Boyish Charms is a film featuring a cast of original puppet characters that challenges and expands young audiences’ understanding of masculinity. Kaz, Brother Earth, and Sammy embark on “The Proving Boyhood Quest”, earning charms as they reshape their ideas of what it means to be a boy.

“An immersive cinematic experience that invites viewers to witness the director’s creative vision come to life.”

Student World Impact Film Festival

Movie With A Mission

It is a misconception that men thrive under the patriarchy. True, aspects of patriarchal society boost men above other groups; however, the patriarchy hurts men and boys in a unique way.

From birth, boys learn to be tough, to be strong, not to cry. To “man up.” Boys endlessly try to prove their masculinity to male peers. Current society determines “real” manhood based on a patriarchy-approved definition, creating boys and men obsessed with conforming to these conventions that harm everyone, including themselves. Boys who are taught not to cry grow into men with expertise in repressing their feelings. There is a dangerous trend in our world of men keeping their mental struggles to themselves rather than seeking the help they so desperately need. For many men, exploring a fresh, healthier masculinity feels threatening to their current understanding of manhood. They feel safer suffering in silence.

It is crucial to raise this next generation of boys, as well as children of other genders, to embrace a broader idea of masculinity that expands beyond its current outdated and dangerous definition. For once men understand their personal stake in the battle for gender equality, all genders will work together more effectively for change.