WATCH: When exes shack up, things get messy in this touching indie rom-com

We all have that one ex—the one who just the mere sight of leaves a pit in our stomach. If that happens when you’re out at the bar, no problem; you can choose to wave hello or run to the nearest exit.

But what happens when you’re stuck living with them? Will the love you once felt be rekindled… or will you remember all the reasons you split in the first place?

That’s the question at the heart of the new queer rom-com F.L.Y., making its world premiere this week at Outfest in Los Angeles, starring, written, and directed by Rafael Albarran and Trent Kendrick.

Max (Kendrick) is trying to make it as a screenwriter in Los Angeles, but after five years of staring at blank pages, he’s been doubting himself.

Then, unexpectedly, his ex Rafael (Albarran) shows up at his doorstep one day, having just moved to LA with big dreams of becoming “America’s Next Drag Superstar” (a.k.a. get cast on Drag Race).

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After a series of events that no one saw coming, Max and Rafael are stuck living with one another—an arrangement only slightly more complicated by the fact that Max has a new boyfriend.

“It’s like a modern Priscilla Queen Of The Desert love story,” Rafael jokes of their “three’s company” situation. And, well, they’re not wrong… if the tour bus was a gorgeous home on the east side of Los Angeles.

F.L.Y. represents Albarran and Kendrick’s feature debut as filmmakers, and it’s one borne out of a very personal place for these two friends and collaborators. In a joint director’s statement, they shared what they hope audiences take away from this sweet slice-of-life comedy:

“That the most important thing is to love yourself and be at peace and proud of who you are. Only then can you have healthy relationships with others because you have a healthy relationship with yourself. Also, that love can look and be explored in many ways. That we don’t need to understand each other to love each other. And for us, the queer community, where sometimes we get rejected by our own families, we have the power to create our own.”

F.LY.—which boasts iconic musician and activist Shea Diamond among its stars and executive producers—is readying for its world premiere on Tuesday, July 18 at the Harmony Gold Theater in Los Angeles.

In anticipation, Queerty is honored to host your exclusive first look at the trailer for F.L.Y.:

Stay tuned for future release details for F.L.Y. and when you can catch the film in a theater near you.

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