Here’s an upcoming movie that’s getting a lot of buzz, but I just can’t be sure if it’s for all the right reasons. Director John Cameron Mitchell made a name for himself with his first feature film, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, about the transexual lead singer for a fictional rock band (played by Mitchell himself). His next project, Shortbus, looks to push the envelope much further. The movie “explores the lives of several characters living in present-day New York as they navigate the comic and tragic intersections between love and sex”. Here’s the thing: it apparently features a lot of graphic, non-simulated sex, including real orgasms. Larry Clark would be proud.

Mitchell chose his cast (none of which have feature film experience) from an open casting call on the internet, through which he received over 500 videotaped auditions. The weird thing for me was seeing Canadian filmmaker and former Muchmusic VJ Sook Yin Lee in one of the movie’s more prominent roles. It was a huge hit at Cannes, where it was picked up by ThinkFilm, and will play at the Toronto Film Festival in September. I still haven’t seen Hedwig so I can’t really comment on Mitchell’s talent, but I am curious if for nothing else then to see if all the hype is justified. iFilm has a 3 minute trailer for the movie up now, complete with introduction by John Cameron Mitchell himself. Check it out now via the link below.