‘First X’ debuts at BraveMaker Film Festival in Redwood City

Like Adler, Nikki has an extra chromosome. Sibony’s character has mysophobia, a fear of germs, and the date is the first time she’s been out in public since the start of the pandemic. But with her 30th birthday approaching, Penelope is determined to be kissed, having sworn she’d die by 30 if not.

By the end of the eight-minute short, Nikki and Penelope have vulnerably shared their desires and kiss — softly, like Penelope has always imagined — and the pair agree to see each other again the following day at the same cafe to celebrate Penelope’s birthday.

“First X” initially premiered on YouTube in June during Pride Month, a period of celebration and recognition of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer plus community. It’ll make its BraveMaker Film Festival debut at 12:15 p.m. this Saturday, July 15, at the Century 20 movie theater in downtown Redwood City.

The film was written and directed by Josiah Polhemus, and inspired by Adler, executive producer of “First X” and a lifelong Redwood City resident. Polhemus, a veteran filmmaker who has written, directed, produced and acted in a number of projects, said he found Adler’s story to be powerful and often untold.

“The representation is just so minimal and I find Nicole to be such a fascinating dynamic person that I wanted the world to see her because I knew, on my end, that that would have a real impact and break down some real barriers,” Polhemus said.

Since 2014, Adler has served on the State Council of Developmental Disabilities, having been appointed to the body by both former Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Adler’s true passion is motivational speaking and she’s spent much of her adult life advocating for the rights of both the queer and disabled communities in various capacities including as an ambassador for a variety of nonprofits across the state.

While nervous about starring in the film, Adler said it was important for her to put her heart out into the world by exploring a topic rarely if ever seen on screen, gender expression and sexuality as a person with a disability.

Working with an inclusive crew in front and behind the camera was vital, Adler and Polhemus said, noting they took a lot of care when selecting Sibony to play Penelope given that she would be Adler’s first real-life kiss. Finding the right location was also important. The film was shot at Ada’s Café, known for regularly employing people with disabilities.

“First X” is also meant to be broadly relatable, touching on common themes from the awkward feeling of a first date or first kiss, online dating, re-acclimating to a public life after the COVID-19 pandemic and exploring preferences with intimacy.

“I just wanted to make something that is powerful, something that is out there that we don’t see at all in the media or any outlets that you can think of. There’s a lot of representation of LGBTQ but they’re not intertwined with real, authentic representation [of queer people with disabilities],” Adler said, sharing hope the film would help people globally while also helping her create a stronger queer community back home.

Tony Gapastione, founder of the BraveMaker Film Festival, lauded Alder and the piece as a groundbreaking exploration of the marginalized love lives of people with disabilities. The festival’s panel of jurors also liked the short. To be selected to run, at least three of 12 jurors need to watch the project and rank it on a scale of 1 to 10.

“Having a story like Nicole’s, “First X,” where you have a queer coming-of-age, two-person short film that revolves around a first kiss I thought was really sweet but provocative at the same time,” Gapastione said. “The fact that Nicole is a queer woman in the disabled community and is spotlighting this real simple but, yet, really profound sexual expression in a really innocent and cute way stood out to me.”

The film festival kicked off Thursday, July 13. Dozens of films will be screened during the four-day event being held at various locations in Redwood City, tackling a variety of issues from human rights, abuse, femme rage, grief, love, heartbreak and self-exploration.

Visit bravemaker.com/film-fest to learn more about the BraveMaker Film Festival. “First X” is also available to view online at youtube.com/watch?v=W-4uhgii-O8 along with a question and answer session with the cast and crew.