(in this series we present five short films slated for premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival)

Co-writer/director Sophie Kargman’s “Query” was selected to world premiere at this year’s recently postponed Oscar-qualifying Tribeca Film Festival, which is due to be shown online in the coming months to select audiences. The film questions how heterosexuality is formed. It stars Justice Smith (“All the Bright Places”), Graham Patrick Martin (“Catch-22”) and Armie Hammer (“Call Me by Your Name”).

Over the course of a day, Jay and Alex, roommates and best friends, spend their time verbally jousting over whether it’s instinct or social norms that drive their heterosexual proclivities. The young men are close but thoughtful enough to engage one another on the topic. As the day unfolds through PlayStation battles and beers, the barriers slowly fall and the conversation turns in ways that will have a profound impact on the evening.

Sophie Kargman is a graduate of Harvard University. As writer she sold a true-crime series to E1 Entertainment. Currently, she’s developing a darkly comedic drama series with Akiva Goldsman’s Weed Road Pictures (“Mr. & Mrs. Smith”). As a director, Sophie debuted with the award-winning Susie Searches, a proof-of-concept for her feature of the same name, which was just green-lit. It’s being produced by 141 Entertainment (“Ingrid Goes West”), and scheduled to shoot summer 2020. As an actress, she most recently starred in Dev Patel’s directorial debut, “Home Shopper.”

Discover other shorts in our 2020 Tribeca series

“Query” is produced by Sophie Kargman, Nicole Smolen, Ryan Farhoudi, Nick Delli Santi and Ashton Ramsey. The film was co-written by Sophie Kargman and Ryan Farhoudi.

WHAT OUR CRITIC THOUGHT: In Sophie Kargman’s “Query,”two guys in their early twenties who have been best buddies since they were, like, eleven, enter awkward territory. What changes today, the banter, the not-so subtle hints about ancient Spartan warriors and how they would get it on before going into battle and then, bam, the air grows heavy.The two go on, circle, banter, throw around words, does one metabolize sexual instinct, is going on about being homophobic an indication of something, can one have a man-type despite having a girlfriend? So, like I said, awkward but getting there, through video games, getting beer, a walk in the neighborhood, more banter, circling closer. The drift toward what is there and was there, dormant.

Director Sophie Kargman