The Power of Activism 

It’s 2021 and what few LGBTQ+ films that are produced by major film studios continue to star cisgender heterosexual actors, rather than actual LGBTQ+ people.

Sunny Sandler, daughter of Adam Sandler, stars in a new Netflix film directed by Julia Hart, and it has caught the attention of many younger audiences as they watch this heartfelt coming-of-age story. The film's relatability of just being a normal teenage girl also tells a devastating reality that many cannot fathom facing. The storyline showcases a deeper meaning of the classic theatre kid saying, “the show must go on”, and emotionally captures the struggles that happen on and off the stage.

Disney+ recently released six short films entitled the “Launchpad” collection in which diverse directors tell diverse stories. These shorts are exactly the kind of films we here at Incluvie want to see more of. These are stories of intersectionality, inclusion, and diversity. And every short stars a cluvie!

A summary of the films featured in this annual event taking place in Westchester.

The Djinn is about childhood traumas and lifestyle changes. It tells the story of Dylan (Ezra Dewey), a mute boy who blames himself for his mom’s death. He also condemns himself for being speech-impaired, and he thinks that if he did not have that condition, everything could had been different.

Cursed is based on Frank Miller’s graphic novel, and is a retelling of the Arthurian legend with a twist. Instead of King Arthur gaining Excalibur, a teenage sorceress named Nimue (Katherine Langford) does. Her people — the Fey — are being hunted down, and so Nimue will do whatever it takes to save them.