SHORTS: QUEER TEEN POWER

An affirming shorts program for LGBTQ+ teens and allies, featuring diverse stories of resilience, magic, and joy—presented with the NYC Department of Education for the eighth year.

Description

Now in its eighth year, NewFest is thrilled to collaborate with NYC’s Department of Education and GLAAD on this uplifting shorts program curated for LGBTQ+ teens. These upbeat, affirming films — from intergenerational bonds to magical drag foxes — give queer youth the chance to see themselves on screen and feel inspired to tell their own stories.

In partnership with the NYC Department of Education

The in-person screening of this program on Thursday, October 16th at 4pm is open exclusively to LGBTQ+ students and staff, youth organizations and school GSAs. Registration is free. For GSA leaders, students and school staff, please contact gsafilm@newfest.org with your information to inquire and receive a registration form.

Baba I’m Fine
Dir. Karina Dandashi, 13 min, USA
A teen battles heartbreak while spending Friday out with her unknowing father.

A Friend of Dorothy
Dir. Lee Knight, 22 min, UK
A lonely widow’s quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden.

One For The Team
Dir. Rain Valdez, 33 min, USA
When trans lacrosse hotshot Nico Ramirez transfers to a wealthy high school to save his Ivy League scholarship, he’s forced to navigate privilege, peer pressure, and conflicting feelings about his new access to the toxic boy’s club. Will he fight for what he believes and jeopardize his future, or fall in with the crowd and risk losing himself?

Dragfox
Dir. Lisa ‘Lee’ Ott, 8 min, UK
Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighbourhood fox. Together they embark on a magical journey to discover the surprising things they might have in common, and how to celebrate the ways in which they differ.

Dandelion
Dir. Fiona Obertinca, 20 min, USA
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret gets thrown out of her catholic school and finds herself in the company of a social worker who’s tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn. At odds and forced to travel the city together, Margaret realizes that running may not be her only option.

This screening will be followed by a Q&A