DC Shorts Film Festival Puts LGBTQ Stories in the Spotlight
From world premieres to queer cinema, the 22nd DC Shorts Film Festival offers a vibrant mix of stories and styles.
One of the homegrown pleasures of early autumn in the District, the DC Shorts International Film Festival returns for its 22nd edition showcasing short film gems from around the world.
The selection of outstanding and acclaimed shorts this year includes 24 world premieres, 6 U.S. and 46 Washington, D.C. premieres, with 108 films total presented across 11 different showcases. Assembled by theme into showcases like “Are You Scared Yet?” and “Thank You for Animation,” movies for every taste fill out the plentiful menu.
In addition to the multitude of themes, styles, and languages — there are shorts from Spain, Japan, France, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, and more — DC Shorts also expands the cinema celebration to two locations.
The documentary short showcase “As Real As It Gets,” for instance, screens at the community-driven arts space Crescendo Studios in Falls Church, Virginia, along with, among others, “Now Taking the Stage,” a showcase of music- and performance-themed shorts.
In D.C., audiences can catch showcases “Take Some Action,” “Sorta Rom Sorta Com,” and the aforementioned animation and horror showcases at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Bryant Street.
That’s also where fans of queer shorts can see the festival’s LGBTQ shorts showcase “Pride Strong.” Featuring a dozen worthy titles — drawn from Quebec, Japan, and around the U.S., including right here in D.C. — the two-hour program reps a beautiful spectrum of LGBTQ stories and experiences.
Director Alexandra Stergiou’s amusing Miss, based on a true story, delivers a graceful tale of trans affirmation, while the well-done Japanese drama, Even Though No One Is to Blame, written and directed by Ayumi Omori and also based on a true story, tackles acceptance and affirmation from the perspective of a gay college student coming out to his parents.
In Daria Strachan’s effective As You Are, a young lesbian’s path to self-acceptance runs through her homophobic church pastor, who makes her a sermon example of the scourge of “rainbow people.” Made by the 18-year-old D.C. student as part of the Black Girls Film Camp, the short offers hope for the young makers of queer art in this often hostile landscape.
Also repping D.C., the colorful Crystalline, by filmmaker (and former Metro Weekly contributor) Christopher Cunetto, tells the decidedly more grown-up story of drag performer Crystal crashing out due to their drug addiction.
Ambitiously shot and formatted as a 360-degree video experience, the film perhaps would best be viewed on a VR headset, but, thanks to the vibrant cinematography by Brandon Habuda, looks great in 2-D.
Dani Buchanan and Sheridan Feldman’s delightful Let’s Dance doesn’t necessarily look great, but succeeds with a simple, winning premise, written and acted well, as a nervous student at a party contemplates asking her crush to dance.
From such baby steps and beginner gays, to dyed-in-the-wool dykes like the Chappell Roan-coded pop artist of Reid Pope’s in-your-face comedy Lesbian Jesus Is Pregnant with Vibes, the “Pride Strong” films capture nuances and insights derived from every stage of being out and proud.
Best among the bunch, Loving Silence by Nick Perlman follows a twentysomething gay man to a lush forest for a silent meditation retreat where he happens to run into his ex. Forced to silently negotiate the wave of feelings stirred up over the weekend, both men relive glimpses of their past, pondering whether to break the silence.
A fantastic showcase of subtle, silent acting for leads J.J. Bozeman and Addy Marsh, Loving Silence exemplifies the power of storytelling that makes shorts so special, encapsulating entire worlds in a few brief moments.
The DC Shorts International Film Festival runs Sept. 4 to 6, with screenings and events at two locations: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Bryant Street, 630 Rhode Island Ave. NE, and Crescent Studios, 8101a US-29, Falls Church, Va. Tickets are $25 for each feature-length program of shorts. Panels are Free. Please visit www.dcshorts.org.
Pride Strong LGBTQ shorts showcase, followed by a discussion with filmmakers, screens on Saturday, Sept. 6, at 12:30 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema Bryant Street. For 18 years and older. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.
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