Shorts Programs

Presented in Partnership with

Runtime: 70min For the fourth consecutive year, NewFest is collaborating with NYC’s Department of Education on this program curated specifically with LGBTQ+ youth and teen audiences in mind. These affirming short films provide access for queer young folks to see themselves reflected in film across genres and themes – including inspirational stories about first crushes, gender expression, navigating multiple identities and finding one’s voice through it all.

CARINO (CARIÑO)

Dir. Carlos Taborda, Ashley Williams, & Roshel Amuruz, USA, 4 mins A young boy on a mission to help out a boy he admires returns a picture that had fallen from the boy's pocket.

GROWING FANGS

Dir. Ann Marie Pace, USA,18 mins Val García, a Mexican American teen who is half human/half vampire, has had to keep her identity a secret from both worlds.

PURE

Dir. Natalie Jasmine Harris, USA, 12 mins On the eve of her cotillion ball, a young Black girl grapples with her queer identity & questions her purity.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

THE LITTLE PRINCE(SS)

Dir. Moxie Peng, USA, 17 mins When Gabriel, a 7-year-old Chinese kid who loves ballet, becomes friends with Rob at school, Rob’s dad gets suspicious about Gabriel's “feminine” behavior.

HOW TO RAISE A BLACK BOY

Dir. Justice Jamal Jones, USA, 13 mins An imaginative, free-spirited fairytale about love, secrets, & breaking away.

WHO HOLDS US (FROM REEMERGENCE: A QUEER VISUAL ALBUM)

Dir. Zhailon Levingston, USA, 5 mins A short musical about a future where love & community are supreme.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

Seize the moment with this sexy mixtape of dudes and dilemmas that explores the fun, messy complexities of finding the right connection. From crushing on your soccer mate to pre-Grindr cruising the streets of New York City, this genre-spanning program is sure to delight.

THE MAN OF MY DREAMS

Dir. Tristan Scott-Behrends, USA, 5 mins A young man fawns over the man of his dreams in the streets of New York City.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

FERVOR

Dir. José Manuel Vélez, Chile, 14 mins Tomás feels the highs & lows of having a first love when he falls for Benjamin, a boy from a wealthy family.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

STEPHEN & JAMES: BEST GIRLFRIENDS

Dir. Dave Quantic, USA, 5 mins Stephen shares how meeting James at his first visit to a NYC sex club grew into a decades-long friendship.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

PEACE

Dir. Adomako Aman, USA, 11 mins A couple questions what it means to be at peace while they navigate being in a “down-low” queer relationship.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

A FIRE THAT NEVER DIES

Dir. Chheangkea Ieng, USA, 7 mins A young man becomes infatuated with his neighbor & believes the man was sent to him by his late mother.

A TEAM OF TWO

Dir. André Santos, Brazil, 11 mins When Flávio starts to question playing soccer professionally, his teammate & friend Wendel realizes their relationship might not be strictly platonic.

VIRGIN MY ASS

Dir. Adar Sigler, Israel, 17 mins After Ophir asks Harel for a favor, the two friends share a memorable night together & learn an important lesson about intimacy.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

PRIVATE PHOTOS

Dir. Marcelo Grabowsky, Brazil, 20 mins Couple Rafa & Matheus invite a third into their bed & discover more about their relationship than they could have imagined.

Relationship drama, genre melodrama, coming out drama, and therapy-inthe-back-of-a-rideshare drama — you want drama, lesbians will give it to you. Whether you’re recovering from mommy issues, a burning unrequited touch, or a first date that seems to last for all eternity, this program welcomes you and your Lex date for an evening of delicious (entirely fictional and not your problem!) dyke chaos.

Presented in Partnership with

GIRLS AND THE PARTY

Dir. Paloma Lopez, USA, 6 mins In the midst of getting ready for a summer party with her group of girlfriends, Mercedes perceives & questions her attraction for her best friend, Julia.

CAR THERAPY: UNCOUPLING

Dir. Jennelle Williams, USA, 7 mins A college therapist who moonlights as a ride-sharing app driver meets a too turnt lesbian couple with too much tea (& other things!) to spill in the car.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

AIMEE VICTORIA

Dir. Chrystee Pharris, USA, 11 mins Separated on their anniversary, Aimee shakes out of her self-imposed apathy as she finds a way to demonstrate her love to Victoria.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

DUET

Dir. Shae Xu, USA, 14 mins An unspoken romance resurfaces when a high school music teacher meets an old colleague again & decides to perform together as duet partners.

NOOR & LAYLA

Dir. Fawzia Mirza, Canada, 13 mins Noor & Layla are breaking up. Is it the end of the road for these two Muslim women… or is it the beginning?

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

FIRST DATE

Dir. Meredith Alloway, USA, 4 mins A perfect first date between two women, Billie & Alex, turns from dream to nightmare when Billie realizes she’s been on this date before. Literally.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

PLAISIR

Dir. Molly Gilles, USA/France, 19 mins A lonely American faces unrequited love on a farm commune in the south of France.

We’re back with another year of trans shorts by trans filmmakers with SHORTS: BEYOND THE BINARY! From futuristic media therapy to impossible decisions about what to wear, this stunning selection of short films offers up a wide variety of stories, conceptions, and experiences with gender that are just as entertaining as they are explorative.

ENVIAR Y RECIBIR

Dir. Collins Salovaara, USA, 9 mins Rafa's boss at a fast fashion warehouse asks him to dispose of a ripped, pink spaghetti strap dress, but he struggles to do so.

ARE YOU STILL WATCHING?

Dir. Alex Cardy, Tali Polichtuk, & Kitty Chrystal, Australia, 6 mins Jamie's therapy session takes an odd turn as the media they've watched during lockdown intrudes.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE

Dir. Debra F. Simone, USA, 16 mins Dana thought transition would change everything, but she's still grinding at work & struggling to make time for family, friends, or fun.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

PRINCESS

Dir. B Gosse & Jason Vu, USA, 8 mins Non-binary Vietnamese-American dancer Jason Vu revisits memories of desire from childhood.

VESTIRSE

Dir. John E. Kilberg, USA, 9 mins Jacky is trying to get dressed to meet their mother one late afternoon.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN

Dir. Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé & Gerry Ottawa, Canada, 6 mins Gerry & their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination & harassment.

SHIMMER SUMMER

Dir. Tong Mao, China, 25 mins Ou Yuan hopes that his new friend Xu Duo can join him to watch the oncein-a-decade total solar eclipse.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

An Uber ride. A camping trip. A first date. These could be sites of terror for anyone, but, in these films, they are particularly scary for our queer protagonists. Showcasing a diverse assortment of styles, tones, and subject matter, SHORTS: QUEER FEAR is peak adrenaline fuel for the horror fan looking for something new (and very gay) to munch on — a truly terrifying and one-of-a-kind LGBTQ+ viewing experience!

Presented in Partnership with

YOUNG DIEGO

Dir. Osama Chami & Enrique Gimeno Pedrós, Spain, 7 mins Diego considers having his first sexual encounter with a stranger.

NEW FLESH FOR THE OLD CEREMONY

Dir. Elizabeth Rakhilkina, USA, 13 mins A lesbian reverie comes to a twisted end.

WANNA GO CAMPING?

Dir. Zach Siegel, USA, 10 mins A date goes from sweet to sinister as secrets surface in the woods.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

THE DEMONS OF DOROTHY

Dir. Alexis Langlois, France, 29 mins A young queer screenwriter is put to the test when her insecurities & fantasies come crashing together.

GRIFFICA

Dir. C.J. Arellano, USA, 11 mins A gay man becomes convinced his all-too-perfect boyfriend is a demon in disguise.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

KWÊSKOSÎW (SHE WHISTLES)

Dir. Thirza Cuthand, Canada, 12 mins En route to her girlfriend's place, a 2-Spirit nêhiyaw woman becomes increasingly concerned about her cab driver's intentions.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

Awaken your imagination, travel through time and be flung into space with SHORTS: THE FUTURE IS QUEER, an eye-popping program that looks beyond the present world and places queer folks at the center of new frontiers.

Presented in Partnership with

WITNESS

Dir. Joie Lou Shakur, USA, 5 mins A Black gender-free being tries to find the key to combating Black Trans erasure in order to archive the community’s history for the future.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

LOVE U CUZ

Dir. Eric Pumphrey, USA, 15 mins Two cousins bond over the course of a night on the town as their relationship is tested in more ways than one.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

RED STRING OF FATE

Dir. Lovina Yavari & Lance Fernandes, USA, 10 mins In the year 2090, a robotics engineer tries to bring her love back to life as an android.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

THE FAMILIAR

Dir. Julian Quentin, Germany, 11 mins An alien figure sees human behavior through its own eyes.

FLORA BOREALIS

Dir. Casey Friedman, USA, 10 mins Two gay men struggle with depression in a ruined environment as a botanical glassblower mourns the loss of his wife.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

FRIEND OF SOPHIA

Dir. Alden Peters, USA, 6 mins A woman attempts a discreet encounter in a not-too-distant future where attraction to androids is punished as a crime.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

JUPITER & EUROPA

Dir. Milo Ferguson, USA, 2 mins Life on Jupiter’s moon feels stagnant for Owen. That is until he breaks free of his routine with someone who makes outer space feel a little warmer.

ESCAPING THE FRAGILE PLANET

Dir. Thanasis Tsimpinis, Greece, 17 mins A few hours before the world ends as a strange pink fog spreads, two men have an unexpected encounter.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

* This program contains sexually explicit material Get immersed in the healing magic of queer sex, touch, and lust with SHORTS: ALWAYS A PLEASURE, a sensual program that prioritizes and destigmatizes LGBTQ+ desire. Mixing the experimental with the explicit, this uncensored shorts block will take you from a sadomasochistic quantum leap to romantic monsterf*cking and all the hot, hypnotic evenings in between. Presented in Partnership with

MONSTERDYKË

Dir. Kaye Adelaide & Mariel Sharp, Australia, 4 mins A transgender sculptress, unhappy dating men, has a lesbian awakening when a monster sculpture comes alive & rocks her world.

SEX(UAL) HEALING

Dir. Max Skaff, USA, 22 mins Through amplifying the voices of sex workers, this mini-doc aims to expose the public to the healing powers of sex without shame.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

BLACK SEX MAGIC

Dir. Beyondeep, Colombia, 8 mins An entrancing BDSM film that mixes rough impact with sensual romance, guided by music, thunder and flames.

SILVER FEMME

Dir. Nico Reano, USA, 4 mins A digital ode & visual poem to corporeal & celestial bodies that envisions a future where trans people are safe.

HOLE THEORY

Dir. Mahx Capacity, USA, 12 mins The hole is not the entry nor the exit--it is the infinite interior, the space which cannot be Seen, only Felt.

AND THEN WE TOUCH

Dir. Benjamin Egger, Switzerland, 14 mins An intimate scene between two pup players in a living room.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF CORONA

Dir. Lila Schmitz, USA, 8 mins The story of two horny singles & the extent to which human imagination will go in trying circumstances - especially when it comes to sex & belonging.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

Countless LGBTQ+ individuals and communities around the world are unable to travel freely or are forced to leave their homes. SHORTS: FINDING REFUGE illuminates queer stories of seeking refuge – in found family, friendship and entirely new countries. These uplifting short films explore what it means to forge a new life while dreaming of the people and places left behind.

FROZEN OUT

Dir. Hao Zhou, USA, 5 mins An émigré retreats to frozen prairies & swamps, hoping to find a meaningful story & escape the anxieties of dislocation.

ON MY WAY

Dir. Sonam Larcin, Belgium, 22 mins The unexpected arrival of a Nigerian migrant in the Belgian countryside shakes up the fragile daily life of two men living a secret relationship.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

EXPATRIATE DREAMER

Dir. Yihao Zheng, USA, 11 mins Alexander Kargaltsev, a Russian-born asylum seeker in the United States, draws on his memories & recreates his home on an unidentified beach.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

F1-100

Dir. Emory Chao Johnson, USA, 14 mins Video, illustration, & animation are combined in this intimate portrait of an international art student studying abroad in the United States.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

SHIFT

Dir. Daniela Martinez, USA, 6 mins After coming out & getting kicked out by her mother & stepfather, Amaia struggles with where to go & hesitantly seeks refuge with her grandmother.

PRAYER FOR SWEET WATERS

Dir. Elijah Ndoumbe, South Africa, 16 mins The stories of a Burundian refugee, an elder dedicated to her community, & a member of Gen Z intersect to provide vivid dreamscapes & realities of three Transgender sex workers living in Cape Town, South Africa.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

It starts with a look across a crowded cafe or inside a train cabin — the encounters in this collection of shorts might be brief, but they leave an indelible mark. These prospective lovebirds flirt, fight, and f*ck, but mostly they open their hearts to each other. Connections, both fleeting and permanent, are made and the promise of romance is in the air, so invite your crush and prepare to swoon together.

Presented in Partnership with

THE NIGHT TRAIN

Dir. Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 15 mins On a night train Oskar makes eye contact with Ahmad. For the first time he meets the gaze of someone who feels the same desire as he does.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

POOL BOY

Dir. Luke Willis, USA, 10 mins Austin, a college jock home for the summer, unexpectedly develops feelings for Star, his parents' non-binary pool cleaner, & struggles to hide this from his straight friends.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

LOVE IS A HAND GRENADE

Dir. Jessica Benhamou, UK, 13 mins Besties Gabby & Alexis hook up after a messy night out, forcing them to question the nature of their relationship, sexuality, & limits of love.

TWO MEN BY THE SEA

Dir. Gabriel Motta, Brazil, 17 mins After leaving Brazil, César meets Martin at an empty cafe in Tallinn, Estonia. They talk & flirt, in front of the sea.

OF HEARTS AND CASTLES

Dir. Ruben Navarro, USA, 15 mins A man struggling emotionally after a breakup meets another man for one night.

BLUE MOON

Dir. Emily Ruhl, USA, 13 mins Two young women explore each other & themselves over the course of a day in Los Angeles.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

Institutional religion and the LGBTQ+ community are often treated as oil and water, but this collection of short films throws those preconceived ideas out the window. Featuring a blend of narratives and documentaries about gay angels, inclusive mosques, and an intersex rabbi, SHORTS: SENSE & SPIRITUALITY emphasizes that there’s room for all of our connections to spirituality.

Presented in Partnership with

UNITY MOSQUE

Dir. Nicole Teeny, USA, 7 mins The story of a life-saving, Queer-affirming & gender-equal mosque.

FREELY WE SERVE

Dir. Anna White & Emily Kaye, USA, 12 mins Two disgraced angels, Soriel & Micah, come up with a plan to overthrow The Almighty & take his place.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

IN THE IMAGE OF GOD

Dir. Bianca Rondolino, USA/Italy, 15 mins Rabbi Levi's journey to becoming a religious leader & intersex activist.

THE LOVE SPELL

Dir. Jane Stiles & Meryl Jones Williams, USA, 19 mins A young boy & his babysitter cast a love spell.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film

SHEER QORMA

Dir. Faraz Arif Ansari, India, 30 mins A non-binary Muslim person introduces their partner to their family.

The stories in SHORTS: WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? prove that caring is sharing and show the immense value in listening to the people you love, or even those you’ve just met.

THE FIRST TIME

Dir. Soleil Burgess & Camille Ora-Nicole, USA, 2 mins After dating for 6 months, Kat finally builds up the courage to tell Joey she loves her...for the first time.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film I IDENTIFY AS ME

Dir. Tina Colleen & Monick Monell, USA, 3 mins A chorus of gender-diverse women & people who are queer & trans Black, Indigenous, People of Color (QTBIPoC) whose stories allow reflection on the truth that the intersectionalities of gender & people are infinite.

BETWEEN US

Dir. Cailleah Scott-Grimes, Canada, 17 mins Kei longs for a "normal life" in rural Japan. But for a transgender man who is jobless in his own hometown, getting to normal is one steep climb.

THE BEAUTY OF BEING DEAF

Dir. Chella Man, USA, 3 mins Shot underwater & featuring an all-BIPOC, Deaf cast performing a poem in American Sign Language because what is more beautiful than the ability to communicate underwater?

LITTLE MX. SUNSHINE

Dir. Alessandro Nori, USA, 11 mins Jordan, a transfemme non-binary person, & Taz, a semi-closeted/figuringit-out bi/pan dude hash things out together about what it might mean for them to date in public.

CLOSE UP

Dir. Benett Holgerson, USA, 15 mins Join Moses on a three-part journey of self-reflection as he discusses sex, love, & life in New York City.

Closed Captioning will be available for the virtual screening of this film A SIGNIFICANT NAME

Dir. Diane Russo-Cheng, USA, 5 mins The story of Ban’s journey as a child of Taiwanese immigrants raised in the American South, focused around Ban’s name.

MORE HAPPINESS

Dir. Livia Huang, USA, 13 mins A woman asks her mother for relationship advice.

PINK & BLUE

Dir. Carmen LoBue, USA, 13 mins After a surprise first-time pregnancy, a trans couple wrestles with how the new baby will affect their relationship & how to raise a child in a binary world.

WARNERMEDIA IS PROUD TO SUPPORT THE THE NEW YORK LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL

2021 IMPACT AWARDS

Recognizing the achievements and contribu�ons of outstanding LGBTQ and allied New Yorkers.

CONGRATULATIONS JOURNAL Gay City News will be printing a special glossy keepsake journal for the honorees with their photo, bio and congratulations messages. We are delivering bulk copies to all the Honorees in their gift bag so they have an extra special keepsake and extra copies to share with their family, friends, networks, colleagues. The Journal will be emailed after the event to everyone who registers for the FREE event. And will be available for download on the event platform and promoted during the broadcast.

Special IMPACT AWARDS Wrap Issue of Gay City News - November 4, 2021

We are also producing our annual special issue of Gay City News featuring our 2021 honorees. This special section will wrap the issue of Gay City News on October 21and feature all honorees, and include messages from sponsors and supporters. It will be distributed throughout the boroughs at the regular Gay City News distribution points.

DEADLINES: JOURNAL ber 1 Gay City News Wrap:

SPECIAL PLACEMENT If you would like special placement in the journal to support a specific honoree, please reserve your space ASAP SPACE RESERVATIONS julio@gaycitynews.com | 646.452.2490

2021 GAY CITY NEWS Impact Awards Gala