By Mabel Pais

The Who’s Who of Manhattan celebrated the success in the Tribeca Film Festival 2022 of Naman Gupta’s LGBTQ+ short film ‘COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE’ at a rooftop party hosted by celebrity chef and filmmaker Vikas Khanna in Manhattan.

The film had its New York City premiere at the prestigious Tribeca Festival, as part of the closing night block of queer films on June 19. Guests of honor at Khanna’s private soiree included Bollywood actor and philanthropist Vivek Oberoi, Delhi fashion designer Mayyur Girotra, Jewelry designer Amrita Singh, Sufi Wines founder Sam Bhatia, New York City’s top realtor Jaswant Lalwani, the film’s producers Nav and Neetu Gupta and James and Teddy Orfanos and lead actors Karan Soni and Sangeeta Agrawal, to name a few. “I’ve always been on the forefront of supporting South Asian culture from the very beginning. My heart, my doors are always open to promote anything to do with South Asian food, arts, entertainment, fashion and culture,” said Khanna, who hosted the party on the rooftop of his Manhattan residence.

‘COMING OUT…….’ was one of 10 films with a Desi connection programmed at Tribeca, the most ever in the festival’s history. “It really feels like our time has come! There are a lot of people from the South Asian community who have pioneered and paved the way for us to stand where we are today, and with Tribeca giving so many of us the platform that we have, it’s truly a momentous year for the South Asian diaspora,” said Agrawal, who plays Soni’s homophobic mother in the film.

At the event, the director made the BIG announcement that the short film is being converted into an episodic television series: “The series is going to be a one-hour drama, and it’s not something that just the LGBTQ crowd or the South Asian crowd or the sci-fi crowd will enjoy. It’s a very international, mainstream, sci-fi, immigrant family drama inter-twined with a LGBTQ romance and rivalry, so I’m super excited about that,” said Gupta. The series is currently in development, and the core team is looking for additional producers and distributors to helm the project.

“I think it’s really interesting, given the timing of the film right now, especially during PRIDE Month. There are issues, especially within the Desi community, in terms of how parents or children are equipped to deal with coming out, and it is a difficult process for both. But you watch something like this, and it may just make you respond more sensitively…more with the heart rather than the perception of what will my community think of me, what will the world think of me…so less judgment and more love because at the end of the day, that’s what family is for,” said Oberoi, who was at the event to support long-time friends, producers Nav and Neetu Gupta.

For more information about the journey of the film and the development of the series, visit comingoutfilm.com.

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TRIBECA’S CLOSING NIGHT LGBTQ+ SHORTS

By Mabel Pais

DIRECTOR/WRITER NAMAN GUPTA’S “COMING OUT….” WINS FURTHER SUCCESS

WRITER SAILESH NAIDU’S “DOGFRIEND” MAKES MARK

The Tribeca Festival 2022 presented a slate of Pride programming. Pride is an integral part of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) community. Continuing its tradition of celebrating activism through media, Tribeca Festival 2022 presented a slate of programming curated to inform, entertain and celebrate LGBTQ+ culture.The Closing Night event was preceded by the Special Screening of LGBTQ+ Shorts: SEE ME, FEEL ME

LGBTQ+ Shorts: 88 Minutes l English Closed Captions

These seven short films span the queer experience with humor, heart and hope, showing characters navigating emotionally intense terrain in their search for connection and compassion.

PROGRAM:

COMING OUT WITH THE HELP OF A TIME MACHINE

Dir/Writ: Naman Gupta l USA l Eng l Eng Subs l Short l 15m l

New York Premiere l Comedy, Drama, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction

When coming out to his traditional Indian parents, Sid uses his time machine to reset the day in an attempt to make sure everything goes perfectly.

‘Coming Out With The Help Of A Time Machine’ is a story of family dynamics and acceptance, with strong LGBTQ+ and heartfelt sci-fi themes. Sid plans to come out to his conservative, community-oriented parents at a local diner. If anything goes wrong, Sid could lose the support of the people who matter to him most. Luckily, he has the power of time travel on his side-and he will do anything in his power to emerge from this encounter unscathed.

DOGFRIEND (Hundefreund)

Premiered at the BFI (British Film Institute) Flare Film

Festival in March 2022.

Prod/Writ: Sailesh Naidu l Dir: Maissa Lihedheb l Germany | German w/English subs l Short | 18m l Comedy, Drama, LGBTQIA, Romance, Thriller

The co-producers of the film Maissa Lihedheb, Lamin Leroy Gibba, and Sailesh Naidu developed the idea together for the film ‘DogFriend,’ wanting to tell a complex and nuanced story, centering a perspective almost never seen on screen. While working with an almost entirely queer and trans BIPOC filmcrew. DogFriend (Hundefreund) explores themes of love, race, and mental health–while subtly (and at times loudly) suggesting that those are intrinsically connected. In the wake of the global Black Lives Matter movement, during which race and systemic oppression are discussed more than ever, conversations about nuanced lived experiences and interpersonal connections are often decentered.

MY DEAR BOY

Dir/Co-Prod/Writ/Edit/: Leaf Lieber l USA l Eng l Short l 5m l

Experimental, LGBTQIA, Romance

Within the first few seconds of meeting each other, two men experience the rise and collapse of their destined relationship through a surreal journey.

WORK

Dir/Writ: April Maxey l USA l Eng l Short l 13m l Women, Drama, LGBTQIA, Romance

Unable to move on from a breakup, Gabriela impulsively drops into an old job, where she unexpectedly runs into a friend from her past.

VALENTINE

Dir: Beck Kitsis & Chris McNabb l USA l Eng l Short | 10m l New York, Women, Drama, LGBTQIA, Romance

With gender and identity in flux, Corey and Mia struggle to redefine their relationship.

INNER WOUND REAL

 International Premiere

Dir: Carrie Hawks l USA l Eng l Eng Subs l Short l 15m l Animation, Experimental, Women, Documentary, LGBTQIA, Black & African American Diaspora Stories ‘Inner Wound Real’ relays the story of three BIPOC folks who self-injure, then find new ways to cope.

F^¢K ‘€M R!GHT B@¢K

New York Premiere

DIR/Co-Writ/Co-Prod: Harris Doran l USA l Short l Eng l 12m l Comedy, LGBTQIA, Music

To avoid being fired after having accidentally taken drugs, a queer Black rapper must outwit his boss at his day job.

(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, Health & Wellness, The Arts and Entertainment, Cuisine and Spirituality)