Director Portfolio
Explore Short films by Hansen Bursic
Hansen Bursic
Hansen Bursic is an award-winning filmmaker and LGBTQ+ rights activist currently based out of Oakland, CA. For the past four years, Bursic has been working as an independent filmmaker and media consultant in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Much of his film work has been dedicated to telling transparent, meaningful stories that center marginalized voices. Bursic’s work has explored a variety of social issues including transgender rights, rural representation, and LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination all through personal, character-focused short films.
AWARDS
Bursic has accepted multiple awards during his career as a filmmaker and activist. Most recently, Bursic was given an Outstanding Writing/Directing Award from the prestigious Freese Foundation for his film “Halloween 1987.” His 2017 film “The Toothmans” also went home with several awards including the Relationship First Award from the Foundation for The Contemporary Family & The My Hero Project and a Best Documentary Award from the Lancaster International Short Film Festival.
AFFILIATIONS
Currently, Bursic is a contributor to CinéSPEAK’s online film journal writing on topics surrounding equity and representation in the film industry. Bursic has a BFA in Film Directing from Temple University. He has most recently worked as the Lead Media Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Values Campaign, a campaign advocating for sexuality, gender identity, and expression to be added to Pennsylvania’s state nondiscrimination protections.
Articles
Articles written by or about Hansen Bursic
April 21, 2020 – The derek Freese film Foundation
Halloween 1987 wins two big awards from the Freese Film Foundation
This year, the Halloween 1987 team took home two prestigious awards for Best Writing/Directing and Best Editing. Hansen Bursic, the films director, and Eric McKelvey, the films editor, accepted these awards digitally on May 8th at a ceremony for award winners.
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July 27 2018 – Temple news
Film student’s documentary about a rural transgender teenager’s transition shows at international LGBTQ film festival
Hansen Bursic was at work the day he received a congratulatory email notifying him his documentary “The Toothmans” had been accepted into San Francisco-based Frameline42, the largest and oldest LGBTQ film festival in the world.
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June 14 2018 – Philadelphia Gay News
Student Director Screens Trans Youth Documentary Set in Rural PA
At 20 years old, queer filmmaker and activist Hansen Bursic will be one of the youngest directors in attendance this weekend when his award-winning documentary “The Toothmans” screens at the nation’s oldest…
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June 6 2018 – Pennlive.com
Documentary film about transgender youth living in rural Pa., selected for film festival
A documentary film about the experiences of a transgender teenager set against a rural Pennsylvania backdrop has been selected for screening at a national LGBT film festival.
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August 10 2017 – Queerpgh.com
Battleground Pennsylvania: Boyertown High School
Pennsylvania is a weird state. Whether it’s the raging debate on whether Sheetz or Wawa is the better convenience store or the commonly-shared hatred of PennDOT, most Pennsylvanians will admit that we are…
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