This Pride Month we spoke with Max Jahufer Rodgers (he/him/they), a multitalented artist, writer, actor, singer, director and co-founder of Roaring Tribe Productions. A proud trans man born in Lisbon, Portugal to immigrant parents, Max brings deeply personal and artistic perspectives to his storytelling, redefining what true representation means on screen.
Max’s pathway to film wasn’t traditional. He began studying architecture at RMIT before spending years working in advertising, branding and marketing, even appearing on X-Factor in 2010.
“Storytelling has always been the common thread through everything I’ve done,” he says.
Eventually Max realised that he didn’t just want to help brands tell stories—he wanted to tell stories that could genuinely shift perspectives.
After being approached by old friends Madeleine Dyer and Dan Mulvihill about their developing debut feature screenplay, A Savage Christmas, Max jumped on board as a trans-community consultant.
“After the first writers’ room, that same excitement I felt from writing as a songwriter was re-lit… I was hooked and knew it’s what I wanted to do.”
Max went on to co-write, co-produce and act in the feature, with a focus on centring voices and experiences we don’t often see represented authentically on Australian screens.
“For so long, diverse stories have often been framed around trauma or coming out,” he says. “We wanted to create something where queer people simply existed as part of the family dynamic, with all the humour, dysfunction and warmth that comes with Christmas.”
This approach earned the film a 2024 AACTA nomination for Best Indie Feature Film.
Together with Mulvihill, Max co-founded Roaring Tribe to champion authentic representation, nurture inclusivity and elevate diverse storytelling.
“We’re interested in bold films with a strong point of view,” he says. “They need to have something meaningful to say and a filmmaker with a genuine voice behind them.”
With Roaring Tribe’s relaunch as a theatrical distributor across Australia and New Zealand, Max is also looking to challenge the way films are being taken to market.
Using a combination of audience insights, data and AI to deliver meaningful campaigns for niche audiences, Max says that “We are going to be offering pathways to audiences that no one in this space has done before.”
A priority for Max with Roaring Tribe is to ensure that representation isn’t a performative afterthought but is embedded into the DNA of the company’s foundation.
“Representation shouldn’t feel like a checkbox. It should feel like seeing a real person whose identity informs their life but doesn’t completely define it.”
In 2024 Max secured support through Screen Queensland’s Development Fund for a biopic television series Boy, I Am, based on his life exploration of identity, resilience and transformation. Yet Max hopes this story will transcend representation.
“It’s not a trans story, it’s a human story that happens to be about a person who is trans,” he says.
At its heart, Boy, I Am is about a mother and son trying to find one another again after years of misunderstanding. Max hopes “Audiences will walk away with a deeper understanding of how identity affects not just the individual, but everyone who loves them.”
For emerging creatives, Maxs offers simple, but powerful advice: “Don’t wait for permission… just start!”
“Technology and information have never been more accessible. There are so many platforms these days you can share your content, find your audiences and build your brand and voice.”
Above all, he emphasises the importance of collaboration.
“Every project I’ve been most proud of has been shaped by people who challenged me, strengthened the work and brought perspectives I couldn’t have achieved alone.”
Ultimately, his most important takeaway is to just keep pushing.
“The screen industry can be full of setbacks, but resilience is often the difference between people who dream about making stories and people who actually do.”
Max’s new project Boy, I am, is currently in search of production and distribution partners across Australia, New Zealand, and international markets.
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