A Documentary Film

Directed by Sam Shahid

“Every artist has the right to be judged by his best work.
Certainly the best of these nudes
are my best.”

—GEORGE PLATT LYNES

Hidden Master Poster

George Platt Lynes began his career photographing celebrities, and it’s those portraits along with his extravagant fashion work that he’s best remembered for today. However, George’s heart, his passion, and his greatest talent lay elsewhere, in his work with the male nude. This work, sensuous and radically explicit for its time, has only recently begun being fully discovered and appreciated for the revolution that it represents — a man capturing his fantasies as a gift, a window to a future his camera saw coming before anyone else.


From visionary art director Sam Shahid, HIDDEN MASTER features a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s-50s, uncovering the life of Lynes less known: his gifted eye for the male form, his longterm friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists. 

FILM TRAILER

FILM STILLS

WHERE TO WATCH

FESTIVAL CALENDAR

  • October 9, 2024
    Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Cardiff, Wales
    7:00 PM
    Get Tickets

  • September 22, 2024
    Queer Lisboa Film Festival
    Lisbon, Portugal
    10:00 PM
    Get Tickets
    Followed by a Q&A with Director Sam Shahid

  • August 2, 2024
    GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival
    Dublin, Ireland
    6:15 PM
    Get Tickets
    Followed by a Q&A with Editor Conor McBride & Composer Sarah Lynch

  • July 7, 2024
    Rio LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
    Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    5:10PM
    Get Tickets

  • June 10, 2024
    FIRE!! LGBTI Cinema Festival
    Barcelona, Spain
    8:00PM
    Get Tickets

    June 15, 2024
    Out Film CT
    New England, USA
    Streaming
    Get Tickets

    June 16, 2024
    Rehoboth Beach Pride Film Festival
    Lewes, DE
    2:00PM
    Get Tickets

    June 29, 2024
    Docs Ireland / Belfast Photo Festival
    Belfast, Northern Ireland
    7:00PM
    Get Tickets

  • April 20, 2024
    Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
    Kyiv, Ukraine
    6:10PM
    Get Tickets

    April 21, 2024
    Lovers Film Festival
    Torino, Italy
    4:30PM
    Get Tickets

    April 26, 2024
    Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
    Kyiv, Ukraine
    6:00PM
    Get Tickets

    April 26, 2024
    EPOS International Art Film Festival
    Tel Aviv, Israel
    9:00PM
    Get Tickets

    April 28, 2024
    Geelong Pride Film Festival
    Geelong, Australia
    2:15PM
    Get Tickets

  • March 14, 2024
    Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
    Thessaloniki, Greece
    10:00PM
    Get Tickets

    March 15, 2024
    Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
    Thessaloniki, Greece
    7:00PM
    Get Tickets

    March 17, 2024
    BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
    London, UK
    5:30PM
    Get Tickets

    March 18, 2024
    BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
    London, UK
    2:45PM
    Get Tickets

    March 18, 2024
    Le FIFA Film Festival
    Montreal, Canada
    8:00PM
    Get Tickets

  • January 9, 2024
    Palm Springs International Film Festival
    Palm Springs, CA
    5:00PM

    January 10, 2024
    Palm Springs International Film Festival
    Palm Springs, CA
    11:30AM

    January 11, 2024
    Palm Springs International Film Festival
    Palm Springs, CA
    4:45PM

    January 15, 2024
    Palm Springs International Film Festival Best of Fest
    Palm Springs, CA
    11:30AM

  • December 3, 2023
    Hamptons Doc Fest
    Sag Harbor, NY
    7:00 PM

    December 8–14, 2023
    NEWFEST Encore
    United States
    Streaming

    December 13, 2023
    Palazzo Grassi
    Venice, Italy
    6:30 PM

    December 14, 2023
    The Provincetown Film Art Series
    Provincetown, MA
    7:00 PM

  • November 4, 2023
    QDoc Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival
    Portland, OR
    7:30 PM

    November 10, 2023
    A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival
    Paris, France
    9:15 PM

    November 11, 2023
    Wicked Queer Boston’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Boston, MA
    11:00 AM

    November 16, 2023
    Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival
    Indianapolis, IN
    7:00 PM + Streaming (Nov 17th – 19th)

  • October 7, 2023
    ImageOut LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Rochester, NY
    6:45 PM

    October 10–13, 2023
    Swedish International Film Festival
    Sweden
    Streaming

    October 13, 2023
    NEWFEST The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    New York City, NY
    6:00 PM + Streaming (Oct 13th – 24th)

    October 22, 2023
    San Diego International Film Festival
    San Diego, CA
    5:00 PM

    October 26, 2023
    Film Columbia Film Festival
    Chatham, NY
    8:30 PM

    October 28, 2023
    OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Fort Lauderdale, FL
    2:15 PM + Streaming

HONORS

WINNER
Best International Feature Documentary

LEBANESE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER
Breakout Documentary

SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER
Best Feature Length
Documentary

SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER
BEST
Documentary

FIRE!! BARCELONA LGTB FILM FESTIVAL

RUNNER UP
AUDIENCE AWARD
Feature Documentary

NEWFEST THE NEW YORK LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL

Honorable mentionS
audience award &
Best documentary Feature

OUTSHINE LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER
BEST Documentary JURY AWARD

CONNECTICUT LGBTQ
FILM FESTIVAL

BEST OF FEST

PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Wicked Queer Documentary Film Festival Honorable Mention Best Feature laurel

Honorable mention
Best FeaturE

WICKED QUEER BOSTON’S LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL

WINNER
BEST Documentary AUDIENCE AWARD

CONNECTICUT LGBTQ
FILM FESTIVAL

Follow us on Instagram.

HIDDEN MASTER: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes

Feature Documentary, 2023, 96 minutes

Director & Producer: Sam Shahid
Writers: Sam Shahid, Matthew Kraus, John MacConnell
Producers: Matthew Kraus, John MacConnell, Nando de Carvalho
Executive Producers: O’Brien Kelley, Raja Sethuraman, Magnus Andersson, Jayne Baron Sherman
Co-Executive Producers: Charles W. Leslie & Rocco Lofaro Buonpane 

Cinematography: Matthew Kraus
Sound & Lighting: John MacConnell
Editor: Conor McBride
Original Score: Sarah Lynch
Design & Animation: Grant Nellessen

PRODUCTION
Art Direction: Shahid / Kraus & Company
Production Manager: Nando de Carvalho
Archival Producer: Laura Coxson
Rights & Clearances Manager: Robyn Lange
Music Supervisor: Anita Nedeljkovic
Score Mixer: Ciaran Byrne
Sound Mixer: Josh Heilbronner / Digital Arts
Sound Producer: Zennia M. Barahona / Digital Arts
Senior Colorist: Sean Ross / Gloss VFX
Senior Post Producer: Jessica Choi / Gloss VFX
Colorist Assistant: Yibin ‘Ab’ Su / Gloss VFX
Conform Artist: Justin Andrews / Gloss VFX, Andrew Marfoli / Gloss VFX
Proof Department Manager: Laxman Sethu / Gloss Studio
Senior Stills Producer: Jacqueline Bernal / Gloss Studio
Still Photographer: Peter Riesett
Copyright Counsel: Nancy E. Wolff
Production Legal: The Kelley Firm, PLLC
North American Sales & Publicity: Obscured Pictures
North American Distribution: Greenwich Entertainment
International Distribution Consultant: Shane Smith
Post Producer: Alan Balian
End credits created with: Endcrawl.com