First Run Film Festival

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

The Touch of the Master’s Hand

Directed by Gregory Barnes

Type of Project: The Touch of the Master’s Hand
Length: 11:39
Producers: Gregory Barnes, Joanie Thompson, Benjamin Buxton, Tyler Walker
Editors: Gregory Barnes and Jordan Michael Blake
Cinematographer: Fidel Ruiz-Healy
Sound Designer: Tyler Walker

Troubled by an unnatural temptation, a young Mormon missionary must confess the humiliating depths of his pornography addiction.

Gregory Barnes
Gregory Barnes

Graduate

Gregory Barnes is a queer filmmaker and artist based in New York City and Los Angeles. Raised a faithful Mormon in Oak Park IL, his films have been greatly influenced by the comedic absurdity of exiting that strange jello-obsessed-desert-religion. His most recent short, The Touch of the Master’s Hand premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival where it won the jury prize for best US Fiction. Prior, his work has been featured in NPR, Playboy, and Pitchfork. While no longer Mormon, Barnes served a mission in Argentina and graduated with a BA in media studies from Brigham Young University. He is currently an MFA candidate in film at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.