New This Week – 7/17/20

Daniel is a young man struggling with an inner identity that is desperate to be realised. After leaving his father to move to London, his subconscious desires begin to take control. ‘Into the Mirror’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

The murder of Madorilyn Crawford, a famous transsexual artist, hides dark secrets that involve powerful people in the Colombian politic context and exposes the hypocrisy of those who handle power above the law. Watch ‘Natural Selection’ now on Dekkoo!

An Asian-American high school football player confronts his deepest fears after an encounter with a mysterious figure. ‘Jeremiah’ is available to watch now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Dekkoo Films presents a biopic about Antรณnio Variaรงรตes, a famous Portuguese pop rock singer from the 80s who died from AIDS-related complications in 1984.

Now Available: Cheetah in August

A former high school track athlete’s distorted views on love, negatively affects the people closest to him in the acclaimed LGBTQ series Cheetah in August.

The show centers around the deep personal journey of the main character, August (Andre Myers), as he examines his life in therapy, from his high school years into adulthood. At the start of the season we are introduced to August’s alter ego, “Cheetah”, who is the main force preventing August from enjoying a monogamous relationship with his current lover. As a large cast of characters are soon introduced, they intertwine within a web of sex, lies, deception, and murder.

Sexuality, love, religion, psychology and self-hate are all themes that are touched on throughout Cheetah in August, which proudly aims to raise awareness of societal issues often swept under the rug. Series creator Anthony Bawn has said that he hopes to use the show to explore ideas of ethnic LGBTQ identity through a “mentally confused young adult searching for normalcy” and that he pictured how a young black male growing up in a religious family could develop social desegregation within the gay community.

Watch the trailer for Cheetah in August below. The first two twelve-episode seasons are available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 7/3/20

Mateo is an intelligent boy who falls in love with his friend Daniel. When their relationship is revealed, Mateo is at a crossroads and must decide between fighting his adversities, or giving up everything – including his own life. ‘Green Butterflies’ is available now on Dekkoo.

Lucas is a cocky pretty boy who lives for casual sex and no commitments. Dean is a shy romantic trying to work out what he wants. After a hookup leads to a moment of genuine connection, these two guys find themselves both questioning when does a casual fling become something more, and discover that everyone they know has a different answer. Season 2 of ‘Two Naked Gay Guys’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

This documentary chronicles the project by Steven Reigns devoted to collecting rubbings from LGBTQ historical markers, signs, tombstones, cenotaphs, plaques, and monuments. Watch ‘The Gay Rub’ on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A conservative professor at a Christian college finds himself in a gay support group.

Short Film Spotlight: Cognitive

What if growing up in the Church led you to believe that you weren’t really going to grow up at all?

Young David, played as a little kid by Zakary Risinger, interprets something he hears from the pulpit by a homophobic, Southern Baptist preacher (Del Shores) that changes his outlook on life.

As an adult, David, now played by writer-director Mat Hayes, takes his family to a more progressive church, but despite Reverend Wynnโ€™s (Jessalyn Gilsig) inspiring sermon on true love, David struggles to overcome the trauma inflicted upon him as a young boy at the hands of the church.

Will he be able to find peace with the religion he was raised in? Daniel Robaire, as Davidโ€™s husband Jonathan, offers the love we all look for in a partner. Erica Tazel delivers a gripping performance as Young Davidโ€™s school nurse, rounding out the stellar ensemble of actors.

Watch the trailer for Cognitive below. This short film is available now on Dekkoo.

Genรจse tells a beautiful story first love and first heartbreak

“When you first fall in love, everything else around you seems to melt away and pretty much nothing or no one else seems to exist. In the French-Canadian film Genesis (Genese), about adolescent love, director Philippe Lesage weaves this idea of full-on immediacy and a very blinkered view into the fabric of his storytelling, delivering a film that feels intensely alive and in the moment.” – Boyd van Hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter

“Philippe Lesage takes chances, and succeeds with boldly original form and narrative. Critic’s Pick.”Ben Kenigsberg, The New York Times

“A study of duality, family and youth, Genesis is considerate in its beauty and agony, a successful exploration of first love and first heartbreak.” – Nick Davie, Spectrum Culture

Following his autobiographical 2015 narrative debut The Demons (also available now on Dekkoo), writer-director Philippe Lesage chronicles the life of young Felix (ร‰douard Tremblay-Grenier), now diverging to capture the romantic trials and tribulations of two Quebecois teen siblings. While the charismatic, Salinger-reading Guillaume (Thรฉodore Pellerin) wrestles with his sexual identity at his all-boys boarding school, the more ostensibly grown-up Charlotte (Noรฉe Abita) discovers the casual cruelty of the adult world that awaits her post-graduation. Lesage and his young actors depict the aches of becoming oneself with nuance, honesty, and compassion, and the result is one of the most beautiful coming-of-age stories in years.

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

New This Week – 6/19/20

A Californian teenager’s plan to come out at his Nebraskan family reunion gets derailed when a bloodstain on his young cousin’s dress makes him the unwitting suspect of abuse. ‘Take Me To The River’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Walter’s honey do list piles up and Frank is too busy to do the fixes, a new sexy handyman arrives with an agenda that isn’t exactly on Walter’s fix-it list. Can Walter resist this new temptation? Dekkoo Films presents ‘Honey Do List’ the saucy sequel to ‘The Handyman’.

When his cross-dressing teenage son suffers a brutally violent attack, a mannequin-factory manager desperately seeks help and, when none can be found, is forced to take matters into his own hands.ย ‘You’ll Never Be Alone’ is available now on Dekkoo!

The son of a famous singer wants to sing the song of life his own way. Stream ‘Kiss Me Softly’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: The firstย filmย to deal with the AIDS pandemic. A classic of gay cinema.

New This Week – 6/12/20

Three men struggle to save their relationship while traveling across country in search of a doctor they believe will make one of them well. ‘Kill the Monsters’ is streaming now on Dekkoo!

Friends and family reflect on the life and death of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard, who was murdered in a targeted homophobic attack in Wyoming in 1998. ‘Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine’ is available now on Dekkoo!

When Debbie comes home for Christmas, she and her mother Gayle are forced to confront the truth about their family’s past. Watch ‘He Could’ve Gone Pro’ on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Dekkoo Films presents the fun and sexy sequel to ‘The Handyman’!

Pride Month Spotlight: Spa Night

Writer-director Andrew Ahnโ€™s remarkably assured feature-length debut is a portrait of forbidden sexual awakening set in the nocturnal world of spas and karaoke bars in Los Angeles’ Koreatown.

David Cho (Joe Seo, who won the Special Jury Award at Sundance for his breakthrough performance), a timid 18-year-old living with his financially-struggling immigrant parents, chances upon a secret spot for cruising when he takes a part-time job at an allmale spa, and begins to realize hidden inner desires that threaten his life as a dutiful son and student.

Effervescent and atmospheric, this one-of-a-kind coming-of-age story makes the steamy spa a liminal place between dream and reality, and desire and disillusionment.

Spa Night is an intensely personal film,” said Ahn. “I knew very early in the screenwriting process that I had to draw from my own life experiences in order to find the honesty I wanted to show on screen. As the son of Korean-American immigrants, I have felt the conflict between my parentsโ€™ expectations and my own personal desires. In Spa Night, I wanted to explore what it means to be a part of a Korean-American family. As Spa Night progressed into production, the film became even more personal for me. We shot on location in Koreatown, Los Angeles — at restaurants I have eaten at, spas I have visited, and streets I have walked down. As I directed scenes, I saw my family in this fictional family I had created.”

“My main character David speaks in a mix of Korean and English to his parents, the same mix I use when I speak to my parents. With Spa Night, I want to open up American independent cinema to include stories about immigrant communities told in languages other than English. It is important that our cinema culture reflect the diversity of the American experience. By telling this story, I am attempting to validate the immigrant experience and acknowledge my parentsโ€™ sacrifice to leave their home country and start a new life in America. Spa Night is my way of fulfilling my parentsโ€™ hopes and dreams.”

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

Don’t miss the heart-warming and inspiring romance Morgan

Morgan (Leo Minaya) comes home after a tragic accident in a bikers race leaves him paraplegic, binding him to wheelchair use for the rest of his life. He tries to stay positive, not letting the accident end his life, but deep-rooted feelings of uselessness make him wish, at times, that he has not survived.

Rolling out for beer, he meets the handsome, charismatic Dean (Jack Kesy), and the two strike up a friendship that quickly develops into a romantic connection. Morgan wants to participate in the biking race again, more so because of his competitive nature than to prove his ability. Everyone is against it, even Dean, leading to differences that begin to show between the two for the first time.

A powerful and moving story about love and overcoming even the toughest of life’s obstacles, Morgan is a deeply touching romantic drama from writer-director Michael Akers – featuring terrific performances from the two leads.

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

New This Week – 5/29/20

Following four gay men in Singapore, “People Like Us” is a poignant reflection and insightful look into the lives of Joel, Ridzwan, Rai, and Isaac navigating lust, love and life. Season 1 and 2 are available to watch now on Dekkoo!

The long-distance relationship of two men is tested during the Covid-19 crisis. ‘Same Time Tomorrow’ is streaming now on Dekkoo.

In the village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, 21 year old Coby leads a normal life, surrounded by his family and partner. In a very intimate way, this documentary tells the story of the journey that led him to live a life according to his true gender identity, but also the commitment of his close surrounding. An incisive, tender and ironic portrait of a transgender man and his family seeking for freedom. ‘Coby’ is streaming now on Dekkoo.

‘Cold Coffee’ is a punchy and heartfelt rom-com following the fragmented relationship of two people who cannot be together and yet cannot be without each other. Break-ups are never easy. Stream ‘Cold Coffee’ now only on Dekkoo!


Coming next week: An estranged brother and sister attempt to reconnect after choosing very different paths in life.