The barriers we build in our hearts can be as cruel and impractical as the walls countries erect to keep “foreigners” out. But the worldly men throughout this charged and romantic shorts program refuse to build such walls when it comes to love. Whether it’s risking everything for companionship or breaking free of rigid familial expectation, these heroes fight ideologically imposed blinders head-on, unearthing a kinder, sexier truth.

In the affirming One Night Only, a confident Australian calls out his date for chastising his “femme” qualities. A Mexican teen travels by foot to the border, hoping to reunite with his love, in the gripping The Other Side. Ocean Swells unfolds by the calm Norwegian seaside, but the unspoken attraction between these two friends is anything but tranquil. Will they break through the friend-zone barrier and admit their mutual love? Tough questions also consume the handsome protagonist in Pedro, whose cruising opportunities hit a snag when his mother, hungry for his attention, keeps close watch over his every move. And nothing beats the poignant plea for acceptance from the masterfully executed Pria, a powerhouse short that follows a rural Indonesian teen desperately seeking to outmaneuver his impending arranged marriage.