''Out'' is a Canadian comedy-drama short film, directed by

Jeremy LaLonde Jeremy LaLonde (born January 7, 1981) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is known for his work in Canadian film and television. Early life LaLonde grew up in Cayuga, Ontario. After graduating from Niagara College, LaLonde moved to Toronto to begin ...

and released in 2013.Chris Dupuis
"Out, proud and bloodthirsty"
''

Xtra! ''Xtra Magazine'' (formerly ''DailyXtra'' and ''Xtra!'') is an LGBTQ-focused digital publication and former print newspaper published by Pink Triangle Press in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The publication is a continuation of the company's former pr ...

'', September 4, 2013. The film stars David Tompa as Geoff, a young man whose family expects him to

come out Coming out of the closet, often shortened to coming out, is a metaphor used to describe LGBT people's self-disclosure of their sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity. Framed and debated as a privacy issue, coming out of ...

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

when he announces that he has something to tell them, only for him to surprise them by actually coming out as a

vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...

.Jared Mobarak
"TIFF Short Cuts Capsules: ‘Young Wonder,’ ‘Noah,’ ‘Beasts in the Real World,’ ‘Seasick’ & More"
''The Film Stage'', September 10, 2013. The cast also includes David Huband as Geoff's father Mitch, Rosemary Doyle as his mother Cindy,

Paula Brancati Paula Brancati (born June 6, 1989) is a Canadian actress. She is known for her work on Canadian television, including roles on ''Being Erica'', ''Slasher'', ''Dark Oracle'', and most notably for playing Jane Vaughn on '' Degrassi: The Next Gene ...

as his sister Karen, and

Tommie-Amber Pirie Tommie-Amber Pirie is a Canadian actress.Denis Armstrong, "Actress doubles chances". '' Ottawa Sun'', September 11, 2007. She is most noted for her role as Claire in '' Michael: Every Day'', for which she was a Canadian Screen Award nominee for Be ...

as his vampire friend Kezia. Prior to making the film, LaLonde talked to LGBTQ friends to ensure that he as a straight man was representing the process of coming out honestly and accurately. The film premiered at the

2013 Toronto International Film Festival The 38th annual Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between September 5 and 15, 2013. '' The Fifth Estate'' was selected as the opening film and '' Life of Crime'' was the closing film. 75 films were ...

."TIFF 2013: Focus On: Short Cuts Canada"
''That Shelf'', September 3, 2013.

Critical response

Jared Mobarak of ''The Film Stage'' wrote that "Lalonde keenly includes the stereotypical indifference of a sibling unfazed by contemporary times, the cautiously accepting Dad attempting to retain a level of machismo over his empathy, and an over-zealous Mom going above and beyond the call of duty. Underneath the humor of this outlandishly supernatural situation, though, lies the truth that caring families will never change as a result of such revelations. They’ll love you for who you are no matter what. The real question is whether or not you’re ready to admit who you as someone worthy of such love. This is the actual struggle Tompa and Pirie’s performances sell, culminating in an obvious yet necessary punchline that brings us all back to reality." The film publication ''That Shelf'' wrote that "Lalonde gets some great performances from his actors and it has a genuinely funny moment where someone has to work their way out of a lie following a brilliantly dark calling of someone’s bluff, but the ending feels a bit obvious from the start and the film’s final sting leaves a bit of a sour taste on this one."

Awards

The film was a nominee for Best Short Film at the 2014

Directors Guild of Canada The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a Canadian labour union representing more than 5,500 professionals from 48 different occupations in the Canadian film and television industry. Founded in 1962, the DGC represents directors, editors, assistant ...

awards.Pat Mullen
"'The Grand Seduction' and 'Enemy' Lead Directors Guild of Canada Awards Nominations"
''Cinemablographer'', June 19, 2014.

References

External links

* 2013 films 2013 short films 2013 LGBT-related films Canadian comedy short films Canadian drama short films Canadian comedy-drama films Canadian vampire films Canadian LGBT-related films LGBT-related short films LGBT-related comedy-drama films English-language Canadian films Films directed by Jeremy Lalonde 2010s English-language films 2010s Canadian films {{2010s-Canada-film-stub