Last year, two students from Ringling College of Art and Design began a , to help turn their senior thesis into a short animated film, titled In a Heartbeat.
After asking for a mere $3000 on the crowdfunding website, students Beth David and Esteban Bravo quickly realised that their trailer had touched the hearts of thousands of people all around the world - they ended up receiving $14,000 to fund the film.
In a Heartbeat follows the story of a young boy, who is gay and living in the closet. But when he sees the boy of his dreams, he cannot contain his heart - which literally jumps out of his chest to chase down the boy he likes.
The heart wants what the heart wants, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Now, nearly a year on, the highly-anticipated short film has been released - and it's absolutely gorgeous.
The film began receiving hugely positive (and incredibly emotional) responses within minutes of being uploaded, and has received over one million views in less than 24 hours.
Source: Youtube / In a Heartbeat.
In a last year, David and Bravo said that they hoped their film would "inspire people from all walks of life" and portray the message that "the heart wants what the heart wants, and there's nothing wrong with that".
"Nine out of ten LGBT youths have reported instances of bullying based on their orientation and identity within the past year," says Bravo in the campaign video.
"We want to put out a message of love and self acceptance to all the kids and young people who struggle to identify as LGBT+," says David.
You can watch the 4-minute short film on Youtube now - but you should perhaps grab some tissues first, or you may end up with mascara running down your face at work (like this writer did).
Beth David and Esteban Bravo, the creators of 'In a Heartbeat'. Source: Vimeo.
LGBTQI+ REPRESENTATION IN FILM
Short film 'In A Heartbeat' will depict a shy, closeted boy as he experiences his first crush
