Descriptions:
An award-winning LGBTQ+ romantic drama about love, regret, and second chances, set entirely at a silent retreat.
Starring JJ Bozeman and Addy Marsh.
Official selection at DC Shorts, Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, KASHISH Mumbai, Cinema Diverse Palm Springs, OutSouth, and more.
When Jerome runs into his old flame, Luke, at – of all places – a silent retreat, their past threatens to unravel his present.
“A fantastic showcase of subtle, silent acting… Loving Silence exemplifies the power of storytelling that makes shorts so special.” — Metro Weekly
(https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/09/dc-shorts-film-festival-2025/)
Website: https://www.lovingsilencefilm.com
Instagram: @lovingsilencefilm
Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/film/loving-silence/
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32907221/?ref_=pro_tt_visitcons
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LOVING SILENCE (2024) was a small but meaningful endeavor – a true labor of love – with a small self-funded budget, created in collaboration with a tiny-but-mighty team who all believe in its story. The project is a proof of concept for a feature written in 2023, which in its making demonstrated its own merits as a stand-alone piece.
The core production team was only five people: myself (writer, director, producer), Jett Cain (the director of photography), Colin Barry-Jester (production sound), Claire Bridget Martin (actor and production coordinator), JJ Bozeman (lead actor) and Addy Marsh (lead actor) and we only had about two days to shoot on location on the grounds of Gather Greene in upstate New York in April of 2024. I genuinely believe what we were able to achieve with a strong but bare bones crew, in such a short window of time is remarkable.
The vision was to tell a truly unique queer love story – one rich with humor and catharsis, staged in an unusual and visually striking setting – with almost no dialogue. The final product, I believe, delivers on that premise and proves this story not only works, but offers something truly fresh.
Since shooting it, it’s been on a whirlwind of a journey, showcasing at film festivals between 2024 – 2026 in New York (Hudson Film Festival, ArtsFest Film Festival [WINNER: Best Director, Best Picture, NOMINATED: Best Cinematography, Best Performance], Peekskill Film Festival), California (Cinema Diverse Palm Springs LGBTQ Film Festival), Minnesota (Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival), North Carolina (OutSouth Queer Film Festival, Flourish at Charlotte Pride), Washington D.C. (DC Shorts International Film Festival), and Mumbai, India (KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival).
Whether you discovered the film through a festival screening or are watching it here for the first time, thank you for giving it your time.
Thank you,
Nick Perlman
Writer/Director
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Written, Directed, Produced & Edited by
Nick Perlman (www.nickperlman.com, @nickperlman)
Starring
JJ Bozeman
Addy Marsh
Claire Bridget Martin
Cinemtography by
Jett Cain
Production Sound by
Colin Barry-Jester
Production Coordinator
Claire Bridget Martin
Production Design
Adri Ramdeane
Original Score by
Nick Perlman
Music:
”same old songs (florida)”
Written and performed by There Is No Escape And There Never Was
Composed by
Paul Masbad
Retreat Attendees:
Jackie Brown
Nicole Chu
Kyle Creaven
Alyson Inouye
Seth Nicholson
Savannah Smith
Eric Zhinin
A very special thanks to:
Gather Greene
Amna Ali
Jackie Brown
Annalise Capano
Kara Polito
Precious Taylor
Catered generously by
Wunderbar Bistro,
Hudson, NY
Special thanks to:
Jan Baerts
Justin Brenneman
Rebecca Brewer
Raphael Brito
Alexander Chard
Joyce Cohen
Dustin Lee
Lulenoxx
Erin Fischer
Robert Freedman
Che Figata
Sara Eklund
Lana Marks
Jon Marquez
Allison Mattox
Sydney Oliver
Karen Perlman
Lowell Perlman
Matija Sraj
Dave Valeza
Copyright (c) 2024
#LovingSilence #LovingSilenceFilm
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#LGBTQFilm #QueerCinema #GayRomance #QueerStorytelling #Pride #queerfilm #queer #lgbtqromance #queerstories #Gay
#SilentRetreat #LoveStory #RomanticDrama