Toto Forever (2010)

Toto Forever, also known in Spanish as Toto Para Siempre or Siempre Toto, is a 2010 drama short film directed by Roberto F. Canuto and written by Canuto and Xu Xiaoxi. The film participates in over 30 international film festivals, mainly of LGBT theme, winning awards including Best Film. It is considered Cult film in many circles, after becoming a Classic in the underground Gay Cinema with many screenings around the globe.

Toto Forever is a fable in which the feelings and emotions are always fully exposed, with a very poetic and symbolic narrative, and aesthetic with strong influences from the Yaoi ("Boys Love", a type of Japanese anime). The film tells the love story between the young postman Toto, that dreams to start a new life, and the gangster Mark, that is in deep trouble with a mafia group. Even suffering all the adversity, Toto will never lose the "hope".

The film premiered at the 2010 Kashish Mumbai International Film Festival, first LGBT festival in India organised after "Delhi High Court court ruling decriminalised homosexual intercourse between consenting adults". Toto Forever was at the opening ceremony, being the first film ever screened at the event. Also it was invited at the opening ceremony in Panama, at the 3rd LesGayCinePTY, the most important gay film event in the country, where it obtain the Best Film award. At the South Asian Premier, in Indonesia's Q! Film Festival, the projections suffer serious incidents when radical Muslims demonstrators, from the "Islamic Defenders Front" and groups of extremist from the Indonesian University, attend the venue with weapons and demand to stop the projections, threaten with burn the cinemas. Toto Forever screened in many other venues around the World, receiving other recognitions. like the nomination for Best Cinematography at the Kodak Scholarship awards in USA, 2009.

Synopsis

While delivering a package, the young postman Toto (Kylan James) discovers an injured man laying next to an inground pool and tends to his wounds. Mark (Kjord Davis) is in trouble with the mob and the two men decide to flee together. While resting on the side of the road, Toto gazes longingly at the handsome fugitive. He touches the sleeping man's hand and leans over to kiss him... and is surprised when the kiss is returned.