Geronto
GERONTO: A young man’s secret attraction to older men leads to an unexpected bond, until a painful misunderstanding threatens to shatter their fragile connection.
Writer: Christopher Sherwood
Director: Mark Pluck
Producer: Tom Taplin
With thanks to our key partners: Omyx Club // L'Escargots, Soho // Central Station Pub, Kings Cross
Project
Geronto
Overview
Based on true events, GERONTO is a short LGBTQ+ coming-of-age drama about longing, connection, and self-discovery.
Set over the course of one night in the late 2000s, the story follows Younger — a man in his 20s — who meets Older, a man in his 70s, at a discreet London pub. What begins as a tender and intimate connection soon fractures under the weight of a painful misunderstanding, forcing both men to confront their deepest fears.
GERONTO sheds a light on the often-taboo subject of gerontophilia, and challenges societal boundaries around age and desire. Delicate yet daring, the film offers a quietly radical portrait of queer intimacy across generations.
Writer's Statement
Thank you for considering to help us make this very personal film, a film based on my own experience back when I was secretly exploring and coming to terms with my own sexuality. It's fair to say that this was not easy to accept or come to terms with, given the total absence of any role models or references to people like me in life (I grew up in a small town) or indeed in TV and Film. Even the academic literature offered nothing. Jesse Bering writes in his book, Perv - The Sexual Deviant in All of Us:
An attraction to the elderly is apparently so rare, in fact, that even Alfred Kinsey doesn't mention it in his otherwise exhaustive Sexual Behaviour in the Human Male. (He included plenty of other deviant sexual behaviours such as paedophilia and bestiality, so it's a revealing omission).
I'll give him the benefit of the doubt in assuming he means statistically deviant rather than morally, but you can see what we're up against when we're being grouped with paedophilia and bestiality in this context.
It is my hope that this film will lift veils from the taboo subject of old-age attraction, offering enlightenment to the cynics and comfort to the others like me.
If you're able to support us financially, thank you - it means so much. If not, we quite understand but would appreciate it enormously if you could share this page with others who might find resonance with the themes.
Younger / male, 20s
Younger is smart, athletic, and generally well-liked. He’s a few years into a decent graduate job in London, and fully embraces everything that the big city life has to offer. Behind the charm, Younger struggles with something he’s never said out loud: he’s only attracted to older men, and he doesn’t know what to do with that. It’s a part of him he keeps hidden. He’d never dare tell anyone. Will Younger stop performing long enough to accept who he is — and let someone truly see him?
Older / male, 70s
A warm and gentle man with a kind face. The sort of granddad figure everyone loves — generous with his time and his words. He lives in Devon with his wife who he deeply cares for, but recently her memory has begun to fray in quiet, painful ways and life is changing. After a lifetime in the closet, Older is finally starting to explore the part of himself he buried for decades: he’s attracted to men. He’s not ashamed — not anymore. Will Older allow himself to believe he is desirable — and that it’s not too late to experience the kind of genuine intimacy he now longs for?
WRITER - CHRISTOPHER SHERWOOD
Christopher is an award winning actor (In From The Side, Hornbeam, Triumph of the Heart, Varnished) and writer who has based GERONTO on his own experiences of being attracted to older people. He has also written articles for Attitude magazine on the subject of intergenerational relationships.
DIRECTOR - MARK PLUCK
Mark is a BIFA-longlisted director, writer and producer. His 2022 short Hornbeam was nominated for the BAFTA-qualifying Iris Prize and officially selected for the Aesthetica Short Film Festival. The film later aired on Film4 and All4, and was featured in Peccadillo Pictures’ Boys on Film series, which showcases LGBTQ+ stories from around the world.
PRODUCER - TOM TAPLIN
In 2024, Tom produced the sci-fi feature Voidance, starring James Cosmo, which is currently in post-production, along with the short comedy Varnished, which premiered at Brighton Rocks Film Festival in June 2025. His recent credits also include work on Bad Sisters 2 (Apple TV+), Queenie (Channel 4/Disney), and BBC’s recently announced Twenty-Twenty-Six starring Hugh Bonneville.
DOP - ROB WILTON
Originally from the Netherlands, Rob studied at London Film School and started shooting music videos before moving into commercials. His passion ultimately lies in narrative storytelling, and he has collaborated with the GERONTO team multiple times, notably serving as Director of Photography on Hornbeam.
Pledge without reward:
For £25, you'll receive:
--Your name in the credits of the film, your contribution immortalised in celluloid form forever.
For £50 you'll receive:
--1x high quality A3 limited edition print of the GERONTO poster, signed by the cast and creative team.
--Your name in the film's credits.
For £150, you'll receive:
--An exclusive invitation to our private cast & crew screening in London, followed by a Q&A with the creative team.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, your name in the film's credits)
For £350, you'll receive:
--A 60-minute private portrait photography session with Geronto Writer and star of Netflix's 'In From The Side' Christopher Sherwood, either from your home or from his studio (London only), with at least 2x digital edits sent to you.
--Optional: your photos can be included in our Geronto digital photographic exhibition: an exploration of the textures of older people and their admirers, with notes from the photographer.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, cast & crew screening invite, your name in the film's credits)
For £500, you'll receive:
--Invitation to a private drinks reception and classical piano recital at the writer's London home, along with other top supporters of the film.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (60-min private photography session, signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, cast & crew screening invite, your name in the film's credits)
For £1500, you'll receive:
--An official Associate Producer credit in the film and on IMDB.
--An exclusive invitation to the Geronto set to witness the film being made, and the opportunity to feature in the film as an extra.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (private drinks reception & classical piano recital, 60-min photography session, signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, cast & crew screening invite)
For £3000, you'll receive:
--A three-course private dinner at L'Escargot, Soho with the core Geronto creatives - for us to say a proper thank you for your incredible generosity.
--An official Executive Producer credit in the film and on IMDB.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (set visit invitation, starring as an extra in the film, private drinks reception & classical piano recital, 60-min photography session, signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, cast & crew screening invite)
For £5000, you'll receive:
--Exclusive exposure to the creative journey: casting, script editing, filming, the post-production/editing process, and film festival tickets/invitations.
--As well as all of the above rewards: (Private 3-course dinner with the core creatives, Executive Producer credit, set visit invitation, starring as an extra in the film, private drinks reception & classical piano recital, 60-min photography session, signed A3 print of the Geronto poster, cast & crew screening invite)