In Todd Graff’s beloved 2003 coming-of-age comedy, a diverse group of mostly queer kids set off for a musical theater camp in upstate New York, where they plan to spend the summers putting on productions of beloved musicals. But when an “honest-to-god straight-boy” named Vlad boards the bus, he becomes the object of multiple crushes and the backstage drama begins! As the summer rolls along, each camper struggles to deal with their own personal problems, including disapproving parents, self-image issues, mental health and of course, first love! Anna Kendrick, Robin DeJesus, and Tiffany Taylor are just a few of the young show-stoppers in this charming queering of the “summer camp” teen movie subgenre. Our guest presenter for the evening is critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter Shamir, who calls the film one of his “comfort movies,” writing, “Although I wasn’t a theater kid, I still found myself resonating with the kids in the film.”

Shamir on CAMP:

“I selected CAMP as my film because it’s one of my comfort movies. I came across this movie as a young queer in high school nearly a decade after its release. Although I wasn’t a theater kid, I still found myself resonating with the kids in the film. I instantly found it refreshing to see a young adult film full of queer characters that was tragic, as well as being uplifted by their allies and Peers.”

Queer|Art|Film is supported by HBO and presented in partnership with IFC.