Funny and provocative, Boy Meets Girl vividly captures the giddy excitement, sexual heat, and inherent heartache of “non-traditional” love in a small town. Ricky (Michelle Hendley) is a 21-year-old trans girl living in Kentucky. Her only real friend, straight-laced Robby, has been her trusty, totally platonic, confidant for over 15 years. Her day job slinging lattes is merely a stepping-stone toward her goal of being a famous New York designer. She’s confident, cool, and completely ready for something new—and then her world is transformed when an enchanting debutante saunters into her life.

Triggering fresh feelings and experiences, this unlikely connection conjures up intense questions about identity while uncovering ghosts from Ricky’s past. Indie-film veteran Eric Schaeffer (My Life’s in Turnaround, If Lucy Fell) builds a compelling, compassionate world that focuses on the emotions and messy challenges of complex people navigating complicated relationships. Schaeffer creates a thoroughly authentic small-town atmosphere, capturing the cozy and claustrophobic ambiance of a place where everyone knows your name—and your sexual partners. Anchored by a stunning performance from newcomer Michelle Hendley, who crafts a raw, nuanced character that is strong and vulnerable at once, Boy Meets Girl is a sweetly profound romantic comedy about people who are misunderstood, searching, and, in the end, just like you and me.

— Brendan Peterson

PRECEDED BY:

Butterfly

DIR Stuart McLaughlin 2014 UK 13 min

Adrianne and Karl, a transgender couple living in Ireland, both diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome, share the story of their relationship and how it has changed their lives.

AT&T Audience Award Text Voting Code: F108

Co-presented by:

Tom Waddell Urban Health

Transgender Economic Empowerment Initiative