Straight Up

James Sweeney knocks it out of the park with his feature debut, a true discovery piled high with razor-sharp one-liners delivered at light-speed. Sweeney stars as Todd, a hyper-articulate, obsessive-compulsive gay man in Los Angeles whose multiple insecurities around dating and sex lead him to a baffling conclusion: He might not be gay at all. Despite all evidence to the contrary and against the advice of his closest friends, Todd is determined to give dating women a try. Enter Rory (Katie Findlay), an aspiring actress hitting a personal and professional wall. Unable to land either a role or a decent human connection, she wonders whether she’s operating on a higher intellectual plane than her peers or if she’s just too stubborn to play everyone else’s game. A latter-day Tracy and Hepburn, the two hit it off and start dating — but how long can a relationship last that’s all stimulating talk and no actual touch? (Outfest Los Angeles)