Rob Munday

Originally conceived as “a documentary about one of the oldest gay campgrounds” in the USA, Austin Bunn returns to S/W with Campfire, a docu-fiction short following his previous work, In the Hollow. This 17-minute film tells the poignant story of a closeted man seeking his long-lost love, blending heartfelt fictional and factual elements with both non-actors and professionals, to offer a fresh and innovative perspective on the LGBT community.

“I had a number of interviews but no central ‘story’ per se”

The shift from a straightforward documentary to a hybrid approach came from an unexpected source for Bunn. Facing “unexpected obstacles” related to privacy and struggling to find a central “story” despite conducting numerous interviews, the director was at an impasse. However, a phone call from an old friend of his father’s brought a surprising revelation, sparking the inspiration Bunn needed to determine the direction of his short film.

“There are thirty-some LGBT campgrounds in America and more every year” – Bunn discussing his interest in these “refuges for urban gay men”.

“I received a phone call from a man who introduced himself as a friend of my dad’s from when they served together in the Air Force in the late 1950s, on a classified base in Louisiana,” the filmmaker reveals. After reading his father’s obituary—Bunn’s father passed away in 2018—this stranger went on to disclose that he and Bunn’s father had been secret lovers for a couple of years. “Now that he was 83 years old, he just wanted someone to know,” Bunn concludes.

With this revelation fresh in his mind, Bunn found himself unsure of how to process the news, but he finally knew he had a story for his film. Drawing on his background as both a journalist and a screenwriter, he combined his appreciation for Hillside Campground in Pennsylvania (the original inspiration for his documentary) with his mixed emotions about the revelation. This led to the creation of a composite central character, Carl, and a film that seamlessly blends “interview and drama, fact and fiction.”

Mark Rowe stars as Carl, a straight married man looking for an ex-lover at the campgrounds.

Having spent several months at the location recording interviews, Bunn’s familiarity with the site and its personalities allowed him to envision how the two approaches would come together (although the director says it took “serious patience” to make it happen) and create a cohesive and impactful narrative. Although centred around the fictional character Carl, the lives of real individuals intertwine with his journey, as they slip from documentary to fiction and back. At S/W, we often seek authenticity in the shorts we feature, and Bunn excels in this regard with his hybrid approach. As we root for Carl, we become invested not only in his story but also in the campsite itself – an important place many would not have known existed before Campfire.

A man of many talents, Bunn is set to release a book later this year titled Short Film Screenwriting: A Craft Guide and Anthology, which includes scripts from many S/W featured films. Additionally, he’s set to release an Audible Original audio drama in September titled Denali, which he describes as “a mountain climbing murder mystery.”