PORELESS Sweeps Comedy Categories at the Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival

By Valerie Milano

Hollywood, CA (The Hollywood Times) 10/7/25 – The Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival lit up Founders MCC Church this past weekend with four vibrant programs of LGBTQIA+ short films under the theme “Visibility is Resistance.” As media partners, The Hollywood Times is proud to celebrate the extraordinary talent showcased—and the films that walked away with top honors.

PORELESS Dominates Comedy

The breakout star of the festival was PORELESS, directed by Harris Doran. This hilarious and clever short follows a Muslim beauty entrepreneur presenting his skin cream in a Shark Tank–style competition. The film swept the comedy categories, taking:

• Best Comedy Short

• Best Comedy Story

• Best Actor in a Comedy (Akbar Hamid)

• Best Ensemble

Festival Director Jim Hoffman praised both the wit of the writing and Hamid’s delivery:
“This is a brilliant film in so many ways. And it took a pitch perfect acting job to pull it off. Akbar Hamid made this look easy. Our audience was in stitches.”

Drama Shines with CHICO and XY

The Best Drama Short award went to CHICO, directed by Theo Abadie, about Jojo, a naïve youth caught in a web of bad luck and manipulation. Abadie also took home Best Director, while Jojo’s actor Mallo Breysse won Best Actor in a Drama, sharing the honor with J.L. Perkel for her powerful turn in XY. The latter left audiences stunned with its unflinching story of a young trans woman’s moment of connection with a troubled convenience store clerk.

Here is our review of XY: XY: A Personal, Urgent Story of Queer Identity and Resilience – Hollywood Times

Best Drama Story went to ONE DAY THIS KID, a poignant Muslim father-son narrative directed by Alexander Farah, which also claimed Best Cinematography.

Powerful Stories Across Genres

• Best Documentary Short: LESBIANS IN BOYSTOWN (dir. Betsy Kalin), a compelling premiere exploring the struggles and resilience of lesbians in West Hollywood.

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  Here is our review of Lesbians in Boystown: Lesbians In Boystown: Preserving Queer Women’s History Through Film – Hollywood Times

• Best Animated Short: TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE (dir. Baz Sells), a visually stunning piece based on Dean Atta’s poetry.

• Here is our review of Two Black Boys in Paradise: Two Black Boys in Paradise: A Stop-Motion Masterpiece of Love, Identity, and Belonging –Hollywood Times

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• Best Original Song: “Bask in the Spotlight” from DRAGFOX (dir. Lisa Ott), a delightful, animated exploration of identity.

• Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Short: FAMILY DESCENT (dir. Brodi-jo Scalise), a chilling tale of demonic family traditions.

• Best Experimental Short: THE EATING OF AN ORANGE (dir. May Kindred-Boothby), an audacious animation about sexual awakening within strict conformity.

• Here is our review of The Eating of an Orange: Juicy Queerness and Defiance of Convention at HQSFF – Hollywood Times

This 10th edition of the festival underscored its ongoing mission: amplifying queer voices in cinema.

Lead Jury member Steven Solomon reflected:
“With the LGBTQIA+ community finding itself under assault and having to fight once again for rights we thought were already settled, it’s more important than ever we come together as a community to share our stories.”

Juror Bridget McManus added:
“As a first-time juror, I was deeply impressed by the range and quality of films showcased. These powerful LGBTQIA+ stories are both vital and inspiring, especially in today’s political climate.”

From laugh-out-loud comedy to deeply moving dramas, the Hollywood Queer Short Film Festival once again proved the transformative power of queer storytelling. With PORELESS sweeping the comedy awards and standout films across all categories, the festival cemented itself as an essential platform where visibility truly is resistance.