It’s a hot and sultry New York summer. Handsome Latinx barber Quique comes from a super macho Brooklyn world where the men are men and barbershops like his are the heterosexual ground zero. But when Quique crosses paths with a handsome visiting Irish stranger, the edges of this world begin to fray for Quique as he becomes tangled in the complexity of balancing two distinct lives. The result is a sexually charged odyssey of self-discovery and inescapable attraction.

This is the long-awaited feature from Dennis Shinners based on the acclaimed short of the same name, and it is definitely worth the wait. As director Shinners confesses, Barrio Boy is “a bittersweet love letter to hookups, breakups, dustups and fuckups.” The charismatic central performances, the rough exciting city setting, and the truly sexy pairing between the male leads makes for a pretty much perfect summer night of heartfelt homoerotic viewing.

IFI Age Recommendation: 18+

PRE-FEATURE SHORT

IMPASSE
Nicolas Reza
16 mins, Poland, 2023

After Piotrek is attacked by a group of guys from his school, a taxi driver named Arek helps him home–but during their journey, Arek makes Piotrek an offer that will change his night, if not his life.

This feature and short are screening as part of GAZE 2023.