Category: Adolescence

Short Film Spotlight: Mikey’s Army

When you are facing a crisis, who goes to battle for you?

In a time when queer kids face unprecedented attacks and hostility from lawmakers, educators and even their own families, writer Eric Ulloa and director Andrew Keenan-Bolger set out to make a short film that puts the beauty – and even magic – of queerness at center stage.

Mikey’s Army stars Markie Aquirre as Mikey Alvarez, a 16-year-old who finds himself at a pivotal moment. He must decide whether or not to be open and honest about his sexuality.

Not quite ready to come out on his own, Mikey unwittingly conjures a trio of guides who appear in an explosion of glitter and glitz. Backed up by a drag queen, an international pop star and an action film heartthrob, he finally finds the courage and confidence he needs to be honest about his feelings.

Featuring a cast of Broadway-regulars like Claybourne Elder and Krystina Alabado – alongside ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ alum Shuga Cain – Mikey’s Army is a thoughtful and touching film that aims to remind us that our differences can be superpowers – and that we’re never alone on the battlefield.

Watch a short teaser trailer for Mikey’s Army below. The 10-minute film is now available on Dekkoo.

Don’t miss ‘Lie with Me,’ a gorgeous adaptation of French author Phillipe Besson’s celebrated novel

Adapted from a beloved novel by French author Phillipe Besson, Lie with Me tells an erotic, tender and heartbreaking tale of a lost romance that lingers.

Guillaume de Tonquédec stars as Stéphane, a celebrated author who, as a shy, bespectacled teenager (played in flashbacks by Jérémy Gillet), had fallen for Thomas (Julien De Saint Jean), a rough-and-tumble boy from their small picturesque town.

Now, after thirty years away, he returns home for a book tour and meets Lucas (Victor Belmondo), Thomas’s grown son… who is searching for answers about his deceased father.

As Stéphane is flooded with memories of his first love, the mysteries of their relationship are revealed. The film contrasts the wintry present with the sun-splashed summer when the two young men first fell in love.

With a bucolic rural European setting and parallel narratives, acclaimed director Olivier Peyon weaves a timeless tale of love found and lost that will sweep audiences away on Stéphane’s wave of nostalgia – and questions of what might have been.

Even tragic love stories have magical moments… and Lie with Me is full of them.

Watch the trailer for Lie with Me below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Three teen outcasts band together in the Italian coming-of-age drama ‘One Kiss’

Young actors Rimau Ritzberger Grillo, Valentina Romani and Leonardo Pazzagli star in One Kiss as Lorenzo, Blu and Antonio, high school sophomores living in a small city in the North of Italy.

All three teens are outcasts, albeit for different reasons. Antonio is a jock, but gets picked on for his speech impediment. Blu has an unfair reputation in town for being promiscuous due to one prior indiscretion. Lorenzo is not afraid to be open about his sexuality, despite rampant homophobia.

Though they come from different backgrounds, the three share a strong bond and soon band together to fight against their oppressors. However, when Lorenzo starts making evident his attraction to Antonio, petty jealousies threaten to tear the trio apart.

Directed by Ivan Cotroneo, the prolific writer behind Luca Guadagnino’s 2009 international hit I Am Love, One Kiss plays around with the expectations of your typical teen coming-of-age movie. This is a film about friendship and emerging sexuality that isn’t afraid to go deep and show both the brightest and darkest moments of adolescence.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Jean Fell in Love

A pulse-pounding and ultimately heart-warming 20-minute short from French writer-director Romain Roellet, Jean Fell in Love follows events that take place during the final weeks of a heated rugby tournament.

Jean (Simon Rerolle), the star player of his team, is on the cusp of earning a much-coveted trophy. When he meets Ayoub (Tristan Zanchi), a newcomer from an opposing team, the spark between them is immediately apparent.

The pair make plans to get together for a walk through the park the following day. When Ayoub kisses Jean for the first time, however, they’re inconveniently spotted by Greg (Pierre Louis Laugérias), a less-then-supportive teammate whose over-the-top homophobia betrays a not-so thinly veiled jealousy.

News soon travels to the locker room, where Jean is forced out of the closet before he’s ready. Finally faced with the truth, he decides that it’s time to start winning on his own terms.

With terrific performances, a charming romance at its core and lots of hot athletic flesh on display, Jean Fell in Love is ready to make you swoon and break a sweat.

Watch a short trailer for Jean Fell in Love below. The film is now available to watch on Dekkoo.

‘Perfect Obedience’ is a hard-hitting religious drama based on a shocking true story

A disturbing coming-of-age drama from Mexican filmmaker Luis Urquiza, Perfect Obedience follows Julián (Sebastián Aguirre Boëda), a naïve thirteen-year-old boy who travels from the arms of his loving family into the austere and secretly sinister halls of a local seminary.

Father Ángel (Juan Manuel Bernal), the institution’s leader, sees something special in young Julián. The priest singles him out as his own personal disciple, installing him in his palatial private quarters and even giving him a new name. He also teaches him about the concept of ‘perfect obedience,’ the cardinal rule of which is to never question a superior’s authority.

Over the course of one year, the two become unnaturally close, surrendering to the most intense, blissful and contradictory episode of their lives.

Years later, now older and wiser, Julián (played as an adult by Alfonso Herrera) begins to regret their relationship. After leaving the order, he decides to seek justice from his once all-too-powerful religious tutor.

Based on the shocking true story of Marcial Maciel, the “Legion of Christ” founder who was revealed to have a long history of carefully covered-up child abuse, this hard-hitting, award-winning film proves an intense and unforgettable drama, both chilling and heartbreaking in equal measure.

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

Short Film Spotlight: I Am Not Afraid

In today’s political climate, making a gay-themed film in Russia is an incredibly brave act. Writer-director Vladimir Beck has done just that with I Am Not Afraid, a thoughtful coming-of-age short about a young man who is looking to muster up a little bravery of his own.

Illarion Marov stars in I Am Not Afraid as Misha, a quiet high school teen who tries to cover up his sensitivity with an air of aloofness. He’s been exploring his sexuality during sleepovers with Philip, his much more confident best friend played by Mark Eidelshtein.

When it becomes clear that Philip will be moving away to Germany with his family, it stirs up some deep emotions that Misha is not ready to face. Their seemingly strong friendship starts coming apart at the seams once Philip senses Misha’s turmoil, but is unable to get the truth out of him.

At a party where a female classmate starts showing some aggressive interest in Misha, everything comes to a head. Suddenly, Misha is forced to either show his true feelings in front of all of his classmates or openly betray the boy he secretly loves.

Packed with emotion and featuring tender performances from the two male leads, I Am Not Afraid is a heartfelt examination of young love as well as a rare glimpse into the way Russian teenagers feel about – and are affected by – LGBTQ+ issues.

Watch the trailer for I Am Not Afraid below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

An ancient creature spurs a young man’s sexual awakening in the stylish thriller ‘Carnal Sins’

After experiencing relentless bullying at school, Nino (Nicolás Díaz) and his family decide to spend the summer in a remote country house in Argentina.

This temporary home is situated in a conservative Catholic town and surrounded by a mysterious forest, supposedly haunted by ‘the Almamula,’ a monster that takes those who commit carnal sins and impure acts.

Unable to escape blatant homophobia and the suffocating grip of Catholic traditions, Nino wanders around the area and begins to see visions of the titular mythic monster.

With temptation and curiosity around every corner, he wonders how long it will take before this creature pushes his desires to their breaking point.

In Carnal Sins, promising first-time feature director Juan Sebastián Torales captures the turmoil of adolescence with a dark sense of humor and unflinching honesty, creating a truly beguiling narrative that takes hold of your imagination and never lets go.

Watch the trailer for Carnal Sins below. The film is now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo.

‘A Little Lust’ tackles bullying, homophobia and hormonal urges with a vibrant and funny Italian sensibility

There’s nothing wrong with a little lust as long as you keep it in check.

For sixteen-year-old Rocco (Andrea Amato), that’s getting harder to do. His two hormonally-charged aims in life are to finally get laid and to go see his favorite pop star in concert with his best friends – sassy and tomboyish Maria (Carolina Pavone) and nerdy and quiet Mauri (Francesco De Miranda).

When a bullying incident at school forces Rocco to come out of the closet to his divorced, middle-class Italian parents, their liberal leanings are severely tested. Luckily, his two friends stand by him and quickly latch on to his impulsive plan to run away from home… in his parents’ stolen car, no less.

The three buds are planning to go see their favorite singer in concert. They don’t realize, though, that they’re being followed hot on the heels by Rocco’s neurotic mother and his eccentric grandma – to hilarious effect.

A vibrant and funny Italian family comedy from director and co-star Veronica Pivetti, A Little Lust is both immersive and heartwarming – plus there’s a sweet, romantic twist you won’t want to miss.

Watch the trailer for A Little Lust below. The film is now available to stream on Dekkoo.