Shelter

I'm previewing a disc version for the Brisbane Queer Film Festival where Shelter screens on Saturday 24th May 2008. Even in this low res screener, Shelter shines as a film with huge heart, and one that's been made with equal care by the actors and all of the film-makers.

It's not at all like the angst-ridden abomination of a gay surf flick "Tan Lines". Surfing is simply a fact of life element in "Shelter" - it's not used or abused as a device.

"Shelter" is a beautifully edited, spectacular looking and luscious sounding film which is definitely character driven. Each of the main characters is carefully developed so that we quite soon decide that we really do care about Zach, his young nephew Cody and Zach's love interest, Shaun. We want things to work out for them.

We understand that Zach is in a bind - he's allowed himself to be the physical and emotional anchor for a progressively more dysfunctional family, but we know that he deserves much better life options. The writers and director of Shelter have done a fantastic job - not a look or word is wasted, and yet the whole pace of the film is very relaxed.

"Shelter" deserves every accolade that any individual or Festival might care to bestow.

Straight audiences must find "Shelter" to be equally rewarding. The film's theme is, after all, about love, honour and commitment. What could be more wholesome than that?

I attended the Outfest screening for this film last night and was mightily and pleasantly surprised. I'd read the descriptive blurb in the Outfest program and thought "Yeah, whatever...a surfer film." But it was at the John Ford Amphitheatre, my favorite festival venue, which, frankly, was my main reason to go last night. Within the first ten minutes, the venue was quite secondary. I was easily drawn into the story and found myself deeply moved soon in. Having grown up in small town America, the story held a profound resonance for me. Yet, even if that is not your particular experience, this film defies you not to be moved. If you are looking for imperfection here, you will find it. If you allow yourself to be engaged in the story, you won't be disappointed. This one will be with me for a while.

What an amazing movie about love, family, and relationships. It was great to watch a film that used characters that stepped outside of the gay stereotypes seen in most films. It was even better to see a movie that focused on the love (rather than the sex) between the two lead characters.

While there are some scenes that scream "low budget," the end product as a whole was very rewarding. The acting, writing, and directing were all solid.

After so many disappointing gay films, I'm thrilled to have a movie like this come along. If this is a sign of things to come in gay cinema, then I am excited about future films. If you haven't seen "Shelter" yet, go give it watch. You'll be glad you did. Enjoy.

I only recently found out about this movie and I'm so glad I did! The movie is so amazing and inspiring to watch. It is a great film and I would urge people to watch it if they have no already. However, if you like huge box office smashers with plenty of action, this movie is not for you. It's so true to real life and has the ability to inspire others. The storyline is very simple yet so interesting and moving. It's a simple movie with a beautiful meaning behind it and I'm so happy I got to see it. It is now definitely one of my best movies and I wish more people would make movies like this, instead of all the non meaningful rubbish thats out there today. I really do recommend people to watch it, especially if you are thinking about it, it is worth it and you will hopefully enjoy it as much as I did!

This film is inspiring and the acting is superb. Trevor Wright does an amazing job in making us believe he is struggling to be everything to his family while dealing with his sexuality. Brad Rowe is also incredible. Casting him with Trevor was perfect. They are a true couple in this story. Jonah will go far in his career if he continues to make outstanding films like this one! Nice job to here! Networks for producing such quality work. I would like to know how Jonah came up with the idea for Shelter? As the film gets distributed in theaters, I also hope it makes it to GLBT youth programs so that young audiences can see this film, and be proud of who they are.