The Act of Cutting Away

Hello everyone! My name is Hayden Celentano and I’m currently an undergraduate studying film at Syracuse University's College of Visual and Performing Arts. For the past couple of months, I’ve been working on my sophomore thesis, The Act of Cutting Away. And now, it’s finally time to embark on the journey of its funding.

The Act of Cutting Away is a short psychological thriller following Roland. Roland is a transmasc college student struggling to survive in a world that’s doing everything in its power to prevent him from completing his transition. From healthcare to the news to politicians, Roland’s endured it all. Our knight in shining armor isn’t shining too bright. But, when Roland finds evidence that one of his classmates has been conducting illegal dissection, Roland is left with a harrowing choice to make.

The idea for this story had been wandering around my head for a few years, coming to light based on a joke in the Hannibal fandom that Hannibal Lecter would give you top surgery as long as he could keep the breast tissue (for my friends unfamiliar with Hannibal… well, he’s a cannibal). And while this was meant to be a joke, sometimes it didn’t feel like one. I often found myself wishing for a way to transition without having to come out, without having to go through the exhausting process of proving that I need to transition to cis people who will never truly understand. So if Hannibal Lecter was offering, at the height of my lows, I would have shaken his hand in an instant. This film is about that. The painful moments in-between being out, but not being seen.

But, back to the fundraising. Your contributions will be used to cover the costs of transportation, locations, and most importantly, catering. A well-fed, well-hydrated crew is a happy crew. Any donation, no matter the size, will help this film come to light.