Adolescence – Page 33 – Discover great gay stories.

Short Film Spotlight: Walk for Me

Set in present day New York City, the new twelve-minute short film Walk for Me is a contemporary coming out story that packs an emotional punch.

A conflicted teenager (newcomer Aaliyah King) is torn between their devotion to their mother and their desire to be their authentic self.

When their mother (“The Chi” and “The Get Down” star Yolanda Ross) finds women’s underwear and a flyer to a Gay Ball in their bedroom, she decides to track down her child and confront them. Arriving at the ball, the mother is shocked to find that her child has been taken under the wing of an adoptive Ball mother, Paris Continental (Brenda Holder), and assumed the identity of Hanna.

The mother is confronted by a choice: deny her child or accept her for who she really is.

Winner of the 2017 Mexico International Film Festival Gold Palm Award, Walk for Me has earned stellar reviews. Emilie Friedlander of Thump said “Walk For Me isn’t just a ballroom story. It’s also a story about motherhood, and the complexities of family life for queer teens like Hanna. Through a delicate choreography of loaded glances and small hand gestures, it captures Hanna’s struggle for acceptance from her biological mother, as well as her discovery of a second support system.”

In Shadow and Act, writer Aramide A. Tinubu said “Director Elegance Bratton highlights one of the most pivotal moments in a young trans person’s life… It is the exact instant that will either lead to final rejection or acceptance from her mother.”

Walk for Me is now available on Dekkoo.

Pride Month Spotlight: Naz & Maalik

In this riveting dramatic tale, gay teens Naz and Maalik are friends, classmates, business partners and lovers. As the two closeted Muslim teens go about their regular daily routine on a Friday afternoon in Brooklyn they arouse the suspicions of an undercover FBI agent who begins to track them.

Kerwin Johnson Jr. and Curtiss Cook Jr. in Naz & Maalik

This complex tale of race, religion and sexuality features a pair of tremendous performances from lead actors Kerwin Johnson Jr. and Curtiss Cook Jr. Intimate and meditative, Naz & Maalik examines the mysterious forces that animate teenage minds.

An exceptionally well-crafted drama, and an auspicious feature debut from writer-director Jay Dockendorf, Naz & Maalik is now available on Dekkoo – one of our Pride Month selections. Check out the trailer below.

Pride Month Spotlight: Real Boy

Real Boy is the coming-of-age story of Bennett Wallace, a transgender teenager finding his voice – as a musician, a friend, a son, and a man.

Directed by Shaleece Haas, the film follows Bennett over the first three and a half years of his transition – as he grapples with issues of identity, sobriety, and connection to the people he loves. And the person he loves most is his mom, Suzy, who struggles to accept and understand his decision to transition.

As Suzy works to overcome her misgivings, Bennett finds support in the people who understand him best – his musical hero Joe Stevens, a celebrated transgender musician fighting his own demons; and his best friend Dylan, another trans teen on a similar path to young manhood.

At its heart, Real Boy is a story about growing up. It’s a story about the meaning of family, given and chosen. And it’s a story about how our search for identity isn’t just personal, but involves those closest to us.

One of our Pride Month selections, Real Boy is now available on Dekkoo. You can watch the trailer below.

Now Available: 1:54

Tim (played by Antoine-Olivier Pilon, the star of writer-director Xavier Dolan’s acclaimed 2014 art-house hit Mommy) is a shy sixteen-year-old athlete with a natural gift for running, dealing with the loss of his mother as well as his sexuality.

However, the last four years of high school have been tough on him because of Jeff (Lou-Pascal Tremblay) and his crew. In his last year of school, Tim is sick and tired of feeling like a loser, and wants to shine for once. He decides to stand up to Jeff by dethroning him in the 800m championship, the event Jeff is known for in school.

But behind the competition and rivalry, a secret is wreaking havoc. After a personal video is shared on social media, Tim’s private life is about to explode into the public eye. Soon Tim finds himself pushed to the edge because of the pressure he endures, the edge where human limits reach the point of no return.

An emotional coming-of-age high school sports movie, 1:54 is now available on Dekkoo. Watch the trailer below.

New This Week – 5/31/19

Tim, a shy 16 years old athlete, is both brilliant and talented. But the pressure he undergoes pushes him to the edge, where human limits reach the point of no return. ‘1:54’ is available now on Dekkoo!

Erik’s boyfriend Marely left him. Now, the last chance for Erik to get him back is to make this movie to explain, that the only reason he sold sex was so they could afford to become parents one day. Stream the gay short ‘We Could Be Parents’ now on Dekkoo!

Visibility for the LGBT movement in Argentina wouldn’t have been the same without him. This is the life story of Carlos Jauregui, the most recongnized LGBT activist from the 80s and 90s in Argentina. ‘Carlos Jauregui: The Unforgettable Fag’ is now available on Dekkoo.

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Coming next week: The case that shook a state and changed the nation.

New This Week – 5/17/19

Robin Williams, in on of his final roles, plays a devoted husband in a marriage of convenience who is forced to confront his secret life. Stream ‘Boulevard’ now on Dekkoo.com!

Javi, a young man from East Los Angeles, is being harassed by his homophobic neighbor. As tensions escalate, he must decide whether to confront his tormentor or turn the other cheek. ‘Pitbull’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A young teacher Ernst falls head over heels in love with the transvestite star Robi Rapp and finds himself torn between his bourgeois existence and his commitment to homosexuality. ‘The Circle’ is now streaming on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: One woman, one man, a lot of weed, a little crying and absolutely NO sexual attraction whatsoever.

Now Available: Thirsty

From a tender age Scott Townsend’s life is ruled by his slippery gender.

Growing up a girly-boy in the projects of Cambridge, Massachusetts, under the watch of Doris (Deirdre Lovejoy), his dysfunctional, single mom, Scott (played by Townsend himself) is prey to bullying and assault.

Already a talented singer and performer, Scott grows up to be revered drag queen Thirsty Burlington and delights club goers in Provincetown with his spot on impersonation of Cher. But even in this gay mecca, being Thirsty comes at a price.

Inspired by Scott/Thirsty’s real life, Thirsty spotlights the power of gender identity to both endanger and work its magic. The journey moves through dramatic, fantasy and musical sequences coming full circle when Scott realizes what he wants most in life, “To be safe and comfortable in all his skins,” and loved for all that he is.

Watch the trailer for Thirsty below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 3/29/19

When Ramin hid on a cargo ship leaving Turkey, he never expected to end up in Veracruz, Mexico by accident. Having escaped persecution as a young gay man in his home country, Iran, he suddenly finds himself far from everything he knows, living the life of an exile in this nostalgic, tropical port where his past and future are constantly confronted by new relationships and revived desires. ‘Fireflies’ is available now exclusively on Dekkoo!

This short romantic thriller explores the emotional aftermath of a one-night stand (and the inherent risks of hook-up culture) as a lonely man imagines what life might be like with a mysterious stranger he picks up on the New York City subway. Stream ‘Michael Joseph Jason John’ now on Dekkoo!

An unusual set of circumstances conspire to force, Lorenzo and Caito, two teen boys who seem to have very little in common, to live under the same roof for a short period of time. They soon form an intense bond in this moving coming-of-age romance from Argentina. Watch ‘My Best Friend’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week – “…an uplifting experience, an inspirational, not to mention handsomely set-dressed, story of self-invention and survival. ” – Variety

Now Available: My Best Friend

The new coming-of-age drama My Best Friend follows Lorenzo (Angelo Mutti Spinetta), a quiet teen who lives in a small town at the edge of the world in beautiful Patagonia.

Lorenzo is a good student, a curious and smart young person far more skilled in music and literature than in sports. When a dramatic event leaves a family friend with nowhere to live, Caito (Lautaro Rodriguez), a year older than Lorenzo, comes to stay in their home.

Covered in fresh bruises, tattooed, and handsome, Caito is both a disturbing and fascinating new presence in Lorenzo’s life. As their friendship grows, Caito begins opening up to Lorenzo – and the more Caito reveals his true self, the more Lorenzo finds his feelings growing for his new house guest.

With beautiful cinematography and outstanding lead performances, this tender coming-of-age story from writer-director Martin Deus, making his feature-length film debut, examines the space between first crush and first love.

Watch the trailer for My Best Friend below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The romantic gay classic Come Undone still holds up almost 20 years later

Gorgeous bronzed bodies on the beaches of southern France and a passionate romance between two French teens are reason enough to see Come Undone, but this bittersweet, turn-of-the-millennium gay classic also has some profound things to say about the heartbreak of gay first love.

Eighteen-year-old Mathieu (Jérémie Elkaïm) is vacationing at the beach with his family when he meets local teen Cedric (Stéphane Rideau). After an extremely erotic kiss, the boys begin a hot and heavy affair, complete with skinny-dipping at night, nude dancing on the beach and intense lovemaking in the dunes. Yet as Mathieu grapples with his sexuality – and copes with his sick mother, absent father and a characteristically annoying little kid sister – his bond with Cedric grows stronger… until, like so many first loves before and since, it bursts.

Released to critical acclaim in 2000, Come Undone, directed and co-written by Sebastien Lifshitz, beautifully conveys Mathieu’s coming-of-age (a scene in which he comes out to his mother is still quite moving almost 20 years later). Both lead actors, Stéphane Rideau and Jérémie Elkaïm, are incredibly charismatic and give remarkable performances as the affectionate teens.

If you’ve never seen it before – or are just looking to dip your toes back in – Dekkoo has you covered. Come Undone is available now.