Gann (see profile, page 20) unearthed 20 LGBT nuggets for us to review, and while, as with any collection of shorts, the quality varies considerably, the collection as a whole captures the entire gamut of the LGBT experience. And who better to curate our mini-festival for us than Gann, executive director of DC Shorts, which, every fall, stages a massive, citywide shorts festival. Since 2009, just prior to the Oscars, we’ve occasionally put together lists of “25 Gay Films Everyone Should See.” When it came time for this year’s list, we thought we’d give feature films a break and turn our attention to an oft-neglected, but much beloved category - the short. In some of the stories, the LGBT portion is very small, but the LGBT component is really critical to how the story unfolds.” Illustration by Christopher Cunetto I like them because they are about the entire community. Retrieved December 5, 2017.“I’m not sure that these are the greatest LGBT films ever,” says Jon Gann. "Film Academy Announces 10 Animated Shorts Advancing in Oscar Race".
"It's time for #YouTubeRewind: Celebrating what you watched, shared, and created in 2017". " 'In A Heartbeat': Over 14 Million Views For This Animated Short Film".
"In a Heartbeat: the story behind the animated gay love short that's gone viral". "YouTube Falls Hard for 'In a Heartbeat,' a Boy-Meets-Boy Story". "LGBT Animated Short 'In A Heartbeat' is a Tender Love Story That Could Rival Pixar Shorts". North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival The short was also included in The Animation Showcase 2017 world touring screening that premiered it in London 25 July 2017 in Soho House.ĪSIFA-SOUTH Animation Conference and Festival It got shortlisted at the Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film, but did not get a nomination. Since its launch, the film has received numerous awards and has been shown at numerous LGBT events and film festivals. 9 on YouTube's list of the top 10 trending videos of 2017. Reaction videos were posted by Fine Brothers Entertainment, Ellen DeGeneres and Connor Franta. The short film blew up on YouTube, with an estimated 42 million views, and has been passed on through Facebook and Twitter. The short film received overwhelmingly universal praise for its animation, positive message and emotional resonance. A trailer was released on and the short film was released on July 31, 2017. They made a Kickstarter page in November 2016 to complete the film and earned more than enough of the requested amount. The initial pitch featured a boy and a girl, but at the last minute they decided to switch it to a same-sex couple in order to make the story feel "more personal". Production on the short started in January 2016, when Esteban Bravo and Beth David began working on their senior thesis at Ringling College of Art and Design. The scene fades to black with Sherwin and Jonathan's hearts glowing and then forming into one. They hold their hands together as they join the heart back together and it happily springs to life. Outside the school, Sherwin cries silently when Jonathan walks up and sits next to him. The heart breaks in two and Sherwin runs away with one half. The situation becomes uncomfortable as other students see the two and look on in confusion. Eventually, Sherwin chases his heart inside the school and grabs it. Sherwin attempts to grab and hide his heart, resulting in various awkward encounters with Jonathan. Suddenly, Sherwin's heart begins to beat rapidly and becomes anthropomorphic, leaving his body and chasing after Jonathan. Sherwin hides in a tree and watches as Jonathan walks by reading a book and playing with an apple. Sherwin, a shy ginger haired boy, arrives at school awaiting the arrival of his secret crush, Jonathan.