Category: Adolescence

New This Week – 3/25/22

This new comedy series follows best “Judies,” Preston and Ben (Prescott Seymour and John Wascavage) as they navigate the insane “she-nanigans” life throws at them. From makeup mishaps to medical diagnoses, these queens make lemon drop martinis out of lemons as they untuck the power of a found family. ‘What a Drag’ is available now on Dekkoo!

This seductive short film from French writer-director Julien Glòries is all about desire, following two young men who embellish their love story in front of a social worker in an effort to get what they want most out of life. Watch ‘Je Suis Desire’ now on Dekkoo!

The stunning, semi-autobiographical debut from writer-director-actor Xavier Dolan, ‘I Killed My Mother’ follows 16-year-old Hubert, whose turbulent relationship with his mother unfolds with a compelling combination of savage fury and deep affection. Released in 2009, the film was nominated for dozens of international film festival awards, and quickly became an international sensation – launching Dolan’s prolific career. ‘I Killed My Mother’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Winner of the Queer Lion Award at the 2019 Venice Film Festival. 

New This Week – 3/18/22

A gay indie classic and film festival favorite from 1995, Parallel Sons follows a white teen from upstate New York who identifies as black – though he’s never met a black person. His life takes an unexpected turn when he falls in love with Knowledge, a young black man who has been wounded while escaping prison. ‘Parallel Sons’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

Flavio and Wendel are friends from the same soccer team. For more of their relationship, they have both shared the dream of one day becoming professional players. While Flavio starts entertaining ideas about quitting, Wendel begins to realize that what they feel for one another might be more than just friendship. Watch ‘A Team of Two’ now on Dekkoo!

A confrontation between two swimmers in a locker room ends in tears in this morality tale, which concerns the impudence of “manspreading” in public spaces. Inspired by homoerotic photography, GUO4 is a wildly original stop-motion short film from acclaimed British director Peter Strickland (The Duke of Burgundy, Berberian Sound Studio, In Fabric). ‘GU04’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Two best Judies, Preston and Ben, navigate the insane she-nanigans life throws at them.

Now Available: Coming Clean

From the heart of the Amazon comes Coming Clean, an amazing compilation of LGBTQ+ short films from emerging Latin American directors from Brazil and Peru. These thought-provoking stories prove that universal social themes have no borders.

In The Last Romantics, two young men share their different points of view on the same sexual encounter in a public space. Savage Fire takes place in the city of Cajamar, where lonely characters deal with the police, rodeos and some mysterious fires.

My Only Earth is the Moon follows Sergio, who answers thirty six questions on order to make his crush Gabriel fall in love. Sandra Calling is an emotional short about a man who is trying to grieve for his lost mother while dealing with all the practical things that need to happen in the wake of a parent’s death.

Finally, Carlito Leaves Forever, directed under the supervision of Werner Herzog, takes place in the heart of the Amazon jungle and follows a silent young man who sets out on an epic canoe trip. An encounter soon reveals a secret he had been hiding from his community.

Watch the trailer for Coming Clean below. The full compilation is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 2/18/22

Todd is a hyper-articulate gay twentysomething whose fear of dying alone leads him to a baffling conclusion: he might not be gay after all. When he meets Rory, a whip-smart actress, the two forge a relationship that’s all talk and no sex. Writer-director-star James Sweeney delivers a razor sharp rom-com exploring just how elastic our definitions of love and sexuality can get. ‘Straight Up’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

When Wally (Patrick Reilly), a lovelorn young man, decides to try getting over his recent break-up, he turns to hook-up apps for help – leading to unusual results in this short comedy from writer-director Mike Roma. Watch ‘The D*ck Appointment’ exclusively on Dekkoo!

Szabi is a young Hungarian on a German soccer team. After a fight with his best friend Bernard, Szabi decides to return to Hungary to fix up a countryside home he inherited. There, he meets Aron and a mutual attraction ensues. But when news of their love affair spreads around their homophobic small town, the boys find themselves in danger. ‘Land of Storms’ is available to watch now on Dekkoo!

When Christophe moves into Jerome’s apartment, he’s not expecting to fall head-over-heels in love. Unfortunately, Jerome has a girlfriend – leading Christophe to agonize over whether or not to tell his new roommate and secret crush the truth about his feelings. Watch ‘To (10) Centimeters’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: The called it filth. It became a revolution.

Now Available: Crutch

An autobiographical film taken from the experiences of writer-director Rob Moretti, Crutch is a coming-of-age tale about a young man’s struggle with family problems and substance abuse.

Behind a façade of suburban middle class perfection, David (Eben Gordon) finds that his home life is falling apart. As he tries to cope with the impossible situation, the troubled and impressionable teenager falls under the spell of Kenny (played by writer-director Moretti), an attractive thirty-something has-been actor turned theater coach.

When Kenny’s “support” escalates into seduction, David slowly descends into an abyss of drinking and drug addition from which he must escape if he is to survive.

Originally released in 2004, this gay indie tells a dramatic tale about the confusion of youth and the difficulties in finding oneself.

Crutch is available now on Dekkoo.

Marilyn is a powerful coming-of-age drama based on a true story

With an affection for women’s dresses and a naturally sensitive demeanor, Marcos (Walter Rodriguez) knows he was not made for a life as a tenant rancher – tending livestock and fending off poachers in the beautiful, unforgiving Argentinian countryside.

Starved for connection and finding release just once a year during carnival, Marcos has an unexpected ally in his kindly father Carlos (German de Silva), who pushes his son toward education and a future outside their small, provincial town. But when Carlos dies suddenly, responsibility quickly falls on Marcos and his older brother Carlitos (Ignacio Gimenez) to assume their father’s role, learning the trade, keeping the troubled ranch afloat-and placating their stern, demanding mother Olga (Catalina Saavedra).

With financial and social pressures mounting, Marcos finds a ray of light in a budding relationship with Federico (Andrew Bargsted) yet finds himself unable to escape forces keeping him from being the person he was meant to be, leading to an unforgettable conclusion in this powerful debut feature from co-writer/director Martin Rodriguez Redondo, based on the incredible true story.

Watch the trailer for Marilyn below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 12/31/21

A stunningly beautiful documentary, ‘Dream Boat’ takes you aboard a cruise ship filled with gorgeous gay men – from bow to stern, starboard to port! For many of them, this yearly trip has become a blissful escape from their day-to-day lives in the closet – the one place where they can truly be free. Watch ‘Dream Boat’ on Dekkoo!

17-year-old Nagisa is in his second year of high school. When he meets Shun, a boy his same age, over spring break, his love life begins to change in unexpected ways. This prequel to ‘His” (also available on Dekkoo) is a heartwarming romantic coming-of-age drama from Japan. ‘His: I Didn’t Think I Would Fall in Love’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

This poetic short romance from director Aretha Iskandar takes us inside the mind and heart of Fred, an introverted young man. When he meets Raphael, the boy of his dreams, his vision, energy and sensuality leave him breathless. Though they part ways, Fred is compelled to tell Raphael how he really feels. ‘Raphael’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A rich character study with a surprisingly erotic sting.

New This Week – 12/24/21

Rural Argentina is not a happy place for Marcos, a gay teen with a fondness for women’s clothing and a mother determined to “set him straight.” Based on shocking true events, Marilyn is a nuanced story of oppression, prejudice, homophobia and a young man who is pushed to his limit and confronted with the impossibility of being true to himself. ‘Marilyn’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

A wildly inventive short film romance, ‘Plantonic’ follows the unique relationship that grows (literally) between a young aspiring artist and the incredibly attractive half-man/half-plant that seems to be growing in his garden. Stream ‘Plantonic’ now on Dekkoo!

This wildly popular comedy-mystery web series follows the exploit of three gay bear roommates living together in Los Angeles – as they attempt to solve the murder of a party guest that turns up dead in their bathtub. ‘Where the Bears Are’ is now available on Dekkoo!

During the summer of 2018, a young man goes to visit the place that brought all of his childhood memories to live. Once there, he says goodbye to this place, the person he used to be…and his first lover. ‘X As In Love’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A stunningly beautiful documentary that takes you aboard a cruise ship filled with gorgeous gay men.

Short Film Spotlight: Holiday

The new 20-minute short film Holiday follows twenty-something Maurice (Tijmen Govaerts) and his older brother Louis (Oscar Willems), who join the rest of their family for a weekend getaway filled with unexpected tension.

No longer a kid, but not quite an adult, Maurice is having trouble finding his place. He’s also starting to notice how much of a gap has grown between the generations.

Fueled by angst and growing more and more frustrated by his family’s myriad secrets, he starts adding a certain level of tension to each relationship, forcing a breaking point that his well-mannered relatives refuse to cross, no matter how awkward things get.

A sharp, well-observed comedy-drama from Belgian writer-director Michiel Dhont, Holiday teases at deep emotion hidden just under the surface. Watching the short film, it’s easy to imagine it expanded to feature length, delving further into each of the characters. Nonetheless, the game cast lend naturalistic performances that make the family feel authentic and relatable.

Watch a short trailer for Holiday below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Not Knowing

Umut (Emir Ozden) is a young water polo player – a gentle and quiet high school senior, just trying to live his life in a complicated world.

When a fellow player spreads a rumor that he is gay, Umut, displaying confidence and maturity beyond his years, refuses to deny the allegation, apologize or explain himself.

His parents, distracted by their own marital problems, prove powerless to stem any fallout as his time at high school becomes more and more fraught – until events reach a shocking head.

Set in the high testosterone world of teenage water polo, and a sometimes-suffocating Turkish society, Not Knowing holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay today in so much of the world today.

Watch the trailer for Not Knowing below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.