Born to Be
Born to Be follows the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning after New York state passed the law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services. This is showcased by the work of Dr. Jess Ting (he/him) at the groundbreaking Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery, where transgender and gender non-binary people have access to quality gender-affirming care for the first time ever in NYC. The film provides viewers access to an intimate look at how Dr. Ting’s work has impacted the lives of his patients as well as his own professional journey from renowned plastic surgeon to pioneering gender-affirming specialist.
Awards: Big Imp for Feature Film Winner: Indie-Lincs International Film Festival 2022, Best Documentary Feature Winner: Nashville Film Festival 2020, Best Documentary Feature and Best Feature: Trans stellar Film Festival 2020, Best Feature Film: Kansas city Underground Film Festival 2020, Grand Jury Best Documentary Feature: Seattle Asian American Film Festival 2020, 2019 Museum of Chinese in America Legacy Award to Dr. Jess Ting and Producer Michelle Koo Hayashi
Credits:
- DIRECTOR: Tania Cypriano
- PRODUCER: Michelle Koo Hayashi
- EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Susan Norget, Michelle Koo Hayashi, J. Winkelried, Molly Fowler
- CO-PRODUCERS: Tania Cypriano, Jessica Kingdon, Rachel Mills
- CONSULTING PRODUCER: Heidi Reinberg
- CINEMATOGRAPHY: Jeffrey Johnson
- EDITORS: Christopher White, Scott K. Foley
- ORIGINAL MUSIC: Troy Herion
- WITH SUPPORT FROM: The Made in NY Women's Film, TV & Theatre Fund by the City of New York, Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment in association with The New York, Foundation for the Arts