"Why was I listening to the story about the childhood of a stranger? And then I realised I wasn’t. I was listening to my story and that of some of my friends. Of course, not every situation fit my life, but I immediately figured out that this is not just the story of one man – this was the stories of many men around the world. And each story is different, but they also all have their similarities."

       -Out.bg

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Boys of My Youth is an autobiographical visual essay and documentary that explores the relationship between sexuality and memory from a gay perspective. Through eerie iPhone photographs of empty high school hallways and dimly lit locker rooms, the film reflects on the narrator's teenage sexual obsession with varsity players and the consequences of sexual repression. How much do our earliest crushes and sexual fantasies inform our future relationships? What effect does unrequited obsession have on gay men with little opportunity to explore sexuality?​

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OFFICIAL SELECTION:

Sidewalk Film Festival, 2019

Experimental Forum, 2019

Los Angeles Underground Film Festival, Honorable Mention, 2019

Berlin Flash Film Festival, 2018 - Documentary Short Winner

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Starring Dayne Catalano

Written, Produced, Directed, Edited, and Scored by Christian Meola

 

2018