RIGHT NOW WITH RUSSELL: Trace Lysette, trans actress raised in Dayton, receives Film Indepedent Spirit Award nomination for 'Monica'

Trace Lysette, a transgender actress raised in Dayton, received a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination Tuesday for her beautifully compelling performance in “Monica.”

Lysette is recognized in the gender-neutral Best Lead Performance category, an impressive field that includes Jessica Chastain (”Memory”), Natalie Portman (”May December”), Teyana Taylor (”A Thousand and One”) and Jeffrey Wright (”American Fiction”). “Monica” also received a nomination for Best Cinematography.

Credit: IFC FILMS

“Monica” had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September 2022 and opened locally in May at The Neon in downtown Dayton. Directed and co-written by Italian filmmaker Andrea Pallaoro and shot on location in Cincinnati with local actors and crew, “Monica” centers on an emotional Ohio homecoming. Reconnecting with her dying mother (three-time Emmy winner Patricia Clarkson) and the rest of her family for the first time since leaving as a teenager, Monica (Lysette) embarks on a path of healing and acceptance. The film “delves into Monica’s internal world and state of mind, her pain and fears, her needs and desires, to explore the universal themes of abandonment and forgiveness.”

The nominations are a significant awards season precursor as the Oscar race develops. The 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held Feb. 24 in Santa Monica.

ExploreRIGHT NOW WITH RUSSELL: Your source for pop culture news

In related news, Lysette received the Queer Visibility Award at the 2023 QueerX Awards held Oct. 11 in Los Angeles.

Explore2023 QueerX Awards honors Trace Lysette, who grew up in Dayton

Right Now with Russell spotlights pop culture every Friday and as news arises. From the latest in film, music, books and TV to the buzz of awards season and other hot button topics, the goal is to fill you in on what’s new in order to satisfy your entertainment cravings. He can be reached at Russell.Florence@coxohio.com.

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About the Author

Russell Florence Jr.

Russell Florence Jr. is team leader/coordinator of Lifestyles/Dayton.com. He has been an arts/lifestyles reporter for Dayton Daily News since 2012. He formerly served on the Dayton Daily News Community Board of Contributors and assisted the Dayton Daily News Editorial Board. He received his BA in mass communications from Wright State University.