With 18 days to go til NYFF, here’s an awesome trio at the Toronto fest yesterday: Chester Algernal Gordon (left), Elegance Bratton (center), and Zach Vargas-Sullivan (right). Watch for them soon at the New York Film Festival! I interrogated Zach at lunch a few weeks ago, wanting to know his own story and how the A24 exec came to back the astonishing new film “The Inspection,” written and directed by Elegance and produced by Chester (with producer Effie Brown). This autobiographical, American indie feature shook me when I watched it this summer. The story of a queer Marine in basic training (Jeremy Pope) who is bouncing back from homelessness after being kicked out of the house by his mom (Gabrielle Union) for being gay finds the film’s lead navigating the end of the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era and an attraction to his drill instructor. Shaped by Elegance’s own life story, “The Inspection” ends before the New Jersey native went to film school and made the recent doc “Pier Kids.” Elegance and Chester are currently living on the West Coast working on a series project, but the last few days in Toronto have brought new connections that will surely offer this duo in life and work new opportunities. Meeting Elegance and Chester yesterday was a truly joyful, emotional moment in my weekend at the Toronto fest. Elegance gave me a hug that literally lifted me off my feet. (Can’t wait to see the two of you back in NYC again soon, @elegancebratton & @algernal ) I’m on the plane home as I write this, contemplating the outpouring of support and enthusiasm I appreciated all weekend long, reconnecting in person with so many folks, talking about the upcoming NYFF, and Sundance beyond that. In the short term, I’m excited for the upcoming 17 days of the 60th New York Film Festival and can’t wait to share “The Inspection” on NYFF’s closing night. It will be a truly special evening.