Our Males and Females


Our Males and Females is a short film from Jordan directed by Ahmad Alyaseer. It was written by Rana Alyaseer and Ahmad Alyaseer and produced by Mais Salman and Ahmad Alyaseer. The film explores themes of gender identity, societal expectations, and the complexity of human relationships.
The film has won notable awards including Best Narrative Short film at the 54th Nashville Film Festival making it eligible for the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film.

Plot

A set of parents are faced with the painful task of washing and shrouding their deceased transgender daughter. Shrouding is an Islamic religious practice that is deemed obligatory to carry out upon death. But when no one agrees to wash her and shame falls onto the family, how far is the father willing to go to make sure his "son" is washed?

Cast

  • Kamel El Basha as The Father
  • Shafiqa Al Tal as The Mother
  • Mutaz Al Labadi as The Male Washer
  • Sna' Saleh as The Female Washer
  • Tetiana Beras as ''The Daughter''

Release

Our Males and Females had its world premiere on January 19, 2023, at Slamdance Film Festival. A week after, it had its European premiere at Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival where it was part of the international competition. Following that, the film had a strong festival run and it was selected for 17 Oscar Qualifying Film Festivals.

Reception

Our Males and Females has garnered widespread acclaim from film critics. It has been reviewed and rated by Brian Penn of UK Film Review, Bobby Lepire from Film Threat, Matt Fagerholm of RogerEbert and Steve Kopian of Unseen Films.
Despite its short duration, the film has attracted comments by several media and other film reviewers. The Film Verdict media stated that the film is a work of resounding emotion that extends beyond its microcosmic scenario.

Production

The film was self-funded in Jordan by the director. The film was banned by censorship from many Arab countries.

Awards

The film has officially been selected for 160 film festivals in around 47 countries and has received 124 awards, including:
YearCeremonyAward/CategoryStatus
2023Nashville Film FestivalBest Narrative ShortWon
2023Odense International Film FestivalH. C. Andersen Award for Best Short Film
2023Palm Springs International ShortFestBest Live Action Under 15 Minutes
2023Palm Springs International ShortFestBest LGBTQ+ Short
2023Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film FestivalGrand Prix
2023Oldenburg Film FestivalJury Special MentionWon
2023Dallas International Film FestivalAudience Award for Best Short FilmWon
2023Dallas International Film FestivalJury Special PrizeWon
2023Iris PrizeIris Prize
2023Short Shorts Film Festival & AsiaGeorge Lucas Award
2023La Guarimba International Film FestivalBest Fiction Short FilmWon
2023Athens International Film and Video FestivalBest Narrative Short
2023Boston Short Film FestivalBest Narrative Short FilmWon
2023Boston Short Film FestivalBest LGBTQ+Won
2023Cleveland International Film FestivalBest Live Action Short Film
2023Florida Film FestivalBest Narrative Short
2023Slamdance Film FestivalBest Narrative Short
2023International Short Film Festival PsarokokaloBest Film with Emphasis on DiversityWon
2023Tirana International Film FestivalBest Fiction Short Film
2023FEST New Directors/New Films FestivalSilver Lynx
2023Maremetraggio International ShorTS Film FestivalAudience AwardWon
2023Indy Shorts International Film FestivalNarrative Short
2023Oslo/Fusion International Film FestivalBest Short FilmWon
2023Regard: Saguenay International Short Film FestivalParallel Competition
2023Regard: Saguenay International Short Film FestivalShort & Queer Award
2023BRUKIVKA International Film FestivalJury PrizeWon
2023BRUKIVKA International Film FestivalUnion of the Ukrainian Film Critics PrizeWon
2023Cordillera International Film FestivalBest of Festival - Short Film
2023Cordillera International Film FestivalBest Director Short Film
2023Cordillera International Film FestivalBest International Short Film
2023Cordillera International Film FestivalBest LGBTQIA+ AwardWon