Shortbus

Written and directed by John Cameron Mitchell, Shortbus explores the lives of several characters living in present-day New York as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex. Male and female, straight and gay, the characters find one and other -- and eventually find themselves � when they all converge at a weekly underground salon called �Shortbus,� a mad nexus of art, music, politics, and polysexual carnality. Mitchell developed the film�s story along with his ensemble cast, all of whom are making their feature film debuts, and who were selected after submitting videotaped interviews/auditions in response to a well-publicized open casting call posted on a website. Over a half million people visited the website and nearly 500 people sent in tapes before the final seven leading performers/characters were selected to workshop the storyline with Mitchell.