Out on Film 2026 - What We Carry: Drama Shorts

From the venue:

The most difficult truths are often the ones we struggle to say aloud. These seven stories explore what we carry for ourselves and one another—love and loss, fear and desire, family obligations, hidden identities and the fragile hope of connection.

As Tom sits beside his dying father, he must confront the guilt, love and unspoken truths that have defined their relationship. Maya searches for the right words to come out to her mother. At an audition for a prestigious ballet company, a perfection-driven dancer meets a rival whose joy rekindles their sense of love and freedom. A tender encounter between two men from different generations fractures under the weight of a painful misunderstanding. In New York City, a queer married couple faces a devastating loss and the fragile work of remaining connected. An aspiring stand-up comedian places her ambitions on hold to care for her 99-year-old grandmother during the final years of her life. And in an America where the government has outlawed homosexuality, a grieving father, played by Jelani Alladin (Fellow Travelers), struggles to survive after the death of his husband.

Expected Attendance:

Between Breath & Silence - Thomas Sargeant, Producer/Writer/Actor

hi mom - SM Goldberger, Writer/Director

Geronto - Christopher Sherwood, Writer / Executive Producer & Doug Roberto, Executive Producer

NEXT YEAR - Peter DiMario, Writer/Director/Producer & Guto Barra, Writer/Director/Producer & Jelani Alladin, Lead Role (Robert)/Executive Producer

Elsewhere - Brian Keane, Director

Shorts:

Between Breath & Silence - Set across one day, Between Breath & Silence follows Tom as he sits with his dying father. Surrounded by family and the quiet presence of a palliative care worker, Tom is forced to confront the love, guilt, and unspoken truths that have shaped his relationship with his father. Inspired by a true story, the film explores how connection can exist even when words fail.

hi Mom - Maya struggles to find the right words to come out to her mom.

FLY - When a prestigious ballet company holds auditions for a coveted apprenticeship, a dance prodigy driven by perfectionism has their world upended by a rival whose joy rekindles their sense of love and freedom.

Geronto - Based on true events, GERONTO is a short LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama about longing, connection, and self-discovery.

Set over the course of one night in the late 2000s, the story follows Younger, a man in his 20s, who meets Older, a man in his 60s, at a discreet London pub.

What begins as a tender and intimate connection soon fractures under the weight of a painful misunderstanding in a nearby hotel room, forcing both men to confront their deepest fears.

GERONTO sheds a light on the often-taboo subject of gerontophilia, and challenges societal boundaries around age and desire. Delicate yet daring, the film offers a quietly radical portrait of queer intimacy across generations.

Elsewhere - Elsewhere is a quiet, luminous portrait of grief and family—both biological and chosen. At a time when many are redefining what home, partnership, and belonging truly mean, the film explores the fragile courage required to remain connected.

See You Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow - An aspiring stand-up comedian delays her career aspirations to do the greater work of caring for her 99-year-old grandmother in her final years.

Next Year - Next year, America. Civil rights are under siege as the U.S. government bans all homosexual activity, weaponizing surveillance to enforce its vision of “traditional family values.” Against this oppressive backdrop, NEXT YEAR tells the story of Robert, a grieving father struggling to move forward after the tragic death of his husband. Starring Jelani Alladin (Fellow Travelers), the film is a powerful and haunting portrait of love, loss, and resilience in the face of authoritarian rule. A film by Peter DiMario and Guto Barra.