Category: Dating

Short Film Spotlight: Hotter Up Close

Screenwriter and star Christopher Matias Aguila delivers a heartwarming and hysterically funny lead performance in the delightful 15-minute comedy Hotter Up Close.

He plays Chris, a barista who is nursing his wounds after a recent break-up and feeling some apprehension on the eve of his 30th birthday. His self-esteem takes a nose dive after an awkward encounter with Aiden, a hunky coffee shop customer and distant Facebook friend played by Francisco San Martin.

But when Aiden invites Chris and his plucky best friend Dana (played by a scene-stealing Liz Jenkins) to a gay pool party, he gets an unexpected opportunity to show off his new swimming trunks and, just possibly, win over the man of his dreams. He’ll just need to learn to accept the fact that sometimes ‘awkward’ can be ‘cute.’

Packed with quotable dialog and hilarious supporting performances, Hotter Up Close is a winning short rom-com that we only wish was longer. We’ll just have to wait to see what Aguila and director Leland Montgomery have in store for us next.

Watch a short teaser trailer for Hotter Up Close below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Vermont

Desires shift after a trip to the mountains in the kaleidoscopic 20-minute short Vermont.

Ryan McDermott, making his acting debut, stars as a young man who, having recently returned from a winter trip to the mountains, drifts through New York City – contemplating an unseen landscape and exploring liaisons with various men.

The film also features a number of other non-actors who make up an ever-shifting ensemble cast of mostly queer men.

Shot on 16mm by cinematographer Robert Orlowski and set to a piano and flute score composed by Cody Boyce, Vermont is heavy on style and atmosphere. It feels like a mysterious and contemplative lost indie from the 1970s heyday of underground New York cinema. We can’t wait to see what writer-director Joseph Barglowski gets up to next.

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

Short Film Spotlight: First Kiss

The new short film First Kiss follows Andi (Julio Bohigas-Couto), a shy teen living in a small commuter town who has yet to experience his first kiss with another boy.

The only person that even knows he’s gay is his straight older brother Raúl (Álvaro Lucas), who, though supportive, makes a sport of teasing him about losing his virginity. Today, though, Andi feels as if everything is about to change. He has his first official date with Néstor (Aritz Itoiz), a city-boy his own age whom he met on Instagram.

After traveling to Madrid on the train, he meets up with the adorable Néstor and his eyes are soon opened to a whole new world of acceptance. The pair peruse the literary offerings at a colorful queer book store, enjoy some penis-shaped pastries at a gay-friendly bakery, open up to one another about their coming-out experiences and finally, blessedly, find themselves locking lips before it’s time to say goodnight.

Their moment of joy is cut short, however, by the arrival of some less-than-tolerant passersby who haven’t learned how to mind their own business. By the end of the night, Andi has learned numerous lessons – some wonderful, some despicable – about openly gay urban life.

From writer-director Miguel Lafuente, First Kiss is a deeply heartfelt coming-of-age short about opening up to the people who love you and standing firm in who you are, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

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

Don’t miss Australian filmmaker Craig Boreham’s sizzling new gay romance ‘Lonesome’

From Craig Boreham, the acclaimed Australian filmmaker behind Teenage Kicks, comes a sexually-charged new romance about a young cowboy who falls in love with the big city… and the man he meets there.

Lonesome follows Casey (Josh Lavery), a handsome young country boy who is running away from a small-town scandal. While trying to rebuild his life amid the hustle and bustle of Sydney, Australia, he meets Tib (Daniel Gabriel), a street-smart city boy struggling with his own scars of isolation.

While palpable desire and undeniable chemistry define their early interactions, the young men soon find something that’s been missing in their connection with one another – and that sudden rush of intimacy both excites and terrifies them.

Featuring exceptional performances by lead actors Lavery and Gabriel, Lonesome is a gorgeous and thoughtful gay drama, exploring casual sexuality, affection, loneliness and the distinct feeling of isolation in a world that has, technically, never been more connected.

Boreham has created a powder-keg of a would-be romance that doubles as a sensuous portrait of reconciliation and redemption.

Watch the trailer for Lonesome below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo. You can also watch Craig Boreham’s Teenage Kicks, which is available now.

Short Film Spotlight: Life In Love with Nick and Kaiden

Meet new couple Nick and Kaiden. They’re navigating an unconventional work life and the politics of London’s queer community, as well as their blossoming partnership. Will their relationship, first built on sexual desire and lust, turn into the year’s sweetest love story?

Love should be a safe space, and Nick and Kaiden have spent the first few weeks of their relationship crafting that intimate, personal enclave. Shaving one another’s butts, talking about the complexities of sex work, and clubbing at queer parties in Leeds – it’s all there.

As we find out, their tentative first steps together reflect how important it is to stay raw and playful with each other.

Filmed as part of a docudrama series exploring Gen Z’s relationships, trysts and every encounter in between, Life in Love with Nick and Kaiden has been released as a stand-alone short film offering a glimpse into the most intimate moments of one young couple’s blossoming love affair.

Watch the trailer for Life in Love with Nick and Kaiden below. The short documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Bed-hopping shenanigans ensue in the racy Belgian drama ‘Even Lovers Get the Blues’

A contemporary pansexual drama from director Laurent Micheli – that can best be described as the darker, equally sexy Belgian version of John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus – Even Lovers Get the Blues follows a group of close, sexually-liberated friends who are coming to grips with a tragedy.

Ana (Marie Denys) is sleeping with Hugo (Gaël Maleux), Dalhia (Adriana da Fonseca) with Graciano (Gabriel Da Costa), Leo (Séverine Porzio) with Louis (Arnaud Bronsart), and Arthur (Tristan Schotte) with just about anyone who will have him.

All of the wild parties and one-night-stands satisfy their individual desires to live life to the fullest… until one of them passes away quite unexpectedly.

In the cold light of day, each member of this tight-knit group begins questioning the path they find themselves on.

Featuring a ton of nudity and some truly explicit sex scenes, Even Lovers Get the Blues is an effortlessly cool, adults-only exploration of the romantic and sexual lives of a group of fascinating young lovers.

Watch the trailer for Even Lovers Get the Blues below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.