REAL BOY (Dir: Shaleece Haas) 72 min, USA **Subject, Bennett Wallace, in attendance**
REAL BOY is the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager on a journey to find his voice—as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man. As he navigates the ups and downs of young adulthood, he works to gain the love and support of his mother, who has deep misgivings about her child’s transition. Along the way, Bennett forges a powerful friendship with his idol, Joe Stevens, a celebrated transgender musician with his own demons to fight.
Screens with the Animated Short, "Arrival"
Arrival: A Short Film by Alex Myung (Dir: Alex Myung) 22 min, USA **Director in Attendance**
A true coming of age story, Arrival follows one boy's journey into adulthood, and the complicated relationships that go with it. The plot follows a boy growing up with his mother in the countryside, who then journeys into the big city to follow his dreams. All the while the two communicate by sending polaroids back and forth to each other, sharing their now completely different lives. Along the way he meets another boy with whom he is determined to share his life with. The main character becomes stuck in a cycle of indifference rather than standing up and coming out to his mother. The story of the film pulls from Myung's past relationships. It portrays a uniquely modern LGBTQ couple, exploring the highs and lows that come with feeling guilty for loving the right person.
