Ok! Be honest, who has spent hours and hours scouring YouTube for the perfect film to satisfy your lesbian love story craving. I (Tash) am happy to admit that even at 33 years old and in a loving and fully committed long term relationship, I’m a sucker for a good love story. Whilst I enjoy watching Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler fall in love for the 10th time as much as the next person, I can’t help but want to see my own love story represented on the big screen.
I am sure many of you have already seen the lesbian favourites, ‘But I’m A Cheerleader’, ‘Blue Is The Warmest Colour’, ’Carol’ etc and when times have got desperate rewatched old movies like ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ imagining the storyline that could/should have been.
It’s this issue that now has us going to sources other than Netflix, Prime and Hulu to find the stories that represent us the best. YouTube is now filled with 1000’s if not millions of videos being produced by up and coming directors, writers and videographers, all using this platform to share real stories.
So I thought I would put my hours to some good use and compile a Top 14 (it was supposed to be 10) list of YouTube Lesbian shorts that will give you all ‘the feels’ in all the right places ; ) p.s these aren’t in any particular order.
Set in London, this is a super cute and very well made short, written by Hansof Waller and Emmalie El Fadliby also directed by Emmalie El Fadliby. It captures two women going on a first date after meeting online. A familiar situation for many of us. The characters are believable and the chemistry is great to watch. The only bad thing about this short, is that I wish it was longer!
Two best friends, one who is very clearly struggling with her feelings, the other seemingly oblivious. They are spending their night together before one leaves to go to college the next day. This is her final opportunity to say how she really feels and put it all out there.
This one is brilliant and should be made into a series. It’s like the US version of Anne+ (a Dutch lesbian series). Written by Amanda Holland and directed by Chantel Houston, its main characters Anna (Nadia Mohebban) and Beca (Aliee Chan) meet on a dating app and finally decide to meet in real life. The writing is really funny and thankfully these actors can be seen in other YouTube shorts.
This short plays on the idea of us never really knowing just how close we may be to finding our perfect someone. After two strangers have a small, but meaningful interaction on a subway platform, we see how a big city like New York can actually become quite small as they navigate it to reconnect. Directed by Reno Venturi and written by Sue Kessler, featuring Kiah Amara and Sam Ipema.
This is one of my favourites. It is somewhere between a film short and music video, with no script, we watch the connection between two women develop. There is something so real about this film, even with no script or speaking, the story is so clear. The soundtrack is also a really good song that I would be happy to add to my Spotify playlist. Directed by Adrienne Levy, featuring Liz Baxter and Tennile Goosic
Ok so this one takes a moment to get in to, but I promise you, stick with it!!! This short is truly special, as it’s one of the few films that I have seen, showing real people, yes REAL people. I’m going to stop here, because I don’t want to spoil it for you. Directed by Adrienne Lovette, who also wrote and produced it alongside Ella Jane New.
A very impressive Dutch short (with English subtitles). This tells the story of best friends as they navigate their own sexual identities. Away on a camping trip, hanging out with boys and doing all the things that teenagers probably shouldn’t be doing. Whilst trying to figure out who they actually are. The acting in this is incredibly natural it definitely has that gritty European feel. Directed by Dominque Michelle Gimberg, featuring Eefje Paddenburg and Bente Fokkens.
A fun short, depicting a girls first time sleeping with a woman. We see her anxiety over the fact that her date is far more experienced than her as she battles with exactly what she should do. The chemistry is believable, with just the right amount of awkward. Also the role of the best friend at the beginning is proof that lesbians can have gay best friends too! lol! Written and Directed by Jenna Larson (check out more of her movies on YouTube).
The messy love life of Mia who is trying to avoid the pain of heartbreak by having sex with multiple women. This short is like watching an episode on Netflix. Some of the script was a bit much, but one thing I LOVE is that it’s the first short I have found with a mixed race girl playing the lead! Finally .. someone who looks like me! Written and Directed by Erica Rose featuring Hannah Hodson.
Directed by Sarah Rotella, this is another music video style short, showing the relationship between two women. The chemistry between the two is really believable and watching them fall in love and go through all the iconic lesbian relationship moments will definitely leave you feeling loved up.
Written, directed and featuring lesbian YouTuber Keara Graves this is the age old story of two best friends being in love with each other, whilst one has a boyfriend. But what happens when the boyfriend gets dumped. The build up is perfect, you will be screaming for the tension to be broken. Really well produced.
Firstly the geek in me has to take a moment for the cinematography of this film. Filmed out in the dessert, every shot is like a picture. The story is of two women whose love can only exist when they step away from their everyday lives and steal away to a cabin in the desert. OMG the chemistry!!! The relationship feels so real and the emotions are palpable.
The story takes place after the couple has broken up. They are both in separate therapy sessions, talking about their relationship and where it went wrong. We have all been in this place, trying to figure out what went wrong in order to figure out how to get through the heartbreak. The script is well written and the fight scenes are particularly believable. I am sure we can find elements of ourselves in both characters. Directed by Dana Brawer, featuring Adriana Leonard and Jenna Michno.
A little different to the other films mentioned on the list and please ignore the blue haze (lack of white balance correction). This is a Spanish short, with English subtitles available, although there isn’t much reading involved. Two mates having a sleepover, but of course one has a crush on the other … if you love sexual tension, then this is definitely the one for you! The only slightly annoying thing is that they have added interviews with lesbians at a couple of points during the movie and it would have been better to put them either at the beginning or the end. However this doesn’t take away from the EPIC build up and the ending!
So there you have it, my Top 14! The amazing thing is that there are new films being uploaded every day. As YouTube becomes an even more popular for these kinds of movies, hopefully the big companies will really start to take notice and start producing these types of films for the mainstream audiences.
Please feel free to add your comments and please add links to any movies that I have missed and I will happily add them!
If your feeling hot and steamy, feel free to check out our previous blog posts about Lesbian Sex and you can also read our coming out stories HERE! and HERE!
I currently live in London, working all over the UK as a performer and a presenter. I have a passion for writing and love sharing my experiences with others.
I currently live in London, working all over the UK as a performer and a presenter. I have a passion for writing and love sharing my experiences with others.
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