EXCLUSIVE: Vera Drew’s Trandemic is the first recipient of the Transgender Film Center Found Footage Feature Fund award.
Drew’s project was selected from an applicant pool following a multi-stage review process. Applications were first evaluated by the Transgender Film Center and partner representatives, with finalists then presented to Duplass Brothers Productions, who selected the winning project. Duplass Brothers Productions is one of the original supporters of the fund, which was created to support micro-budget feature filmmaking by transgender creators.
Drew’s project is described as a “cosmic found footage horror-comedy.” Specific details about the title are being kept under wraps. Genre distributor Chroma has made a distribution offer to Drew.
As the fund’s inaugural winner, Drew will receive a $25,000 cash grant to support production of Trandemic. The award package also includes creative advisory support from Duplass Brothers Productions; mentorship with Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice; a final script review from Duplass before production; development guidance from Kevin Nicklaus of Sandstone Artists; 15 days of in-kind post-production services from Aesthetica Post, including conform, color grading, light VFX, DCP delivery and festival-ready masters; a $37,000 post-sound package from Aura Sound and Color; and festival submission waivers from Transgender Film Center and partner festivals, including Fantastic Fest.
“I’m so wildly stoked and honored to be receiving this grant from the Trans Film Center and Duplass Brothers Productions,” said Drew. “Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass reinvented the found footage genre with the Creep franchise, so their support means the world to me as I gear up to do the same with my sophomore feature film Trandemic.”
In addition to the grand prize package for Trandemic, Duplass Brothers Productions will also support the remaining three finalist projects from the final selection round with $1,000 crowdfunding matching contributions to help those teams continue advancing their films.
“There were so many incredible projects submitted to us, I wish we could have picked every one of them,” Mark Duplass said in a statement. “But here’s the good news … everyone who built their projects to be made at a $25k budget? The hard part is already done. They can now go out, crowdfund it, and bring it to the world at a time when auteur-driven found footage horror is having a real moment.”
Drew is a director, writer, editor, and performer. Her previous feature was The People’s Joker (2022), which was a 2025 Nominee for the John Cassavetes Award at the Indie Spirits.
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