Melbourne filmmaker Dayna Di Fulvio makes their directorial debut with Urban Nipple, a thought-provoking documentary exploring how technology, censorship and social media policies affect women and gender-diverse people.
The film centres on multidisciplinary artist Michelle Kometz, whose artwork focuses on nipple sculptures. Despite the artistic nature of her work, it is repeatedly removed or censored by cowardly social media platforms, raising questions about who decides what is acceptable online.
Urban Nipple also gives viewers an insight into tattoo artists who create restorative areola tattoos for breast cancer survivors, challenges faced by people seeking or recovering from gender-affirming surgery, as well as sex workers and adult entertainers who rely on social media to connect with their communities and audiences.
Through these stories, Di Fulvio explores the impact of online censorship on bodily autonomy, freedom of expression and access to support, while questioning why some large corporations are allowed to profit from similar imagery without facing the same restrictions.
Based in Melbourne, Di Fulvio has more than a decade of experience as a first assistant director. They are also known for The Dysphoria, a Screen Australia-funded trans-horror film that premiered at the Fantasia Film Festival and Melbourne International Film Festival in 2025.
Urban Nipple will screen at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on Sunday, 12 July. Details here.
“I hope people discuss the different waves of the feminist movement and the importance of including trans women.”
Why did you feel this was an important story to tell?
Michelle’s artwork is provocative, captivating and thoughtful. To create contemporary artwork that can be installed in accessible public spaces to spark intrigue and conversation makes her a compelling documentary subject. Her story was important to tell because it resonates with so many different communities: artists, activists, mothers, sex workers and people within the LGBTQIA+ community. At some point, many have experienced ridicule, inequality or been sexualised or shamed for their identity, work or simply for existing in their own bodies.
Since making Urban Nipple, you’ve begun gender-affirming hormone therapy. Has that changed the way you see the film?
During the making of Urban Nipple, I identified as a heterosexual cis woman. Since then, I’ve come out as genderfluid and begun gender-affirming hormone therapy. Sometimes I wonder whether my initial outrage after hearing Michelle’s story was, in part, gender envy in disguise. But I truly believe there was always something in me that found rigid gender stereotypes absurd. Women, trans and gender-diverse people should be able to go topless at places like the beach without being sexualised. And no computer program or person should get to decide what is or isn’t a “female” nipple. Looking back now, I think there are moments where the language could have been more inclusive and I would have liked to expand the conversation around non-binary experiences. But I think the overall sentiment still comes across that everyone deserves autonomy over their own body and the freedom to exist without being unfairly censored.
Since filming the documentary, how has online censorship changed?
When I first started making Urban Nipple, Instagram’s policies explicitly allowed content relating to gender-affirming surgery. Although users’ images and videos were still getting flagged and removed, it felt like a small step forward for trans rights to be acknowledged. But between 2020 and 2025, that wording was removed and is no longer included in the guidelines. Ultimately, it feels like a step back. Perhaps I’ve become more jaded, or simply since starting this project I’ve woken up, but I don’t think large tech companies or social media platforms were ever created or designed with minority groups in mind, so why would they serve us? Unfair and inconsistent policies and moderation have grown into a broader conversation around who the people are behind the businesses building these online spaces and how their values are reflected back at us.
Urban Nipple is about more than nipples. What do you hope audiences take away from the film?
Although it’s a short documentary, I hope it sparks conversations long after the screening ends. I hope activists reflect on how technology has influenced activism. I hope people discuss the different waves of the feminist movement and the importance of including trans women. I hope artists from all backgrounds talk about the crutch that social media has become in the pursuit of success, and how censorship hinders their work. I hope trans and gender-diverse people can talk about access to information, online communities, and the moment they first felt affirmed by their own nipples.
What’s next?
I’ve been working on a number of film projects with trans and gender-diverse artists. The Dysphoria, a horror film about a transgender woman who performs a Satanic ritual to get a vagina, has enjoyed a successful run across local and international film festivals. Local artist Simona Castricum is also releasing her fifth studio album, Villain, for which I was the Director of Photography on the upcoming music video. I’m also the founder of Melbourne film club Club DVD. This August, we’ll be screening Hackers (1995) in Fortress Melbourne’s Alienware Arena. We’re also in the planning and development phase of curating our own film festival, celebrating independent, underground and underseen Australian cinema.
Urban Nipple will screen at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival on Sunday, 12 July. Details here.
*This interview is a paid promotion provided by Urban Nipple filmmakers. If you’d like to promote your film, festival, or event, email cinemaaustralia@gmail.com for details.
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