Lio Mehiel Presents 'Ancient Futures,' a Celebration of Trans Beauty
Come explore an inside look at Part III of the installment.
LA-based actor, filmmaker and artist Lio Mehiel is featuring their latest multidisciplinary piece, Ancient Futures at this year’s Outfest Film Festival.
Outfest “creates visibility to diverse LGBTQ stories,” from kink and religion to the journey of authenticity. It aims to “empower storytellers, building empathy to drive meaningful social change,” the press release shared.
Ancient Futures is Mehiel’s three-part work of art that dissects the experiences of trans and gender non-conforming individuals.
Liam Woods
The three installments creatively incorporate three mediums: sculpture, a photo essay and film. Part I is titled Purgatory, a “12-minute excerpt from the short film Suspension by visual artist and filmmaker, Dulcinee DeGuere. The film channels the story of Adam and Eve to discuss the journey of uncovering your true identity.
The second installment is a photo essay titled Fruit Trees, shot by A. Klass and creative directed by Mehiel. It unpacks the contradictions of the American dream — especially in relation to the trans experience.
Lastly, Part III: Angels, is a collection of busts of transgender and non-conforming bodies, created by artist Holly Silius. This portion features TGNC folks of all body types and backgrounds, providing a new wave of sculpture that will hopefully, be documented historically, truly driving home the theme of Outfest which is to enhance empathy and create social change. View the images below shot by Liam Woods.
To explore the complete body of work, visit Outfest LA from July 15 to July 24.
Liam Woods
Liam Woods
