2026 RIIFF Filmmaker Spotlight Series: Tomorrow, written and directed by Christian Meola
Article Written By Roman Olavarria
In this fun and emotionally pondering short, Christian Meola’s Tomorrow explores the evolving friendship between the story’s main perspectives Eric and Oliver. As the days pass, Eric and Oliver build a foundation that allows them to explore the feelings and interests that “no one else” would give them space for. Part of this is due to their potential insecurities around the concept of manhood and the inclination to remain “manly.” The rich, smooth aesthetics of the film only add to the emotions which range from being deeply intimate to feeling incredibly distant. The creative choices taken to reflect the audience’s expectations back to them only add to the complexities of this film and the process that people go through in growing up and in working through the deeper parts of themselves that are often overlooked due to social expectations. Meola’s thoughts guide us through understanding his works, his outlook on certain creative elements, and the power of looking to Tomorrow.
Roman Olavarria: Everywhere from the set design, to the sound, to the denouement—the end-scene shot—and even to the movie poster, outer space is a motif in the film. Is there a connection of the themes of space and exploration to inner-exploration and identity?
Christian Meola: When I first got the idea for this film’s concept, I had an image of a group of men standing in a dark, empty environment. They’re facing away from us, looking up at a giant movie screen that shines down on them. There’s a lot of negative space around them, as if they were plucked from our world, placed on a different planet, and shown a possible future. The concept of creating an optimistic “tomorrow” for masculinity was always the fundamental core of this film, but so was the idea of an expansive universe. I started thinking about the word “tomorrow” and all the ways it has been used, which led me to countless songs, but also evoked imagery of science fiction, space exploration, astronauts, and adventure – ideas at the root of traditional, classic male childhood fantasies. The fantasy of feeling safe, vulnerable, and uninhibited in the company of another like-minded person, like a child again, is really the heart of this film. I’m also a huge fan of mid-century futurism, which made the idea of space exploration so fun, exciting, and hopeful, and that definitely influenced getting the idea for the film in the first place. That influence is hopefully present in all the elements you mentioned. I also thought about self-exploration – a journey into oneself being as brave as battling aliens on your way through another galaxy- so I’m happy you made that connection.
RO: In the post-screening Q&A, you discussed this film building up to then breaking down common tropes in queer media. What is your relationship to media tropes and queer representation? How do filmmakers interact with tropes?
CM: I think a lot of filmmakers use tropes without thinking about it! I love presenting something familiar to the audience, like a plot, archetype, trope, or genre, and then deviating from what they’re anticipating, forcing them to stare their expectations in the face. It’s one of my incentives for making anything, and I do this in all of my work. I also always have an anti-reference, which is something that I don’t want the film to be like; not because it’s bad, but because I’m creating an alternative to a thing that already exists. In the case of “Tomorrow,” that was the queer coming-of-age romance genre, and the anti-reference was “Heartstopper.” I wanted people to think they were settling into a cute, feel-good, two-boys-falling-in-love story, but the kiss never comes; there’s never any physical or emotional actions that are objectively sexual. Instead, they hug, put their heads on each other’s shoulders, etc. A girlfriend appears in the film, but she’s not the enemy- she actually brings the boys closer together. My teasing of expectations reminds people of our culture’s assumption that two men who sincerely show affection for each other through certain types of physical behavior are gay. Women are allowed to express love for each other physically and emotionally, and even describe their relationships as romantic, but men are not without being accused of also having sex. There are a lot of films about two boys falling in love – achieving romance AND wanting sex, which is a necessary fantasy- but I wanted to portray two men with romantic feelings for each other while disregarding the fear of what it might mean. They prioritize their connection, not what society projects onto their connection. To me, this is progress.
RO: Your film trilogy of Not Today, Tomorrow, and Too Late features a cast including Eric Ramos from your 2024 Short Jimmy, Oliver Aaro, and Jaime Leal. What has it been like working with a recurring cast on a project such as this trilogy?
CM: They are ten years younger than me and were in college while we were filming. I was doing a lot of reflection about my undergrad experience through them. It was emotional to revisit this time with an open heart. They could tell this was an important project and that we were going to do something difficult to pull off. They realized that I saw something special in them and wanted to show that on screen, so they trusted me and were willing to be vulnerable on camera. As a result, they have been able to translate my ideas and emotions. That makes me a deeply satisfied director! They also love collaborating on the films and being part of the process, as well as going to film festivals and enjoying the fruits of their labor. I’m very fulfilled because I always hope other people who work on the project will be as excited about what we’re making as me and get something meaningful out of participating. It has been a beautiful experience to see them mature as actors and people, but also to develop special relationships with each of them since we first met as strangers in an audition room. We have shared a bond from making these films, and I’m very grateful. They are all unique and talented while being incredibly different from each other. Most of all, they are my inspiration.
RO: While Tomorrow can be interpreted as queer, the other films in the trilogy focus on themes of masculine vulnerability and friendship. Can you expand on these themes of these films? What is the power in depicting such relationships?
CM: There are very few things as beautiful to me as a vulnerable man. I’m talking about when a man truly opens up and reveals something deep inside, where he drops the need to act manly and shares something with you. I would put that up there with the ocean, the Grand Canyon, and true love as some of the most beautiful things you can witness. I realized this about myself a few years ago while exploring my relationship to men and masculinity through my work. I felt there was a need for these characters on screen – men who feel things deeply (other than anger) and reveal these feelings when nobody else is around. The audience is privy to experiencing their raw, hidden emotions. It’s rare to see a man do this without a guard up, but you can in my films. I thought it would be positive, forward-thinking, refreshing, and unique to compassionately portray a kind of ideal man that I want more of in this world – one who recognizes his own emotional limitations and tries to overcome them. They want to have deeper relationships; it’s just hard for them. I did not want to critique masculinity or men through a critical lens. That was not interesting to me at all.
RO: Your previous films such as The Expanding Horizon, Wild Nights, Gangbang, and Tomorrow all build tension in their own way. How is the tension building in Tomorrow unique in its own way?
CM: I cannot believe you know my previous work intimately, especially “Wild Nights”!! Nobody has seen that film! In “Tomorrow,” we’re building toward an expected climax. The audience expects the boys to acknowledge that what they’re feeling inside is the desire to be with each other. Ideally, they’re going to kiss. One of them has to make a move on the other. There has to be a moment when they look at each other in the eyes and finally confirm to the audience that they want to have sex with each other, right? But that never happens. I rob people of a traditional payoff so the film can be about something else that’s more interesting to me. Hopefully it encourages people to ask themselves why I chose to build tension toward an expected outcome that doesn’t occur in this context. If they’re not explicitly gay boys, then what are they? What else could their relationship be if it’s not a sexual one? Perhaps men need to drop their masculine act every once in a while and be held again like they are babies. Perhaps romance can exist between men without sexual attraction. The film is designed to encourage this kind of debate.
RO: The lighting, music, and set design sometimes play into different, rich, and beautiful aesthetics of the ’50s-’90s. What is the purpose of the nostalgic set design and atmosphere of the film, especially in the context of a coming-of-age, queer film?
CM: I have always deeply loved the mid-to-late 20th century and 00s. I love the early 2010s (up until 2016) also, but I have a special connection to things like murals, paintings, dioramas, animatronics, backdrops, rear-projection, and film sets. I often try to figure out why. It’s not about liking an aesthetic because it’s vintage or feeling nostalgic; it’s the spirit reflected in the art of these periods that I grew up around, and the hand-crafted nature of these materials by artists. Also, the sentimentality – the culturally accepted willingness to go there and be dramatic, evident in sweeping orchestral scores, dramatic narratives, epic crane shots…there was a desire to make the world epic, adventurous, romantic, in a way that branded content, social media, and most films do not anymore. Being reserved and cynical is in. Portraying toxic masculinity and calling it a day is in. “Tomorrow” is about two men admitting that they love sentimental movies. They have childhood fantasies which you’re not supposed to admit because it’s “too much,” pretentious, cringe, and unmanly. They counter the current times. Also, the diegetic world is soft and gentle, as if their environment is encouraging the boys to open up, like flowers.
RO: Do you have a favorite moment or line in the film? What makes it your favorite?
CM: Hmm…There are a few, but I have to pick the final scene, which we refer to as “The Point.” It’s the mysterious, rural place the boys sprint to somewhere in the middle of Texas. It’s a ritual for them. I was really proud of how that turned out, and it was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had filming anything, which is a real treat, because film production is so stressful.
RO: What are some projects that you have coming up? Anything that you are particularly excited about?
CM: “Tomorrow” is the closing chapter in my upcoming feature “Other Days.” There are two other stories in the film starring the same characters, which are “Not Today” and “Too Late.” It should start screening next year. Otherwise, I’m always scheming a way to make one of my shorts or one of my feature scripts happen.
