A science fiction film is looking to keep breaking boundaries by hiring a trans actress as its lead role.

Independent filmmaker Andrew McGee, from Groombridge, is creating Venus, a film following Iris, a dead girl whose digital consciousness is placed in an unfamiliar body designed for sex and violence.

The 23-year-old said: "The story isn't really about transgenderism, if anything it's about transhumanism.

"But we thought casting someone who has experienced gender dysphoria would be really interesting as they would have an understanding of some of the character's feelings.

"Sci-fi films are all about being forward thinking and there aren't a lot of opportunities for transgender actors right now, outside of playing trans characters.

"It's also rare to have female protagonists in science fiction films."

Inspired by the likes of Blade Runner and Ghost in the Shell, the team behind Venus are set to launch a Kickstarter on Tuesday, hoping to raise £10,000 of its £25,000 budget.

Venus is co-written by Andrew McGee and Tara Shehata. The pair's previous film, Shadow of Cairo, was selected for the New York International Children's Film Festival and was one of three finalists for the Jury Award.

Winners of the Jury Award qualify to enter the Oscars.

Venus is currently being developed as a short film, but McGee hopes it could become the basis for a feature length film.

The former University of Warwick added: "It’s a story about objectification and identity in a Blade Runner-esque world, and my ambition is to create a thrilling and thought-provoking film with a progressive representation of gender, in the progressive genre of sci-fi.

"We're also very keen to audition transgender actors for the lead role, as this is in keeping with the story we want to tell, and we believe diversity and representation are important in cinema."

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