A transgender actress fails to book acting gigs in Hollywood for not being a “passable” woman.

Interview with Writer/Director/Producer Drama Del Rosario

Watch Act Like A Woman on Queerbee

Congratulations! Why did you make your film?

Honestly speaking, I began this film having almost zero knowledge about the transgender community. As a member of the LGBTQ community, I found it very important to know more about the lives of transgender people, particularly Filipino transgender women. Thus, this documentary film was made.

Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?

I know that there is a lot of hype and curiosity about the surgery of transgender people. But what this documentary offers goes beyond that: We take a look at career, family life, personal aspirations, and more. Once we overcome our presuppositions about transgender people, we realize that we, as humans, have a lot in common. To add to that, Angel Qinan is just a loveable character who is so open to sharing her story, and I am sure the audience will enjoy watching her!

How do personal and universal themes work in your film?

Everyone wants to feel loved. But beyond seeking acceptance from the Hollywood film industry, Angel’s story talks about yearning for acceptance from one’s family and one’s self. I hope that by watching this documentary, the audience realizes that learning to love yourself and sharing acceptance with others are the first steps towards reaching aspirations.

Act Like A Woman - Angel looks in the mirror as she talks about how being "passable" as a woman is crucial for booking an acting job.

How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?

Initially, I thought that this film would explore all the support that Angel receives from the people around her. But it felt unfair to do that when discrimination of transgender people still exists in today’s society, so this is precisely why I decided to focus on Angel’s acting career. Moreover, I remember thinking that this film would heavily tackle how a transgender woman hides her masculine features—essentially conforming to the norms of “what a woman should be”. But learning about Angel helped me realize that convincing people that you are a “passable” woman is not what being a transgender woman is about.

What type of feedback have you received so far?

The support from the LGBTQ community and the Filipino community has been amazing. It warms my heart to know that the demand for screening documentaries like "Act Like A Woman" is rapidly increasing!

Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?

The feedback has been pleasantly surprising thus far, but of course, I would love to hear what people outside the LGBTQ community and the Filipino community think about the documentary too!

What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?

Meeting fellow filmmakers is always a great experience! Through We Are Moving Stories, I hope to get in touch with filmmakers from around the world who want to share their ideas and hopefully work together to create game-changing films in the near future.

Act Like A Woman - Though Hollywood is notorious for pressuring actors into looking a certain way, Angel recalls the joy of portraying characters that she could never be in real life.

Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?

I hope to meet film festivals who wish to screen the documentary, particularly in Los Angeles and in the Philippines. I also hope to meet journalists who are open to writing more about Angel’s story and this documentary film.

What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?

I just hope that this documentary helps transgender actors gain more visibility in the film industry. As Angel says in the documentary, transgender actors can be doctors, lawyers, and parents, so it’s about time that people see them playing these roles.

What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?

What does it mean to “act like a woman”?

Would you like to add anything else?

“Act Like A Woman” is a Semi-Finalist for the Hollywood International Independent Documentary Awards 2018 (Los Angeles, California, USA) and the Los Angeles CineFest 2018 (Los Angeles, California, USA). It is also an Official Selection for Out & Loud - Pune International Queer Film Festival 2018 (Maharashtra, India).

What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?

I am screening my other LGBTQ documentary Film “In This Family” around the world too. Very soon, I will also release a new documentary film “Missing Yogi” which explores how a family in search of their missing dog falls victim to an extortion scam. You can learn more about my projects at DramaDelRosario.com. Meanwhile, since filming this documentary, Angel Qinan booked her first commercial job and had her first acting performance for theater. She is currently on her last quarter at UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Professional Programs Acting for the Camera. She is also a main host for "Girls Like Us" talk show, the director of membership for FilAm Creative, and she is producing her own content at Angel Qinan Studio and SistersLikeAngelAndAlly.com. You can visit AngelQinan.com or @AngelQinan on social media for more current updates!

Interview: April 2018

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We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTIAQ+, scifi, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela

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Act Like A Woman

A transgender actress fails to book acting gigs in Hollywood for not being a “passable” woman.

Length: 14 minutes, 57 seconds

Director: Drama Del Rosario

Producer: Drama Del Rosario

Writer: Drama Del Rosario

About the writer, director and producer: Drama Del Rosario is a documentary filmmaker from the Philippines, currently in Los Angeles, California. Known for his intimate pop culture documentaries, Drama also works with international clients to direct music videos and digital content.

Key cast: Angel Qinan

Looking for (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists): film festival directors, journalists, distributors

Social media handles:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dramadelrosario

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dramadelrosario/

Official Website: https://www.dramadelrosario.com/

Made in association with: New York Film Academy - Los Angeles