G. Chesler

Director and Producer G. Chesler (they/them) directs and produces films addressing gender, racial justice, health, and sexuality through and despite the body. G.’s documentary and fiction films have screened at hundreds of festivals, museums, and community spaces globally. Their recent feature film Connection | Isolation witnesses trans lives in the COVID-19 pandemic, was made by an all trans and queer crew, and was supported by the Portland Events and Film Office and Regional Arts and Culture Council. In 2023/2024 G. was awarded a PGA Create Fellowship for their producing work on Intersex Justice about the healing journey of intersex activist Pidgeon Pagonis. G was a 2023/24 Repro Film / Peace is Loud Fellowship for impact work on the film, which is supported by ITVS. Currently, G. is Producer of impact and distribution for Courtney Hermann’s documentary feature Outliers and Outlaws on the migration of hundreds of lesbians to Eugene, Oregon from the 1960’s-1980s.

Previously, G. Produced the ITVS feature documentary Out in the Night that won 15 awards and launched the UN’s “Free + Equal” campaign confronting homophobia and transphobia worldwide. G. Associate Produced and co-Edited Zeinabu irene Davis' Spirits of Rebellion: Black Cinema from UCLA which won the Best Diaspora Documentary at the African Academy Awards and Best Documentary at Blackstar Film Festival. Their short fiction and documentary films include JAVA, The Pick Up, Bye Bi Love, BeauteouS, hand-some and others. These films have won awards from the Chicago International Film Festival, image+nation (Montreal), Cineffable in Paris, Big Muddy, and others for these films and their feature screenplays.

As an academic for twenty+ years, G. serves as a Professor of Film at George Mason University. They are a member of the Documentary Producer’s Alliance, DOC-FWD, and a Board Member of Northwest Documentary in Portland, Oregon where G. lives and creates.