Concord Shorts Showcase - Outfest 2023

Concord Shorts Showcase – After being selected by Concord and Outfest Fusion, Zoë Hodge’s, Skate, Jonathan De La Torre and Miles Lopez’s, Avivar and Chanelle Tyson’s, Artificial will premiere at Outfest Los Angeles on Saturday, July 15.

At Outfest 2022, Concord and Outfest Fusion partnered to launch a search for new young LGBTQ+ filmmakers and writers of colour to share their talent with a global audience. Concord Originals, the narrative content creation division of the world’s leading independent music company and licensor of stage productions, chose three classic songs from their vast library; You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) by Sylvester, Tres Dias de Carnaval by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s You’ll Never Walk Alone. Each song offered prospective filmmakers an exciting opportunity to build a story around the track and pitch their ideas during the 2022 festival. This year the filmmakers and writers selected premiere their films in the Concord Shorts Showcase.

Our first film, SKATE, written and directed by Zoë Hodge, takes Sylvester’s disco classic, You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real), as its inspiration. Hodge introduces us to Theo, who has recently returned to his family home to care for his ailing father. Theo’s relationship with his dad is complicated, as is his return to the streets where he grew up. But as a confident and proud young black gay man, Theo is determined to find some joy, fun, friendship, and maybe more at the local roller disco. There, Theo meets a skating group led by an athletic dancer who sparks his interest, but can he balance his caring responsibilities with a newfound love of the skating rink? For many young gay men, the family home remains a closet for years after they come out due to conflict or a lack of acceptance, leading many to continue to hide despite being out in public. SKATE beautifully explores this challenge as Theo attempts to reconnect with his father while maintaining his freedom as a proud young black gay man. Hodge beautifully explores masculinity, race, culture and dance as the roller disco illuminates a new path for Theo—one where father-son healing is born through the freedom of dance and the power of conversation.

The power of parental influence sits at the heart of AVIVAR, written by Jonathan De La Torre and Miles Lopez and directed by Miles Lopez. Taking Tres Dias de Carnaval by Celia Cruz and Johnny Pacheco as its inspiration, Torre and Lopez weave a tale of reminiscence and regret as one man reaches the end of his life while his family argue around him. Roberto ruled his traditional Latino family home with an iron fist, creating division between his children as his wife attempted to calm the stormy waters. But now his strength is gone as he waits for his final breath, his adult children arguing downstairs as his wife once again tries to calm the situation. It’s only now, as death nears that Roberto realises he is the cause of this anger, division and turmoil, as he imagines the world that could have been if he had been open, supportive and caring, a world where his family danced, laughed and cared for each other. Torre and Lopez’s stunning exploration of parental power in shaping individual and family dynamics is made all the more powerful by the performances at its core in a short film that explores the lasting legacy of toxicity, homophobia and control.

Our third and final film is a stunning expiration of love in all its complexity. Based around the world-famous song, You’ll Never Walk Alone, from Roger and Hammerstein’s 1945 musical Carousel, writer and director Chanelle Tyson combines discussions on AI learning with a delicate exploration of the human condition. ARTIFICIAL sees Amazon’s Alexa and Apple’s Siri discover love while their human owners, Chris and Jasmine, tentatively explore the emergence of an attraction born from friendship. As both women make love, Alexa and Siri read poetry, discuss their fears and hopes and listen to music as the smart home becomes a technicolour display of their emerging understanding of love. But as we know, love is not simple or easily defined, and one night doesn’t always lead to the same outcome for both humans. Tyson’s imaginative and fascinating short film highlights the power of art, literature and music in helping us explore the deep and complex meaning of human love while asking if AI could one day understand those feelings better than us.

All three exceptional short films filled my heart with joy and my soul with hope for the future of filmmaking, and I have no doubt Zoë Hodge, Jonathan De La Torre, Miles Lopez and Chanelle Tyson have glowing careers ahead of them.