Watch Trans Actress Audition in Drunktown's Finest to Become a 'Women of the Navajo'

With very few films bout the Native American experience, it might seem easy to turn in something that plunders the "exotic" reservation landscape just to titilate us outsiders. But Sydney Freeland's debut feature, Drunktown's Finest, which was a hit at last year's Sundance Film Festival, offers a refreshing narrative and unusual characters — even for an independent film. The film, by a trans director, follows three young American Indians: Sick Boy (Jeremiah Bitsui), who is a soon-to-be father days away from the start of basic training, Nizhoni (Morningstar Angeline Wilson), a college-bound adopted daughter of Christian missionaries, and a trans woman, Felixia (Carmen Moore), who is forced to sell her body to survive.

For those who might think that the trans element is just to "cash in" on the trans wave, put your worries aside. Freeland, a trans woman herself, is exteremly conscious of why and how she makes movies. And as she explained in an interview before the film's premiere:

"For the role of Felixia, it was very important that we cast someone who was transgender. I’m very grateful to have met Carmen Moore, who is both trans and Navajo. When I was writing the script (around 2009), I saw a video of her on YouTube and was like, “That’s Felixia!” Fortunately, she read the script and liked it, and was even able to come up to the Sundance Directors Lab in 2010. I was really impressed with her because she brought a depth and authenticity to the character that very few people would have been able to. I’m really happy with her performance in the film."

In this exclusive clip from the film Felixia (Moore) auditions to be a beauty pageant contestant who is competing to become one of the “Women of the Navajo.”

Drunktown's Finest opens in New York Feb. 20, and In L.A. Feb. 27. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below: