The upcoming short film Eklipse is set to tackle a deeply personal and painful subject: the social ostracism a teenager experiences after his father is diagnosed with what the community cruelly calls “the gay disease.” Directed by Jessa Doydora and running just eight minutes, the film stars Migo Morales and Glenn Villaplando in a narrative that promises raw emotional weight, and Hollywood Buzz News has secured an exclusive first look at a clip from the project.
The story centers on a young man who suddenly finds himself facing silence and outright rejection from those around him once word spreads about his father’s condition. It’s a tale rooted in stigma, fear, and the isolating ripple effects of prejudice, told through the lens of a family caught in the crossfire of ignorance. While the film’s official synopsis - described in its metadata as “a story about an industrious farmer and a deceptive monkey” - might suggest a fable-like or allegorical approach, the exclusive clip indicates a more grounded, somber tone than that logline implies. That disconnect between the official summary and the emotional core of the scene hints at a work that layers metaphor over a stark, human reality.
In the newly released footage, the weight of the situation is palpable. Morales’ character appears withdrawn, carrying the burden of his father’s diagnosis while navigating a world that has turned its back on him. Villaplando’s presence, presumably as the father, looms over the narrative even in his absence from the frame, a reminder of the familial bond now strained by external judgment. The clip captures a quiet moment of isolation, with sparse dialogue and heavy silences doing much of the storytelling - a choice that aligns with the film’s title, which evokes an eclipse, a moment of darkness and concealment.
Doydora, who also serves as director, appears to be exploring how shame and secrecy can warp relationships, particularly within a community that responds to illness with condemnation rather than compassion. The phrase “the gay disease” is not shied away from; it’s a blunt, cruel label that underscores the homophobia and medical misinformation at the heart of the conflict. By placing a teenager at the center, Eklipse examines how generational attitudes can poison the next generation’s ability to offer support, leaving young people to grapple with emotions they’re ill-equipped to process alone.
The film’s brief runtime of eight minutes suggests a tightly wound, concentrated piece - likely a festival-circuit short designed to provoke conversation. With a TMDb rating of 0/10, the project has yet to generate public critical consensus, but that’s expected for a film still making its rounds through early screenings. What’s clear is that Eklipse isn’t aiming for easy entertainment; it’s targeting a visceral response, using its limited time to press on a wound that many families know all too well.
Morales and Villaplando carry the dramatic load, and from the clip alone, their dynamic feels fraught with unspoken tension. The teenager’s struggle isn’t just about his father’s health - it’s about his own place in a social circle that has decided his family is tainted. The “silence” mentioned in the film’s description is likely both literal and figurative: the quiet of conversations that stop when he enters a room, and the emotional freeze that follows him home.
As of now, release details for Eklipse remain unknown, leaving audiences to wonder where the short will premiere. Given its subject matter and format, it feels tailor-made for LGBTQ+ film festivals, human rights showcases, or any platform willing to confront uncomfortable truths about stigma and illness. The film doesn’t offer easy answers in the preview, opting instead to sit in the discomfort of a son watching his world collapse around him.
For those following independent cinema, Eklipse stands out for its willingness to name a slur and then examine its aftermath in stark, unvarnished terms. Doydora has crafted a piece that feels both intimate and urgent, a snapshot of a family under siege from the outside and, perhaps, from within. The exclusive clip suggests a director in control of her visual language, using pauses and glances to convey more than dialogue could.
Hollywood Buzz News will continue to track Eklipse as more details emerge about its release path. For now, the film offers a sobering reminder of how words and silence can wound as deeply as any virus - and how a young person’s fight for acceptance often begins long before anyone offers a helping hand.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
