Indie teen comedy G.B.F., from director Darren Stein (best known for the film Jawbreaker), opens in select theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta today as well as playing on video on demand and iTunes nationwide. G.B.F. will roll out to additional theaters in New York City, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego on January 24.Check out the trailer below.
The film follows Tanner (Michael J. Willett, United States of Tara) and Brent (Paul Iacono, The Hard Times of R.J. Berger), two closeted best friends trying to survive high school. Brent thinks coming out will be his ticket to becoming high school royalty as the "gay best friend (or G.B.F.)" of the popular girls, while Tanner just wants to graduate without being noticed. The boys must decide what is really important to them when Tanner accidentally comes out instead of Brent. The attention goes to Tanner's head as popular girls compete to be his best friend.
"School can be a difficult and alienating time for LGBT youth as G.B.F. definitely demonstrates, but the film also uses humor and wit to satirize the high school experience while demonstrating the importance of being true to yourself and supporting your friends. That's a message all young people could benefit from," said GLAAD spokesperson Wilson Cruz.
The film's star-studded cast includes Megan Mullaly (Will & Grace), Natasha Lyonne (Orange is the New Black, But I'm a Cheerleader!), Sasha Pieterse (Pretty Little Liars), Andrea Bowen (Desperate Housewives), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), and Evanna Lynch (the Harry Potter films).
G.B.F. first debuted at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival and has been consistently screening at international, regional, and LGBT film festivals around the world since then, receiving rave reviews along the way. Moviegoers can follow G.B.F. on Twitter @GBFmovie and with hashtag #GBFMovie. The film's Facebook page delivers behind-the-scenes interviews and pictures as well. Look for it on DVD from Vertical Entertainment on February 11.