Shortbus

Shortbus is a comedic drama written and directed by Hedwig and the Angry Inch star and director John Cameron Mitchell. The film focuses on the intertwined sexual lives of New Yorkers who visit an erotic club known as Shortbus.

Fast Facts

1. Production Company: Fortissimo Films, Process Productions, Q Television
2. Released by THINKFilm
3. Budget: $2 million
4. Gross: $5 million
5. Cast: Sook-Yin Lee, Paul Dawson, Lindsay Beamish and PJ DeBoy
6. Release Date: May 20, 2006 (Cannes Film Festival)
7. Mitchell received over 500 submission tapes from actors
8. Story was crafted by Mitchell over 2 1/2 years of improv workshops with the cast

Making Of

Five hundred audition tapes came in through an online open call which eventually led to improv auditions for 40 actors. Out of those 40, 9 were chosen as the cast. Over the course of 2 1/2 years the cast explored the story in improvisation workshops as Mitchell wrote the script from the material generated during those sessions.

Real Sexual Situations

According to Mitchell, most of the sexual situations in the film are not simulated. As indicated in one of the final scenes in the film, real orgasms occur as well as Mitchell participating in a final orgy scene performing oral sex on a woman.

Principal Cast

• • Sook-Yin Lee as Sofia Lin
  • Paul Dawson as James Baysden
  • PJ DeBoy as Jamie
  • Lindsay Beamish as Severin
  • Raphael Barker as Rob
  • Jay Brannan as Ceth
  • Peter Stickles as Caleb, the Stalker
  • Justin Bond as Himself (Mistress of Shortbus)
  • Alan Mandell as Tobias, the Mayor
  • Adam Hardman as Jesse, the John
  • Ray Rivas as Shabbos Goy
  • Daniela Sea as Little Prince
  • Shanti Carson and Jan Hilmer as Leah and Nick, "The Beautiful Couple"
  • Miriam Shor as Cheryl
  • Justin Hagan as Brad
  • The Hungry March Band as Themselves
  • John Cameron Mitchell (director cameo) as Sextra

Categories