Saturday, June 07, 2025

Homegrown (2025 shorts program)

Homegrown (2025 shorts program)
Friday, June 20, 1:30pm, Roxie Theater
Saturday, June 28, 11:00am, Roxie Theater

Update: This program will be available in the Digital Screening Room, June 23 through June 30, 2025, anywhere in the United States.

  • AutoErotica: We Buy Gay Stuff 👏, dir. Jeremy von Stilb, 2025, USA, 17 min., 🌐 World premiere
  • Budget Paradise 😑, dir. LaTajh Simmons Weaver, 2025, USA, 14 min.
  • En memoria 👏, dir. Roberto Fatal, 2024, USA/Mexico, 11 min., in English and Spanish
  • Liminality 👏, dir. Tess Bliven, 2025, USA, 13 min.
  • Rainbow Girls 😑, dir. Nana Duffuor, 2025, USA, 16 min., 🌐 World premiere
  • Thanks, Babs! 👍, dir. Jen Rainin & Rivkah Beth Medow, 2025, USA, 14 min., 🌐 World premiere

AutoErotica: We Buy Gay Stuff 👏, dir. Jeremy von Stilb, 2025, USA, 17 min., 🌐 World premiere

storefront of AutoErotica with a sign saying “We Buy Gay Stuff”
AutoErotica

Frameline blurb: Behind an unassuming "We Buy Gay Stuff" sign in San Francisco's Castro district — complete with a striking leather daddy illustration — lies an unexpected treasure trove of queer history.

Fascinating portrait of a quiet, unobtrusive little shop that is so much more than a place to buy old magazines. AutoErotica has a wealth of gay history, not just gay porn history. It barely survived the pandemic, essentially eliminating foot traffic to the store, but made it and is on a better footing thanks to a new collaboration. Worth seeing, highly recommended for everyone, a must see if you spend much time in the Castro neighborhood.

IMDb • trailer • official website


Budget Paradise 😑, dir. LaTajh Simmons Weaver, 2025, USA, 14 min.

two young people embrace
Budget Paradise

Frameline blurb: Filmed and set in Oakland, Budget Paradise follows Chester, a Black, nonbinary painter as they search for space and permission to exist within their hometown.

We follow Chester around for various (mis)adventures, often ending up with running away from a bill they can’t pay. Unfortunately, the episodes didn’t really cohere into a story. Meh.

IMDbtrailer • official website •


En memoria 👏, dir. Roberto Fatal, 2024, USA/Mexico, 11 min., in English and Spanish

En memoria

Frameline blurb: In a dystopian future, a mother struggles to finish making her daughter’s Quinceañera dress. From the director of Do Digital Curanderas Use Eggs in Their Limpias? (Frameline47) and Chaac + Yum (Frameline46).

In a dystopian not-so-distant future, a mother is struggling to finish her daughter’s quinceañera dress, when a visitor comes to conduct some rather unpleasant business. What will happen to the mother and daughter, and almost as importantly, to the dress? Although there is sci-fi underpinning the plot, the story is ultimately character-driven. Highly recommended.

This film also screened at the San Francisco Transgender Film Festival a few months ago. The director noted that they hope to expand this story to a feature film, so keep an eye out for that.

IMDbtrailer • official website •


Liminality 👏, dir. Tess Bliven, 2025, USA, 13 min.

two young people presenting as female cuddle in bed
Liminality

Frameline blurb: In the summer of 2004, in Berkeley, California, queer teens Nina and Jay grapple with understanding Jay's uncharted transgender identity amidst the throes of first love.

We see a cute young lesbian couple, but it turns out that one of them is secretly a transman, trying to come to terms with their identity and concerned about how their girlfriend will react. It’s engaging and sweet, but with some real feelings beneath the surface. Highly recommended.

IMDbtrailer • official website •


Rainbow Girls 😑, dir. Nana Duffuor, 2025, USA, 16 min., 🌐 World premiere

3 wildly dressed young people run across Union Square in San Francisco
Rainbow Girls

Frameline blurb: As San Francisco’s tech boom gentrifies their city, three young Black trans women decide to take matters into their own hands, staging an audacious heist targeting the city’s most exclusive luxury brands. Rainbow Girls was executive produced by Cheryl Dunye and Nava Mau (Baby Reindeer).

Based in part on real events in San Francisco. A group of trans* people of color decide to make their money through organized shoplifting. One of the group says, “It’s not stealing, it’s shoplifting — not the same thing.” Except it is the same thing. In particular, I didn’t track the switch of the one character who initially resisted the idea into becoming something of a ringleader. Meh.

IMDb • trailer • official website • Instagram: @RainbowGirlsFilm


Thanks, Babs! 👍, dir. Jen Rainin & Rivkah Beth Medow, 2025, USA, 14 min., 🌐 World premiere

Babs smiles for the camera at her 80th birthday party
Thanks, Babs!

Frameline blurb: Meet Babs, an optimistic octogenarian speed-racing through life, one five-year plan at a time. From the directors of Holding Moses, winner of the Best Documentary Short Award at Frameline46.

Personal portrait, a bit scattershot, like its subject, who talks directly about her short attention span — professionally, romantically, and even domestically. She doesn’t stay with one job (or even career) or one lover or one home for more than a few years. It’s interesting, although a bit “all over the place.” Recommended.

IMDbtrailer • official website • Social media: @ThanksBabs •

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