CABIN FEVER

There's been many times in my life where I questioned the validity of my own identity because of arbitrary definitions of what a "trans experience" should be. It's normal - how do you contextualize yourself in the world with no reference? On-screen, off-screen and beyond it, the problem always with underrepresented stories is that when we do get a chance to speak, every word becomes a hyper-exaggeration in the ears of an audience due to the sheer lack of others to contextualize it. In the same way we are cautious to tell stories about our pain because we deserve to see stories about our joy, we are denied the ability to process our complex and difficult journeys in fear of allowing trans violence to again fill our screens. This caution feeds into the fear of putting trans bodies on screens at all. 
CABIN FEVER was conceptualized as I meditated on all of this in context to my career and goals as a storyteller. I wanted to tell a completely authentic and wholehearted story on identity, from the anxiety and self doubt, to found family and euphoria, and the ability the main character has to experience all of it at his own pace. Like gender, animation has the ability to be abstract, infinite, simple and simultaneously complex, allowing artists to explore deeply emotional and complex themes wrapped in a fun, highly designed and widely consumable medium. From the deep, wild environments mimicking the feeling of claustrophobia yet comfort, to the beautiful painted cel-by-cel sequences that contrast the anxiety-driven monologue sequences, CABIN FEVER was the perfect combination of these elements and a love letter to my roots, my career, my experience, and my community. Trans people are infinite and transcendent, and to find and allow yourself comfort in your own skin is a radical act of self-love.