When a trans mayor is elected in a swing state, the first 30 days in office reveal how quickly progress can be challenged—and defended.
SYNOPSIS
This documentary follows Erica Deuso, the first openly trans mayor elected in the swing state of Pennsylvania, during her first 30 days in office. It captures her navigating trans visibility, personal life, and public leadership while confronting urgent challenges in her hometown of Downingtown, including environmental priorities and the pressing issue of domestic violence.
Director Statement
I am making this film because it is an urgently needed story of courage and leadership at a moment when more than 170 measures nationwide seek to roll back progress and equality for transgender Americans. As a woman in the Unites States, working with my co-director, who is a gay man, I believe deeply in the power of visibility and community, I want to show how leadership in a small town can have an outsized impact, proving that change doesn’t start in Washington, it starts at home. Also, during a time when so much of the news feels bleak, I believe it’s more important than ever to tell stories that remind us what progress and courage can look like.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Trish Dalton
Trish Dalton is a DGA director and producer known for creating powerful, socially driven documentaries that spark conversation and inspire change. Drawn to stories that live in the gray areas, Dalton’s work is marked by quiet tension, emotional nuance, and deeply authentic moments.
Her films have received widespread critical acclaim, including an Emmy nomination, multiple film festival awards, and recognition from People magazine as one of the “Ten Women Changing the World” in 2020. Most recently, Dalton directed Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge alongside Academy Award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy. The film opened the Tribeca Film Festival, earned an Emmy nomination and a Cinema for Peace Women’s Empowerment Award, and is a Hulu Original currently streaming on Disney+.
Dalton’s feature documentary One Night Stand, a creative, behind-the-scenes romp with New York City’s leading actors, writers, and composers, won the Audience Award at NewFest Film Festival and was acquired by Ovation TV following its theatrical run in 450 theaters across North America.
Her work spans from celebrating the arts to examining urgent issues of human rights, gender equity, and systemic inequality. Films such as Bordering on Treason, Southmost USA, Student Athlete (HBO Sports), and Reggae Girlz, amplify underrepresented voices and have contributed to meaningful cultural and legislative change.
Over more than two decades, Dalton has filmed in over 40 U.S. states and internationally, directing an extraordinary range of voices including Lupita Nyong’o, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, Cedella Marley, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova.
Kevin Maynard
Kevin Maynard is an Emmy-nominated producer who has led series such as Million Dollar Listing New York, Married to Medicine, and The Real Housewives of Orange County, Other works include The Real L Word for Showtime, Designing Miami for Netflix, Extracted for Fox and He also consulted on the documentaries Diane von Fürstenberg: Woman in Charge for Hulu and Reggae Girlz for Red Bull.
In addition to his work in unscripted, Kevin has written for the Los Angeles Times, The Advocate, People, Out, Cosmopolitan, The Village Voice, worked on podcasts for I Heart Radio and the BBC and penned two episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess.
He specializes in character-driven storytelling, guiding talent with empathy, and shaping compelling narratives across docu-soap, documentary, and competition formats.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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