Cast: Donald Eric Cumming, Elaine Lee, Eleonore Hendricks, Jamil Mena, Josh Barclay Caras, Lachlan Nieboer, Nicholas Cutro, Stephen Sheffer, Taylor Gwynn, Travis Walters
Strand Releasing has compiled four of the hottest gay men's shorts from the film festival circuit for the sixth collection in this superlative series.
Doorman -- (17 min) Ethereal and emmiting a sheen of loneliness, Etienne Kallos' film tells a story of a Latino doorman who is seduced by a new tenant, a rich, emotionally-damaged white boy. Their affair is brief, tumultuous and doesn't end well. Emotionally wrenching with few words said, this short film blew us away with its powerful images and characters.
Bugcrush -- (36 min) The centerpiece of the collection, Carter Smith's film is a powerful amalgam of a tale of gay sexual obsession/seduction and a horror thriller like you've never seen before. An adorable red-haired geeky gay teen falls head-over-heels obsessed with a dark mysterious tough boy. The suspense builds as the tough boy takes his new friend to his dark home deep in the woods. With realistic dialogue and unforced acting, the filmmaker takes us to some wholly unexpected places.
Davy & Stu -- (14 min) Filmmaker Soman Chainani's lyrical film is like a sweet song we don't want to ever end. Two boys meet in a dark Scotland bog for a nightly erotic ritual in this richly shot, moody adaptation of Anton Dudley’s award-winning play.
Heartland -- (13 min) HG, 21, lives a happy and openly gay life in New York. He must return to Iowa to help his alcoholic father save the family farm. He no longer feels he is a member of his family tribe but digs into the work along side his father and a hired man, Ryan, who has his own set of problems. After HG’s father becomes ill, the two young men are forced to work together, and find that they have more in common than they would have thought. From filmmaker Mark Christopher (54).
