Global South?

•  Anything more to add? Anything you want to share from your own context, background, etc?

Quantitative Data

Engagement 

• Participants in survey: 17

• Provided email: 7

• Responses: 3

• Interviews: 2

Averages:

• Question #1- “Before participating, how familiar were you with experiences, issues, and histories of transgender, intersex and nonbinary (TIN) people of the Global South?” 9 points/17= .53 53%

• Question #2- “After watching JAHA films, my interest in and understanding about TIN - Global South issues has increased.” 30 points/17= 1.76

• Question #3- “Describe something new you learned from JAHA programming.” 12/17

• Question #4- “Did any particular film or curriculum shift your perspective? Please describe.” 11/17

Qualitative interviews

Interviews with attendees VH and AK revealed a shared appreciation for the festival's expansive and sensory approach to storytelling, which moved beyond traditional documentary formats to invite viewers into embodied experiences of trans, intersex, and nonbinary life in the Global South. AK, a counselor with prior knowledge rooted primarily in Western medical frameworks, noted that the films significantly deepened their understanding and reframed their perspective on trans joy as a global possibility rather than a regional exception. Both interviewees highlighted the power of representation and community making, with AK describing the festival's message that "trans people don't need to be saved" as a profound and lasting mind shift. VH echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the importance of films that engage the senses rather than relying solely on intellectual narration. Constructive feedback included a mutual suggestion to categorize films by genre or format in future editions to improve navigability. Overall, the interviews affirmed that JAHA successfully fostered connection, expanded awareness, and offered a transformative viewing experience that resonated on both personal and political levels.