Category: Award Winner

The Italian rom-com ‘Mascarpone’ looks at life, love and sex through the delicious lens of food

A romantic comedy-drama from Italian co-directors Alessandro Guida and Matteo Pilati, Mascarpone looks at life, love and sex through the delicious lens of food.

When Antonio (Giancarlo Commare) is dumped by his partner, whom he depends both psychologically and economically, his life begins to change radically.

Embracing all of his new possibilities, Antonio soon enrolls in pastry school, rents a room from the attractive, free-spirited and sex-positive Denis (Eduardo Valdarnini) and takes a job working in a bakery owned by the extremely hunky Luca (Gianmarco Saurino). He also starts having numerous hot sexual encounters with eligible men.

Through this process, Antonio discovers that it was wrong to give up his independence for the sake of his past relationship.

As sweet and silky as the ingredient which serves as the title, Mascarpone is the perfect gay date movie, blending sexy men, endearing characters and charming humor. Having premiered to great acclaim at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, this flavorful gay treat is sure to delight.

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

Adam Kalderon’s ‘The Swimmer’ is a sexy and provocative gay sports drama

Grab your sunscreen and get ready for a film filled with speedos, water sports, suppressed desire and so much more!

The Swimmer stars Omer Perelman Striks as Erez, a rising star in the Israeli swimming scene. He arrives at a training camp held in a boarding school where only one winning athlete will get a ticket to the Olympics. There he meets the beautiful and talented Nevo (played by Asaf Jonas), who awakens subconscious desires in him.

Unfortunately for Erez and Nevo, their coach does not believe in friendship between competitors. Warned to stay away from Nevo, Erez is far too attracted to give up completely. In between practices, he attempts to act upon his feelings and comes to believe that winning a medal is less important than winning Nevo’s heart.

A critically-acclaimed film festival hit from Israeli director Adam Kalderon, The Swimmer is a skillyfully made, relentlessly sexy and boldly provocative crowd-pleaser.

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

Now Available: BPM (Beats Per Minute)

In the early 1990s, ACT UP – in France, as well as in the United States – was on the front lines of AIDS activism, taking on sluggish government agencies and major pharmaceutical companies in bold, invasive actions.

ACT UP’s members, mostly gay, HIV-positive men, stormed offices in “Silence=Death” t-shirts, facing down complacent suits with the urgency of their own struggle for life.

With BPM (Beats Per Minute), acclaimed French director Robin Campillo (Les Revenants, Eastern Boys) takes audiences directly to the front lines, telling a deeply moving love story that doubles as a historical reenactment.

Amid rallies, protests, fierce debates and ecstatic dance parties, newcomer Nathan (Arnaud Valois) falls in love with Sean (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart), the group’s radical firebrand. Their passion sparks against the shadow of mortality as the activists fight for a breakthrough.

Winner of the coveted Queer Palm award at the Cannes Film Festival as well as six Cesar Awards, BPM is one of the most acclaimed gay films in recent memory. We can’t recommend it more highly.

Watch the trailer for BPM (Beats Per Minute) below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

The queer ’90s classic ‘Broadway Damage’ is now available on Dekkoo

Originally released in 1997, the romantic comedy-drama Broadway Damage plays like a valentine to ‘90s New York indie cinema when viewed through today’s lens.

Mara Hobel, Michael Lucas and Aaron Williams star as Cynthia, Marc and Robert, a trio of recent NYU grads who score a great apartment together in Greenwich Village. Marc is a struggling actor, Cynthia is desperately trying to break into the magazine publishing world and Robert, an actor/songwriter, is secretly harboring feelings for Marc – who is, sadly, oblivious.

Burning with youthful ambition, all three are ready to take New York City by storm. But when a sexy new neighbor enters the picture, the realities of life, love and career goals start to test their dreams and the dynamics of their friendship in unexpected ways.

A winner of numerous awards at LGBTQ film festivals when it first debuted, Broadway Damage is ready to take you back to a different, but no less complicated time.

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

Now Available: LUV Don’t Live Here

From Philadelphia-based writer, director and co-star Mikal Odom, LUV Don’t Live Here tells the story of Reggie Hamilton (Nathaniel Ryan), also known as poet, dancer and performance artist Reggie Luv, a seemingly confident gay man whose life drastically changes once he becomes severely ill.

Not so easily willing to succumb to his decaying yet humbling new life, Reggie finds it difficult to accept help from others – even when he so desperately needs it.

Reggie soon finds himself not only fighting for his health, but also fighting against the people who love him most. Soon, he’s forced to unearth harsh truths about himself and the relationships he holds dear.

Winner of the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 2015 qFLIX Philadelphia Film Festival, LUV Don’t Live Here is a deeply emotional drama that will resonate with anyone who has suffered a severe illness or taken care of a close friend or family member who has.

Watch the trailer for LUV Don’t Live Here below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Acclaimed Danish director Christian Tafdrup’s breakthrough film ‘Awakening’ is now available on Dekkoo

Danish actor and director Christian Tafdrup made a big splash on the international film scene last year with the shockingly violent thriller Speak No Evil.

Back in 2008, he took a similar aim at taboo subject matter with the 39-minute drama Awakening, which has recently been restored by the cult distribution label Altered Innocence.

Awakening stars “True Blood” alum Allan Hyde as Carsten, a sixteen-year-old boy who is taking a trip to meet his girlfriend’s parents at their summer house.

Throughout the weekend, Carsten becomes increasingly bonded with his girlfriend’s father, played by Lars Brygmann. It seems these two men share the same secret – and their time together, which involves a furtive kiss, puts their carefully-constructed relationships in major jeopardy.

Though it may sound racy, Tafdrup handles the developing friendship between two closeted men of differing ages with a great deal of sensitivity and heartfelt honesty.

Watch a clip from Awakening below. The full short film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Fire at the Lake

The short film Fire at the Lake follows Felix (Hervé Lassïnce), a French farmer who lives an isolated day-to-day with his elderly mother (Isabelle Rama). When he returns home from guarding his cows in the pasture, he’s shocked to find her lying unconscious in bed.

Before he can contact the proper authorities, Felix gets a notification from an attractive younger man (Pierre Moure) who has contacted him on a dating app. At that moment, something inside of him snaps. Instead of checking on his mother’s well-being, Felix flees, driving several miles away to meet up with the alluring stranger in person – and their encounter proves incredibly steamy despite the strange circumstances.

An Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival, Fire at the Lake is baffling and captivating in equal measure. This twisted, mysterious and sexually-charged short film from writer-director Pierre Menahem that examines what happens when repressed desire is finally unleashed.

Watch a short trailer for Fire at the Lake below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A new season of ‘After Forever’ is available now on Dekkoo!

Co-created by Emmy-nominated TV writer and playwright Michael Slade and actor-writer Kevin Spirtas, the moving drama series After Forever follows Brian and Jason, a 50-something gay couple living in New York City who appear to have it all… until they don’t.

When Jason dies unexpectedly, Brian must face the grieving process. Suddenly, he’s forced to think about his own future – and ultimately his own mortality – without the love of his life.

Season Two picks up six months after the end of Season One. Brian has a new relationship and a new job, but Jason is still very present in his life. These eight new episodes continue his and his friends’ journey of love, loss and moving on.

Winner of six Emmy Awards, After Forever is a funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming and ultimately empowering series that will resonate with audiences of all ages and sexual identities as it explores relationships, healing and new beginnings.

Watch the original trailer for After Forever below. Both seasons are available now on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Adjustment

From director Mehrdad Hasani and screenwriter Farzad Ahmadi, this challenging new 16-minute drama tells a story about one child’s bravery in the face of major adversity.

Adjustment follows Shahrokh, a 9-year-old boy who isn’t afraid to play around with his gender expression, despite constant bullying from other kids and aggressive pressure from within his own deeply religious family.

Though he’s been humiliated, pushed aside and victimized, Shahrokh stands firm in his identity. He decides to come out to the people of his village. Having been through a variety or ordeals, Shahrokh shows up or school dressed in girl’s clothes.

While he has an uphill battle ahead, he finds an unlikely ally in his male teacher, learning that being yourself is always the right move – despite anyone else’s reaction.

Watch the trailer for Adjustment below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Holding the Man

Based on the beloved and hugely successful memoir and stage play of the same name, Holding the Man tells the warm, funny and achingly sad story of the love affair between Timothy Conigrave and John Caleo, who met when they were teenagers at Xavier College in Melbourne in the 1970s.

Tim (Ryan Corr) was an aspiring actor. John (Craig Stott) was captain of the football team. Their romance lasted 15 years and endured a good many trials. When John died of AIDS at 33, Tim was forbidden to speak at his lover’s funeral. He set out to write a memoir about their relationship that would show the depth of tenderness they shared.

Featuring moving performances by lead actors Corr and Stott, Holding the Man also includes some legendary Australian actors in supporting roles. Guy Pearce, Anthony LaPaglia, Kerry Fox, Geoffrey Rush and “Succession” star Sarah Snook are all on hand to lend their talent to this powerful true story.

Deeply romantic, even in its tragic denouement, Holding the Man is keenly in touch with the lived experience of its characters, offering a loving tribute to those we lost during the AIDS crisis while celebrating a relationship that blossomed and endured in the face of prejudice and adversity.

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