"Two Spirits" Receives the Audience Award from PBS-Independent Lens

Lynda Nibley's documentary "Two Spirits" has received the PBS-Independent Lens Audience Award, recognizing its status as the highest-rated film of the 2010-11 season by the measures of online voting and other forms of audience support.

"Two Spirits" is the story of a transgender Navajo, Fred Martinez, who was bludgeoned to death at 16. Nibley's film looks at the Navajo tradition of the nádleehí, a male-bodied person with a feminine nature. At one time it was considered a special gift in their culture, which recognizes four genders.

"The conversations taking place online about the film have been remarkable," Nibley said in a statement. "People are truly interested in the complexities of gender… they want to really understand more about what it means to be masculine or feminine, or some rich combination of the two as Fred Martinez was."

In addition to its PBS broadcasts and community screening events, Nibley has launched a $10,000 crowdfunding campaign to expand its distribution. http://www.indiegogo.com/Two-Spirits

Here's the "Two Spirits" trailer: