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Riot Acts

Riot Acts

Directed by Madsen Minax
Produced by Actor Slash Model

Cinematography by Malic Amalya
Visit the official RIOT ACTS website riotactsfilm.com


Riot Acts is a transfabulous rockumentary representing the multi-dimensional lives of transgender and gender variant musicians, through a first-hand perspective of the intersections between gender performance and stage performance, culminating with the notions that identities and bodies are undeniably political, and the trans experience isn’t always one of tragedy, but one of creativity and joy.

Long Synopsis:

Representing the multi-dimensional lives of transgender and gender variant musicians, each story is one of a journey in progress through a first-hand perspective of the intersections between gender performance and stage performance. The feature documentary Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance will allow a venue for a particular niche of trans existence to be revealed and celebrated.

Discussed topics include songwriting, voice presentation, coping with voice changes, passing/not passing, presenting a body/bodies on stage, audiences, venues, the idea of the spectacle, societal and media representation, performing gender and notions about “drag,” and the personal as political, culminating with the notions that identities and bodies are undeniably political, and that the trans experience isn’t always one of tragedy.

The individuals and bands featured in Riot Acts are celebrated as talented, inspiring, sexy, critical and fully three-dimensional in a manner that purposefully counters the vision of isolation and destitution frequently portrayed in mainstream media. As transpeople ourselves, the producers seek to capture trans and gender variant identities as complexly as they are embodied and performed, both on and off the stage.

Whether a personal journey, a political journey, or a literal journey, the aspect of travel, through years or miles, is a binding stylistic element throughout Riot Acts. As trans people, our bodies are nontraditional and our ideas about culture and identity are non traditional. Why shouldn’t our way of making art be non traditional as well?

Featured interviewees include Ryka Aoki, Anderson Toone, Lipstick Conspiracy, Katastrophe, Trannysaurus Sex, Basic Fix, Ryder Richardson, Tough Tough Skin, Venus Demars, Adhamh Roland, Jessica Xavier, The Shondes,  Novice Theory, The Degenerettes, Systyr Act, The Cliks and Coyote Grace.

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Riot Acts is distributed by Outcast Films. Inquiries regarding individual, community or university film purchases should be directed to Outcast, at outcastfilms (at) gmail.com.

Outcast Films:

652 W 163rd Street #45
New York NY 10032
Office: 917.520.7392
Orders: 800.343.5540
Fax: 1.845.774.2945

This project has been made possible through fundraising and small grants with the generous support of Beyondmedia Education, The Fire This Time Fund, The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Illinois Arts Council, The City of Urbana Public Arts Commission, Chances Dances Critical Fierceness Grant,  and Threat Level Queer Shorts, as well as many other organizational and individuals supporters.