Reel Out Charlotte
Short Films

Annual LGBTQ Shots Night

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

PLEASE NOTE:
Short films are listed in the order in which they will screen on your paper Shorts Ballot.

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“CATFISH?”
Two men meet up on social media for a sexual encounter but one of the guys fails to confess he is in a wheelchair. The other, able-bodied male, Max, is left not knowing what to do when the wheelchair user, Nick, appears on his doorstep
Director: Nicholas Linnehan
United States, 2020
Drama
Runtime: 10:43

CLOVER
Jon has something important he needs to say to Sam. He just isn’t quite sure what that is yet. As he reminisces, daydreams, and contemplates the possibilities, Jon will have to find the to truth of how he feels, and the words to say it.
Director: Jonathan D’Rozario
United States, 2021
Drama
Runtime: 12:03

EMBRACE
Embrace is an animated short film about asexuality–an orientation generally defined by a lack of sexual attraction, regardless of gender. The narrative explores the common asexual experience of feeling different than most of the population, and the isolation, confusion, and self-loathing that difference can create. However, the story also emphasizes the self-love and joy that can come from recognition of one’s asexuality and the asexual community, and how it’s possible to embrace the orientation by viewing it in a different light.
Director: Latesha Merkel
United States, 2022
Animated Drama
Runtime: 5:18

FIRST MONTHS OF FREEDOM
Cat, a transgender woman in Tennessee who has been institutionalized since she was four years old, got off parole in 2020. This film documents her first months of freedom. The piece was composed from phone videos she sent me, Skype calls, archival material, and some footage that a friend had shot a few years before. Cat shares stories from her childhood and her life inside men’s prisons, including her relationship with her husband and former cellmate Doc who remains incarcerated.
Director: Kristin Li
Canada/United States, 2021
Documentary
Runtime: 9:17

FOR THE BOYS
The lives of three Queer, Black best friends in their 20’s as they navigate the intoxicating and ever exhausting minefield of love and friendship in NYC. Anthony, Syed, and Jamal face Beckys, Karens, and inner conflict throughout the day then come together for their weekly Kiki. Let the festivities begin.
Directors: Mekhai Lee, Ellis Dawson
United States, 2021
TV/Web Series, Drama
Runtime: 18:24

HALF
Half-Jewish, bisexual Jonah Dorman comes out to his girlfriend, shaking the foundation of their relationship and launching a tragicomic exploration of love and religion in New York City.
Director: Jacob Roberts
United States, 2021
Drama
Runtime: 10:57

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY
A queer couple celebrating their relationship crosses paths with a clan of vampires.
Director: Lanese Love
United States, 2021
Comedy, Horror
Runtime: 5:06

HER CANVAS
On a cloudy melancholy evening Myra a visual artist experiences an overwhelming surge of emotions. Hinged between past and present she tries to make sense of reality around her. Deeply drenched in fantasy and memories she reflects on her relationship with Surbhi.
Director: Sagar Minde
India, 2022
Experimental
Runtime: 9:14

HOTTER UP CLOSE
On the eve of his 30th birthday, a gay slacker must overcome his crippling insecurities in order to find love.
Director: Leland Montgomery
United States, 2022
Comedy, Romance
Runtime: 14:08

IN NATURE
In nature, a couple is a male and a female. Well, not always! A couple is also a female and a female. Or a male and a male. You may not know it, but homosexuality isn’t just a human story. A film about homosexuality… for children.
Director: Marcel Barelli
Switzerland, 2021
Animated Documentary
Runtime: 5:00

JIM’S TIPS
Transgender teen Flora struggles to cope with her father’s death and the series of How-To videos he’s left behind.
Director: Piper Peña Hadley
United States, 2022
Drama
Runtime: 9:33

NIDHAL
Between reality and animation, the story of Nidhal is told, a young homosexual Tunisian who defended individual freedoms in Tunisia through his work in radio. He found himself under a lot of pressure which forced him to leave the country and seek asylum in the Netherlands.
Director: Bassem Ben Brahim
Tunisia/Netherlands, 2022
Documentary
Runtime: 10:30

SAFE HERE
Once a thriving place of inclusion for the LGBTQ+ community, Knoxville, Tennessee has seen the decline of these safe spaces, leaving the community with few places they can go to feel safe being completely themselves.
Director: Mary Grace Shuttleworth
United States, 2021
Documentary
Runtime: 8:39

VEILS
Ayumi Tani, an owner of a small bookstore, and Sayaka Murakami, a call center worker, are a lesbian couple living together.
While they feel somewhat stifled by the fact that they are part of the LGBTQ community, they are looking forward to having a wedding-style photo shoot to celebrate their five-year anniversary.
Sayaka finds a site for searching photo salons advertising “LGBTQ available” and enthusiastically makes an inquiry, but one photo salon’s disappointing response angers them. Ayumi decides to go confront the photo salon in person, even though Sayaka tries to stop her.
Will Ayumi’s words reach Ms. Oshima, an experienced staff of the salon?
Will there be a place where Ayumi and Sayaka can enjoy their own slice of happiness?
Director: Erika Nakayama
Japan, 2021
Drama
Runtime: 17:57

WHEN WE ARRIVE AS FLOWERS
Diovanna, a dancer realizes her transfemme identity through a choreographic journey of self-discovery, celebration, and the poetic metaphor of a flower coming to bloom.
Director: Susan C. O’Brien
United States, 2022
Experimental, Dance
Runtime: 5:00