FIFF Presents: Bookends w/ short film Affirmation

When Nate (Noam Ash) is forced to leave his fabulous city life behind and move in with his grandparents after a bad breakup. 4:30 PM BOOKENDS 2026 | USA | 99 MIN When Nate (Noam Ash) is forced to leave his fabulous city life behind and move in with his grandparents after a bad breakup with his boyfriend, he is determined to escape the confines of retirement community life and his meddlesome grandparents’ relentless attempts to ‘improve’ him. But when his Holocaust-surviving grandfather, Saul (F. Murray Abraham), shows signs of cognitive decline and his grandmother, Miriam (Caroline Aaron), refuses to acknowledge her husband’s early dementia, Nate finds himself torn between his desire to flee, family responsibilities, and an unexpected romance with his grandparents’ handsome doctor (Charlie Barnett). DIRECTOR MIKE DOYLE WRITER NOAM ASH PRODUCERS ALON SHTRUZMAN, SCOTT EINBINDER, NOAM ASH, HENRY RUSSELL BERGSTEIN, WARREN OSTERGARD EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS SCOTT KRIEGER, CHAD E. BROWN, GIL GOLDSCHEIN, NOAH EISENBERG, NICOLE EISENBERG, STANFORD BROWN, NICK FRANCESCON, DEBORAH SHMUELI, ODED SHMUELI, C. GRAHAM BERWIND III, ELENI GIANULIS-VERMEER, REBECCA GOLD, SHIRA MILIKOWSKY, S. ASHER GELMAN, STEFANO MILICI, F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, CAROLINE AARON, MIKE DOYLE, CHARLIE BARNETT ORIGINAL MUSIC BY DABNEY MORRIS CAST F. MURRAY ABRAHAM, CAROLINE AARON, NOAM ASH, CHARLIE BARNETT Shoirt film : AFFIRMATION Affirmation When a trans guy and a queer guy embark on a first date, their spontaneous moments of affirmation lead to gender euphoria and joy. When Xavier meets Sebastien at a local cafe, he doesn't know how his first date after bottom surgery will go. As sparks fly in the cafe, Xavier decides to take his date to an unexpected location, a famous bathroom that celebrates gender euphoria. Affirmation is the first film to feature a trans man with lower dysphoria who has had access to gender-affirming care. Director Biography - Christopher Vallario Christopher Vallario (he/him) is a trans masculine writer, director, and producer who aims for everyone to see themselves on screen. He collaborates to create diverse stories that celebrate life, especially transgender, Black, brown, and indigenous lives. He has earned screenwriting awards from the Film Empire Diversity Mentorship, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices, Los Angeles International Screenplay, ScreenCraft TV Pilot, the Launch Pad Pilot Competition, the Los Angeles Film, Big Apple Film, the Made in New York Writers room, and NYC International Screenplay. He's an educator and professional writing consultant. Director Statement I wanted to have gender-affirming care as the writing on the wall and through Keith Haring's "Once Upon a Time mural," it's made possible. This film is for everybody. Trans people are not a threat. When the trans community is under attack, especially for the most marginalized within it, it is important for me to use my visibility to create real change. This work moves away from stereotypes and toward self-love and liberation. Affirmation shows what’s possible for a trans masculine man today, celebrating gender-euphoria as a slice of life in NYC. It is also a testament to the joys of trans masculine embodiment, which is oftentimes rarely seen in transgender narratives. DIRECTOR & WRITER: Christopher Vallario PRODUCERS ALON SHTRUZMAN, SCOTT EINBINDER, NOAM ASH, HENRY RUSSELL BERGSTEIN, WARREN OSTERGARD PRODUCERS Tony Zosherafatain, Hutch Shea Hutchinson, Chris Ungco, Emmett Preciado CAST Emmett Preciado, Leo Sheng, Trey Jordan DIRECTOR OF PHOTGRAPHY Easton Carter Angle