Auto Body

Brights lights and small crowds adorn the stages of the Queens, New York drag scene that an eager Acceleratah begs to shine on - and with the Birth Ball approaching, her opportunity to is closer than ever. But as Sebastian, their dreams are shrouded by their father, Manuel, and his auto repair shop. Throughout the summer of 2011, the two face the struggle of their hustles head on and, with the help of chosen family, have to use a little grime and a lot of glitter to find acceptance and success.

  • Gabriel "Flashpaper" Cavounis
    Director
  • Gabriel "Flashpaper" Cavounis
    Writer
  • Michael Cavounis
    Producer
  • Nelson Ayala
    Producer
  • George Soto
    Producer
  • Gabriel "Flashpaper" Cavounis
    Producer
  • Show Dolliana
    Key Cast
    "Sebastian / Acceleratah"
  • Mario Marin
    Key Cast
    "Manuel"
  • Genesis Mancheren Abaj
    Key Cast
    "Paola"
    And Just Like That...
  • Robert Garcia
    Key Cast
    "Lady Noche"
  • Billy Soco
    Key Cast
    "Francis"
  • Diego B Garcia
    Assistant Directors
  • Ania Jackson
    Assistant Directors
  • Yan "Gringo" Simas
    Cinematography
  • Myles Caba
    Cinematography
  • Jai Jackson
    Cinematography
  • Gabriel "Flashpaper" Cavounis
    Editor
  • Reuben Rogak
    Additonal Editing Contributions
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    27 minutes 40 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    April 29, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English, Spanish
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - School of Visual Arts
Director Biography - Gabriel "Flashpaper" Cavounis

from Queens, New York - with nearly a decade of film & media experience and education, Gabriel has fiercely documented his own coming-of-age through narrative concepts that delve into the experiences of loss, grief, love, and self-triumph. Now, his growing body of work concentrates on his identity as a gay Latiné observer of New York City through stories and concepts that articulate the metamorphosis of the self through its own myriad of cross-sections that he continues to discover. Like his moniker and namesake of newfound Flashpaper Films, Gabriel’s ultimate prospect is to cherish and elevate other creative voices from his communities in parading that diversity in film - in all of its bright and blazing glory - will forever be the moment.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

As a young spectator of my own community, AUTO BODY is the magnum opus that reflects the complexities that I witnessed when coming into my own and realizing it was just scratching the paint compared to my counterparts' experiences. My hope is for audiences to see this generational and social dissonance, resonate with that pain, and come together through heartache, love, and a damn fierce lipsync.