Category: Drama

Short Film Spotlight: Eclipse of a Relationship

Three lead actors bare it all in Eclipse of a Relationship, a sexually-charged 9-minute short (originally titled Eclissi di un rapporto) from Italian writer-director Nino Zeno.

Unfolding largely without dialog, the film follows two men in a difficult relationship. The older, more dominant of the two has invited a third man to join them in the bedroom. Though it certainly spices things up, it also accelerates the inevitable decline of their feelings for one another.

Incredibly sensual and packed with both naked bodies and naked feelings, this poetic, deliberately ambiguous film takes on an eerily voyeuristic quality as the audience is invited to witness incredibly intimate events that no one was ever meant to see.

Watch the trailer for Eclipse of a Relationship below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Khalil Ben Gharbia and Julien De Saint Jean star in the emotional queer prison drama ‘The Lost Boys’

In a youth correctional facility in France, Joe (Peter von Kant star Khalil Ben Gharbia) is preparing for his return to society, uncertain as to what life will look like on the other side of the barbed-wire fence.

When William (Lie with Me star Julien De Saint Jean), an alluring new arrival, moves into the cell next door, Joe’s desire for freedom quickly gives way to a desire of another kind.

The debut feature from director Zeno Graton, The Lost Boys charts the twists and turns of passion between these two young men who thought their lives had been put on hold.

Critically acclaimed and gorgeously crafted, the film offers a vision of love both tender and uncompromising, guaranteed to break and mend hearts in equal measure.

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

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.

‘Queendom’ follows a talented queer artist who literally risks her life on the streets of Moscow

Both inspiring and nail-biting, the new documentary Queendom shines a much-deserved spotlight on Gena Marvin, a young queer artist from a small town in Russia who dazzles in the otherworldly costumes she crafts from tape and found materials.

As Putin’s government increasingly encroaches on the rights of LGBTQ+ communities, Gena takes to the streets of Moscow, staging provocative performances that challenge the status quo.

All she wants to do change people’s perception of beauty and queerness and bring attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. But her artistic activism comes at a price as political tensions in Russia escalate, jeopardizing her own personal freedom.

An Oscar-shortlisted doc from director Agniia Galdanova, Queendom is not so much a portrait as it is a direct cinematic extension of Gena’s inner universe, delving into her extravagant subconscious creations and her search for free expression while illustrating how unleashing one’s inner world can create ripples of positive change.

Watch the trailer for Queendom below. The documentary 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.