Short Film Spotlight: Shiba San and Meow Chan

Shiba San and Meow Chan, a 30-minute Taiwanese short film from director Chung-Chieh Chiang, revolves around two brothers, both stars of a hit children’s show – in which they perform as a dog and a cat, respectively.

Their show, having swept through the nation capturing the eyes and hearts of kids, has brought them great fame and media attention. Though radiant on stage, both actors have something else on their minds.

Shiba San has been secretly in love with a married man while Meow Chan misses his remarried mother and finds himself desperately searching for reasons why she left him.

Their journey will lead the two stray siblings to confront their emptiness that comes with very public success.

Mixing cuteness and melancholy, Shiba San and Meow Chan is a touching story of two brothers coming of age under intense scrutiny.

Watch the trailer for Shiba San and Meow Chan below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The full first season of the gay comedy series ‘He’s with Me’ is now available on Dekkoo!

Ted is straight. Martin isn’t. When they meet at a wedding and become fast friends, the ensuing confusion shows how little they know about being modern day men, but how much they do know about being there for each other.

A wildly popular short comedy series with naturally charismatic stars and a sophisticated style of storytelling, He’s With Me grew out of a well-received stage show, based around creator and star Jason Cicci’s real life experiences.

Examining his friendships with straight men, he realized how often funny and amusing situations arose from this particular gay/straight male dynamic – opening a conversation about how comfortable men are (or should be) with being available to one another emotionally.

All ten episodes from the first season of He’s with Me are now streaming on Dekkoo. You can watch the trailer below.

Short Film Spotlight: (Il)legal Asterisk

Are we defined by how we see ourselves or how we’re perceived by the outside world?

An experimental, uniquely philosophical short from director Fabrizio Bancale, the 20-minute film (Il)legal Asterisk (originally titled Asterisco (Il)legale) employs three Italian actors (Bruno Petrosino, Orazio Rotolo Schifone and Mauro Toscanelli) to examine that very question.

Pulling from stories both personal and historical, the film playfully jumps around, introducing different settings and characters whose inherent queerness – and their ability to express themselves – has been either discouraged or outright destroyed by societal forces beyond their control.

Handling heavy topics with a light, charismatic touch, the film explores how expressing oneself, coming out and/or living life according to one’s own choices can cost dearly when the law of the land does not offers adequate protection.

With the fight for true freedom being far from over, (Il)legal Asterisk investigates our shared past while shedding a light on our present.

Watch the trailer for (Il)legal Asterisk below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A young intern comes between two middle-aged friends in the taboo-busting drama ‘Daddy’

Based on the 2010 stage play by co-star Dan Via, Daddy is centered around two middle-aged gay friends who find their relationship jeopardized by a much younger love interest.

Director and BearCity alum Gerald McCullouch also stars in the film as Colin McCormack, an aging stud who thinks he has it all – a great job, a steady stream of hot younger guys and a best friend whose devotion he takes for granted.

When a charming intern (played by Smash star Jaime Cepero) sweeps him off his feet, Colin sees a chance for something more: a family of his own. What he discovers instead is a shattering secret that may cost him everything – and everyone – he holds dear.

By turns funny, heartbreaking and hopeful, Daddy explores the universal need for love and connection.

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

Meddlesome siblings come between a budding romance in the British comedy ‘Three in a Bed’

A romantic coming-of-age comedy set in Manchester, Three in a Bed follows the day-to-day life of struggling musician Nate (Brennan Reece).

A young man finally out in the world on his own, Nate seems to have finally found the independence he’s been desperately seeking. That is until his two feisty sisters (Verity-May Henry and Coby Hamilton) come crashing into his life.

The timing, coinciding with the arrival of an adorable new neighbor named Jonny (Darren Bransford), couldn’t be worse. Soon everything in Nate’s life is turned frantically upside down.

Will he finally be able to get his two sisters out of his apartment? Will the budding romance between Jonny and Nate have room to blossom? Or will the pressures of dysfunctional family dynamics end up pulling them apart?

The path to true love is anything but smooth in this affectionate British comedy from frequent EastEnders director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan.

Watch the trailer for Three in a Bed below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

A young gay couple faces paternity issues in the touching Thai family drama ‘Fathers’

Fathers follows Phoon and Yuke (Utt Uttsada Panichkul and Nat Sakdatorn), a young, happily partnered gay couple from Thailand who live in a sleek modern apartment that has all the trappings that come with success.

The pair even have an adorable seven-year old son named Butr (Arituch Pipattangkul), whom Phoon adopted at birth from an orphanage after he was abandoned by his mother. The trio are now waiting for the Thai Government to pass a law to allow same-sex marriage so that they can put their whole family on a more legal and secure footing.

Things get more complicated, however, when Butr starts school and is bullied for having two dads. When a social worker from the Children’s Rights Protection Organization gets involved, she begins questioning the idea of Butr growing up in a family without a feminine presence, and even tracks down his biological mother… who suddenly wishes to be a part of his life.

A sobering and deeply sincere drama from Thai director Palatpol Mingpornpichit, Fathers tells an emotional story about gay parenting in Southeast Asia, covering a complicated situation from every possible angle.

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

‘Throuple’ is now available to rent or buy on Dekkoo and all other major VOD services!

The acclaimed new queer rom-com Throuple is now available to rent or buy on Dekkoo, as well as all other major VOD providers!

Gay singer-songwriter Michael is hopeless when it comes to expressing himself. When he meets Georgie and Connor, a married couple, their nonchalant hook-up turns into a night of vulnerability that none of them expected.

As the couple challenges him to open up about his feelings, Michael ignites a new flicker of excitement in their marriage. His world is soon thrown into chaos, however, when everyone in his social circle begins making life-altering decisions that leave him feeling abandoned. He must decide whether to finally open up and go after what he wants or watch his dreams slip away.

From director Greyson Horst and screenwriter/star Michael Doshier, Throuple is a colorful and sexy new rock n’ roll romance about one man’s journey to live and love openly… while creating a few new songs along the way.

Watch the trailer for Throuple below. You can rent or buy the film right now on Dekkoo, Amazon and various other VOD services. It will be available to Dekkoo subscribers later this year.