The small indie film Confessions of a Womaniser is a long shot for an Oscar but that’s not stopping it from making history.

In submitting eligibility materials to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the film’s producers sought both supporting actor and supporting actress consideration for gender-fluid actor Kelly Mantle.

The Academy granted the request, setting a historic precedent.

Gender-fluid and trans characters have been represented by Oscar-nominated actors such as John Lithgow (The World According to Garp), Hillary Swank (Boys Don’t Cry) and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl).

There is one instance, meanwhile, of an Oscar nomination for a gender-swapping role: Linda Hunt in fact won the supporting actress prize for playing a male dwarf in 1982’s The Year of Living Dangerously.

But Mantle, known for appearing as a contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race, is marking his own milestone.

They are the first person to be submitted and eligible for a nomination in both male and female acting categories.

The actors branch of the Academy approved dividing the acting reminder list into actors and actresses only two years ago.

Prior to that, the reminder lists made no distinction by gender; all eligible cast members were listed together.

Confessions of a Womaniser tells the story of the arrogant, fraternising Richie (Andrew Lawrence) who strikes up a friendship with Ginger (Mantle), a transgender prostitute.

It has won awards from events including the High Desert, Los Angeles Underground and Tupelo film festivals.

Gender-fluid actor makes Oscars history by being eligible for nomination in both “male” and “female” categories https://t.co/Qgo9iVeBKE pic.twitter.com/QO4WJaKaU7

— NYLON (@NylonMag) December 10, 2016

With AAP