Crowd-funded animated short about gay love goes viral

LOS ANGELES — An animated short film about an adolescent gay couple has gone viral, garnering over 6 million views on YouTube in just two days.

"In a Heartbeat" follows a boy addressing his sexuality after falling in love with a male classmate in elementary school. The short was created by filmmakers Beth David and Esteban Bravo.



David and Bravo released the film online Monday where it quickly began trending on Twitter.

A Kickstarter campaign was launched in November 2016 to fund the project, reaching the initial goal of $3,000 in three hours. A total of $14,000 was raised.

The short is a semi-finalist for best animated domestic film at the 2017 Student Academy Awards. The filmmakers produced "In A Heartbeat" at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.