Experiencing Interruptions?

Boy

A young queer man’s encounter with an older stranger exposes the cost of living in the closet.

While housesitting alone, Danny invites an older stranger over for a casual hookup. The charged encounter pushes Danny out of his comfort zone and into a world of confusion, forcing him to face the mismatch between who he is and who he appears to be.

  • Ben Rusnak
    Director
  • Ruth Rusnak
    Director
  • Ben Rusnak
    Writer
  • Ben Rusnak
    Producer
  • Ruth Rusnak
    Producer
  • João Amante
    Producer
  • Arthur O'Kelly
    Key Cast
    "Danny"
    Fireball
  • Abraham Kleinman
    Key Cast
    "Mark"
    Jack the Ripper: Written in Blood, Singlez Party, Silence
  • Lisa Rose
    Key Cast
    "Mum"
    Eleni, What's Your Story?
  • Amy Cash
    Key Cast
    "Nina"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    queer, drama, coming of age
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 5, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    1,200 GBP
  • Country of Origin:
    United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    United Kingdom
  • Language:
    English
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Bristol
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Ben Rusnak, Ruth Rusnak

Ben Rusnak is a filmmaker from London. He has a background in writing and journalism, having published for the JC and the Bristol Epigram. This is his debut short film. His personal writing and film work focus predominantly on the intersection of queer experiences with family and religion. He is currently studying Economics at the University of Bristol.

Ruth Rusnak has a background in directing theatre and has received multiple awards for direction of amateur dramatic productions. She tends to focus on relationships and character-driven plots. Outside of film, she works as a resident doctor in Yorkshire.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

BOY examines how shame can shape identity - particularly for queer people. The story follows Danny, a hesitant young man searching for connection, and Mark, an older, assertive stranger carrying his own experience of repression. The imbalance of their encounter reflects a reality queer people across generations might recognise: the mismatch of intentions and emotional response from one person to another.

As young queer directors, we’ve grown up in the world of online dating and modern hookup culture. While these spaces promise openness and liberation, BOY exposes our experience of the ongoing hidden and internalised homophobia that is still present in the background of an apparent liberal society. The film demonstrates the awkwardness of young, gay attraction, and highlights the nuances of situations like these when it comes to consent, power and expectation.

The film also taps into current issues around sex and relationships education in schools, as well as political hypocrisy - where politicians say and do one thing in their public role and the opposite in their private lives.

For us, sex education at school did not meaningfully address safety and protection when it came to queer relationships, and was instead brushed over. This left us and our queer peers with an uncertainty to be navigated alone. It is this experience that lies at the heart of BOY, informing Danny’s behaviour, and reflecting the quiet shame that can develop when desire exists without guidance.

We believe it is important that queer stories are told, and told by queer people.