Well howdy, partner!
In the rural town of Paradise, Arkansas, the lonely Tyler (John Brodsky) spends his nights working at the musty Western bar The Hideaway, slinging drinks and teaching the locals line-dancing.
And he spends his even-later-nights swiping through Grindr, scrolling throughs photos of bodies miles and miles away, only occasionally arranging a quick, no-strings-attached hookup.
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Until, one day, Tyler recognizes a tall, dark, and handsome man on the grid, someone he’s definitely seen before…
Enter hot-shot actor Raphael (Gabriel Leyva), in the area to shoot his next project, a Western. Naturally, a lot of locals are excited to see some of that Hollywood sparkle in their small-town.
But Tyler feels something even deeper drawing him to the charismatic movie star. So, when Raphael unexpectedly turn up in his bar, these two strangers finds themselves careening toward a showdown that could knock their boots off.
Some Kind Of Paradise is a Western-tinged romantic drama from emerging queer filmmaker Nicholas Finegan (co-written by Talisha Elger) that explores that pit-in-your-stomach feeling you get when someone comes along and throws your whole life off-balance.
Sexy, sensitive, and lit by the neons of the saloon, the short film packs quite a gut-punch in just 21minutes, as the whirlwind fling with Raphael just might be what the reclusive Tyler needs to let his guard down a bit.
This cowboy built a solitary life for himself on purpose… but what if we’re not meant to be so alone?
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Finegan’s film made its debut last fall at AFI Fest in Los Angeles, before touring the U.S. festival circuit, including most recently Miami OUTshine, where it won the Jury Award for Best Short Film.
Next, Some Kind Of Paradise heads to NYC’s prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, where it’ll screen as part of the Queer Shorts program—just in time for Pride Month!
On social media, the director shared his excitement over the film’s upcoming bow at Tribeca, writing: “I definitely still can’t believe it, but am overwhelmed with love and pride for the people that helped me bring this sweaty dusty love story into existence.”
If you’re in the NYC area, you can catch Some Kind Of Paradise in the “Shorts: It’s Complicated” programming block screening on June 6, 11, 15, and 16—more information here.
And check out the appropriately “sweaty, dusty” trailer for the short film below:
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