Fun in Boys’ Shorts

funinboysshorts

Fun in Boys’ Shorts, a staple and always a favorite at Frameline, features everything from gay babies to “happy endings” to a May-December romance. Oh, and lots of boys in their underwear. What else would you expect from Fun in Boys’ Shorts?

 
GAYBY (directed by Jonathan Lisecki – 12 min – US)
Two college friends, gay Matt and straight Jenn, agree to have a baby with each other in this quick-witted, hilarious film. Perfect comic timing and great chemistry between Matthew Wilkas and Jenn Harris pepper this examination of friendship and how willing we are to go the extra mile.

THE NEW TENANTS (directed by Joachim Back – 20 min – US)
This year’s Oscar-winning short film is an acerbically dark comedy of a bickering gay couple who have just moved into a new apartment only to be met with nosy neighbors, a scorned husband hell-bent on revenge and a drug dealer missing some valuable product. Vincent D’Onofrio and Kevin Corrigan co-star.

THE QUEEN (directed by Christina Choe – 8 min – Korea)
This adorable film features Bobby, a Korean teenager working in his parents’ dry cleaning shop when a ‘mean girl’ comes in, demanding her prom dress be ready by tomorrow night. Reluctant at first, until the girl’s gorgeous and kind boyfriend comes in, Bobby imagines himself a prom princess. Sweet, quiet performance by Sean Tarjato as Bobby.

GO GO REJECT (Michael Saul – 20 min – US)
Daniel wants to make his Flashdance-inspired dance dreams come true as a go-go boy but is turned away for being too skinny. What could have been a great comment on gay body politic is superficially treated in favor of tepid comedy and too many ‘getting ready for the big event’ dance montages that are meant to evoke the commonplace of those sequences in 80s-era films but fall flat.

GAY BABY (directed by Kevin Kelly – 9 min – US)
When new parents find out their unborn son is gay (the “gay gene” gag is hilarious), they find themselves at the Gay Baby store, full of brunch sets, dream condos and baby’s first dance floor. Frantic Dad Bryan (Larry Sullivan of TV’s CSI) just wants to play ball with his son and with the help of retail associate Kyle, he just might. Funny and sweet, if a bit slight in its ending.

QUEER PET ADVENTURES EPISODE #2 (directed by Veronique Courtoi – 1 min – US)
At barely a minute, this French-produced US animated short featuring the gayest little pup since Bruiser Woods is pure fluff, if crudely animated and mostly pointless. While searching for the right collar, the puppy throws up his paw in diva defiance until he gets the rainbow-colored collar of his little gay dreams. Cute, but totally inconsequential.

RUBDOWN (directed by Dennis Hensley – 12 min – US)
Shot and directed like an episode of 24 or Mission: Impossible, Rubdown follows a secret shopper trying to find out if a massage studio is giving more than deep tissue. This is a cute story and well-played but the quality of sound and cinematography leave something to be desired and render it too amateurish.

PROFESSOR GODOY (directed by Gui Ashcar – 14 min – Brazil)
The only real drama of the group and a good one to boot. 50-something math teacher Professor Godoy lives a boring life until a troublesome but attractive student starts sending him math-inspired love equations. At first frustrated, then titillated, Roney Facchini as the Professor gives a strong performance in this short carefully straddling the line of morality, attraction and ethics.