Odd Man In trailer centres Jesse Tyler Ferguson as voice of Donald Webster Cory
The first trailer for Odd Man In has arrived. It is built around the voice of Jesse Tyler Ferguson, speaking the words of Donald Webster Cory.
The film is a short documentary directed by Matt Nadel about Cory, the writer who published The Homosexual in America in 1951, according to Deadline. That book put his name into public view. The film traces what came after.
Nadel reconstructs Cory's life through two guides. They are Elliot Friedland and Fred Sagarin, Cory's son. Ferguson provides Cory's own language on the soundtrack. It is a simple structure. One voice from the past, two voices in the present.
Nadel arrives with recent festival form. His previous film Cashing Out was Oscar-shortlisted, as reported in January by Deadline. That term means it made the Academy's shortlist stage, the cut before final nominations. Odd Man In keeps him in non-fiction, but in a shorter format.
Ferguson is also an executive producer alongside Caroline Waterlow, according to Deadline. An executive producer is typically a senior backer who helps fund and steer a project. Here Ferguson takes a double role, behind the film and inside it as Cory's voice.
Distribution is already set in outline. The film holds its world premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival in New York, where it was listed as a World Premiere in the 2026 shorts line-up, according to GoldDerby. That first screening is the industry's formal launch. After that it will air on Independent Lens, the PBS series that showcases independent documentaries.
What makes this stand out for general viewers is access. Most people will not know Cory's name. A short film with a familiar voice and a festival launch gives them a clear way in.
