"Can love be deeper than pronouns?"
He/She/Us opens on Astrid tentatively entering an eclectic clothing store. A store clerk tells her that her ex, Paolo, is changing in the dressing rooms. Texting him that she has arrived, Astrid nervously waits for him.
“Ta-da!” Here he is, wearing a completely different style, coming across as a type Astrid never would believe he would portray himself. Paolo is taken aback at her shock and tries to stop her from leaving. As the clerk and some customers overhear, an argument ensues over core beliefs. Paolo desperately wants Astrid back in his life despite his changes.
Through their dialogue, it is revealed that Astrid cannot see herself in a relationship with a male, as Paolo was her lesbian partner who has recently completed his gender transition. As Astrid struggles to find it within herself to get back together with him, since she misses the woman her partner was, Paolo fights for love in what they might become.
He/She/Us begs the question:
Can love be deeper than pronouns?
Born in a Bomb Shelter
He/She/Us began as a short play and was first produced for a director's festival in Kiev in January 2024 at the ProEnglish Theatre in a basement bomb shelter-turned-performance space. Directed by a 17-year-old young woman named Sophia, the play won the festival. After directing the play, Sophia said the experience, "is what was keeping her alive."
Later that year in June, He/She/Us was again produced for theatre in Gross Pointe, MI, for Take Ten, the theatre's ten-minute play festival. Two months later, it was produced as an audio drama by Open Door in LA. 
Finally, the writer of the play, Susan Kelejian, decided to adapt it into a screenplay and submitted it to festivals for coverage and competition all throughout 2024. To date, the screenplay has won over two dozen awards at festivals around the world.
And now, it is time to bring this story to life on screen.
Meet "Astrid" and "Paolo"
Nicole da Silva is currently starring in a play by Harold Pinter at the Ensemble Theatre (Sydney). She is best known for starring in 6 seasons of the award-winning series Wentworth (AUS), playing the character Franky Doyle and 5 Seasons in Doctor Doctor as Charlie. She is also known for her roles in Southern Star's AFI award-winning drama Rush as Senior Constable Stella Dagostino, for which she received critical acclaim over the show's four-season run. Nicole also won a Best Actress nomination at the Monte Carlo Television Awards for her role in Carla Cametti PD, as well as a Graham Kennedy Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding New Talent for her role as E.C in Dangerous. Other television roles include East West 101 and All Saints.
Emmett Preciado is an American transgender actor and singer-songwriter of Spanish, Mexican and European descent. He is known for his role as Rowan on Freeform's Good Trouble. At the end of 2020, he shot his first Guest Star role as Rio Gutierrez, which can be seen in an episode of the ABC hit drama, The Good Doctor. And in the spring of 2021, Emmett guest-starred as Mateo Cruz on ABC's Rebel.
Meet the Team
Susan Kelejian (Writer/Director/Producer) has used her neurodiversity as a superpower. She is an award-winning playwright (recently nominated for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Drama), University Professor, theater professional, author, psychotherapist and now screenwriter. Susan has been a Human Rights and Arts advocate for 30+ years and is a LGBTQ ally. She is also the Director of OVATE, a multimedia production group and educational organization in Ojai, CA.
Jolene Rae Harrington (Producer) is a passionate storyteller and multi-media maven, including script writing, video production and audio drama. A veteran performer and past educator, she is driven to create evocative projects through Arts and Education. She is the Co-Director of OVATE.
Devo Cutler-Rubenstein (Producer) is a poet-photographer-
Alice Manica (Associate Producer) is an LGBTQIA+ ally, writer and Executive Producer of feature film, Finding Famiglia. Alice is a member of Women in Film & Video New England, (WIFVNE), Berkshire Film and Media Collaborative, and an active participant in Stage32. She is also the author of Finding Alma: An Italian Journey. She is proud to support needed representation in this timely and heartwarming story. 
Ryan Beaghler (1st AD/Production Coordinator) is a theatre maker, actor, and drag performer based in Ojai, CA. Ryan's drag persona, Michelle Chakra, is known for dazzling acts of hilarious, unhinged glamour, receiving accolades from the Diversity Collective, the Ventura County Arts Council, and countless bar patrons. They are a proud graduate of the Pace University School of Performing Arts' International Performance Ensemble in NYC.
RyanBeaghler.com / @michellechakra
Angelika Ryen (Director of Photography) was one of the first in Russia to introduce digital cinema technology to the market. After emigrating in 2014 to Los Angeles, she started a production company focusing on photography, shooting commercials and music videos. From roots in the theater to current work behind the camera, her passion for the arts is inspirational. She is driven by the belief that “every frame holds the power to tell a story.”
Hannah Hartley (Consultant) is a digital marketing expert and an influential advocate for the Transgender community. A regular speaker at national conferences and government functions, she also heads up TransWisdom, a popular online group offering a safe space for sharing and support.
Claire Cleary (All Around Crew/Best Girl) is a professional theatrical lighting designer, stage manger, IATSE Local 442 member, bi-sexual girly happy to be a part of creating this love story.
OVATE STUDIOS 
Mentorship Program
He/She/Us is following in the mission of OVATE by making art that matters and inviting three interns to gain hands-on experience in working on a real film set, as well as begin to build their resumes as they set out to make a career in the arts. Interns will receive:
- On-set training as a Production Assistant
- One-on-one and/or group meetings with film professionals
- An assigned Mentor for the Intern’s chosen area of film production.
- An on-set “point person” to answer the Intern’s questions and help guide them through the process.
- Film credit “Production Assistant” and be listed on IMDB, the industry’s main resume hub.
When you pledge to support He/She/Us, you are pledging to support so much more than just a film. You are pledging to support the LGBTQIA+ community and their Allies, as well as the next generation of film and theatre professionals.
We believe it’s important now more than ever to stand up as ALLIES for the LGBTQIA+ community, which is under attack (again). We also believe art has power to enact real change. We are asking that you will support this film so we can continue in our mission to elevate and protect the marginalized voices of the LGBTQIA+ community, educate and mentor artists and allies, and make art that matters.
Incentives
As a way to honor your generosity and support, we have put together some incentives you can receive when pledging to He/She/Us.
- ✅ $10- Special Thank You on our Facebook Page
- 🌈 $25- Shareable Digital Ally Badge or Frame
- 💞 $50- Love is Love Postcard Set
- 🎞️ $100- Exclusive behind-the-scenes from the film set
- 🎬 $500- Listed as an Ally in a "Thank You" section in the film credits
- ❤️ $1000- A private link to the finished film
- 🎥 $5000+ - Executive Producer credit in the film and on IMDb.
Where the Funds Will Be Spent
We are pledging to be transparent about how your pledge will be used to bring He/She/Us to life.
50% of the funds raised will be going toward expenses for the twenty- two person crew, including their rates, equipment rental, and food. In order to be as efficient as possible with the budget, none of the Producers will be taking pay for the film. 30% of the funds will be going toward paying the talent. The final 20% of the budget will be going toward post production expenses.
Thank You- Let's Keep This Going!
Whether or not you are able to make a financial pledge today, we are so thankful for you being here and answering the call to be an Ally. It takes a small community to make a film, and we are grateful your part of ours. If you can, we would love it if you could help us grow the community by sharing this campaign with five friends who you think might pledge! As we used to say back in the day- don't break the chain! If you're not sure what to say, you can copy and paste our premade statement below.
Pledge to support elevating LGBTQIA+ stories in film by giving to the He/She/Us short film campaign on Spotfund!
Thank you again for your support! We could not do this without YOU!
