Shelter

Zach had dreams of a better life: he dreamt of going to art school; he dreamt of leaving his dead end job as a fry cook; and, he dreamt that his sister, Jeannie, and her young son would find someone else to support them. Just a year out of high school, after being turned down by Cal Arts, still cooking away at the restaurant, and constantly having to cancel plans to babysit since Jeannie's social life seems to be more important than her own son – Zach is beginning to think those dreams are dead. Luckily, Zach has two ways to escape his reality: tagging abandoned buildings with his artwork and surfing. It's through the latter that Zach truly feels like himself. By chance, Zach runs into his best friend's older brother, Shaun, who has just moved back from Los Angeles to recover from a bad breakup. Even though Zach is warned that Shaun is “you know, a fag,” they quickly begin to spend as much time as possible together. It's in these moments, beautifully filmed on the beaches of Southern California, that Zach starts to realize who he really is, what love is, and the sacrifices you endure make to make your dreams come true. – W.F.G.