BOYS DON'T CRY in 35mm

After watching the short film Kimberly Peirce made about the life and death of Brandon Teena for her thesis project, Killer Films co-founder Christine Vachon worked with the fledgling filmmaker to create what would end up being a landmark work in transgender representation. Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) is a 21-year-old transgender man seeking love in rural Nebraska when he meets and befriends local girl Lana Tisdel (Chloë Sevigny). Their friendship quickly develops into romance; when Lana learns that Brandon was assigned female at birth, she remains committed to her new partner. The other townspeople, however, are less accepting of Brandon, and their transphobia leads to tragic consequences. A haunting and heartbreaking story based on true events, BOYS DON’T CRY was a breakout success that garnered widespread acclaim for daring to tell a story from a transgender perspective, a rarity at the time. Swank and Sevigny were lauded for their emotional performances, and both landed Academy Award® nominations. Significantly, when Swank won the Oscar®, she affirmed Brandon’s identity onstage, using he/him pronouns during her acceptance speech. DIR/SCR Kimberly Peirce; SCR Andy Bienen; PROD John Hart, Eva Kolodner, Jeffrey Sharp, Christine Vachon. U.S., 1999, color, 118 min. RATED R

Run Time: 118 Minutes

Opening Date: Friday, August 01, 2025

Genre: Biography, drama

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