Synopsis
Austin, a college jock home for the summer, unexpectedly develops feelings for Star, his parents’ non-binary pool cleaner, and struggles to hide his growing feelings from his clique of straight friends.
This film is available for the run of the festival starting the day of Thanksgiving 2021. To watch or to vote for this film please click on the orange “TICKETS” button below and purchase a ticket for BLOCK 8. You also have the option to buy the Movie Buff Pass to watch all the films of the festival until December 15, 2021.
Synopsis
Austin, a college jock home for the summer, unexpectedly develops feelings for Star, his parents’ non-binary pool cleaner, and struggles to hide his growing feelings from his clique of straight friends.
Director Biography – Luke WillisLuke Willis is a California-based writer and director originally from Jacksonville, FL. Luke comes to filmmaking after a 20-year career in the theater as an actor and as a classical ballet dancer for the San Francisco Ballet. His first job out of USC film school was working in several roles on the feature documentary Gay Chorus Deep South, which won the Audience Award at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. His own award-winning short films have been met with great success in the US, Canada, and the UK, including multiple sell-out screenings at BFI Flare Film Festival and sell-out screenings hosted by Outfest for National Coming Out Day. Luke is committed to stories of hope and healing and is currently in development for his first feature film.
Now more than ever the world needs stories of hope and joy. I wanted to make this film to offer a story that portrays a reality where people are not afraid to openly love whomever they love without guilt or shame – a world where a traditionally fetishized community is seen as a worthy of authentic affection, worthy of being the heartthrob we can’t get out of our head, worthy of being loved and pursuit openly and fearlessly. This film takes a privileged-cis-white-“straight” identifying male and explores his choice in the world to either accept or reject the heteronormative expectations society has for him. It was important to me that the non-binary character did not have to undergo any dramatic change or growth to get the guy, but that they be portrayed as worthy of authentic love and affection just as they are. That is why the protagonist of the story is a white “straight” identifying male because that is who actually needs to change in the real world. The trans community is perfect as they are, and this film is a love letter to all gender non conforming people to say you are valuable and lovable just as you are.
