Lesbian Custody

Lesbian Custody 💖, dir. Samuael Topiary & Molly Skonieczny, 2025, USA, 18 min.
Wednesday, June 25, 2025, 4:00 pm Vogue Theatre
(screens in person before 💖 In the Best Interests of the Children)
also part of “Queer Quartet Streaming Shorts” in the Digital Screening Room

Lesbian Custody

Tessitura

Tessitura 👏, dir. Lydia Cornett & Brit Fryer, 2025, USA, 18 min.
Sunday, June 22, 2025, 1:00 pm, Vogue Theatre
(screens before the feature film Really Happy Someday)
🏆 winner: 2025 Frameline Best Documentary Short jury award

Tessitura

Frameline48 Cross-Reference: Short Films Reviewed on this Site

This is a list of all the short films from Frameline48 that are reviewed on this website. After the film title is a shorthand for the program or programs in which that short film screened. The symbols are the same ones used in the cross-reference list of feature films.

• AT&S: Across Time & Space: Black Queer Stories
• CMWDN: Come to My Window: Date Night
• LLS: Love Lies Scheming
• CMWLL: Come to My Window + Love Lies (compilation streaming program)
• Cruel: Cruel Summer
• Fun: Fun in Shorts
• Home: Homegrown Shorts
• QPSS: Queer Places, Spaces, & Shorts
• Rise Up: Rise Up: Doc Shorts
• Wild: Wild Combination

Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam (No Box for Me: An Intersex Story)

Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam. Une histoire intersexe (No Box for Me. An Intersex Story), dir. Floriane Devigne, 2018, France/Switzerland, 58m, in French with English subtitles 💖
Saturday, June 22, 11:00 am, Roxie Theater • Bay Area première •

Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam.
Une histoire intersexe
(No Box for Me.
An Intersex Story)

Imagine that from the very moment of your birth your life faced a fork in the road. The doctors looked at your new­born body, and could not easily say “boy“ or “girl”: on the check­list of phys­io­log­ical sex markers, there may have been check marks in both columns, or some characteristics that fell into a gray area. The doctors picked the sex they thought was closer and took surgical steps to affirm their selection, setting your life irrevers­ibly off down one fork or the other. Yes, it is true that most people are not inter­sex — most people are either cis­women, cis­men, trans­women, or trans­men — but on a global scale people with an inter­sex con­di­tion are about as common as people with red hair.

👩‍🦰👨‍🦰

Ni d’Ève ni d’Adam (No Box for Me) follows one intersex person as they seek to under­stand more about intersex conditions and how they have been treated by the med­i­cal estab­lish­ment, as well as what should be considered best practices in the future. They study the lit­er­a­ture and talk to doctors and to other people with intersex conditions (including the anonymous person whose images are blanked out as in the photo above), and we sit with them while they come out to their younger sister. On every level from schol­arly academia to deeply personal and subjective, we get a glimpse into the nuances of navigating life as an intersex person and working to make life better for sub­se­quent gen­er­a­tions, making this documentary truly a MUST SEE.

• IMDb [placeholder page] • trailer (vimeo) • official website (en français) • note: the full film is available on vimeo VOD, but not in the U.S. •

Ponyboi

Screened with the short film Ponyboi, which was not avail­able for advance screening. Synopsis: Writer and co-director River Gallo stars as the titular Ponyboi, an intersex sex worker in New Jersey looking for an escape. Will an encounter with a hunky daddy (Keith Allan, Z Nation) be Pony­boi’s ticket out of Jersey?

Ponyboi, directors: River Gallo & Sadé Clacken Joseph, 2019, USA, 19m • IMDb • official: PonyboiTheFilm.com • trailer (YouTube) • Bay Area première •

Second chances: shorts that run twice in Frameline 41

The Frameline 41 LGBTQ film festival has a dozen programs of short films, plus a half dozen more programs in the new category of “Episodics,” serial dramas and documentary series, mostly web-based, presenting a whole season worth of episodes at a time in most of these screenings. It is not always possible to pigeonhole a short film into just one category, so several of them appear in two of the shorts programs. Here is your guide to the short films you have two chances to see:

Britney-holics Anonymous: a Spear-itual Awakening	Fun in Boys Shorts
	Bi Candy
Brown Girls	Brown Girls (all 7 episodes)
	Fun in Girls Shorts (episode 4 only)
Encuentro	Homegrown
	Realness & Revelations
Étage X	The Devil is in the Details
	Fun in Girls Shorts
More Love, Less Prepackaged Bullshit	Realness & Revelations
	Bi Candy
Muxes	Transtastic
	Up Close & Personal
Al otro lado / The Other Side	Realness & Revelations
	Worldly Affairs
Umbrella	Transtastic
	Up Close & Personal
Walk for Me	Realness & Revelations
	Transtastic

P.D.A.

I wanna hold your hand! Kevin
Oestenstad & Patrick Hancock

P.D.A., dir. Patrick Hancock, 2012, USA, 8 min. 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program.

Two gay men, Tom (Kevin Oestenstad, pictured left) and Bill (writer / director / producer Patrick Hancock, right) are walking down the street in a residential area of L.A.; one of them is eager to hold hands, the other more reticent. They discuss the issue and its broader context of their lives as “homosexualiens.” Apparently, the three easy steps to masculinity are (1) drop your voice, (2) flatten your tone, and (3) pretend you don’t care. Witty and funny, with an excellent surprise twist at the end. Highly recommended.

dik

dik, dir. Christopher Stollery, 2011, Australia, 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program.
Also part of the “I Come from a Land Down Under” shorts program.

“I lik ribin tims dik”??
What’s a parent to do?

Six-year-old Andrew (Keilan Grace) comes home from school with a drawing he made. His parents, Robert (Patrick Brammall, pictured) and Rachel (Alexa Ashton) aren’t quite sure what to make of the title Andrew gave his drawing. Their conversation continues later that evening, taking a few unexpected turns as they revisit bits of their own lives in an effort to understand and support their son. The result is quite cute and hilariously funny. Definitely a Must See. (dik won the audience award for best short at Frameline37.) Tagline: Don’t take it the wrong way!

IMDb page • trailer • Official website

Spooners

Spooners, dir. Bryan Horch, 2012, USA, 14 min., in English with English subtitles 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program

It’s a good thing Spooners was subtitled, because it was difficult to hear the dialogue over the audience’s sustained laughter. In what was possibly the strongest “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” collection ever, Spooners stood out as the best of the best. Corey (Ben Lerman) and Nelson (Walter Replogle) are a gay couple who have grown tired of their lumpy old futon, meaning it’s time to visit Drowzy’s Mattress World, a place that would feel right at home in any suburban strip mall. Nelson, though, is embarrassed to shop with his husband for a mattress, so he goes by himself to Drowzy’s. The salesman invites him to try out the SmartBed™ to help him choose, but the SmartBed™ asks more and more personal questions as a crowd of shoppers gathers to look on. My pick for best short of Frameline37, definitely a Must See.

Official website including a trailer • IMDb page

Cuki Colorinchi Evolution

Cuki Colorinchi Evolution, dir. Eduardo del Olmo, 2011, Spain, 4 min., in Spanish with English subtitles 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program

We’re here to hook you in, or throw
you for a loop, as we tell you a yarn.

Cuki Colorinchi Evolution is a brief interview with a crochet artist, hiding his identity behind a series of masks (crocheted, of course), talking about his evolution from two-dimensional to three-dimensional objects, and his ambitions (for instance, a 3-D crochet Darth Vader). “Off the beaten path” doesn’t even begin to cover it, but it’s a trip into a world of pastel burqas, international art intrigue, and the unthinkable ramifications of a crocheted condom. Definitely worth a laugh or three, Recommended.

Watch Cuki Colorinchi Evolution on YouTube • Vimeo • Dailymotion

Jackpot

Jack finds a couple of magazines

Well, maybe more than a couple...

Jackpot, dir. Adam Baran, 2012, USA, 10 min. 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program

Jack (Ethan Navarro) is a 14-year-old boy in the New Jersey suburbs, circa 1994. He’s picked on by bullies at school, but he ventures out when he hears about a cache of gay porn magazines in the dumpster behind a local mini-mart. Helped along by one of the models, sprung to life off the page, he faces the very real danger of being found out, but Jack will not be denied his jackpot. Brilliant and beautifully executed, Jackpot captures the turmoil of a boy’s teen years. This short is also a preview of a feature film in the works. Highly recommended, a Must See.

IMDb entry • Facebook page

Alaska is a Drag

Alaska is a Drag, dir. Shaz Bennett, 2013, USA, 13 min. 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program
Also part of the “Fire We Make” shorts program

First, a pull quote: “Jesus had two dads, and his mom was a surrogate!” But seriously, who knew that working in a fish cannery in Alaska could be so glamorous? Leo (Martin L. Washington, Jr.) is not just a drag queen, but an African-American drag queen, living in a small town in Alaska until he can realize his dreams of international superstardom. He manages to hold his own with his homophobic co-workers, but newcomer Declan (Spencer Broschard) stirs things up, for good and bad. Alaska is a Drag is a fun little short in its own right, but also a preview of a feature-length film on the drawing boards. Highly recommended.

Official Facebook page • IMDb entry

Yeah, Kowalski!

Cameron Wofford as the very,
very bald Gabe Kowalski

Yeah, Kowalski!, dir. Evan Roberts, 2012, USA, 10 min. 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program

Gabe Kowalski (Cameron Wofford) is 13 years old, and he really wants to impress the boy he has a crush on, but those outward signs of puberty are frustratingly slow to arrive, so Gabe takes matters into his own hands. Cute and funny, very well acted, with a special credit for “makeup/hair/armpits,” Charli Brath. Highly recommended.

IMDb listing • official website • Facebook page

Housebroken

Housebroken, dir. Wade Gasque, 2013, USA, 15 min. 
Part of the “Fun in Boys’ Shorts” shorts program
Also played in the “Bi Candy” shorts program

Paul (Mark Strano, center, who looks very familiar, although I don't recognize any of his previous film credits) is a hopeless romantic, staying with friends-of-a-friend Danni and Dean for a few days, but their image as a perfect couple doesn’t fare well. It’s a ménage-à-trois from heaven or hell or both. Very funny, although a couple of snips of dialogue seemed a little forced, but with a great ending. Highly recommended.

Hatch

Hatch, dir. Christoph Kuschnig, 2012, Austria, 19 min., in German and Serbian with English subtitles, 
part of the “Kiss Me Softly” shorts program

A young couple seeking asylum in Austria have a brand new baby, but must consider whether they are able to raise it or whether they should leave the baby anonymously in the hatch of a safe haven. Another couple faces a related dilemma, leaving both couples vacillating, unsure what is the right thing to do. I can’t say much about the dilemmas without giving any spoilers, but the tension is palpable in every scene. Highly recommended.

View the trailer on the director’s website.

A Thousand Empty Glasses

A Thousand Empty Glasses, dir. Andrew Nolan, 2012, UK, 15 min. 
part of “Kissing Me Softly” (shorts program)

Charlie (Tristan Shepherd)

Some time in the 1930’s, young Charlie goes on a whirlwind trip to a small town in France, largely to tell his friend Arthur that he is engaged to be married. He meets Arthur’s neighbors Oliver and Martha, also English expats, but one night an overabundance of wine allows Charlie to see some of the truth behind the veneer of happy heterosexuality. It’s beautifully filmed, but an unhappy story with some violent scenes. Recommended.

Available on iTunes

Julian

Julian, dir. Antonio Da Silva, 2012, UK/Portugal, 10 min. 
part of “Kiss Me Softly” shorts program

The Frameline37 program guide describes Julian thusly: “A cross between a road-trip in Portugal and a summer love story, shot on Super-8 film, this gorgeous short contains a poetic narrative that embodies various myths created by mankind.” Well, I’ll grant you that it was on Super-8 film. It was a disjointed series of clips with annoying rough cuts burying any “poetic narrative” that might have been present. Not recommended.

IMDb entry

Kiss Me Softly (Kus Me Zachtjes)

Ezra Fieremans as Jasper in
Kus me zachtjes (Kiss Me Softly)

Kus me zachtjes (Kiss Me Softly), dir. Anthony Schatteman, 2012, Belgium, 16 min., in Dutch with English subtitles 
part of “Kiss Me Softly” (shorts program)

Jasper is a 17-year-old, living in a small town with his mother and his father Lukkie Luk, a singer of lounge music in old-folks homes. Jasper has something he wants to tell his parents, but they are preoccupied with the release of Luk’s new CD. It’s a good story, well told, with plenty of eye candy, particularly Ezra Fieremans (Jasper).

See the “making of” video on YouTube (in Dutch)

Homophobia

Homophobia, dir. Gregor Schmidinger, 2012, Austria, 24 min., in German with English subtitles 
part of “Kiss Me Softly” (shorts program)

A young man is serving in the Austrian military, patrolling the border with Hungary, but also wrestling with his feelings for one of his comrades. There is some violence, and the soundtrack is painfully shrill at one point when the main character’s ears are ringing, but on the whole it’s worth seeing. Recommended.

You can watch Homophobia on Vimeo • YouTube • Reelhouse

Over Da Rainbow

(screened before Another Gay Sequel)

Rapper Terrier (teh-ree-AY) has a music video for his new song, "Kill Faggots" off the triple-platinum album hoMOFObic, with lyrics like "a butthole ain't no buffet meal" and "stuff faggots' ass up with electric eels." Terrier wants to sample the 1980's "hair metal" song "Teri Why," but he must get Max Lightning's widow Theresa to sign off. She agrees on the condition that he reunite her with her estranged son Christopher, a gay-rights activist and childhood friend of Terrier's. Gee, do you suppose the lyric "so deviant, so sinister, that's why I love killin' faggots named Christopher" might have some relevance to the plot line?

It's a satire of the world of rap, where song lyrics are often only slightly less violently homophobic than this parody. I'm not at all sure, though, that people seeing the video by itself on the web (yes, it's out there) will grasp the context, even with the "OverDaRainbow.com" logo in the corner of the video, if they don't read the notes below it. I certainly hope that it will provoke the discussion it aims to begin, and perhaps shame some of the real rappers into selling music instead of hate. Recommended, with a caveat regarding extremely offensive content.

Over Da Rainbow, dir. Jay Lap, 2007 USA 20 min.

Technorati tags: Over Da Rainbow, Frameline32, LGBT Film

The Perfect Man

Saturday, June 21, 3:45 pm, Theatre, screened before Mom, I Didn't Kill Your Daughter

Liam Eriksson is a transman, taking T (testosterone, not crystal meth!) and getting ready for top surgery. He has the support of his friends and family, but he gets caught up in the maze of the healthcare system. When he has a breakdown, the doctors take away the T and the scheduled surgery, forcing him to retrace a part of his life's path that he thought he had made it beyond. The Perfect Man weaves home movies of Liam when he was a little girl with present-day interviews as we follow his difficult journey. Highly recommended

The Perfect Man, dir. Maria Åkesson, 2007 Sweden 24 min., in Swedish with English subtitles; watch the trailer

Technorati tags: The Perfect Man, GenderBender, Genderqueer, Frameline32, LGBT Film