Queer Film: “I Wish You All the Best” Celebrates Non-Binary Identity

The much-anticipated queer film I Wish You All the Best, which opens in South Africa on 7 November, is more than just entertainment — it’s a landmark moment for non-binary representation in cinema.

The film follows high school student Ben DeBacker (Corey Fogelmanis), who comes out as non-binary to their family. The revelation is met with rejection, and Ben is kicked out of their home.

With nowhere else to go, Ben moves in with their estranged older sister (Alexandra Daddario) and her husband (Cole Sprouse). Starting over at a new school, Ben finds unexpected support from a quirky art teacher (Lena Dunham) and forms a life-changing friendship with a kind-hearted classmate, played by Miles Gutierrez-Riley.

Through these new relationships, Ben navigates the awkward hurdles of young adulthood in a heartfelt and sweetly funny story that celebrates the courage to live authentically.

Tommy Dorfman’s Directorial Debut

I Wish You All the Best marks the directorial debut of Tommy Dorfman, best known for her role as Ryan Shaver in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Since then, Dorfman has built a multifaceted career as an actress, writer, director, and producer, while consistently shedding light on her experiences as an out trans woman in Hollywood.

Dorfman said that when she began working on the film in 2023, she did not anticipate the growing backlash against trans and non-binary identities in the United States and globally.

“My approach was grounded in celebrating queerness, not highlighting all the constraints queer people face. This still feels viable, even if the landscape has shifted,” explains Dorfman.

A Story Close to Home

Dorfman shared that she was drawn to the project because, as a trans woman from the American South, the world depicted in the story felt deeply familiar.

“The book also stood out as the first of its kind with a nonbinary protagonist, Benjamin DeBacker, as its heroine—a book I desperately needed as a kid and the movie I had to make no matter what, a movie that didn’t exist yet in the canon and needed to.”

Dorfman said she wanted to tell the story authentically, without over-dramatising Ben’s gender or coming out experience.

“Viewing anybody solely through the lens of their gender or sexuality diminishes their vast and complex humanity,” she noted.

She added that she hopes the film will not only entertain and engage audiences but also serve as a bridge for empathy and understanding.

“Supporting this film and seeing it, sharing it with family and friends who are transphobic, is an act of love to the LGBTQ+ community right now and an act of resistance against the milieu of anti-trans legislation moving through our political systems today.”

I Wish You All the Best opens in South African cinemas on 7 November 2025.