Ariel Mahler
Directing
Biography
Ariel Mahler is a nonbinary filmmaker, producer, and trans rights advocate. Their most recent film is Flock, a short thriller about a trans couple who get entangled in a lethal cult. Flock is on track to premiere in Summer, 2020. Last year, Ariel released Bad Ally, an irreverent comedy series they co-created with Daquisha Jones. Ariel is inspired by the many trans filmmakers and artists who make work consistently and push boundaries, especially in such a volatile political culture.
Known For

A transgender actor struggles with what it means to be seen after the beloved captain of his lesbian bowling league dies and a mysterious stranger shows up at the funeral.
Death and Bowling

A heartbroken man returns to the home he shared with his ex-boyfriend, where visceral memories force him to confront the fissures that led to their parting: when the 'casual threesome' they planned evolved into something more.
Something Still

A short film based on the literary work of author Kathy Acker. Set in the 60's and 70's, a young female writer explores her identity through sex and writing.
Memory Xperiment: Kathy Acker

A transgender Iranian-American embarks on a road trip to discover the everyday realities of being trans in conservative states across the United States. As he travels through some of the country’s most anti-trans states, he uncovers the struggles and triumphs that define being trans in America today.
Trans in Trumpland

35 years ago, Maya Redding, a male-presenting NASA engineer, and her best friend George, launched a satellite to study the origins of the universe. The satellite got lost in the wrong orbit, forcing Maya to leave NASA in shame. In the years since, Maya came out as trans, and has been searching for the satellite ever since. When she re-discovers the satellite, Maya is haunted by the memory of her painful, closeted past. Will she bring the satellite's data back to NASA and return to her former life? Or will she let her past burn up, like the satellite's re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere?
Re-Entry

Pulling Wool is a male/female buddy comedy. There is no romance. There are no "what-ifs". There is no disgruntled friend-zone. However, there is time and its chasing after them. Caught up in puppy-gambling debt, best friends must rely on each other to wittily "raise" the money to survive.
Pulling Wool

Lucy and Lucien are two childhood friends who share a deeply troubled past and struggle to maintain their sanity and sobriety as they cut their teeth in the New York City arts & theater scene. As their breakout moment arrives, both are forced to grapple with a legacy of childhood trauma, addiction, and loss. They must rely on their chosen family of artists and sex workers to help bring them through their dark night of the soul.
Loud & Longing

When Imani goes to her friend's housewarming party, she meets a boy who piques her interest. She invites him over to hang out, only to realise that they have more in common than she thought.
Here with You

Cici, a trans woman, confronts her gender dysphoria at her younger brother Teddy’s fraternity during a historic Pride party/drag show she put together with her best friends. As the drag performers, frat boys, and queers mingle, Cici has a romantic encounter with a familiar young man that leads to her overcoming her mental hurdles around being a woman. Ultimately, she learns the universal truth of womanhood… sometimes your titties just hurt! A high energy comedy that explores questions of identity.
Mones

Hunter and Weston, a lovelorn transgender couple, visit a therapy retreat in Maine. When Hunter learns that the therapy group is a front for a lethal cult, he flees, leaving Weston behind. Months later, Hunter receives a dire plea from Weston and must try to save his lover before it's too late.
Flock

This short documentary explores the journey of Florida’s first transgender homecoming queen, Evan Bialosuknia, and her confidence and impact on youth faced with discrimination resulting from Florida’s newly signed “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Evan Ever After

Her First Kill is a psychological thriller about a religious young mother who abducts her best friend to find out the truth about her missing sister. How far will she go to get justice for her family?
Her First Kill

After making a plan to hook up with boys for the first time, two curious thirteen-year-olds are quickly confronted by their own shifting friendship.