Dare

Short films are often calling cards for full length features as lesbian Angela Davis (D.E.B.S) and gay Lane Jagger (Just One Time) have proven. Usually shown at film festivals, shorts rarely get seen by audiences, except when they are collected on DVD.

Two new DVD anthologies—“The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival” (now available) and “Boys Life 5” offer terrific mini-movies by established and up and coming queer filmmakers.

“The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival” showcases 10 English language titles from the USA, Canada and Australia. The themes range from coming out stories (Blow) about a schoolgirl who sneezes, to a short about domestic abuse (Dani and Alice) and a woman’s efforts to hire a sex partner (Everything Good). These three films are all excellent, stylish tales that pack tremendous emotions into their 10-15 minute running times.

Another fantastic short is Half-Laughing, a drama about a young dyke (director Michelle Ehlen) who returns home for her grandfather’s funeral and faces her disapproving mother. The tense confrontation that ensues between the characters is absorbing and quite moving. The only non-fiction entry in the program is the outstanding short Tina Paulina: Living on Hope Street, a mini documentary about a 37-year old lesbian who is homeless in L.A. Filmmaker Barbara Green creates a poignant friendship with Tina Paulina and films her subject using a wide-angle lens that truly captures her spirit and energy.

Another winning film is Transit, a wordless short that depicts a woman cruising on the subway late at night. “The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival” also contains some ambitious films that fail to meet their potential. Saint Henry, a 20-minute drama about a woman named Henry (Ashleigh Ann Wood) who searches for her father with her gay best friend Twiggy (Max Van Ville) never quite achieves the greatness it strives for. Likewise, The Black Plum, a magical realist fable and A Woman Reported a thriller, though interesting and important, seem slightly underdeveloped.

However, as a launching pad for lesbian directors, these shorts will hopefully lead to bigger and better things. Only Silas Howard, represented here by the short Frozen Smile about a family of very different women attending a funeral, has a feature film (By Hook or By Crook) to her credit. The fifth program of shorts in the “Boys Life” collection—and the first to go straight to video—“Boys Life 5” includes four short films about young men finding their same-sex desires being awakened.

Dare, written by out Philadelphia native David Brind, and directed by straight filmmaker Adam Salky, is a 15-minute romantic drama about two high school teens who share a secret moment of passion as they rehearse for a play. Beautifully written, filmed, and acted, this short is slated to become a full- length film.

Late Summer, by David Ottenhouse, is a wonderful memory piece in which a young boy, grieving for the loss of his father, becomes enamored with his hunky older cousin, who teaches him the pleasures of sex, drugs, and late night skinny dipping before their lives change forever.

The longest film in the collection—Time Off by Eytan Fox (Walk on Water) is a 45-minute short made in 1990, about a young soldier in the Israeli army who hopes to explore his sexual desires during a furlough—and winds up learning the sexual secret of his hard-assed lieutenant. The film is a precursor to themes Fox explored more thoroughly and effectively in his hour-long romance, Yossi & Yagger. That said, Time Off is worthwhile for the director’s ability to create an interesting portrait of an unusual time and place for a young man’s sexual awakening.

Rounding out the anthology is Fishbelly White, a film by Michael Burke that was later made into the feature The Mudge Boy. Although not as complex as the full-length version, this short is still quite powerful as it chronicles a young farm boy whose crush on a sexy older teen forces him to respond to teasing by the other, more popular boys. Fishbelly White deftly captures the pain of coming-of-age with strong performances and striking visuals.

Significantly, this volume in the “Boys Life” series is one of the stronger in the series, not only because the quality of short films is so high, but also because audiences are able to watch the development of young queer filmmakers from their early days. As with “The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film Festival,” hopefully queer viewers will be seeing more films from these up-and-coming directors soon.