Free Movie Nights Aim to Build Bridges Around Transgender Identity

The Trans + Support Initiative of Sullivan and Wayne Counties (TSI) is launching a free community screening series called “Entertainment, Popcorn, and Education” with the hope that a local theater, a bag of popcorn, and the right film might do what policy debates and social media rarely manage: soften the distance between people who see the world very differently.

“Our biggest hope is people who wouldn’t normally come to something like this,” said Colette Ballew, who volunteers with the organization. “It’s really about building bridges.”

The series kicks off March 18th with “Just Charlie,” a British drama following a family navigating a teenager’s gender transition. The film was chosen deliberately — its release date timed to the International Transgender Day of Visibility at the end of March.

“I think people suddenly sort of have their ideas of what transgender might be,” Ballew said. “And this movie really shows how the preconceived ideas and thoughts and fears are manifested. A family is going through the process of accepting — or not accepting — a child who is not feeling comfortable in their own skin.”

TSI meets monthly — typically the second Saturday — and hosting a book club alongside other programming. Its website, transsupportinitiativenypa.org, connects residents across two largely rural counties with information, community, and resources.

“It’s for people who might feel very alone, like it’s just them, nobody understands,” she said. “It was built on the idea of educating and bringing people together — a safe space, a place where we could build bridges.”

The film screening series grew out of that same impulse, with funding support from the Community Foundation of Sullivan, Orange, and Rockland counties. A coalition of regional organizations joined as co-sponsors, including Sullivan Allies Leading Together (S.A.L.T.), Catskill Pride, Hudson Valley LGBTQ+ Community Center and Access: Supports for Living, REACH Program

For Ballew, a former teacher, the connection between visibility and well-being is personal and professional. “The process is mental as well as physical,” she said. “Having people accept you and see you and understand you is a big part of the process.”

Admission is free. So is the popcorn. Educational materials will be available for attendees who want to learn more about resources in the area.

The next screening after the March kickoff is planned for June, with additional dates throughout the year. The organization’s book club, meanwhile, meets this Sunday, March 15th, for a discussion featuring local author Lucy Santos, who will share her own story.

Ballew is clear about who she hopes walks through the theater doors on Wednesday night in Callicoon.

“Someone who has a child going through the process. Someone going through it themselves. A friend, a sibling — someone who needs to open up their mind a little bit,” she said. “There’s not just one way to do it. Not one-size-fits-all.”

She paused, then added: “That’s the hope.”

Image: The free screening of “Just Charlie” takes place Wednesday, March 18th at the Callicoon Theater in Callicoon, NY. (Media Luna New Films)