Shorts Programs

SHORTS: BEAUTIFUL BOYS, BEAUTIFUL JOURNEYS

Runtime: 1:38:03

This year’s Boys shorts program focuses on vast journeys of the heart, mind, soul, and body. Not only are these boys and their journeys beautiful, but the filmmaking is as well, in this eclectic and inclusive mix of fun, sexy, groundbreaking, and meaningful films.

QUERY

Dir. Sophie Kargman, USA, 2020, 9 mins Jay and Alex, roommates and best friends, spend their time verbally jousting over whether it's instinct or social norms that drives their heterosexual proclivities. As the day unfolds, the barriers slowly fall and the conversation climaxes in a choice that has a profound impact on their evening. Featuring Armie Hammer.

1-1

Dir. Naures Sager, Sweden, 2020, 7 mins Ayman's sex date with Jonas gets crashed by his friends Amirah and Samir, but the date takes a surprisingly positive turn.

ADOLESCENCE

Dir. Zeb Daemen, Belgium/UK, 2019, 15 mins ADOLESCENCE is a coming-of-age story taking place on the last day of summer in 1950s Cornwall. For James and his best friend Simon, this is also the last day of childhood. James is leaving tomorrow, but there are things that he has never had the chance to say.

POMPEII

Dir. Harry Lighton, Marco Alessi, Matthew Jacobs Morgan, UK, 2019, 8 mins Tam gets on the first tube home alone. In just a crop-top and high-waisted jeans, he feels conspicuous. So he plugs in his earphones and begins reliving his Halloween night out via his phone.

THE D*CK APPOINTMENT

Dir. Mike Roma, USA, 2020, 11 mins When lovelorn Wally wants to get over his ex, he turns to the apps for help.

KIND OF

Dir. Noah Schamus, USA, 2020, 9 mins KIND OF follows two trans masculine folks in a newly open relationship as they prepare to host brunch — while hashing out their insecurities in the minutes before their friends arrive.

WHO CAN PREDICT WHAT WILL MOVE YOU

Dir. Livia Huang, USA, 2019, 9 mins Two boys caught in a rivalrous relationship spend one last night together in Brooklyn.

BUCK

Dir. Elegance Bratton, Jovan James, USA, 2020, 14 mins Caught in the midst of a depressive fugue, Lynn turns to debauchery to ease his troubled soul, only to discover that happiness is a complicated goal.

SEE YOU SOON

Dir. Tyler Rabinowitz, USA, 2020, 16 mins A gay man travels across the country to spend the weekend with someone he's been talking to for months on a dating app, hoping to find the kind of romance that he grew up thinking he'd never get to experience.

BEYOND THE BINARY is back for another year of brief stories made by, about, with, and for trans people. This short program has everything: hitchhiking robots, sad strip clubs, animated dogs in space, and more, resulting in a varied and thoroughly engaging depiction of trans self-discovery and community-wide solidarity.

Presented by

TRASHY BOOTY

Dir. Iris Devins, USA, 2020, 9 mins Two dumpster-diving trans women unknowingly participate in a social experiment when they pick up a hitchhiking robot on the side of the road.

ONE LAST DEAL

Dir. Nyala Moon, USA, 2020, 15 mins Bill and Sara's differences have always been part of what makes their relationship work. But on an especially important day, the disconnect between their experiences is exactly what threatens to tear them apart.

THEY THROUGH THEM

Dir. Joan Galo, Spain, 2020, 11 mins Joan explores feelings and thoughts about being non-binary through the people of their community in Barcelona.

KIDS ON FIRE

Dir. Rafferty Bailey, Australia, 2018, 7 mins A 9-year-old closeted evangelical Christian tomboy must prove their faith by vandalizing an LGBTQ+ sex shop.

CANIS MAJOR

Dir. Charli Brissey, USA, 2019, 10 mins An artist suffering from severe writer's block relies on the friendship of their dog in this multi-genre sci-fi short.

IN FRANCE MICHELLE IS A MAN'S NAME

Dir. Em Weinstein, USA, 2020, 13 mins Michael, a young trans man, returns home to the rural American West after years of estrangement from his parents.

WAKING HOUR

Dir. Nava Mau, USA, 2019, 13 mins Sofia, a young trans woman, meets Isaac at a party. When he invites her to go home with him, Sofia must talk herself through her options.

Family, both the one we’re born into and the one we make for ourselves, is always complex. From an energetic time-traveling short about family secrets, to shorts that navigate identity with the sometimes-strained support of loved ones, this shorts program highlights the importance of Black family, friends, and community in these times of civil and racial unrest in the United States and serves as a reminder that all Black lives matter. Forever and always.

MERCURY AFROGRADE

Dir. Blanche Akonchong, USA, 2019, 11 mins On a crazy day during Mercury retrograde, a family's deepest secrets come to the surface, forcing them to realize they are not the model African family.

-SHIP: A VISUAL POEM

Dir. Terrance Daye, USA, 2019, 13 mins A Black boy learns contradicting lessons of manhood and masculinity on the day of his cousin's funeral.

Moderate graphic imagery and references to suicide.

HONOR BLACK TRANS WOMXN!

Dir. Seyi Adebanjo, USA, 2019, 6 mins This is a call to center, protect, and celebrate Black Trans Womxn. This is also a reminder that Black Trans Womxn are essential members of our Black Family.

PLUS

Dir. Andrew J Rodriguez, USA, 2019, 14 mins NYC college student Zaire Ruiz has life under control, from college to boys. When he is suddenly diagnosed with HIV, Zaire carries this burden alone. PLUS is a coming-of-age story of learning self-acceptance, self-worth, and the value of support systems.

SEX IS A GOD THING

Dir. Zarinah Ali, USA, 2019, 19 mins Michelle and Aiesha are sisters who have just buried their father. Michelle and Aiesha have also just met. Both queer and both grappling with the unraveling of their respective romantic partnerships, a drunk Aiesha has dragged a hesitant Michelle out to a party.

SHÉÁR AVORY: TO BE CONTINUED

Dir. Abram Cerda, USA, 2020, 26 mins The the coming-of-age story of Shéár Avory (pronouns: they/them/ theirs), a 17-year-old aspiring social justice advocate in Los Angeles who navigates housing instability and familial dependency on their journey to adulthood.

SHORTS: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM WITH ME

Runtime: 1:33:07

Nightmares, daydreams, and fantasies collide in this otherworldly genre shorts program best enjoyed with the lights firmly flipped off. From vibrant visions of the future to contemporary anxieties coming to life, this collection promises to surprise, delight, befuddle, and bewilder unlike anything you've seen before. Welcome to the queer imagination!

DISSONANCE

Dir. Kim Garcia, USA, 2020, 13 mins A group of young queers navigate bars, friendships, abandoned warehouses, and a room where dreams are recorded on VHS tapes.

THE PUPAL STAGE

Dir. Tee Jaehyung Park, USA, 2020, 7 mins A newly-out trans woman is thrust into a coming out party by her friends, which starts as a cheerful celebration of life but slowly transforms into something else.

ELAGABALUS

Dir. Xanthe Dobbie, Australia, 2020, 17 mins Burdened by a prophecy that dooms them to a violent death, Elagabalus, a genderqueer Roman Emperor, embraces excess much to the dismay of their controlling mother.

MR. MARE

Dir. Luca Tóth, Hungary/France, 2019, 19 mins Love appears out of thin air like a tumor in the chest.

HEKADEMIA

Dir. Gloria Mercer, Canada, 2020, 16 mins Marion begins opening up to a new friend at their virtual reality highschool.

JAZZBERRY

Dir. Maxwell Nalevansky, USA, 2019, 17 mins A fantastical adventure playfully dealing with sexual politics, men’s rights groups, and good old-fashioned girl power, JAZZBERRY is a tale of the twisted tragedy that suddenly befell the bizarre city of Beeftown.

IN ORBIT

Dir. Soham Chakraborty, Hanxu Chen, Meton Joffily, Justin Polley, Julia Trouvé, France, 2019, 5 mins In the far future, Sonia is about to be transferred to a new space station. While everything appears to be going well, her mind is elsewhere, disturbed by a past not far behind.

Everybody, rock your booty! Rejoice in the loving, intentional, explorative, and kinky relationships queer and trans people have to their own bodies. Shorts include a sexually explicit heartfelt farewell to titties, a moving tribute to breathplay, an animated dive into sex work, a tender thanks-giving for trans yoga, and much more. This program contains sexually explicit content.

I HAVE TO THINK OF US AS SEPARATE PEOPLE

Dir. Chris Berntsen, Stephen Ira, USA, 2019, 5 mins In an attempt to bridge the gap of intimacy and trust between cis and trans gay men, two filmmakers fracture and blend their own bodies and voices to create a split screen collage of their relationship.

PAISA

Dir. Graham Kolbeins, Dorian Wood, USA, 2019, 8 mins A community celebrates the beauty of queer brown sensuality, body positivity, and individuality in an immersive fever dream.

PANTHERS

Dir. Erika Sanchez Marcos, Spain, 2020, 22 mins Joana and Nina are 13-year-old best friends in the midst of the most difficult parts of puberty. Today, Joana has decided to solve her existential anxiety.

MES CHÉRIS

Dir. Ethan Folk, Ty Wardwell, Bat Boi, Germany, 2020, 12 mins Transboi sex worker Bat Boi creates a fond, pornographic homage to his boobs a month before his top surgery.

DOWN DOG

Dir. Shae Xu, USA, 2019, 9 mins Inclusive yoga instructor Tammy ponders the difficulties of disclosure and considers the societal mandate of talking to her new beau Marcus about her trans experience.

BREATH CONTROL

Dir. Carson Parish, USA, 2020, 9 mins Inclusive yoga instructor Tammy ponders the difficulties of disclosure and considers the societal mandate of talking to her new beau Marcus about her trans experience.

TOOMAS BENEATH THE VALLEY OF THE WILD WOLVES

Dir. Chintis Lundgren, Estonia/Croatia/France, 2019, 18 mins After losing his job, Toomas, a young hot wolf, falls into moonlighting as a sex worker to support his family. His pregnant wife Viivi has a secret of her own: She's attending classes to become a dominatrix.

This celebratory collection of short films is curated specifically for LGBTQidentified high school audiences and made possible with support from New York City’s Department of Education, providing access for LGBTQ+ youth to see themselves reflected on screen. Featuring a combination of celebrated shorts from the film festival circuit and debuts from young filmmakers, FREE TO BE ME shares the LGBTQ+ teen experience, navigating first dates, family, coming out, self-care, gender expression, and identity.

...AND THEN SHE KISSED ME!!

Dir. Alexia Khodanian, USA, 2019, 2 mins A love story between two high school girlfriends.

EGGHEAD & TWINKIE

Dir. Sarah Holland, USA, 2019, 9 mins Egghead is in love with his best friend, Twinkie. Twinkie is a closeted lesbian. And tonight, she is coming out to her parents in the most casual way possible.

BIND

Dir. Emory Chao Johnson, USA, 2019, 3 mins A glimpse into the trans Asian diaspora, BIND follows the events that occur when Jules gets a surprise visit from their mother — and their chest binder.

GO GO, BOY!

Dir. Oriana Oppice, USA, 2019, 6 mins A boy discovers his fabulousness while dancing in his bedroom.

WERE YOU GAY IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Dir. Niki Ang, USA, 2020, 13 mins Two queer women recall their awkward, closeted high school days of kissing boys and straight-girl crushes.

ALL OF THE SIGNS

Dir. Susan Carine, Katie Doyle, Ashley DeSalvo, Samantha Felix, Korbin Kepner, Samantha Roppola, USA, 2019, 7 mins A mocudrama about two friends solving the theory of love. Is this a possible girlfriend or just another female friend? Maybe it’s not as difficult to figure out the answer as they thought.

FISH HEAD

Dir. Grace Tan, Australia, 2020, 10 mins An alienated teen on the cusp of womanhood must find solace in an alternate coming of age, where lines of gender dissolve by the surrounds of the sea.

SHÉÁR AVORY: TO BE CONTINUED

Dir. Abram Cerda, USA, 2020, 26 mins The the coming-of-age story of Shéár Avory (pronouns: they/them/ theirs), a 17-year-old aspiring social justice advocate in Los Angeles who navigates housing instability and familial dependency on their journey to adulthood.

The gag’s all here AGAIN with a second helping of queer laughs and good cheer to keep you giggling through tears of joy! From deadpan commentaries on oppressive office culture to a French musical finale (and some uproarious Rachel Dratch in between), this quirky and hilarious bunch of shorts invites you to leave your worries behind and LOL in the comfort of your own home.

HEART TO HEART

Dir. Lilah Vandenburgh, UK, 2020, 10 mins When Liddy wakes up from heart surgery, she starts hearing a voice, shouting that she's going to die an apathetic virgin. This voice is her heart (David Tennant), and he wants to get her laid.

PETE CAN'T PLAY BASKETBALL

Dir. Nick Borenstein, USA, 2020, 8 mins In a world where all that matters is basketball, Pete can't play basketball.

2 DOLLARS

Dir. Robin Cloud, USA, 2020, 15 mins As a Black queer, masculine artist working at one of the worst property management firms in the city, Syd deals with daily slights in the office. But, will a lucky lottery ticket change her life?

THE SECRET GARDENER

Dir. Lorena Russi, USA, 2019, 3 mins A garden party goes off the rails when ladies who brunch devolve into ladies who munch.

MOTHER BUNKER

Dir. George Metaxas, USA/AUS, 2020, 5 mins Set during the robot-human war, a military robot — Mother — begins to self-express by dressing in human drag and performing to a robot army.

ISLAND QUEEN

Dir. Zackary Grady, Jenn Harris, USA, 2019, 10 mins On the day a teen hockey player secretly plans to try out for the figure skating team, he is trapped on a ferry boat by its captain (Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Also featuring Rachel Dratch.

PATIENCE BRINGS ROSES

Dir. Lucia Thompson, Cassandra Rosin, Czech Republic, 2018, 11 mins A mime falls in love with a woman and struggles to win her over.

DON'T TEXT BACK!

Dir. Kaye Adelaide, Mariel Sharp, Canada, 2020, 14 mins Kelly visits an energy healing expert named Jaren, in hopes of finding a solution to the supernatural locket that's effecting her everyday life.

MONSIEUR

Dir. Thomas Ducastel, France, 2019, 23 mins Georgie and Stan are two friends living in a small town in northern France. When Georgie finds out that his idol is going to the "Mister Northern France" pageant, Stan, the event videographer, helps him enter the pageant.

SHORTS: GIRLS LAUGHING, LOVING, FIGHTING, F**KING

Runtime: 1:27:30

Who hasn’t loved a messy dyke? This varied collection of Girls shorts runs the gamut from breaking in to breaking up, taking delight in all the complications in between. Ill-advised, achingly romantic, and perfectly chaotic adventures await all ages and relationships, with help from Sappho, personified dating apps, erotic fan fiction, and ayahuasca. Grab your Zoom date and live-text along to this entirely female-directed program.

BREAK IN

Dir. Alyssa Lerner, USA, 2020, 16 mins When Nousha accidentally texts erotic fiction about her crush to that crush, she enlists the help of her best friend, Oliver, and they set out on a mission to delete the text by any means necessary.

GIRL, SWEETVOICED

Dir. Rebecca Shoptaw, UK/USA, 2020, 9 mins Two young strangers express their longing through the poetry of Sappho.

NAOMI REPLANSKY AT 100

Dir. Megan Rossman, USA, 2020, 6 mins Renowned poet Naomi Replansky shares wisdom on love and life as she celebrates her 100th year.

TINGE

Dir. Saidah Belo-Osagie, USA, 2020, 10 mins When a hopeless romantic doesn't get a text back from her dream date, she finds herself spiraling as she grapples with both rejection and her distorted perception of reality.

A SINGLE EVENING

Dir. Ashlei Hardenburg-Cartagena, USA, 2020, 13 mins Minnie, a seriously annoyed bisexual woman, navigates her way through yet another night alone while personified dating apps serenade and harass her about her inability to find love.

ANCIENT METHODS

Dir. Alexandra Kirsch, USA, 2020, 5 mins An alien breaks up with her human girlfriend, causing the disparaged human to seek out new forms of self-love.

TOP & BOTTOM

Dir. Angela Cheng, USA, 2020, 6 mins Quinn and Lexi work out the kinks of their long-term relationship.

SCREENSHOTS FOR A GOODBYE

Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2020, 10 mins Andrea and Maca are facing the day after a break-up and struggle with all the difficulties that come with a goodbye between lovers.

WERE YOU GAY IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Dir. Niki Ang, USA, 2020, 13 mins Two queer women recall their awkward, closeted high school days of kissing boys and straight-girl crushes.

Queer people connect across generations, both in front of and behind the camera, in this intergenerational celebration of identity and wisdom. Whether it's a bisexual mother documenting her trans son's birthday wishes, a history of indigenous trans healers that crosses oceans and centuries, or a New York elder concretizing her place in the city, HEIRLOOMS + HISTORIES spotlights the strength and necessity of bonds across ages, and the gifts that can only be exchanged by queer descendants.

CARO COMES OUT

Dir. Brit Fryer, Caro Hernandez, USA, 2020, 12 mins An experiment, and a comedy, about coming out to an entire Cuban family.

TAKE ME TO PROM

Dir. Andrew Moir, Canada, 2019, 20 mins Queer people aged 17 to 88 reflect on 70 years of their high school prom memories.

QUEENIE

Dir. Cai Thomas, USA, 2020, 19 mins Queenie Lawrence, a 73-year-young Black Lesbian and resident of the Marcy Projects, navigates applying for the Stonewall Houses, NYC's first LGBT Elder affordable housing.

KAPAEMAHU

Dir. Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, USA, 2020, 8 mins Four mysterious stones on Waikiki Beach carry a legacy of healing, community, and legendary trans spirits within them.

FABIU

Dir. Stefan Langthaler, Austria, 2020, 30 mins Arthur, an 80-year-old retiree, lives in a modest home in Vienna, lovingly caring for his seriously ill wife Martha. When a new Hungarian care worker enters the picture, Arthur's routine is broken.

WISHES

Dir. Amy Jenkins, USA, 2019, 6 mins The yearnings of a child for an alternate identity are traced through a decade of birthday wishes filmed by their mother.

We miss being in the same place as you! The survival of LGBTQ-inclusive physical spaces are essential for our community to connect and thrive, so gather round for this diverse collection of shorts that celebrate a time when we could assemble together to celebrate our creativity, expression, and individuality. From a pan-Asian queer Brooklyn dance party to a Brazilian beachside paradise, you’ll feel right at home living vicariously through these space-specific stories ’til we can meet together again.

PXSSY PALACE

Dir. Laura Kirwan-Ashman, UK, 2019, 6 mins Meet the brains behind one of London's hottest and most creative queer nights. An introduction to Pxssy Palace, a London-based QTIPOC (queer trans intersex people of color) collective and clubnight from filmmaker Laura Kirwan-Ashman.

FLOURISH

Dir. Heather María Ács, USA, 2020, 14 mins Follows five characters, including a seasoned drag queen and a young queer couple stumbling through nonmonogamy, at a queer dance party and drag club. The stories swirl together as the magic of queer space pulls them in and the transformative power of drag allows them to break free.

DANCING ON MY OWN

Dir. Alexandra Cuerdo, USA, 2020, 13 mins A love letter to the queer Asian experience, inspired by New York's radical dance party Bubble_T.

KAMA'ĀINA (CHILD OF THE LAND)

Dir. Kimi Howl Lee, USA, 2019, 16 mins A queer 16-year-old girl, Mahina, must navigate life on the streets in Oahu, until she eventually finds refuge at the Pu’uhonua o Wai’anae — Hawaiʻi’s largest organized homeless encampment.

BREAKWATER

Dir. Cris Lyra, Brazil, 2019, 26 mins A group of young lesbians from São Paulo go on a trip to a remote beach for the new year's celebration, where they relax, make music, and build emotional refuge for themselves. They own their bodies and their memories, and they feel free.

FREE FUN

Dir. Fehmi Öztürk, Turkey/Cyprus, 2019, 5 mins When Kika entered to have fun in a Virtual Reality-based game, she encountered something she never expected. Nothing will be the same anymore.