All images by Halle Wellington. 

Projecting Pride: Shorts Movie Theater and the Queer Art Scene

What better way to celebrate Pride Month than by joining a vibrant community of queer storytellers as they share their work with the world? Gorts is a one-stop hub of art and camaraderie that neglects ideals of how art should look or what it should say and allows creativity to roam free, providing a space for the artist in all of us to watch, listen, and create.

Gorts—or “gay shorts”—marks the first pop-up from the soon-to-launch Shorts Movie Theater. The inaugural event, hosted at Threes Brewing and dreamt up by Karma Masselli, set out to be an affordable, fun way to support local artists, enjoy bite-sized storytelling, and maybe spark some creativity of your own. Naturally, I had to see what it was all about.

On the quiet streets of Gowanus, I found Threes Brewing buzzing with idle laughter. The already charming bar—its kitchen sending out smells tempting enough to make even the most devout vegetarians reconsider—was made even better by a side section dedicated to queer artists and their work. After grabbing a drink, I headed to the red carpet.

Given a shorts stamp on my hand and a postcard featuring stunning original artwork, I was ushered into an atmosphere of outdoor movies—but inside a bar backroom. It felt like a worn-in saloon transformed into an idyllic summer-camp movie night under the stars. With an endearing screen at the head of the room, rickety chairs lined up for viewing, and twinkling lights strung across the scene, I could almost feel the mosquitoes nipping at my neck.

MCs Declan and Michelle kicked off the night with a collaborative brainstorming session for an audience-generated, original short. After settling on the plot—a strawberry shortcake popsicle contemplating the plights of consumerism while melting in the sun—the audience called ACTION, and the first scene was filmed. While that scene was brought to the cutting room floor, the rest of us got to enjoy the night’s first already-completed short.

“Across, Beyond, and Over” by Brit Fryer and Noah Schamus tells the story of two trans men reconnecting after years of no contact. As each other's first love, first relationship, and first heartbreak, their connection carries all the volatility of hormonal middle schoolers but is layered with the complexity of being each other’s first queer experience. Now, as grown men, surer of their identities, they reunite to remember. Fryer and Schamus show, without telling, the quiet pain of adolescent sexual identity and how it can twist our memories into places we avoid. But it’s only by reacquainting ourselves with who we were and what we did that healing begins.

“Across, Beyond, and Over” tells a beautiful story that is made even better with poignant framing and self-aware plot devices. I felt deeply connected to its protagonists by the end of the eleven minutes.

In a quick interlude, we paused to film the second scene of our own audience-generated short. With audience members stepping in as everything from actors to gaffers, we captured the rising action—shot, wrapped, and ready for the editing room.

Next up on the program was “Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites” by Chheangkea. This touching story follows a late grandmother watching over her grandson as he reckons with his sexuality. Interspersed with humor, singing, and selfies, the film becomes a warm, well-rounded portrait of family and its unbreakable ties despite enduring familial pressures.

Stepping away from her peaceful afterlife, Grandma Nai follows her grandson across the city to make sure he listens to his heart—and has a little fun along the way. Chheangkea immerses the audience in Cambodian society, letting the city speak for itself. With rich coloration, striking framing, and a tender, resonant story to tie it all together, “Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites” (winner of the Short Film Jury Award for International Fiction at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival) deserves every accolade it receives.

Finally, we reached the last scene of our own short—strawberry shortcake inevitably melting under both the sun and the weight of consumerism. With a collective CUT, our film was wrapped and prepared for finishing touches as we settled in to watch the final screening.

“Finding Bella” by Lucas Castro-Cruz is a satirical tale about a bright-eyed, and even brighter-haired, young adult searching Manhattan for his lost best friend, Bella the pigeon. Despite the protagonist posting flyers, consulting a pigeon expert, and traveling cross-country, Bella seems to have vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a few orange feathers. Though she abandoned her best friend without a word and left him questioning their relationship, Bella ultimately teaches us to spread our wings. “Finding Bella” is a funny, well-crafted, and unique short that reminds us that our own minds and hearts—if trusted—will never lead us astray.

At last, we saw our own masterpiece projected on the big screen. Minimalistic in its three-scene approach, “Strawberry Shortcake” by The Gorts Audience was a resounding success and the perfect way to close the evening. Lasting no more than a minute, “Strawberry Shortcake” may not have unpacked the full depths of consumerism, but it did tell a story: that anyone can create art. It was a lighthearted outro—a reminder not to take art, or ourselves, too seriously. 

That, ultimately, is what Gorts seemed to be about: the joy of art and the people who make it. Like the LGBTQ+ community itself, art can create spaces that are inclusive and uplifting—it can be a way to express what can’t always be said out loud. When the worlds of film and queerness come together, they offer space to expand and reshape our senses of self. The pairing doesn’t just make sense; it feels essential. We, as people, are never just one thing. We can be artists, partners, lovers, haters. We can be rich, poor, gay, straight, or anywhere in between. When you pull back far enough, we’re all just human.

Each film was a reminder of this: that life exists beyond the boundaries of self. The doubts that weigh us down can feel trivial when placed against a larger landscape. Our childhood selves are just grains of sand on the beaches of our lives. The parameters of existence are far less rigid than we’ve been led to believe. Learn to spread your wings.

Gorts brought together a welcoming collective of artists united by a shared love of film. It was designed to ease the mind and enrich the heart—as a patron, I could feel that love the moment I stepped into the room. Passion and friendship seemed to drip from the walls. From hand-crafted merch to a playful, inviting step-and-repeat, Gorts was a breeding ground for individuality and expression. I left with a big smile on my face and better stories in my head, already looking forward to when Shorts Movie Theater officially opens its doors.