Sunday May 4

NJIT Jim Wise Theater

100 Summit St, Newark, NJ 07103

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**THE "TO BE YOUNG, GIFTED & QUEER" SCREENING IS OPEN TO ALL, BUT FREE FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS**

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12:00pm - To Be Young, Gifted & Queer - Shorts Block

This collection of short films from young filmmakers is free for all students (1hr 35min)

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• Caribbean Queen

An inspiring short film that follows the journey of Q, a young Caribbean boy, who wants to become the Queen of the West Indian Day Carnival Parade. Directed by Sekiya Dorsett. (22min)

 

• Blue Boy

After having an otherworldly vision, a mischievous 12-year-old convinces himself he's the reincarnation of Krishna. His life is upended when he comes out to his parents as a god. Directed and written by Nik Dodani; produced by Nik Dodani, and Mayte Avina; featuring Aariq Manji, Pia Shah, Nardeep Khurmi, Sachin Bhatt, Anisha Adusumilli, and Shiv Nadkarni. (15min)

 

• Squeegee Boy

In a quest to find belonging and acceptance, a young trans Asian American teenager yearns to become part of a tight-knit group of squeegee boys in the Baltimore city. But as he navigates the challenges of this gritty urban landscape and grapples with the complexities of his own identity, he discovers that the job demands more than just physical labor - it requires a strength of character and a resilience that he must cultivate from within. Directed and written by Chung-Wei Huang; produced by Taelor Clay; featuring Cody Vu. (14min)

 

• City of Dreamz

City of Dreamz follows four Black art students telling stories of community, divine intervention, and the artistry that led them to this very moment...smoking weed in a cramped NYC apartment trying not to get caught. Directed by Imani Celeste; written by Imani Celeste; produced by Imani Celeste; featuring Dante Charles Crichlow, Katrina Newman, Jaylen Axel, and Imani Celeste. (12min)

 

• Grace

Sixteen-year-old Grace prepares for her baptism in the rural 1950's South. When she learns she must repent before the ritual, Grace contemplates her romantic feelings toward her best friend Louise. Directed and written by Natalie Jasmine Harris; produced by Natalie Jasmine Harris, Julia Kennelly, Morgan Powell, Samiyah Wardlaw, and Latavia Young; featuring Jordan Rayanna Wells, Alexis Cofield, Mikayla LaShae Bartholomew, CL Simpson, and JeVon Blackwell. (13min)

 

• Elijah

A Bengali Muslim taxi driver faces grueling hours, rude customers, a collapse in medallion values and suicides among fellow drivers while his daughter, Shoshi, is consumed by her own struggle, a desire to live life fully as man in a trans-phobic immigrant culture. While he had never been supportive of LGBTQ rights and issues, he’s faced with changing or losing his only child, whom he loves more than life itself.Directed, writen and produced by Razid Season; featuring Ajaz Alam, Mithila Gazi Perez, and Debjani Banerjee. (19min)

 

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3:00pm – Identities in Motion - Shorts Block

This captivating collection of short films explores the fluidity of identity, love, and resilience through diverse queer narratives. A celebration of love, transformation, and the ever-shifting tides of belonging. (1hr 25min)

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• I Know Him So Well

The jewel-toned animation of queer teenage love is chronicled by guitar-playing mermen and the vocals of AJ Rafael and Chance Calloway.Directed and produced by Chance Calloway.(4min)

 

• Miss Honey: The Catsuit

The story of how Fashion Designer and Ballroom Icon Douglas Says created his legendary cut-out catsuit and the origins of Caribbean Artist Moi Renee wearing the catsuit for a televised performance of his hit song, "Miss Honey."Directed by Brandon R. Nicholas; produced by Brit Fryer; featuring Douglas Says. (6min)

 

• Hag.

This story follows Reesa Crawford, a queer black woman from South Carolina who is having her first child with her wife, Khari. During this pregnancy, remnants of her past begin to torment her via the old urban legend of the boo hag. As this creature takes a toll on her mental and physical health and night terrors keep her from sleeping, we begin to wonder whether this monster is truly real or all in her head. Directed and written by Jay Najeeah; produced by Cameron Logan; featuring Jazelle Foster, Kandice Wilson, Joy Vandervort-Cobb, Alloire Thomas, Katrina Dia, and Tierra Mai. (22min)

 

• What’s Left Fades Away

Andrea is going through an awakening of her Afro identity, which strains her relationship with her white girlfriend Valentina. She finds refuge in her new circle of black friends. Andrea and Valentina feel trapped in their differences and wonder if a new connection is possible. Directed and written by Julia Cohen Ribeiro and Sofia Lanaro; produced by Julia Cohen Ribeiro, Sofia Lanaro, and Ramiro Velasco; featuring Lyn Chidume and Juani Oviedo. (15min)

 

• In This Moment

“In This Moment” follows Love, a trans woman navigating the complexities of polyamory and self-discovery in a world that often challenges her right to exist. As she unravels what it means to be truly seen and cherished, she confronts the ways love manifests—fluid, unpredictable, and boundless, much like the ocean itself. This story is a testament to resilience, intimacy, and the ever-shifting tides of identity and belonging.Directed by Neka Cecilia Knowles and Chicahua Zipactonal Martínez; written by Chicahua Zipactonal Martínez and Zandra Paxton; produced by Synara Dsouza and Ni-Chun Shih; featuring Chicahua Zipactonal Martínez, Boubakar Djombana, Zandra Paxton, Zaq Latino, Preston Tyreese Johnson, Elijah Kaidence Alter, Jónel Jones, and Colin Wilson. (38min)