A Personal Lens

Tony Zosherafatain ’06 has always had a deep interest in the process and power of filmmaking. He first realized this fascination in middle school. A fan of the Scream horror movie franchise, Zosherafatain would emulate what he saw in the film by playing pranks and recording his friends with a camcorder. From that moment on, a director was born. As Zosherafatain’s interest in film grew and he began taking film classes at Wesleyan University, he realized that watching and creating movies could be more than just a fun hobby.

“I was always a fan of movies; they were a source of comfort for me; they allow you to escape the reality you’re in,” says Zosherafatain. “Film is also an important avenue to inspire change. It’s a different impact when you watch someone suffering and talking about their pain, you can see the emotion.”

Today, Zosherafatain is an award-winning director, producer, and writer. While these three roles have their differences, Zosherafatain says they are interdependent. For example, a good producer recognizes where a director is coming from between takes, and an experienced director understands the importance of being on time and being under budget. This mutual understanding of each role, and the ability to collaborate with a team, is something that helped shape Zosherafatain’s trajectory. His foundation for teamwork can be attributed to his time at the School by the Sea.

“At Tabor, I played ice hockey and that was really challenging because it was a high level of play and I think being a part of a team taught me a lot,” says Zosherafatain.

While admitting that he is most partial to directing, he continues, “All three roles I’ve been in have allowed me to expand my view of filmmaking; writing allows me to create an amazing story, producing allows me to see how all the roles on a set have to work together, and directing really allows me to see how I can make a story come to fruition through shooting the film.”

Zosherafatain’s focus within documentary filmmaking is exploring the stories of underserved communities. By sharing these often untold perspectives, audiences observe experiences different than their own unfold on screen. As a trans man, Zosherafatain uses his own story to put a personal lens on his filmmaking and to better connect with his interviewees.

“Because I am a trans man, I have a unique perspective on life. Finding more about the world around me is a huge inspiration. I really enjoy learning other people’s stories and become engrained when interviewing them about their life,” he says.

In 2016, Zosherafatain began conceptualizing his biggest and most influential project to date—Trans in Trumpland. A four-part narrative docuseries, Trans in Trumpland investigates the impact of anti-trans policies by following the lives of four transgender Americans during the Trump presidency. The series was completed in 2019 and was then distributed across Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku, and Topic for streaming in 2021.

Trans in Trumpland has received widespread critical acclaim, was shortlisted for an Emmy, and earned a GLAAD Media Award nomination. Instead of comparing himself to other filmmakers, Zosherafatain looks to his own work to measure his success. He also defines success by examining the impact his films have on his audience and is inspired to use his resources to create broader representation in film.

“Are my films making a difference, are they creating positive change, are they fostering connections between people? What motivates me to get up every day is to tell the stories that people can’t tell themselves, so that they can see themselves on screen—that’s my number one motivation,” says Zosherafatain.

To best tell his interviewees’ stories, Zosherafatain prioritizes safety and ethics. One way he does this is by getting to know them beforehand—sometimes as much as a year in advance. After learning about the pivotal emotional points along their journey, Zosherafatain asks his interviewees what they are and are not comfortable sharing on camera. That transparency and sense of safety allows for the best emotion to come out on set, and according to Zosherafatain, emotion is the most powerful way to communicate with a viewer.

A supportive environment allows people to be themselves, and in turn, they can grow and prosper. At Tabor, English Teacher John Heavey created such an atmosphere for Zosherafatain.

“Mr. Heavey was one of my English teachers and dorm parents, and he had a huge impact on me. He believed in me, and he pushed me a lot. He was there for me as a mentor, which really helped me as I transitioned to college,” reflects Zosherafatain. “I took a lot of AP English classes and had a lot of excellent teachers. Being able to have my writing strengthened and critiqued at Tabor really helped me later in life when it came to writing my scripts, which helped me immensely as a filmmaker.”

Zosherafatain is currently working as an executive producer on a feature documentary produced by Oscar-nominated actor Elliot Page. Additionally, Zosherafatain is also working on a docuseries about athletes that push the limits by participating in sports that are illegal in their countries. You can learn more about Zosherafatain and his work on his website and IMDb page.

“If you are a filmmaker and you’re in the early stage of your career, make sure this is something you really want to do,” advises Zosherafatain. “Take calculated risks in filmmaking. That’s what I did. I left my full-time job to pursue filmmaking in 2016. Make sure you are taking risks, believing in yourself, and networking with other established individuals in the industry.”