Here is a 100-min collection of shorts about young adults from around the world.
PRETTY BOY JOSH: A young man expresses his journey of self-acceptance and perseverance.
CHRISTMAS COMING OUT: An action figure from a young gay man's Christmas Past comes to life to help him find the courage he needs to come out.
EVERYONE HAS MY JACKET: “One of us has to change” takes a whole other meaning in this short animation about fashion, gender dysphoria and acceptance; as we follow a singular protagonist narrating an internal struggle when a brown corduroy jacket makes its way into his closet.
OUT OF THE DARK: AKEEM: How do you fight an enemy you cannot see? This is the story of AKeem Rollins, known for his viral slam poetry piece “Suicide Note,” and how he faced the greatest challenge of his life and found strength he never knew he had.
MARLON BRANDO: Best friends, Cas and Naomi are graduating from high school and spend every second of their days together. Within their friendship they experience a feeling of ultimate safety. But when their future plans are seemingly different, their relationship wobbles.
BIRTHDAY BOY: It's César's birthday and his parents expect him to wear clothes that make Cesar feel uncomfortable. Now he has to make a decision. Continue to please his family's expectations or be true to his identity as a trans man.
THE DOOR SHE OPENED: In 2018, at the age of 63, Dee Westenhauser came out as a transgender woman. But growing up in El Paso, Texas in the 1950s she remembers having a hard time fitting in. One weekend, her parents decided to take her to her aunt Yaya’s house. Aunt Yaya saw a kindred spirit in Dee, and gave her an opportunity that no one else would: a safe, loving space to be herself.
TELL ME ABOUT ORANGE: When his best girl friend expresses her romantic feelings, a blind teenage boy struggles to express his. He realizes that sometimes love really is blind.
LOVE LOST, AND FOUND: Sue McConnell and Kristyn Weed are best friends and Vietnam-era veterans. Although they didn’t serve in the war together, they share a story of courage — on and off the battlefield. They met at a transgender veterans’ support group, and after hours of talking over coffee, they became inseparable. Since coming out, both Sue and Kristyn have lost contact with family members, but they’ve formed a powerful, enduring sisterhood.
THE SPACE WE MAKE: This film explores the LGBTQIA+ community in Oxford, MS, and is focused around Code Pink, an event friendly to the queer community, and its coordinator Blake Summers.
THE MEANING OF DAISEY: The Meaning of Daisey follows Daisey and Matty who work in a florist. Daisey's regular day at work takes an unexpected turn when she is swept off her feet by Owens. It’s a tentative dance between two people that with a little help from a friend finally act on their obvious attraction.
RASPODIA: Bruno is a teenager who makes the decision to participate to his high school's talent show with an out of ordinary performance. Moments before the show, his choice turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Sue McConnell and Kristyn Weed are best friends and Vietnam-era veterans. Although they didn’t serve in the war together, they share a story of courage — on and off the battlefield. They met at a transgender veterans’ support group, and after hours of talking over coffee, they became inseparable. Since coming out, both Sue and Kristyn have lost contact with family members, but they’ve formed a powerful, enduring sisterhood.
Director’s Bio Richard O’Connor
Director and producer Richard O'Connor produces animation for documentary films, commercials, theatrical pieces, and original short films through his studio Ace & Son Moving Picture Co. Their work has appeared in documentaries on PBS series like American Masters and American Experience and in the recent, critically-acclaimed animated documentary N UTS! . Richard began his career in animation at the Ink Tank working under R. O. Blechman, who, in turn, first worked under John Hubley. He brings this tradition—grounded in the duel drives of experimentation and craftsmanship—to all his work.
- Year2020
- Runtime3 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorRichard O'Connor
- ProducerSavannah Winchester
Here is a 100-min collection of shorts about young adults from around the world.
PRETTY BOY JOSH: A young man expresses his journey of self-acceptance and perseverance.
CHRISTMAS COMING OUT: An action figure from a young gay man's Christmas Past comes to life to help him find the courage he needs to come out.
EVERYONE HAS MY JACKET: “One of us has to change” takes a whole other meaning in this short animation about fashion, gender dysphoria and acceptance; as we follow a singular protagonist narrating an internal struggle when a brown corduroy jacket makes its way into his closet.
OUT OF THE DARK: AKEEM: How do you fight an enemy you cannot see? This is the story of AKeem Rollins, known for his viral slam poetry piece “Suicide Note,” and how he faced the greatest challenge of his life and found strength he never knew he had.
MARLON BRANDO: Best friends, Cas and Naomi are graduating from high school and spend every second of their days together. Within their friendship they experience a feeling of ultimate safety. But when their future plans are seemingly different, their relationship wobbles.
BIRTHDAY BOY: It's César's birthday and his parents expect him to wear clothes that make Cesar feel uncomfortable. Now he has to make a decision. Continue to please his family's expectations or be true to his identity as a trans man.
THE DOOR SHE OPENED: In 2018, at the age of 63, Dee Westenhauser came out as a transgender woman. But growing up in El Paso, Texas in the 1950s she remembers having a hard time fitting in. One weekend, her parents decided to take her to her aunt Yaya’s house. Aunt Yaya saw a kindred spirit in Dee, and gave her an opportunity that no one else would: a safe, loving space to be herself.
TELL ME ABOUT ORANGE: When his best girl friend expresses her romantic feelings, a blind teenage boy struggles to express his. He realizes that sometimes love really is blind.
LOVE LOST, AND FOUND: Sue McConnell and Kristyn Weed are best friends and Vietnam-era veterans. Although they didn’t serve in the war together, they share a story of courage — on and off the battlefield. They met at a transgender veterans’ support group, and after hours of talking over coffee, they became inseparable. Since coming out, both Sue and Kristyn have lost contact with family members, but they’ve formed a powerful, enduring sisterhood.
THE SPACE WE MAKE: This film explores the LGBTQIA+ community in Oxford, MS, and is focused around Code Pink, an event friendly to the queer community, and its coordinator Blake Summers.
THE MEANING OF DAISEY: The Meaning of Daisey follows Daisey and Matty who work in a florist. Daisey's regular day at work takes an unexpected turn when she is swept off her feet by Owens. It’s a tentative dance between two people that with a little help from a friend finally act on their obvious attraction.
RASPODIA: Bruno is a teenager who makes the decision to participate to his high school's talent show with an out of ordinary performance. Moments before the show, his choice turns out to be more difficult than expected.
Sue McConnell and Kristyn Weed are best friends and Vietnam-era veterans. Although they didn’t serve in the war together, they share a story of courage — on and off the battlefield. They met at a transgender veterans’ support group, and after hours of talking over coffee, they became inseparable. Since coming out, both Sue and Kristyn have lost contact with family members, but they’ve formed a powerful, enduring sisterhood.
Director’s Bio Richard O’Connor
Director and producer Richard O'Connor produces animation for documentary films, commercials, theatrical pieces, and original short films through his studio Ace & Son Moving Picture Co. Their work has appeared in documentaries on PBS series like American Masters and American Experience and in the recent, critically-acclaimed animated documentary N UTS! . Richard began his career in animation at the Ink Tank working under R. O. Blechman, who, in turn, first worked under John Hubley. He brings this tradition—grounded in the duel drives of experimentation and craftsmanship—to all his work.
- Year2020
- Runtime3 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- DirectorRichard O'Connor
- ProducerSavannah Winchester