‘Poreless’ stands out at the 34th Aspen Shortsfest

Screened during the 34th Aspen Shortsfest, which runs April 1–7, “Poreless” stands out for its bold storytelling, unapologetic flair, and irresistible energy. 

A 13-minute whirlwind of comedy, commentary, and chaos, the film follows a fabulous and fiercely-ambitious queer Muslim beauty entrepreneur caught in a high-stakes, high-glamour showdown.

Set during a Shark Tank-style pitch competition, “Poreless” fuses sharp humor with heartfelt vulnerability as its protagonist struggles to maintain composure — and marketability — after an ill-timed allergic reaction threatens to unravel everything. The film crackles with a pop-aesthetic sheen while taking aim at the performative pressures of both the beauty industry and cultural conformity.

Directed by Harris Doran and co-written by Doran and Fawzia Mirza, “Poreless” stars Akbar Hamid, Diane Guerrero, and Allyce Beasley. 

Hamid, who also produced the film and plays the lead, said the response at Aspen Shortsfest was energizing. 

“We had a lot of fun making the film,” he said. “Fawzia Mirza, who is a co-writer and producer, was present at the screening. Harris Doran, who is an Aspen alumnus whose film a few years ago won the best comedy award — he is brilliant and the director — could not attend unfortunately, but he was a co-writer on the film as well.”

He recalled meeting Mirza two and a half years ago, just as one of her films premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

“We really connected. She is queer and South Asian, as well,” he said. 

At the time, Hamid shared that he had always dreamed of acting and producing, dreams rooted in his childhood growing up in Pakistan and Michigan. 

“It was not something I was able to do,” he said.

Mirza saw the potential. 

“Fawzia said, ‘Let’s make it happen,’ and she really helped guide my career and introduced me to Harris Doran,” Hamid said. “The two of them told me that I needed to do something that showcased my talent and needed to create a story. They built the ‘Poreless’ script around me and my brand world.”

That vision blossomed into a wildly stylized film populated with recognizable faces and delivered with confidence. 

“Bill Kirstein, who is our DP and cinematographer, also was the DP of the new ‘Mean Girls’; it really added that ‘Mean Girls,’ ‘Ugly Betty’ kind of poppy, vibey aesthetic,” he said. “We had a whole slew of talent on this film. It was so fun — a vast range of actors, different age groups, and such a diverse mix.”

Despite its fast-paced humor and stylized setting, “Poreless” makes room for deeper themes of identity, representation, and resilience. 

“It really was about placing a type of person, like a queer Muslim lead, and also the siblings — like where in the world are you going to see queer Muslim triplets?” Hamid said. “Most people have probably never laughed at a comedy with a gay Muslim cast. It’s two worlds that are never put together.”

Ultimately, “Poreless” is a satire with substance, designed to push the boundaries of who gets to be seen and celebrated. 

“I think that is really important — to show that we all exist and there is no one type of person,” he said. “We wanted to break those traditional stereotypes. Even though it was an absurd comedy, it has a really deep meaning of reclaiming your identity and living in different worlds at the same time, even though tradition says that is not possible.”