Sunday 13th October 2012 – 10.30am,
The Hive.
Not Certified
Westernized guy Vikas has been obsessing about his straight boss Thom for years, much to best friend Amrita’s displeasure. But when a business trip sends Vikas to New Delhi and he meets handsome Sunil, the desk clerk at his luxury hotel there, everything changes for him. Amazed by Sunil’s sweetness and India’s beauty, his initial disgust at the transfer turns into a love affair with both. When a return to London and his boss inevitably arrives, Vikas must make the most painful decision of his life. A crowd-pleasing, east-meets-west, boy-meets-boy love story… with a Bollywood twist!
Written & Directed By Reid Waterer
Filmed in INDIA, LONDON and LOS ANGELES
DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
This movie was inspired by a decade-long obsession with India’s Bollywood cinema – the colors, the music, the gorgeous actors, the costumes. I wanted to try to capture some of that magic in a short while also exploring the extremely timely issue of homosexuality in India, which was just decriminalized there.
Most of the very few images of gay South Asians on film have been stereotypical, tragic or negative. Hopefully my film’s uplifting love story will help counteract that, and also help enlighten people about the difficulties of living in India as a gay, lesbian or transgendered person.
I also wanted to explore the struggles of Non-Resident Indians to try to reconcile their ethnic background to their sometimes highly Westernized personal identities.
Much research was done to write this film including a trip through India, and interviews with both gay and straight South Asians. I then collaborated with the actors to create the final script. I hope audiences will enjoy the short as much as I’ve enjoyed discovering the magic that is India. -Reid Waterer
SCREENINGS & AWARDS
- Chicago ‘Reeling’ LGBT Film Festival 11/09
- Sedona International Film Festival 2/10
- San Diego ‘FilmOut’ LGBT Film Festival 4/10 WINNER – Best Short
- ‘DisOrient’ Asian Film Festival of Oregon 4/10
- Athens Greece ‘Outview’ LGBT Film Festival 4/10
- Zurich ‘Pink Apple’ LGBT Film Festival 4/10
- Mumbai ‘Kashish’ LGBT Film Festival 4/10 Nominee- BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
- Boston LGBT Film Festival 5/10
- Honolulu ‘Rainbow’ LGBT Film Festival 5/10
- Lima Peru ‘Outfest’ LGBT Film Festival 6/10
- Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival 6/10 SPECIAL JURY PRIZE – Best Narrative Short
- Connecticut ‘OutFilm’ LGBT Film Festival 6/10
- Ft Worth TX ‘Q Cinema’ LGBT Film Festival 6/10
- Palm Springs International Short Film Festival 6/10 Voted #5 AUDIENCE FAVE, Live Action
- Kansas City LGBT Film Festival 6/10
- Ohio Independent Film Festival 6/10
- Philadelphia ‘Q Fest’ LGBT Film Festival 7/10 AUDIENCE AWARD – Best Short
- North Carolina LGBT Film Festival 8/10
- Rhode Island International Film Festival 8/10
- Vancouver Queer Film Festival 8/10
- Big Bear Lake International Film Festival 9/10
- Fresno ‘Reel Pride’ LGBT Film Festival 9/10
- Sydney ‘Satrang’ South Asian LGBT Film Fest 9/10
- EnGendered iView South Asian Film Fest NYC 9/10
- Indian Film Festival of Houston 9/10 WINNER – Best Short
- Long Beach ‘QFilms’ LGBT Film Festival 10/10
- Atlanta ‘Out On FIlm’ LGBT Film Festival 10/10 AUDIENCE AWARD – Best Male Short
- Pittsburgh LGBT Film Festival 10/10
- Seattle LGBT Film Festival 10/10
- Iris Prize LGBT Film Competition/Festival 10/10 Nominee- WORLDWIDE LGBT Best Short
- Asian Hot Shots Berlin Film & Arts Festival 10/10
- Miami International Short Film Festival 11/10
- Santa Barbara ‘OutRageous’ LGBT Film Fest 11/10
- Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival 11/10
- Long Island LGBT Film Festival 11/10 AUDIENCE AWARD – Best Male Short
- Delhi India ‘Nigah’ LGBT Film Festival 11/10
- Belgrade Serbia ‘Merlinka’ LGBT Film Festival 12/10
- Phoenix ‘Desperado’ LGBT Film Festival 1/11
- Bloomington Indiana ‘Pride’ LGBT Film Festival 1/11
- Kingston Ontario ‘ReelOut’ LGBT Film Festival 1/11
- Indian International Film Festival of Tampa Bay 2/11
- Ontario ‘Rainbow Reels’ LGBT Film Festival 3/11 AUDIENCE AWARD – Best Short
- San Francisco Int’l Asian American Film Fest 3/11
- GayCharlotte LGBT Film Festival 3/11
- Riverside International Film Festival 4/11
- Grenoble ‘Vues d’en Face’ LGBT Film Festival 4/11 Runner Up, AUDIENCE AWARD – Best Short
- Minneapolis ‘Out Twin Cities’ LGBT Film Fest 6/11
- Queens NY ‘Cinemarosa’ LGBT Screening Series 6/11
- Pasadena ‘Action on Film’ Int’l Film Festival 7/11 Runner Up – Best LGBT Project
- Asian Queer Film Festival Tokyo 7/11
- Dublin Ireland ‘Gaze’ In’l LGBT Film Festival 7/11
- Louisville Kentucky LGBT Film Festival 8/11
- Toronto Queer West online LGBT Film Festival 8/11
- Orleans France ‘D’un bord a l’autre’ LGBT FF 9/11
- North Louisiana LGBT Film Festival 9/11
- Osaka & Kyoto Japan ‘Kansai Queer’ LGBT FF 9/11
- Cologne Germany ‘Homochrom’ LGBT FF 10/11
- Spokane LGBT Film Festival 11/11
- Vancouver Asian Film Festival 11/11
- Cluj-Napoca Romania ‘Serile Filmului’ LGBT FF 11/11 Nominee- BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT
- Tucson ‘Out in the Desert’ LGBT Film Festival 2/12
- HDFest Portland Film Festival 5/12
- Ogunquit Rainbow Film Festival Maine 5/12
