| Make the Yuletide Gay | |
| Director: | Rob Williams |
| Producer: | Rodney Johnson Matthew Montgomery Rob Williams |
| Music: | Austin Wintory |
| Cinematography: | Ian McGlocklin |
| Editing: | Denise Howard |
| Studio: | Guest House Films |
| Distributor: | TLA Releasing |
| Runtime: | 89 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Make the Yuletide Gay is a 2009 American Christmas-themed romantic comedy film written and directed by Rob Williams about a gay college student who is out at school, but is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation to his parents.[1] It stars Keith Jordan as Gunn, and Adamo Ruggiero as Gunn's boyfriend and roommate, Nathan. Kelly Keaton and Derek Long star as Anya and Sven, Gunn's parents, while Hallee Hirsh appears as Abby, Gunn's high school girlfriend.
Make the Yuletide Gay premiered at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival on May 17, 2009.
The title of the film comes from a line in the 1944 song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.
| Year | Festival | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | FilmOut San Diego | Audience Award | Best Narrative Feature Best Supporting Actress, Kelly Keaton Best Supporting Actor, Derek Long |
| Seoul LGBT Film Festival | Audience Award | Best Feature | |
| Long Island Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | Jury Award | Best Men's Feature | |
| North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | Men's Centerpiece Selection | ||
| Philadelphia QFest | Festival Favorite | ||
| Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival | Gala Night Film | ||
Make the Yuletide Gay was released on DVD on November 10, 2009.
In 2017 Rob Williams published the book based on the film, Make The Yuletide Gay: The Novel, . The novel reveals more about the Gunnunderson, Stanford and Mancuso families, and about Gunn’s journey over that fateful holiday week, and what happens afterwards. Included in this book is a new short story When Olaf Met Nathan, which details the first meeting between the two college freshmen, randomly assigned as roommates but destined to become much more.
In 2018 he released a (not yet filmed) sequel Make The Yuletide Gay 2: The Novel, . The story is set years after the fateful Christmas dinner when Gunn came out to his parents. Gunn and Nathan have maintained a long-term, long-distance relationship due to Nathan's career choices and Gunn's graduate education. They now live in the same city and teach at the same college where Gunn's father Sven works. Gunn and Nathan plan a Christmas wedding, which does not go entirely as planned.