Newfest Shorts: Beyond the Binary
Run Time: 78 min. Format: DCP Rating: NR Release Year: 2021
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.
THE MORE THINGS CHANGE
Dir. Debra F. Simone, USA, 16 mins
Dana thought transition would change everything, but she’s still grinding at work and struggling to make any time for family, friends, or fun.
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.
PITOC E ICINAKOSIAN
Dir. Jos-Onimskiw Ottawa-Dubé & Gerry Ottawa, Canada, 6 mins
Gerry and their big brother Jos show us that there is more to being different than bullying, discrimination, and harassment.
SHIMMER SUMMER
Dir. Tong Mao, China, 25 mins
Ou Yuan hopes that his new friend Xu Duo can join him to watch the once-in-a-decade total solar eclipse.