In a Heartbeat

"A closeted boy runs the risk of being outed by his own heart after it pops out of his chest to chase down the boy of his dreams."

On July 31, 2017, an animated short film called In a Heartbeat was released on YouTube. The film is focused around a boy named Sherwin as he tries not to let his heart chase after another boy, Jonathan.

Prior to its release, the film was much-anticipated by viewers because it is currently very rare for animations and films to portray young LGBTQ+ children, and therefore would be revolutionary for doing so. The film would also be accessible to all kinds of people because it is free to view and has no words, so it can be viewed by people of all social classes and languages.

The film was created by Beth David and Esteban Bravo, both graduates of Ringling College of Art and Design, for their senior thesis. In order to cover funding for a soundtrack, the pair began a Kickstarter on November 15, 2016 with a goal of $3,000 and a stretch goal of $5,000. At the end of the funding period, $14,191 were donated - nearly three times the original goal!

As of August 2017, the film has accumulated over 28 million views on YouTube. You can watch it here.