Man Cured

  • Director

    Kyle Heiner, Johan T. Anderson

  • Country, Year, Length

    United States, 2025, 17:55

  • Category

    LGBTQIA+ Short

  • Format

    Digital

  • Festival Year

    2025

Synopsis

Lucas—an insecure, in-the-closet 22 year old—is stuck babysitting for a well off Brooklyn family to get by. On any other Friday evening, he arrives to watch Freud, a precocious 7 year old. Only there’s one problem: a new babysitter, Frankie, is already there. What happens as a chance occurrence between two young men spirals into a weekend of self-discovery and acceptance. Being bold doesn’t always mean being loud.

Film Screening & Ticket Information

When & Where to See this Film!

…COMING SOON…

Film Information

From the Director

Director Statement

Man Cured explores the first steps of coming out. Being lent a hand after that pure moment of recognition. It’s a queer becoming of a coming of age. Self-acceptance looks different for everyone and for Lucas, he discovers being bold doesn’t always mean being loud.

This story is near and dear to my heart. I wrote it after I moved to Brooklyn and found a community. Someone saw me for who I am, and I’ve done the same for others. This tale speaks softly, but resonates deeply—and that’s exactly how we brought it to life.

Director Biography

Kyle Heiner is a copywriter, creative director, and now filmmaker. This is his first short film.

Born in Phoenix, raised in Portland, and now living in Brooklyn, he’s worked for brands such as HBO, Starbucks, Stella Artois, DQ, Urban Decay and more. He grew up acting in theater productions, vlogging on Youtube, and creating shorts with his friends through college.

Johan T. Anderson is a filmmaker, independent commercial director & creative director originally from the border of North Dakota and Minnesota. He has written and directed pieces for some of the most iconic brands in the world including Samsung, Starbucks, Converse and Google. He is a former Art Director in the NYC advertising agency world.

His work has won multiple awards including Webby Awards, Telly Awards, Addy Awards, Drum Awards, Shorty Awards and Hatch Awards.

Credits

    • Kyle Heiner
      Director
    • Johan T. Anderson
      Director
    • Kyle Heiner
      Writer
    • Alex Hilliard
      Producer
    • Ernest Allen
      Key Cast
      “Lucas”
    • Logan Thomason
      Key Cast
      “Frankie”
    • Arielle Tillett
      Key Cast
      “Delphine”
    • Presley Forbes
      Key Cast
      “Freud”
    • Joseph Rodriguez
      Key Cast
      “Max”
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