Men's Shorts Program

I laughed, I cried, I bought the T-Shirt, the ever popular and sought after shorts program is a staple of OUTshine.

Happy BirthGay
Niv Manzur, 16 minutes, Israel.In Hebrew with English subtitles
Happy BirthGay flips the script on coming-out stories, exploring the dynamics of a flamboyant mother celebrating her gay son’s first "out" anniversary with an over-the-top surprise party. Through her eccentric lens, the film offers a heartfelt and humorous dive into the often-overlooked inner world of gay parents.

A Beach
Juanqui Soto & Luis Paredes, 12 minutes, Spain, In Spanish with English subtitles
Two best friends visit the north of Spain and one day they woke up at a nudist beach. Pablo feels some strong sexual attraction for one of the naked men but his friend Dani doesn't even know he is gay.

The Estate
Eugene Slupchuk, 9 minutes, Ukraine, In Ukrainian with English subtitles
In a secluded mansion on the outskirts of Kyiv, a young man awaits the return of his boyfriend, who is on leave from military service in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Together they revisit several rituals they once shared, including taking a photograph. But what memory are they truly trying to preserve in this image, and what final ritual does the old mansion quietly conceal?

Fight, Fight, Fight, Fight
Juan Pablo Villavicencio Borges, 7 minutes, Mexico, In Spanish with English subtitles
In a schoolyard, a fight breaks out between three boys. Although two of them did not start it, they are quickly blamed as the culprits. The reasons behind the conflict and the consequences they face reveal something much deeper than a simple dispute.

Muse
Chad Zemel, 17 minutes, USA
A withdrawn teenager searches for inner peace at a desert meditation center, only to be paired with a picture perfect roommate.

Glitter Kiss
Augustė Gerikaitė, 19 minutes, Lithuania, In Lithuanian with English subtitles
After discovering a brutally beaten drag queen Klaudijus, in his apartment building, homophobe Rolandas reluctantly takes him to the hospital and becomes his first response. As the police investigate and Klaudijus’ life hangs in the balance, Rolandas is forced to rethink his beliefs.

Whale 52 - Suite For Man, Boy and Whale
Daniel Neiden, 12 minutes, USA
When a silently grieving 80-year-old school volunteer is assigned to work with Enam, a third-grader with selective mutism, the two embark on a poignant journey by means of a magical pen and journal that enables them to communicate until young Enam summons the courage to utter the one word that lifts the weight of the world off his tiny shoulders. Like a whale coming to the surface for air, Enam is finally able to breathe in the film’s poignant reveal.

Award-winning screenwriter and educator Edward Jordon based the story of Whale 52 on events from his personal life as a once-closeted gay man using the arts to reach students with special needs. Co-writers and Co-producers Edward Jordon and Daniel Neiden have synthesized those experiences into a magically real world, brought vividly to life by animator Bill Plympton and Director Daniel Neiden.

With Whale 52 – Suite for Man, Boy, and Whale Director Daniel Neiden delivers a celebration of music, friendship, bravery, and the joy of being heard.

The Blame Silence
Israel Cordova, 19 minutes, Brazil, In Portuguese with English Subtitles
In the heart of the countryside, where the land keeps its secrets and the nights are filled with country ballads and heavy silences, Mauro carries a grief that goes beyond the loss of a father. It is the loss of a predetermined fate, a safe yet suffocating path. For the first time, Mauro finds a space for freedom. Alone on the farm, he tries to move forward until the arrival of Léo, a young outsider with an unguarded gaze, shakes his certainties. Between shots of cachaça and the weight of prayers still echoing in his mind, Mauro is faced with a desire too strong to ignore. A romance tries to take root where guilt has long since settled.