Ethan leads a double life: a socially awkward college student by day and a bold, glamorous drag queen by night. However, when his school crush, Kekoa, enters the picture, Ethan's carefully balanced existence unravels. As his two worlds collide, he must confront his fear of change to win the heart of the boy of his dreams.

Director Biography - Tony Dia

Tony Dia is a first-generation Filipino-American living in Hawaiʻi. His mission in life is to serve as a platform for the stories of local POC and queer communities through film.

Director Statement

I find that LGBTQ+ media is heavy on the trauma of growing up queer. Though I believe it is necessary that those important topics are covered, I had also yearned for something hopeful and lighthearted as a teen. That is why my partner Von Kaʻanāʻanā and I wrote this film. Our community is so vibrant. The art of drag, the unconditional love of chosen family, and the wonderful feeling of belonging. Yes, it is a story about romance, but it is also about the beauty of our people wrapped in the gayest little package of rhinestones and stilettos.

There is one more thing.

At its core, I AM is a love letter to the feeling of a first experience. Whether it’s your first performance, your first friendship, or your first love… this short film aims to capture the magic of a first. And that is something that connects us all, no matter who or where you are.