Adolescence – Page 34 – Discover great gay stories.

Cinema Spotlight: Center of My World

After a summer away at camp, Phil (“Dark” and Red Sparrow star Louis Hofmann) returns home to find that his mother and twin sister aren’t speaking to one another. Not willing to confront his family during the last days of the summer holidays, Phil escapes to hang out with his best friend, Kat (Svenja Jung), eating ice cream and playing dress-up.

Louis Hofmann and Svenja Jung in Center of My World

As the school year begins, a new student arrives – the handsome and mysterious Nicholas (Jannik Schümann). Smitten, Phil watches his crush as he runs around the track after school, and is thrilled when Nicholas returns his feelings. However, when first love’s volatility comes to light, Phil realizes he must deal with the problems of his past in order to deal with the issues of his present.

Louis Hofmann, Jannik Schümann and Svenja Jung in Center of My World

A touching must-see romance, Center of My World was chosen as an Official Selection and won numerous “Best Feature Film” and “Best Director” awards at festivals around the globe. Louis Hofmann delivers a terrific lead performance, which has earned him a lot of additional high-profile work in film and television internationally.

Jannik Schümann and Louis Hofmann in Center of My World

Watch the trailer for Center of My World below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 3/1/19

Shane, a gay Anishinaabe teen in Northern Ontario is struggling to support his family after his sister’s suicide. Torn between responsibilities at home and the promise of freedom calling from the city Shane must decide his true path. ‘Fire Song’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

The boyfriend of a handsome photographer tries to deal with his jealousy after finding nude photos he took of a gorgeous model. Dekkoo Films presents ‘The Jealous Sea’. Watch it now!

‘Drag Heals’ is a documentary series that follows men who have never worn heels or make-up but have always dreamed of letting their inner drag queen out. Stream the entire series now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Four friends. One swimming pool. One house. One phone call. One question – What if the love of our life came back 10 years after everything was over?

Now Available: Unfriend

Set in Manila, loosely based on a real-life true crime, Unfriend tells the story of a socially isolated fifteen-year-old named David (Sandino Martin) who is coming to terms with his sexuality and dealing with the intense emotions of his first relationship, which doesn’t seem to be going very well.

After having met the attractive, slightly older fellow teen Jonathan (Angelo Ilagan) on Facebook, David begins to develop strong feelings for his new social media friend. Unfortunately, he soon learns that social media relationships tend toward the casual. Realizing that Jonathan has discarded him for another guy, David embarks on an increasingly self-destructive mission to win him back at all costs.

Written by prolific Filipino television creator Zig Madamba Dulay and directed by Joselito Altarejos, the innovative filmmaker behind The Game of Juan’s Life, Pink Halo-Halo and Antonio’s Secret, Unfriend is a powerful film that aims to inspire discussion and shine a light on certain stigmas associated with mental health problems.

Also, according to the director, Unfriend is his take on “how social media has changed the way we live our lives, how we have become performers, and how social media has also made us voyeurs and exhibitionists.”

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

Now Available: Fire Song

One of the first films by a First Nations director to deal with two-spirited people, Fire Song, the thoughtful and moving debut feature by Adam Garnet Jones, focuses on a young Anishinaabe man who is forced to choose between staying in his community or exploring the expanded possibilities of the world outside.

In the wake of his sister’s death, Shane (Andrew Martin) finds himself at an existential crossroads. A smart kid with good grades, he wants to leave the reservation for Toronto and attend university. But his boyfriend David (Harley Legarde-Beacham) begs him to remain, dedicated to understanding their cultural history and ancestral traditions. At the same time, he’s also fooling around with Tara (Mary Galloway), who’s blind to his gay tendencies and hopes to depart for the big city with him.

Torn between the city and the country, formal education and embracing tradition, a straight life and being true to his desires, Jones has rendered a character pulled in all directions at once.

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

Heartstone is a moving coming-of-age story from Iceland

In a remote fishing village in Iceland, teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer. As one of them tries to win the heart of a girl, the other discovers that he is harboring romantic feelings toward his best friend.

When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood for the first time.

An absolutely gorgeous, profoundly emotional coming-of-age film, Heartstone has won the hearts of critics all over the world. The Playlist said it’s “beautifully shot, touchingly performed and delivered with a thrillingly atmospheric sense of place.” And Screen International said it’s “Affecting as well as perceptive in how it intimately depicts the blossoming of youth… just the right amount of confidence, compassion and clear-eyed style.”

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

The new coming-of-age drama Seeds packs an emotional punch

Young middle-schooler Andy (Emilio Puente) is about to see his world entirely changed. After witnessing the death of his mother during a senseless act of violence, he is sent from Mexico City to Cuernavaca, where he will stay with his paternal grandmother (Carmen Maura).

Tasked with weeding and picking fruit around the property, Andy meets a young, charismatic gardener named Charley (Diego Alvarez Garcia), who seems to be his only source of friendship and camaraderie. As Andy begins getting closer to Charley and searching for information about his absent father (Moises Arizmendi), he finds himself on an increasingly bumpy path through adolescence.

Seeds, the feature-length debut from award-winning short film and documentary director Alejandro Andrade Pease is gorgeously shot and features arresting performances. This sun-dappled coming-of-age story packs a serious emotional punch.

You can watch the trailer for Seeds (originally titled Cuernavaca) below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 2/8/19

In the wake of a family tragedy, Andy, an introverted student who seems different from the other boys, is forced to move in with his strict, no-nonsense grandmother. When he meets and develops a relationship with her sexy young gardener, he is opened up to a world of new possibilities. ‘Seeds’ is available exclusively on Dekkoo!

Set in a small Texas town, two lonely men struggle through relationships until one day they meet each other. A refreshing, intelligent drama about two very un-stereotypical gay men. Watch ‘Pit Stop’ now on Dekkoo!

Michael is 33 and he’s never been with a guy. His first encounter is going to be awkward…and also kinda great. The gay short film ‘Silverlake Afternoon’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Offering no easy answers, this tenderly told tale of sexual discovery has earned comparisons to Andrew Haigh’s acclaimed ‘Weekend’.

Watch the trailer for the profoundly moving new short film Louder Than Words

Louder Than Words, written and directed by Julio Dowansingh, is an independent short film that follows a young musician named Ansel (Luke Farley), and his unexpected encounter with Niall (Marty Lauter), an endearing, deaf dancer.

When forced to share a studio space, artists Ansel and Niall find themselves awkwardly beside each other, performing song and dance respectively. They have an underlying connection, and that is a closeted interest and admiration of each other. While Niall can read lips, an obvious language barrier still stands between him and Ansel.

In order to communicate, Ansel and Niall must step out of their comfort zones, because even though they share similar passions and quickly inspire each other, the inevitable risk of miscommunication – both in language and emotion – remains, rendering their hidden affection almost impossible to express.

The film explores the sheer struggle that queer people often face in a culture that is yet to fully foster accepting spaces for courtship and love. At its core, the story portrays how difficult it can be to communicate romantic interest as a queer person, and in this case, an added impediment of being hearing impaired.

Louder Than Words is now available to stream on Dekkoo. Check out the trailer below.

Cinema Spotlight: Bromance

Welcome back to the fall of 1996.

When four friends go on a camping trip in a remote part of Argentina, sexual tensions quickly bubble to the surface. Once in virtual seclusion by the beach, Juli, the only girl of the group, quickly recognizes that the boys seem to have a closer relationship than what she would consider “normal” (it’s only ’96, after all).

The line between friendship and love fade further for two of the boys in particular as their desire becomes too much to bear. When what started as a simple getaway quickly becomes tinged with sex, romance and conflict, everyone is forced to confront who they really are for the very first time.

Starring Javier De Pietro, the scrumptious star of Absent and Sexual Tension: Volatile (both of which are also available on Dekkoo), Bromance uses a clever found-footage aesthetic to deliver a thoughtful and supremely sexy meditation on young, burgeoning gay love.

Bromance is available now on Dekkoo. Watch the trailer below.

New This Week – 2/1/19

Samuel and Wilfredo, two struggling artists in the Philippines, have put everything they have into a new independent film project that they’re hoping will launch their careers. But when the Board of Censors bans their film for having gay themes, they find more even more obstacles along to road to success. ‘Uncensored Dreams’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A young musician named Ansel has an unexpected encounter with Niall, an endearing, deaf dancer. ‘Louder Than Words’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

In what way does communication serve as a form of self-expression, and self-expression a form of communication? ‘Words’ explores how people navigate gender and identity in the open and evolving landscape of New York City.

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Coming next week: A brand new-gay film that is a magical coming-of-age tale.