NewFest Film Festival: Day 6

This is me reviewing the films I've seen at this year's NewFest LGBTQ Film Festival. Click here for my other reviews of the festival.

Didn't have as much time yesterday so I ended up seeing a few short films and a short series. But there were still plenty to recommend!

SHORTS: GIRLS LAUGHING, LOVING, FIGHTING, F**KING

On the website for this shorts program, the first line to describe these set of films is "Who hasn't loved a messy dyke?" and that's just hilariously spot on.

My favorite of the bunch is A SINGLE EVENING mostly because it's a musical and I've been wanting a gay musical for awhile now. I can't keep re-watching Were the World Mine! The great thing about this short film though is have well-done it is? The music is catchy, the choreography is inventive, and the story (bisexual woman trying to figure out love through dating apps) is fun.

Next favorite is BREAK IN which tells the tale of a woman who accidentally texts her crush an erotic story she wrote about them WITHOUT changing anyone's names. As you groan in empathy, think about the lengths you'd go through to fix this and you have this insanely funny short.

Then there's GIRL, SWEETVOICED featuring two women at a bus top as we hear their longing through the poetry of Sappho. It's actually pretty affecting especially with the repetition, the flash-forwards, and the stirring score.

The last film I'd like to single out is ANCIENT METHODS, because I need more of it! It's about a woman who gets dumped by her alien girlfriend. Alien as in from space. The setup is genius and it's a crime that we only have 5 minutes of this story.

SIDEWAYS SMILE

This webseries about one young Asian woman's journey to get in touch with her sexuality is a must-watch. The entire first season is just 53 minutes containing of 5 short episodes and by the end you will wish there is more. Protagonist Alex, skillfully played by Kathy Huynh-Phan, has never had an orgasm, dates a white guy, and has a sex-positive roommate who loves to push boundaries. Need I say more? Okay, fine. Each episode has its own distinct feel giving the series a dynamic energy. My personal favorite is the show's ode to Get Out with its second episode. Scarlett Johannson makes a fun appearance as well.

What will tomorrow bring? Probably more movies.