Keith Behrman delves into teen sexuality and homophobia in Giant Little Ones , but hes adamant that audiences not define his film as a coming out story.

I think its quite the opposite, the Canadian writer and director said. Its a fuller experience of humanity, and a fuller experience of love than any label can summarize or conjure.

Now in theaters after a well-received premiere at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival , Giant Little Ones follows two teen boys, Franky (played by Josh Wiggins ) and Ballas (Darren Mann ), who are at the top of their high schools social pyramid. Attractive and athletic, the best friends have star spots on the swim team, and spend their days biking about town and boasting about their girlfriends. Their friendship is severely (and violently) tested, however, when they have an unexpected sexual encounter after a drunken party.

A shameful Ballas reacts by spreading the rumor that Franky initiated the act. Now ostracized by classmates, Franky finds solace in his estranged father, Ray (Kyle MacLachlan ), who left his mother (Maria Bello) for a man, as well as Ballas sister, Natasha (Taylor Hickson ), recently victimized in a sexual assault.

In a conversation with HuffPost, Behrman who also examined adolescent and familial strife in his 2002 feature, Flower & Garnet revealed how his own struggles with toxic masculinity influenced Giant Little Ones and why he hopes the film encourages viewers to be less afraid of any ambiguity with regard to their sexuality.

Giant Little Ones marks your first feature film in more than 15 years. How did this project come about for you?

I had a dream one night, and the dream was a young man and his mother talking in a kitchen. I just found their love and their connection so compelling. None of the words of that dream made it into the film, but it got me thinking of the idea.

I started writing some notes about it, and it just kept going and going and going. [Around that same time] there were about five high school suicides that were all related to bullying and homophobia, and I started thinking there was a story to tell regarding that. Thats what began it all.