Founded in 1977, Frameline is the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. It is the longest-running, largest, and most widely recognized LGBTQ+ film exhibition event in the world.

On 14 November, in honor of Trans Awareness Week, Frameline proudly presented the movie “Man Made” in Oakland, CA and invited The Federation of Gay Games to help promote this thought provoking and eye-opening documentary.

Scene from "Man Made"

FGG Officer of Sports Reggie Snowden and Honorary Life Member Roger Brigham were invited to speak during the post-screening Q & A session. Said Reggie “when Frameline reached out to the Federation in search of support for the screening of “Man Made,” we jumped on the opportunity to show our support by contacting folks in our network to also support this documentary. I also invited everybody in the audience to participate in Gay Games 11 in Hong Kong in November 2022.”

“Man Made” chronicles the lives of trans male athletes in a sport (bodybuilding) filled with preconceived notions of what the acceptable standard is and challenging themselves on various levels to achieve their personal best on stage and in life. “Man Made” tells the stories of four trans male athletes from different perspectives and goals but shared similar story lines of coming together at the world’s only all transgender bodybuilding competition called Trans Fitcom in Atlanta, Georgia.

The trans male filmmaker, T Cooper, sacrificed a full year build up for the competition, but it was not only about the competition, but the journeys all four competitors went through. Included were interviews with partners and supporters, their lifestyles including dieting, and even an inspiring search for ones mother’s. After 25 years, Dominic Chilko decided to explore who his biological mother was, and the documentary briefly shows this as it unfolds. “Man Made” showed the personal triumph of trans male athletes who have had top surgery and the emotional elation with first glance after removing the bandages. For some competitors, their dream was to continue bodybuilding in more than Trans Fitcom and this film brought it all together in the end. The camaraderie established among all of them through the sport of bodybuilding and being trans male athletes was commented on during the Q & A after the movie with Dominic Chilko also present.

To learn more about “Man Made,” click HERE.

Left to right: Kin Folkz (Q&A session moderator), Reggie Snowden (FGG Officer of Sports), Roger Brigham (FGG Honorary Life Member)