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Sweet Star Grief

Childhood best friends reunite as adults in this story of loss, healing, and true love between a cisgender man and a transgender woman.

  • Bowie Nichols
    Director
  • Bowie Nichols
    Writer
  • Ava Davis
    Producer
  • Bowie Nichols
    Producer
  • Jax Buresh
    Key Cast
  • Izzy Daniel
    Key Cast
  • Camille Cruce
    Key Cast
  • Lory Cox
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    LGBTQ DRAMA, transgender, love story
  • Runtime:
    28 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    4,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Bowie Nichols

Bowie Nichols is a filmmaker, painter, photographer, and radical humanist.

Born Steve Nichols Smith in Columbia, Missouri, and raised in Oklahoma City, he found home in Atlanta, made a detour to Texas, fell in love in Los Angeles, made a baby in Las Vegas, and returned home to Atlanta to become Bowie.

His short films have screened at film festivals and on television all over the world. His paintings have sold to collectors from Los Angeles to New York City and everywhere in between.

His photography he keeps to himself.

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Director Statement

The Sweet Star Grief family is a radically diverse group of filmmakers of all ages, flavors, and identities. We refer to SSG as an "ally film", because, with a core team of two trans artists and two cis artists, our goal is to create an honest and empathetic portrayal of a loving cis-trans relationship that will satisfy an LGBTQ+ (and, specifically, trans) audience, but also reach out to allies and potential allies in the cis-het community. This proof-of-concept short film is the first act of the future feature film.

Sweet Star Grief would not be happening without my producing partner, Ava Davis, so please allow me to introduce her:

Ava Davis is a transgender actress, producer, and writer living in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2021, Ava was awarded a fellowship by the Sundance Institute and took part in the Institute's inaugural Trans Possibilities Intensive, highlighting the work of transgender filmmakers of color. In 2023, Ava was named to the board of the prestigious Out On Film film festival in Atlanta, one of the longest running LGBTQ+ film festivals in the country.