David Cho is in that curious threshold between late teens and manhood. He lives in a tight-knit, traditional home in the heart of Koreatown, Los Angeles, with his first-generation parents. David works at the family restaurant, but business is slow and the restaurant is forced to close. His mother, Soyoung, finds another waitressing gig, but his unemployed father, Jin, begins to spiral downward. As the patriarchal balance teeters, tension builds at home. Appeasing his mother, David pretends to go to SAT classes but secretly takes a job at a Korean spa to help his family make ends meet. At the spa, he discovers an underground world of gay sex that scares the hell out of him but also really excites him. As David dares to explore his sexuality, his family life crumbles, forcing him to reconcile his own desires with his parents’ hopes, dreams, and expectations. Joe Seo shines in the role of David, as he grapples with a percolating yet forbidden sexual awakening. With this feature debut, writer/director Andrew Ahn, like his main character, is on the brink of something big. Description courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival. Joe Seo was the winner of the US Dramatic Special Jury Award for Breakthrough Performance.

'Blush' (Hebrew: ברש - 'Barash') is a 2015 Israeli drama film about teenage lesbian girls. It explores the life of Naama Barash, a 17-year-old girl who enjoys alcohol, drugs, and partying with friends. Her routine life changes dramatically when she meets Dana, a new girl at school, leading her into a whirlwind of emotions and experiences, including the vibrant party scene of Tel Aviv and new realms of drug culture.

Expanding his 2010 short to feature length, director Daniel Ribeiro has fashioned a magnificent film about teenage love and friendship. Leo and Giovana are best pals, who spend time sunning themselves by the pool and wondering about their futures. As a blind kid who craves his independence, Leo is feeling stifled by his well-meaning parents and hopes to study abroad. Giovana just wants a date—preferably with the recently arrived Gabriel, with his good taste in music and aloof charm. A school project pairs the two boys, and Gabriel is effortlessly welcomed into Leo’s friendship with Giovana. The dynamics change, however, when sexuality enters the picture. As Gabriel and Leo spend an increasing amount of time together, Giovana feels like she’s losing both her best friend and her potential new boyfriend. In the meantime, Leo realizes a growing romantic attachment for the mysterious Gabriel, and a big school party brings all of these tensions to a boil. Throughout the film, Ribeiro is beautifully attuned to the temperaments of his characters and charts their mood swings perfectly. He is similarly expert in portraying the ebb and flow of youthful friendships, and the way romantic attraction can sneak in and overwhelm the unprepared. The Way He Looks is warm, funny, and remarkably well acted—and one of the best film about boys in love since Beautiful Thing.