‘Real Boy’ screening at Wayne Theatre on Thursday

The Wayne Theatre is hosting a screening of the critically-acclaimed “Real Boy” as part of the On-Screen/In-Person documentary series.

The screening is scheduled for Thursday, March 23, at 7 p.m.

“Real Boy” is the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager on a journey to find his voice as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. Navigating the ups and downs of young adulthood, he works to gain the support of his mother, who has deep misgivings about her child’s transition.

As tension mounts at home, Bennett is taken in by his idol, Joe Stevens, the lead singer of the alt-Americana band, Coyote Grace. Exploring how our search for personal identity also involves those closest to us, “Real Boy” is a nuanced look at the new American family and the people we turn to when our given families are unavailable.

“This movie touches on a number of issues that are being discussed in wider culture right now. We hope the screening is a good conversation starter in a lot of respects,” said Tracy Straight, the executive director of the Wayne Theatre.

Director Shaleece Haas will be at the screening to take questions after the presentation. Haas is the co-producer of the 2013 documentary “The Genius of Marian,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and was broadcast on POV in 2014, and her 2010 documentary short, “Old People Driving,” premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival and was broadcast on the PBS News Hour as part of the Economist Film Project.

In addition to her work as a director/producer, Haas is an instructor at the UC-Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, the Berkeley Advanced Media Institute, and the NY Press Association; and serves as the head of submissions for New Day Films. She is a 2015 Film Independent Documentary Lab Fellow, a 2012 Working Films (Reel Aging) fellow and a 2010 Met Life Foundation Journalists in Aging fellow. She is a graduate of the documentary film program at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Her appearance in conjunction with the On-Screen/In-Person film series is through a program of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation made possible through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Wayne Theatre was one of 10 sites selected to present the series. On Screen/In Person is designed to bring some of the best new independent American films and their respective filmmakers to communities across the Mid-Atlantic region. The filmmakers will tour with their films and work with the host sites to develop community activities that provide audiences context and greater appreciation for their respective work and the art of film.

Admission for the films and discussion are $10 for adults or $7 for students.

The Wayne Theatre is located at 521 W. Main St. in Waynesboro.

Info: (540) 943-9999 or waynetheatre.org.

More info on film online at realboymovie.com.