History

In 2003, David Brind and Adam Salky were classmates in the Graduate Film Program at Columbia University in New York. Their first-year assignment was to pair up to create an 8-12 minute short film—the caveat being that you could not direct your own script.

Adam took his own personal dare when he went out of his comfort zone to take on David's story of two very different high school boys who come unexpectedly together one night in a confluence of champagne, a swimming pool and adolescent bravado.

The end result, the short film “Dare,” began its life on set in the suburbs of Philadelphia, with two young up-and-coming actors, Michael Cassidy and Adam Fleming. None of us had any idea that the story of their two characters, Johnny and Ben, would end up connecting with millions of fans around the world.

The original “Dare” debuted on the film festival circuit in 2005, playing over 50 festivals globally. It was featured as the “Best Of” Outfest and Newfest, won the Grand Prize Alternative Spirit Award at the Rhode Island International Film Festival, a Special Jury Award at the Sidewalk Film Festival, the Audience Award For Drama at the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards, and Best Dramatic Short at Q Cinema in Fort Worth, TX. “Dare” became the lead-off and cover image short for Strand Releasing’s BOYS’ LIFE 5, the fifth edition in their popular and critically acclaimed “Boys Life” short film series, and was distributed internationally and on DVD compilations in the UK, France, and Germany among other territories. “Dare” was also distributed by the Logo network as one of its most popular gay-themed shorts.

We never expected that Ben and Johnny’s escapades in the swimming pool would touch so many of you. It was your interest that inspired David to turn the “Dare” story into a feature screenplay, also directed by Adam, starring Emmy Rossum (Shameless), Rooney Mara (Carol), Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights), Ana Gasteyer (Wine Country), Sandra Bernhard (Pose), and Alan Cumming (The Good Wife). The DARE feature premiered in Dramatic Competition at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and went on to screen in theaters, on VOD, Blu-Ray and DVD internationally.

Festival audiences have enjoyed "The Dare Project" at Outfest, Provincetown IFF, Philadelphia IFF, and Frameline among others. Awards include Out on Film's, Atlanta Audience Award for Best Men's Short, the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival's Jury Award for Best Men's Short and California Men's Group Short Film Festival 2018 Audience Award for Best Drama.

A New Dare

Fifteen years after Adam and David first came together to create “Dare,” the original team from the short are all getting back in the pool.

David has written a continuation of Ben and Johnny’s story, inspired by images of the two boys meeting years later, as grown men, for the first time since high school. Set in Los Angeles, this new short will surprise you, provoke you, maybe make you feel a little uncomfortable, and very definitely take you into some new terrain.

And most importantly, the original boys are back.

“The Dare Project” is the first short film ever to create a sequel with the original cast and creative team 15 years later. It’s only because of you, our fans, that Part 2 was created. We can’t wait for you to get back in the pool with us and continue the ride with Ben, Johnny, and the new characters of the Dare world.