A nuclear family’s crisis, an Imam’s dilemma and a refuge for trans women were among the subjects of the films as NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) held its annual InFocus: LGBTQ+Cinema program.
The day began with a special performance in celebration of trans voices by the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, followed by InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program I – In Search of Welcome, a collection of stories that tackled the vulnerability of seeking acceptance and understanding. The films included hard conversations, community expansion, authentic embraces, downright unhinged attempts at allyship, assimilation, bravery, and a fair share of tense meals.
The afternoon continued with InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program II – Transcending Limits, a selection of films about trans and nonbinary experience and gender identity exploration. The multi-generational collection of stories explored, celebrated and poetically visualized individual journeys, being truly seen and the vital role of community.
The evening concluded with InFocus: LGBTQ+ Cinema Shorts Program III – Love, Lust & Belonging, a selection that highlights queer joy, self-expression, finding authenticity, messiness, thrills, kinks, passion and falling in love.
NFMLA showcases films by filmmakers of all backgrounds throughout the year, across both our general and InFocus programming. All filmmakers are welcome and encouraged to submit their projects for consideration for upcoming NFMLA Festivals, regardless of the schedule for InFocus programming, which celebrates representation by spotlighting various communities of filmmakers as part of the NFMLA Monthly Film Festival. This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
Here are details about the films and filmmakers, as well as filmmaker interviews, provided by NFMLA.
“SKIN” directed by Leo Brehens
About Leo: Leo Behrens is an award-winning Norwegian director and cinematographer based in Los Angeles. His short film “SKIN,” which he wrote, directed, and was the cinematographer on, won the 2023 Student Academy Award and has screened at over 50 festivals worldwide, earning nine awards and 20 nominations. Leo is represented by Zero Gravity Management and is an associate member of the Norwegian Society of Cinematographers (FNF). A 2023 AFI graduate, he was selected for The ASC Vision Mentorship Program and received the 2024 ASC/ARRI/AbelCine grant to shoot his feature debut Shadow Watchers, which had a first look at CineGear LA 2024.
About “SKIN”: A woman wakes up to find her facial skin peeling off, terrified of what’s underneath. Seeking answers, she looks into a mirror. Simultaneously, a parallel world within the mirror is unveiled, representing what is about to emerge within her — a part of herself she has long ignored, frozen in ice and snow. In this ice realm, a man wakes up. As her fear of what lies behind her skin grows, this world begins to melt and come to life. Through the mirror, the ice man guides her, assisting in her transformation, shedding her old skin, and uncovering her true identity.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Leo Brehens the director of “SKIN”:
“Nuclear” directed by Sebastian Ibarra del Castillo
About Sebastian: Sebastian is a writer and director originally from Mexico City who is drawn to stories that explore moral complexities and challenge ingrained beliefs. A recent graduate from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Sebastian thrives in the grey areas of life, finding beauty in irony and nuance, embracing emotional vulnerability, and exploring characters confronted with moral dilemmas. His work employs diverse sub-genres like melodrama, horror and absurdist comedy to explore human behavior and challenge the status quo.
About “Nuclear”: On October 22, 1962, nuclear tensions between the USSR and the USA are higher than ever. But for teenager Dave Sims, this is the least of his concerns. After his family discovers he’s gay, Dave anxiously packs his bag to escape from his homophobic, abusive military father, Robert, before he arrives home from work. Unbeknownst to Dave, however, Robert is simultaneously racing home from the local military base to warn his son of an imminent catastrophe. Robert’s race becomes a battle against time to convince Dave to stay with family before it’s too late.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Sebastian Ibarra del Castillo the director of “Nuclear”:
“Born to Be Bad” directed by Gabrielle Desroches
About Gabrielle: Gabrielle Desroches (they/she) is an award-winning nonbinary cinematographer, AC, photographer, and camera operator based in the L.A. area. With a knack for queer storytelling, they create dynamic, colorful, and romantic images audiences remember. While Gabrielle has directed a few projects, they primarily work as a director of photography. They have been trained in cinematography at the New York Film Academy under industry veterans such as Anthony B. Richmond ASC, BSC (BSC Lifetime Achievement Award Winner 2024), Christopher Rossiter, CSI, ICG, and cinematographer of countless iconic 2000s pop music videos, Pascal Lebègue, AFC. Dynamic moving shots, lens flares, and use of color are Gabrielle’s favorite tools used to bring scripts to life.
About “Born to Be Bad”: Artist Blake Corpse goes on a drive to clear his mind from the grievances of an ex who put him through hell. Blake takes a pit stop in the desert, where the desert heat takes us on a delirious trip of the passion, pain, and newfound freedom from this relationship that Blake feels.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Gabrielle Desroches the director of “ Born to Be Bad”:
“Unmasking” directed by Aubree Bernier-Clarke
About Aubree: Aubree Bernier-Clarke (they/them) is an award-winning director and cinematographer based in Portland, Oregon, whose work explores gender, queerness, and social justice. Their short documentary “A Normal Girl” (2019) premiered at BFI Flare and won the Grand Jury Prize at the United Nations Association Film Festival. Aubree’s newest narrative short “Unmasking” premiered at the American Pavilion at Cannes (2024), and they have directed behind-the-scenes featurettes for Booksmart, Transparent, and I Love Dick, among others. As a cinematographer, their credits include the Sundance-winning feature Framing Agnes (2022). Aubree has also served as an Advisor for Sundance Collab in the Directing Visual Storytelling class.
About Unmasking: Bird, an autistic woman, and Bes, a queer man exploring a non-binary identity, discuss their struggles with fitting into prescribed roles as they navigate a series of micro-aggressions from their judgey but curious server. When Bird experiences sensory overload and has a meltdown, Bes helps her recover and the two friends find themselves in a hidden sanctuary under the table. Together, they make a pact to embrace their true selves and unmask from the demands of neurotypical and gender binary expectations.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Audrey Dundee Hannah the writer of “Unmasking”:
“Places of Worship” directed by Bridget Frances Harris
About Bridget: Bridget (Or Jet) is a writer, film director, actor, and Tiny Desk Concert enthusiast born and raised in Las Vegas. She is a 2024-2025 Sundance Ignite Fellow sponsored by Adobe. In 2022 she received the Panavision NFP grant for her film “Places of Worship,” which also received a DCASE grant and was acknowledged with the Audience Choice Award at Cinema Femme Festival. Bridget has screened at notable festivals such as Palm Springs Short Fest, NFFTY, and Florida Film Festival. Jet is currently located in Chicago, where she searches for her new favorite cocktail bar. Bridget is a graduate of The Theatre School at DePaul University with her BFA in acting.
About “Places of Worship”: Steph, a 16-year-old altar server, dutifully puts away the collection money after mass. But when a fellow altar server tries to pocket some of the money, Steph attempts to stop her. What starts as an innocent attempt to prevent thievery looks an awful lot like something else to the priest who interrupts them. Suddenly Steph is followed by symbols of the Virgin Mary, a warning around her sexual desires. Steph must navigate the intimidation of her fellow altar server, a crush on her movie theater coworker, and her own feelings around the comfort of her queer identity.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Bridget Frances Harris the director of “ Places of Worship”:
“King Ed” directed by Nick Fascitelli
About Nick: Nick is a comedy television writer whose credits include B Positive, Fuller House, and Sullivan & Son. His work for LGBT media representation has been featured in The Advocate and Instinct Magazine, and his creation of an LGBT character on an Emmy-nominated family sitcom, Fuller House, earned the show a GLAAD award nomination.
About “King Ed”: Ed didn’t just get dumped, per se — but he did encounter a “relationship upheaval.” And that break-up didn’t leave him with crippling depression, necessarily — he’s just not “emotionally thriving.” His hunt for a cure leads him to the office of The Ketamine Oracle: an alternative therapist- slash-modern-day-myth who just might be addicted to some substances herself.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Nick Fascitelli the director of “King Ed”:
“Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania” directed by Hansen Bursic
About Hansen: Hansen Bursic is an award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker based between Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. Bursic broke into nonfiction directing documentaries in Pennsylvania that profiled some of the first anti-transgender legislation and school policy targeting youth in the state. Bursic now runs Hansen Bursic Film, a nonfiction production company dedicated to historically excluded narratives, specifically LGBTQ+ and working-class stories. He is a former Sundance Press Fellow, DOC NYC Documentary New Leader, and Ford Foundation Rockwood Documentary Leadership Fellow. His latest, “Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania,” was funded through the Creative Hope Initiative, an incubator by Traverse32 and Outfest.
About “Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania”: In the 1970s and 1980s, the small Pennsylvania town of New Hope was among a few safe havens outside of major cities for gay men to find community. Over 30 years later, the town’s legacy remained, but now for a different community: transgender women. “Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania” explores the untold story of legendary, weekend-long parties that saw hundreds of transgender women and self-identified crossdressers take over the town, traveling from all over the country to meet other people like them. Through both interviews and stunning animation sequences that utilize never-before-seen archival photography, audiences not only get a glimpse into the heyday of these events in the early 2010s but also the iconic gay bar The Raven, which became the unlikely cornerstone of these weekends.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Hansen Bursic the director of “Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania”:
“Earth to KB” directed by Em Shapiro
About Em: Em Shapiro (they/them) is a nonbinary multimedia filmmaker based in Austin, Texas. Their non-fiction storytelling centers narratives of queerness, transness, and disability community. They received the 2023 Austin Film Society Grant for Short Films, and have screened their work at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Festival, Vancouver Queer Film Festival, and Bucheon International Animation Festival.
About “Earth to KB”: “Earth to KB” is a documentary portrait of KB Brookins, a Black, queer, and trans writer and artist from Texas. The film explores the expansive worlds within KB’s poetry, as well as intimate moments shared with their wife, friends, and community in Austin. KB performs selected poems from their collections Freedom House and How To Identify Yourself With a Wound.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Em Shapiro the director of “Earth to KB”:
“Cold Feet” directed by Anna Vecellio
About Anna: Anna Vecellio is a queer, southern filmmaker whose work explores our eternal search for connection and goodness through a genre lens. She is the hour-long winner of the 2025 Screencraft Pilot Competition and an alum of the Film Independent Episodic Lab, where she received an Alfred P. Sloan Development Grant. An alumnus of the AFI Screenwriting Conservatory, she was awarded the 2022 AFI Writers Room Ready Award. She recently made her directorial debut with the horror short “Cold Feet.” When she’s not writing, you can find Anna refurbishing furniture she finds in the trash, begging her plant collection not to die on her, or working (in a completely rational and not at all obsessive way) on her emergency preparedness kit.
About “Cold Feet”: A woman struggling with intimacy invites her girlfriend over for a sleepover, only to discover there’s something much scarier than emotional availability lurking under her bed.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Anna Vecellio the director of “Cold Feet”:
“Euphoric” directed by Cam Killion
About Cam: Cam Killion (he/they) is a trans writer, director and actor from Austin, Texas who now resides in Los Angeles living the hustling artist’s dream/nightmare. As an actor, Cam has appeared in HBO’s Sex Lives of College Girls, Freeform’s Grown-ish, and as the lead in indie feature film Where in the Hell by writer/director Laramie Dennis. This is Cam’s directorial debut.
About “Euphoric”: Sam brings Olivia home from a first date gone very well. After a few stumbling blocks getting into the rhythm, the two find their way back by confronting what could make or break this burgeoning queer romance… comfort in your own body.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Cam Killion the director of “Euphoric”:
“DEMONBOY” directed by Aaron Lovett
About Aaron: Aaron is a writer, director, and editor based in Los Angeles whose work explores isolation, belonging, and the simultaneously fragile and powerful nature of human connection — all through a queer fantastical lens. His screenplays have won recognition in numerous competitions for emerging writers, including reaching the semifinals of the Academy Nicholl Fellowship (top 2%), the finals of the ScreenCraft Horror competition (top 1%), the semifinals of the ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship, and the second round of the Austin Film Festival screenwriting competition. Aaron’s short thriller “DEMONBOY” premiered at the BAFTA-qualifying Aesthetica Short Film Festival, followed by an official selection at BFI Flare. He is currently developing multiple short and feature-length films.
About “DEMONBOY”: A reclusive twenty-something develops an all-consuming obsession with another man he encounters on the internet.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Aaron Lovett the director of “DEMONBOY”:
“Stan Behavior” directed by Tyler C. Peterson
About Tyler: Tyler C. Peterson (he/him) is a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and the founder of Capital Emmy-winning production company Lux Daze Media. He is best known as the writer/director for short films “Stan Behavior” and “Copper & Wool.” Tyler graduated from Towson University with a Bachelor’s Degree in film. Living in Baltimore, he began exploring both his voice as a writer/director and his own queer identity. With a passion for leading projects that put diversity as a priority both in-front of and behind the camera, he established Lux Daze Media in 2015. His work focuses on character-driven stories following outsiders of niche communities, and is visualized with a richly textured, elevated aesthetic.
About “Stan Behavior”: A drag queen embarks on a quest for better workplace rights, but finds herself in a dicey situation when her new lawyer, a tone-deaf straight woman, is revealed to be a drag super fan.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Tyler C. Peterson the director of “Stan Behavior”:
“302” directed by Leon Cheo
About Leon: Born in Singapore and now based in Los Angeles, Leon is the writer/director of the Emmy-nominated short form series “People Like Us.” In 2022, he was selected for the Hillman Grad/Indeed Rising Voices program and was mentored by Destin Daniel Cretton. Other highlights include: “SIN-SFO,” which competed at the Oscar-qualifying 25th Austin Film Festival and won Best Live Action and Best Director at the 2019 National Youth Film Awards in Singapore; “The Three Sisters,” which won Best Short Film at the 2012 NETPAC-Jogja Asian Film Festival; and “Nuts,” which received honorable mention for the YOMYOMF Interpretations 2.0 competition, founded by Justin Lin.
About “302”: A young officer cadet opens a can of worms when he declares his homosexuality to the Singapore army.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Leon Cheo the director of “302”:
“Pace” directed by Beck Williams
About Beck: Beck is an actor, writer, and director passionate about telling universal stories through a marginalized lens. Recently, they wrote, directed, and starred in the short film PACE, which has screened in festivals internationally, including the American Pavilion at Cannes, Cleveland International Film Festival, Dances with Films, Out on Film, and counting. Beck was a second-rounder for the Sundance Episodic Writing Lab, a semifinalist in the Women in Film x Black List Episodic Lab, and a marketplace selection at Catalyst. Beck has performed in both regional and international theater, with television credits including Hulu’s Paradise and Unprisoned and NBC’s Kenan.
About “Pace”: While struggling with dysphoria, a transmasculine boxer, Remy, wrestles with the decision to transition at the potential cost of their marriage. When a shy trans boxer, Joey, returns to the gym post-transition, he avoids interactions for fear of being judged by his former boxing community. When Remy invites Joey to train with them, the two find solace and camaraderie while facing challenges they each have been avoiding.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Beck Williams the director of “Pace”:
“Whitewash” directed by Jerry Hsu
About Jerry: Jerry Hsu is a writer, filmmaker, and comedian based in L.A. After graduating from Yale, he worked as a product manager at Google, The New York Times, and an AI lab. An existential crisis then convinced him to do the unthinkable: quit and move to Chicago to study comedy at The Second City Film School. His writing has earned him The Second City Writing Fellowship, won ISA’s Emerging Screenwriters Comedy Competition, and has been featured in The Onion. His short film, “Whitewash,” screened at The American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Film Festival and won Best Student Comedy at HollyShorts Comedy Film Festival. He is currently a writing fellow in Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Mentorship Lab.
About “Whitewash”: After moving into the exclusive ‘Ivory Estates’ with his new fiancé, an Asian man realizes he’s the only person of color in the neighborhood — and soon begins to uncover its buried secrets.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Jerry Hsu the director of “Whitewash”:
“Witness” directed by Radha Mehta
About Radha: Radha Mehta (she/her) is a filmmaker with an MFA in Film Directing at American Film Institute and a voting member of The Recording Academy. Her works stem from personal experience as an Indian first-gen mother raised in the U.S., exploring themes of parenting, self-empowerment, and dismantling cultural taboos around mental health and disabilities. Radha’s award winning films include “Dosh” (Slamdance Spirit Award); “Sūnna” (CAPE Julia Gouw & Janet Yang Grant); “Winds of Silence” (16Days16Films w/ UN Women, Geena Davis Institute, TimesUp); “Evan Ever After” (Florida Film Festival and Out On Film Jury Award); and “Being Gina” (STARZ/Lionsgate/WRAP Top 3 Finalist).
About “Witness”: A revered small-town imam faces a crisis of faith when he must choose between upholding the values of his mosque or protecting the safety and spiritual belonging of a trans man congregant.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Radha Mehta the director of “Witness”:
“My Queerceañera” directed by Marcos Nieves
About Marcos: Marcos is a documentary and narrative film director based in Los Angeles. His work centers LGBTQ+ and immigrant stories, exploring themes of coming-of-age, magical realism, identity, and belonging. His documentary “My Queerceañera” (2024) won Best Documentary Short at the San Diego Latino Film Festival and the Spirit Award at the Brooklyn Film Festival. Born and raised in rural Mexico, Marcos migrated to the U.S. in his early teens. He began his career as a social justice filmmaker, weaving his advocacy into his storytelling. A member of the Undocumented Filmmakers Collective, his work is supported by Latino Public Broadcasting and the Sundance Institute. He is currently developing his next narrative short film, Alas, and seeking financing for production.
About “My Queerceañera”: Upon turning fifty years old, Karyna, a transgender immigrant, is determined to fulfill her lifelong dream of celebrating her Quinceañera.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Marcos Nieves the director of “My Queerceañera”:
“Spies in Corsets” directed by Joey J. Haley
About Joey: Joey J. Haley is a director, Steadicam operator and dance creative from New Hampshire and Brazil. He graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BFA in film and dance. She studied abroad at FAMU in Prague and at Sarah Lawrence College. He directed “Off the Air,” which won an award at the Five College Film Festival and screened at the Massachusetts Multicultural Film Festival (’19). Joey has operated Steadicam for the LA Opera, Dorian Electra, Sinhead Hartnett, and She’s the He. She’s spoken at panels including FLUX’s Trans Film Production Panel, MHC and at UC Santa Barbara. Joey is a two-time feature writer with both projects in international development as he spearheads a Trans Film Festival in Los Angeles.
About “Spies in Corsets”: After three months of careful preparation, it’s finally the night to carry out their mission. Marcy and Odi ready themselves to attend the 18th century ball of an overtly rich prison owner. If riding the high stakes of disabling his plans were not enough, they tease to reveal their individual professional missions and as a result their unprofessional feelings for each other start to unveil at the non-promise of tomorrow. Through the course of their last conversations before the ball, they also reveal their self-appointed missions that showcase opposite values. What happens when longing comes up against belief? At the height of a complex argument with no time to spare, they have to stay true to their missions for they fundamentally want the same end result: to eat the rich.
Watch the NFMLA interview with Joey J. Haley the director of “Spies in Corsets”:
“one | another” directed by A.B. Oddman and Rogelio Salinas
About A.B. Oddman: Allison Oddman is a Jamaican-American Los Angeles-based filmmaker who is passionate about bringing a diverse range of Black experiences to screens of all sizes. Their short films have been official selections at the LA Shorts Awards, Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, San Francisco Trans Film Festival, and the Twin Cities Black Film Festival. Allison received a B.A. in African and African American Studies with Honors in the Arts from Stanford University. Allison is now pursuing an MFA in Film & Television Production at USC where they were awarded the prestigious George Lucas Scholarship.
About Rogelio: Rogelio Salinas is a Los Angeles based Non-Binary, Mexican filmmaker whose work centers the multiplicity of love and intergenerational joy. Their penchant for love stories, be it romantic, communal, and/or spiritual, allows their films to center the complex experiences of the communities they serve with healing, intimacy, and grace at the forefront. Their Stanford University thesis film, “Rosario,” received the Best of Fest award at the 40th Annual Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. Their work as a writer/director has also been celebrated by Outfest Fusion, HollyShorts, the Pan African Film & Arts Festival, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP) and the Mexican Center for Culture and Cinematic Arts.
About “one | another”: “one | another” follows an evening in Los Angeles where Violet, a musician, and Frankie, a model, meet for the first time at a house show. With both of them struggling to balance their non-binary identities with the expectations of their friends, families, and careers, the two find comfort in their shared experiences as the night goes on.
Watch the NFMLA interview with A.B. Oddman and Rogelio Salinas the directors of “one | another”:
Main image: “Euphoric,” courtesy of NFMLA