“Next Year” may be resonating in more ways than the filmmakers originally imagined. A trailer for the short shows Jelani Alladin (“Fellow Travelers) as Robert, a father whose husband has died in a near-future America where “traditional values” have become law and homosexual activity is illegal. Zach Martens (“Sleep No More”) co-stars as Robert’s new love interest. Rounding out the cast is Sherz Aletaha (“First Wives Club”). The trailer explains that queer people have been banned by banks, targeted by police raids at gay bars and are subject to extreme surveillance by the government. “We all know when that asshole won that things would be bad. We had no idea they were going to be this bad,” Robert says in the trailer, after a government official is seen on a video ordering that “all suspicious homosexual activity must be reported immediately.” “Next Year” was written and directed by queer filmmaking duo and Emmy nominees Peter DiMario and Guto Barra. Costumes are by four-time Emmy nominee Joseph La Corte (“Murdaugh: Death in the Family”). “’Next Year’ is a deeply personal and politically resonant film that reflects the challenges facing LGBTQ+ communities today,” a logline of the movies reads. “It serves as both a warning and a testament to the resilience of love in dark times.” The film is currently showing at international film festivals, with the hope of earning an Academy Award qualification for the live-action short film category. Alladin’s credits also include “Tick, Tick. Boom!,’ Michael Schwartz’s short “Strangers on a Beach” with Zane Phillips and Jack Falahee, as well as television’s “Blue Blood” and “The Walking Dead: World Beyond.” DiMario and Bara earned multiple New York Emmy Awards for “Immersive. World” and “Dreams From the Deep End.” DiMario is also a Webby Award winner for “How Art Changed Me,” while Barra, a three-time Emmy recipient, has directed projects for HBO Max, Amazon Studios, Disney+, PBS and more. Their work has screened at MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum.
https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/next-year-trailer-fellow-travelers-star-jaleni-alladin-lgbtq-short-1236587245/
