Told through the darkly comedic lens of a teenager who’s never been in a forest, this ecological spin of a classic coming of age tale, shot on 16mm and (partially) hand processed with plants, unfolds in both ancient forests and cities. Produced by the activist collective Purpose Repair Shop, authored by environmental educator Pavli Serenetsky, and starring cult-beloved musicians, it blends humor, self-discovery, and environmental/queer awakening into a fresh narrative art form.

More Beautiful Perversions unfolds as a fragmented, experimental coming-of-age tale framed through recollection rather than linear action. The film centers on a young person recounting their brief but intense encounter with Deedi — an elusive, magnetic figure whose relationship to nature, sexuality, and queerness operates outside conventional boundaries. As the narrator retraces their search for Deedi after her sudden disappearance, the film drifts between forest landscapes and urban spaces, exploring themes of queer awakening, bodily autonomy, environmental intimacy, and emotional longing. Rather than progressing through a traditional plot, the film spirals through memory, sensation, and mood, positioning the forest as both a physical space and a metaphorical site of desire, freedom, and self-recognition. - Lucy Hanna, SF IndieFest

Filmmaker expected for post-screening Q&A.

Co-presented by FRAMELINE.