Category: Award Winner

Henry Golding and Patrick Sawyers star in the swoon-worthy Vietnam-set romance ‘Monsoon’

From acclaimed writer-director Hong Khaou (Spring, Lilting), the romantic drama Monsoon stars Crazy Rich Asians heartthrob Henry Golding as Kit, a young man who returns to Ho Chi Minh City for the first time since he was six years old, when his family fled in the aftermath of the Vietnam War.

As Kit seeks a meaningful place to scatter his parents’ ashes, he finds himself struggling to make sense of himself in a city he’s no longer familiar with.

His journey brings him an illuminating friendship with Linh, a vibrant young local student played by Molly Harris, and an unexpected romance with Lewis, an American ex-pat played by Parker Sawyers, whose father fought in the war.

Through these relationships, Kit rekindles an emotional, life-altering connection with his estranged family and homeland.

A tender and gorgeously-crafted must see, Monsoon offers up a rich and poignant romantic queer travelogue, reflecting on the struggle for identity in a place where the past weighs heavily on the present.

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

A legendary entertainer and pioneer gets her due in the documentary ‘Miwa: A Japanese Icon’

Male actor Akihiro Miwa came to prominence in Japan back in 1968 while playing the glamorous heroine of the film Black Lizard.

A legendary entertainer and a pioneer of gay activism, Miwa popularized androgyny as a fashion statement, fusing the masculine and the feminine into a new generation of aesthetics. This evolved into performing as a woman and living off-stage as a man.

With glitter, wit, evening gowns and enchanting storytelling, Miwa: A Japanese Icon, the celebrated new documentary from director Pascal-Alex Vincent, looks back over a 50-year career and a fascinating life in Japanese music, film and television.

Having sold millions of records, Miwa continues to fight for gay rights, among other issues. Miwa: A Japanese Icon reveals the life story of this wonderful performer and unapologetic social critic.

Watch the trailer for Miwa: A Japanese Icon below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.

‘Seed Money’ looks into the life of legendary gay porn producer and philanthropist Chuck Holmes

As the head of Falcon Studios, Chuck Holmes became one of the most influential gay figures of the 20th century, his work viewed by millions of men at a time when most cinematic representations of gay life were either blatantly homophobic or strictly relegated the art house.

Starting in the early 1970s, Chuck revolutionized the newly legal gay porn industry, assertive in his belief gay men deserved positive representations – and that quality gay films would help them change their sense of self.

He fought legal battles and personal demons, surfacing in the late ’80s as a major contributor to the growing gay rights movement — only to find that the community he helped create now thought of him as a liability.

Through extensive use of film footage, archival material and interviews with Chuck’s friends, lovers, activists and fellow adult filmmakers, the groundbreaking feature-length documentary Seed Money follows the sensational story of Chuck’s incredible rise, his cultural and philanthropic contributions to gay culture and his struggle to achieve respect – even in death.

Watch the trailer for Seed Money below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A filmmaker shares the final years of his elderly gay uncle in the moving documentary ‘Much Ado About Dying’

When filmmaker Simon Chambers receives a call from his elderly gay uncle – who states, gravely, that he thinks he may be dying – he takes it as a summons.

As it turns out, eccentric Uncle David, a retired, Shakespeare-obsessed actor living alone in a cluttered, mouse-infested house in London, is being dramatic… sort of.

For the next five years, Chambers both cares for and documents him, through all of his performative exuberance, anarchic charisma and mood swings, as various people, including a sexy young hustler, possibly try to take advantage of the precarious situation.

As their lives become encumbered by hospital visits, a house fire and Britain’s inadequate eldercare system, the young filmmaker – also single and queer – reflects with aching honesty on what may await him in the years to come.

A must-see documentary by turns both joyously funny and achingly sad, Much Ado About Dying is a thought-provoking study of what it means to live – and die – with dignity.

Watch the trailer for Much Ado About Dying below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The long-lost queer indie classic ‘Together Alone’ is now available on Dekkoo!

Shooting on 16-millimeter black and white film in his own apartment back in 1991, with a budget of just seven thousand dollars, filmmaker P.J. Castellaneta wrote, directed, produced, edited and even catered this bare-bones affair as his cinematic calling card while capturing a very specific moment in LGBTQ+ history.

Together Alone stars Todd Styles and Terry Curry as two men, both coincidentally named Brian, who meet in a bar and end up going home together. Later, they start getting to know one another, spending hours talking through a variety of topics – including AIDS, sexuality, feminism, role-playing and Emily Dickinson.

A fascinating time capsule that celebrates the value of good dialog and showcases what a smart filmmaker can do with a shoestring budget, Together Alone isn’t a well known film, but it earned much respect at the time of its release. Writing in The Austin Chronicle, critic Marjorie Barmgauten called the film “forthright and artistically accomplished.” It went on to win numerous accolades, including the ‘Audience Award’ at the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, the ‘Teddy Award’ for ‘Best Feature Film’ and the ‘Best Art House Film Award’ at the Berlin International Film Festival and the award for ‘Best Feature Film’ at the Torino International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.

Watch the trailer for Together Alone below. The film is finally available once again, ready to be discovered by a whole new generation, on Dekkoo.

Two older gay men navigate the complexities of retirement in the winning comedy ‘Turtles’

Turtles follows Thom and Henri, a married gay couple in their 60s who are living an outwardly sweet existence in their quaint home in Brussels with their pet turtles Topsy and Turvy.

As they celebrate Henri’s retirement from the police force, Thom sees a perfect opportunity to rekindle their passion after 35 years together. Henri, however, can’t seem to cope with his newfound lack of purpose.

Soon enough, the two begin to drive one another crazy. Through a series of increasingly desperate and hilarious maneuvers that only further drive the wedge between them, Thom crusades to keep their marriage alive… even if Henri would rather turn to Grindr. An all-out battle of one-upmanship soon begins.

From writer-director David Lambert, Turtles explores the complexities of an older gay couple with humor and emotional depth, featuring stellar performances by English actor and comedian Dave Johns and Belgian film veteran Olivier Gourmet – who manage to create a classic comedy duo in the Tracy and Hepburn mold.

Thoughtful, provocative and deeply funny, the film presents a unique take on the challenges of long-term relationships and the search for renewed love and purpose.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Sacrament

Set in the 1950s, Sacrament stars Abel Benitez and Rin Iverson as Belford and Winston, two young men on a camping trip outside their rural, religious hometown.

As the story begins to unfold it becomes abundantly clear that two men are attracted to one another, something which is forbidden by their conservative community.

What soon follows is a dark night of the soul for Belford, as he enters into a terrifying, anxiety-induced nightmare and tries to reconcile his religious faith with what his heart truly desires.

Gorgeously shot in black and white, this provocative 9-minute short from writer-director Jack Hessler uses horror imagery and religious allegory to convey complicated feelings about sacrifice, religious intolerance and repressed desires.

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

The sexy and deeply romantic gay Mormon classic ‘The Falls’ returns to Dekkoo

R.J. and Chris (Nick Ferrucci and Benjamin Farmer) were both born and raised in the Mormon Church. Both boys have girlfriends, were Eagle Scouts at a young age and have perfect academic records. Now, it’s their turn to serve a mission and experience the Mormon rite of passage.

Unbeknownst to them, serving this mission will not only open the doors to strangers’ households – where they’re expected to preach the Gospel and possibly return with some converts to the Church – but will also open up some secrets in their own lives… and feelings that they’ve long kept buried.

Featuring two exceptional and deeply romantic performances from lead actors Nick Ferrucci and Benjamin Farmer, The Falls captures the lives of two young men struggling to make sense of the conflict between their religion and their desires. What they discover will present a challenge to both of their lives, but also offer an affirmation of the human spirit.

Originally released in 2012, The Falls is a beloved romantic indie drama that will resonate deeply with any LGBTQ+ viewers from conservative Christian backgrounds. The story doesn’t stop here, either. Writer-director Jon Garcia followed up with R.J. and Chris in two sequels – The Falls: Testament of Love in 2013 and The Falls: Covenant of Grace in 2016.

Watch the trailer for The Falls below and head over to Dekkoo to dive into the first film – streaming now. The complete trilogy will be available on Dekkoo later this month.

‘Ganymede’ is a clever and skillfully-crafted coming-out fable for queer horror fans

A metaphorical queer horror fable, Ganymede follows a high school athlete whose burgeoning sexual desires arrive with unexpectedly terrifying side-effects.

Jordan Doww stars in the film as Lee Fletcher. A wrestling star and third generation heir to the county commissioners seat, he’s a big deal in his small town.

When Lee develops a crush on an openly gay classmate named Kyle (Pablo Castelblanco), he finds himself stalked by a grotesque creature that emerges from the waters of his family’s lake – and literally inhabits his closet.

As the creature begins to infect Lee’s thoughts, he seeks Kyle’s advice. His parents catch them in an intimate moment that puts their relationship on the rocks and lands Lee in the office of the family’s extreme pastor, who blames Kyle and administers a dangerous treatment.

Tensions rise as the boys’ families butt heads over how to approach their children’s growing desires. Lee struggles with his attraction to Kyle and suffers escalating torment from the grotesque creature… until he is finally forced to confront an essential truth about himself.

Robin Lively, David Koechner and ‘Stranger Things’ alum Joe Chrest co-star in this clever and skillfully mounted parable from co-directors Sam Probst and Colby Holt, which uses classic horror tropes to illustrate some essential truths about coming out in a conservative environment.

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

‘To Decadence with Love, Thanks for Everything’ takes viewers on an intimate trip through Southern Decadence

The action-packed documentary To Decadence with Love, Thanks for Everything follows the lives of drag queen extraordinaires Laveau Contraire and Franky Canga as they prepare for Southern Decadence, a weekend of queer celebration in New Orleans.

During this behind-the-scenes journey, we meet a rich community of Southern artists who proudly challenge social norms and the boundaries of self-expression.

Showcasing the diversity of New Orleans while teaching a poignant lesson about knowing your worth, this new film from director Stuart Sox provides a personal perspective from the performers as well as the producers, as Laveau strives to create more opportunities for BIPOC performance artists.

From drag queens to burlesque performers and everything in between, To Decadence with Love, Thanks for Everything is a lively portrait of a nearly 50-year tradition and the diversity community that pulls it together year after year.

Watch the trailer for To Decadence with Love, Thanks for Everything below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.