Based on first-time filmmaker Mark Blane’s own life, Cubby tells a funny and surreal tale of a young and woefully immature gay illustrator (played by Blane himself) who makes his way from his mom’s garage in Indiana to Brooklyn without a clue how to sustain himself or foster basic relationships. Alone and penniless, Mark wedges his way into his old college roommate’s crammed apartment, taking a job as a part-time babysitter. Struggling to bond with his temperamental flatmates and comically ill-equipped to even respond to flirtations from a cute neighborhood boy, Mark finds a sweet and unusual kinship in two individuals: the energetic six-year-old he babysits who ignites his creativity and a mystical leather daddy (Christian Patrick, Interior. Leather Bar., Frameline37) who becomes a bit of a spiritual guide for Mark.

Lovingly shot on 16mm, Cubby’s dreamy aesthetic and animated flourishes perfectly blend with hilarious and poignant moments as we follow a young queer artist’s bumpy journey to find his place in the world. The terrific ensemble cast also includes Lucy DeVito (Curmudgeons, Frameline41), Zachary Booth (Keep the Lights On, Frameline36), and a memorable Patricia Richardson (giving major Lady Bird vibes) as Mark’s mother.