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.

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

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

IN THE IMAGE OF GOD
Dir. Bianca Rondolino, USA/Italy, 15 mins
Rabbi Levi’s journey to becoming a religious leader and intersex activist.

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

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

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!

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.

THE DEMONS OF DOROTHY
Dir. Alexis Langlois, France, 29 mins
A young queer screenwriter is put to the test when her insecurities and 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.

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.

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.

THE NIGHT TRAIN
Dir. Jerry Carlsson, Sweden, 15 mins
On a night train, Oskar makes eye contact with Ahmad, meeting the gaze of someone who feels the same desire as he does for the very first time.

POOL BOY
Dir. Luke Willis, USA, 10 mins
College jock Austin unexpectedly develops feelings for his parents’ non-binary pool cleaner and struggles to hide this from his straight friends.

LOVE IS A HAND GRENADE
Dir. Jessica Benhamou, UK, 13 mins
Besties Gabby and Alexis hook up after a messy night out, forcing them to question the nature of their relationship, sexuality, and the 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 and 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 just one night.

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

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.

Starring: Liv Hewson, Alex Russell, Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Alexis Denisof, Chloe Freeman, Lex Ryan

Despite their obvious differences, Denny and Ryan — an eccentric musician and a straight-laced lawyer — are drawn to each other like magnets. But when Denny begins to question their gender, sexuality, and relationship with Ryan, the two discover opposites might no longer attract.

An incomparable and wholly new vision for non-binary representation onscreen, David O”Donnell’s breakthrough feature debut casts four non-binary actors (Liv Hewson, Lex Ryan, and local NYC talents Chloe Freeman and Bobbi Salvör Menuez) in the role of Denny, demonstrating the many layers and multitudes we can hold within ourselves at one time.

Starring: Betsey Brown, Madeline Quinn, Dasha Nekrasova, Mark Rapaport

While out apartment hunting, college pals Noelle and Addie stumble upon the deal of a lifetime: a posh duplex on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. But soon after moving in, a more sinister picture of the apartment emerges when a mysterious woman arrives and claims the property used to belong to the infamous and recently-deceased Jeffrey Epstein.

With this news, Noelle becomes obsessed with the visitor—to the point of infatuation. As the pair plunge deeper into the conspiracies of the Epstein case, Addie falls into her own bizarre state: a pseudo-possession complete with inexplicable fits of age-regressed sexual mania. As they peel back on these strange occurrences, the truth reveals itself to be more twisted than they could have ever imagined.

Starring: Colby Minifie, Tre Ryder, Maria Dizzia, Whitmer Thomas, Jasmin Walker, Purva Bedi, Julian Cihi, Zoe Chao

Melanie’s last afternoon babysitting 9-year-old gender-questioning Johnny takes an inexplicable, unpredictable, and absolutely hilarious turn – her body is inhabited by Johnny’s spirit. Now, Johnny gets to live as Melanie for a day, which seems fun at first but soon becomes a rollercoaster of emotions as Johnny navigates the NYC subway system, prospective boyfriends, and delivering a baby.

Featuring indelible comic performances by Colby Minifie (The Boys) and newcomer Tre Ryder, as well as a laugh-out-loud script, Homebody subverts the playful structures of Freaky Friday and Big, crafting something entirely new and affirming in the process.

Starring: Tim Kinsella, Spencer Jording, Caleb Cabrera

A maladjusted father, his non-binary child Tavi, and a stranger out on parole are all seeking connection in director Brielle Brilliant’s feature debut. When Tavi and the older man begin to form a sweet yet unconventional friendship, they raise concern and suspicion from everyone around them.

Winner of the U.S. Narrative Jury Award at Outfest LA, Firstness delivers a singular, fantastical world with a dreamy rhythm that is not to be missed.

Preceded by the following short film:
Joychild
Dir. Aurora Brachman, USA, 6 mins
A young child tells their mother “I’m not a girl” for the first time

Starring: Will Krisanda, Tracy Kowalski, Denise Turkan, Leontine White Foster, Faith Eileen Bryan, D”Lo

Struggling actor X’s lesbian bowling league Lavender League Bowling Club is the only thing keeping his head in the right lane as he faces the daily struggles of demanding auditions, demeaning roles, and shady characters. But when the team’s matriarch and captain unexpectedly passes away and an intriguing stranger arrives, X finds himself on a new journey toward introspection, acceptance, and love.

Made by a predominantly trans cast and crew, Lyle Kash’s confident directorial debut announces the arrival of an authentic, idiosyncratic new voice in contemporary LGBTQ+ cinema. Death and Bowling shows off Kash’s thoughtful and boundary-breaking approach to storytelling — a real game-changer.

Preceded by the following short film:
The Young King
Dir. Larin Sullivan, USA, 6 mins
A drag king gets ready to meet daddy