# Deviant (film)

Deviant is a 2018 drama short film directed by Benjamin Howard and written by Howard and James Hall. The film stars Rudy Pankow, Mike Burnell, Krystina Montemurro and Court Rutter.

## Plot

In the 1960s, a sexually conflicted teenager escapes the tortures of electrotherapeutic conversion therapy to find hope and acceptance.

## Cast

* Rudy Pankow
* Mike Burnell
* Krystina Montemurro
* Court Rutter

## Production

The project is Howard's undergraduate capstone film made at San Diego State University in the spring of 2017. He said "Deviant takes a young teenager, whose sexual preference comes into direct conflict with his faith and family." In scouting locations for the church, members of the production visited numerous LGBT-friendly churches in the San Diego area. Several turned down the production due to the script's mature themes. The church sequences were eventually filmed at Kensington Community Church, in San Diego.

## Release

Deviant premiered on June 9, 2018 at Dances with Films. It went on to screen at Outfest, HollyShorts Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Nashville Film Festival, GI Film Festival San Diego and San Diego International Film Festival. The film was distributed by Omeleto on April 20, 2020. It has amassed over a quarter-million views since its release online.

## Reception

Before the film's festival premiere, Howard was recognized with an award for Best Directing at San Diego State's Emerging Filmmakers Showcase in the spring semester, 2017. In 2019, Deviant received a Student Emmy Award at the Pacific Southwest Chapter for National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
The film received more than 20 awards and nominations over the year and a half it played on the festival circuit, including several for Pankow and Howard, for acting and directing, respectively. Howard used the film as part of his application to UCLA film school, and was admitted into the program in 2018.

### Accolades

List of awards and nominations :
| Festival | Year | Award | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Pacific Southwest Emmy Award | 2019 | Student Programming - Short Form | Deviant | Won |
| Fine Cut Festival of Films | 2019 | Best Student Film | Deviant | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Narrative Short Film | Benjamin Howard | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Direction: Narrative Short Film | Benjamin Howard | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Cinematography: Narrative Short Film | Alex Niknejad | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Production Design: Narrative Short Film | Phuong Truong | Won |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Editing: Narrative Short Film | Benjamin Howard | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Editing: Narrative Short Film | James Hall | Nominated |
| San Diego Film Awards | 2019 | Best Costume: Narrative Short Film | Alejandra Guerrero | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Captain's Award (Best Director) | Benjamin Howard | Won |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The C.O. Award (U.S. Narrative Short) | Benjamin Howard | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The C.O. Award (U.S. Narrative Short) | James Hall | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The C.O. Award (U.S. Narrative Short) | Ricardo Osuna | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Major's Award (Narrative Short - Best Actor) | Rudy Pankow | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Major's Award (Narrative Short - Best Supporting Actor) | Court Rutter | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Desk Boss Award (Best in Genre: Drama) | Benjamin Howard | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Desk Boss Award (Best in Genre: Drama) | James Hall | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | The Desk Boss Award (Best in Genre: Drama) | Ricardo Osuna | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | U.S. Short Film Award (Best Overall Submission) | Benjamin Howard | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | U.S. Short Film Award (Best Overall Submission) | James Hall | Nominated |
| Prison City Film Festival | 2019 | U.S. Short Film Award (Best Overall Submission) | Ricardo Osuna | Nominated |
| Humboldt International Film Festival | 2019 | Honorable Mention for Acting | Rudy Pankow | Won |
| Humboldt International Film Festival | 2019 | Honorable Mention for Acting | Court Rutter | Won |
| Humboldt International Film Festival | 2019 | Honorable Mention for Acting | Krystina Montemurro | Won |
| Humboldt International Film Festival | 2019 | Honorable Mention for Acting | Mike Burnell | Won |
| San Diego Film Week | 2019 | Jury Award | Benjamin Howard | Won |