I Am Mario (Soy Mario), the feature directorial debut by Mexican filmmaker Sharon Kleinberg, will have its International Premiere in the Discovery section of the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), running September 10–20, followed by its U.S. Premiere at the New York Latino Film Festival (NYLFF), September 15–20. The film will then screen at the AFI Latin American Film Festival, taking place September 16–October 7 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.

The intimate drama had its World Premiere at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, where Oustin de León received the Mezcal Award for Best Actor and the film received the Jury’s Maguey Award for Best LGBTQIA+ Film. Marking a compelling new voice in Mexican cinema, Kleinberg’s debut offers a nuanced and deeply empathetic exploration of identity, bodily autonomy, masculinity, and the desire to build a family.

The film centers on Mario, a gentle 40-year-old transgender taxi driver living in urban Mexico. With a close circle of colleagues and a caring relationship with his mother and two sisters, Mario has built a stable life for himself. When he unexpectedly becomes pregnant, he is presented with the possibility of fulfilling his longtime dream of becoming a father. But the pregnancy also challenges deeply held beliefs about his own masculinity, setting him on an intimate journey through his changing body, his relationships, and his understanding of himself.

Alongside de León, the cast includes Héctor Kotsifakis, Mayra Batalla, Ruth Ramos, Krystian Ferrer, and Mercedes Hernández.

Developed over three years of research and close collaboration with members of Mexico’s trans community, Kleinberg’s screenplay confronts social taboos and traditional notions of machismo surrounding transmasculine pregnancy. Rather than focusing solely on societal barriers, the film foregrounds relationships—family, friendship, and the desire to belong. Through Mario’s unexpected path toward fatherhood, I Am Mario offers an intimate portrait of vulnerability, self-determination, and the courage to redefine oneself.