The Young and Evil

Although the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival is great place to see stars and preview upcoming full-length features, frameline 32 is also showcasing some of the best LGBT short films around right now.

The Young and Evil collection was a presentation of eight shorts dealing with youth and confronting your vices. The packed crowd in the legendary Castro Theatre liked the variety, and the narratives kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

The program was named after a short of the same name. It centers on a troubled Black gay teen trying to intentionally infect himself with the HIV virus.

Yes, you heard me right.

Writer-director Julian Breece explained his inspiration for the film was to show how destructive behavior can sometimes be beautiful defiance. “Often times [when talking about HIV/AIDS and the African American community] we just hear statistics and such, but I really wanted to show the heart of the matter…the tortured desire,” he said.

Starring Vaughn Lowery (who you may remember from those Joe Boxer ads) The Young and Evil had its world premiere at the festival, but expect buzz/controversy as it plays more around the country in the coming months.

El Primo (The Cousin) was another crowd favorite. Set it Loredo, Texas, it tells the story of a Latino teenager who visits his older cousin and learns (the hard way) when you want to be like someone else so bad, you often lose yourself in the process. The chemistry between the actors was endearing and engaging (the frontal nudity didn’t hurt either).

For a full list of shorts in the program, visit the frameline 32 website.