Winner of Berlin Film Festival’s prestigious Teddy Award in 1989, Roger Stigliano’s debut film takes a charmingly droll and optimistic approach to the coming-out-while-coming-of-age portrait. Co-writer Michael Waite stars as Buddy, an innocent upstate NY guy who lands in Manhattan and wanders through hip house parties and cafes in search of his tribe. Mixing the deadpan candor of early Jim Jarmusch with refreshingly naturalistic gay sex scenes, this time capsule of New Queer Cinema is overdue for discovery. Shot by Peggy Ahwesh and edited by Keith Sanborn, Fun Down There is replete with atmospheric footage of the late-’80s East Village.

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