Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk and Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow) have boarded Jess McLeod’s dark comedy She’s Nonbinary as executive producers.
The film, shot in Vancouver, sees major misgendering when Max, played by McLeod, and their straight, cisgender boyfriend Jake (Alexander Steele Zonjic) face a major identity crisis after Max reveals they are finally off the waitlist for top surgery, or a medical procedure to create a more masculine or feminine appearance.
McLeod had a key role in Odenkirk’s latest feature, the action film Normal, that was directed by Ben Wheatley and shot in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
“This film is really, really good. It’s intriguing and alive, with excellent performances and visual style. After working with Jess, I knew they were an unstoppable creative force, and this film is a salient example of all the stories they have to tell — I wanted to be involved however I could,” Odenkirk said in a statement.
Nonbinary filmmaker and writer Schoenbrun applauded McLeod’s film for its portrayal of power dynamics among people that don’t fit neatly into gender categories.
“She’s Nonbinary bravely confronts the silent stuff that never gets talked about in this particular relationship dynamic. It’s daring, funny, and Jess is ecstatic as a performer. They’re a powerhouse, and I’m so happy to get in on the ground floor of their filmmaking career with this important short film,” Schoenbrun said in their own statement.
McLeod also wrote, produced and co-edited She’s Nonbinary.
Erin Purghart and Eva Tavares also share producer credits on the Respectfully Productions short film, while Sydney Bunning served as the director of photography and Katherine Kadler (The Last of Us, Yellowjackets) was the intimacy coordinator.
