Cinema Spotlight: Center of My World

After a summer away at camp, Phil (“Dark” and Red Sparrow star Louis Hofmann) returns home to find that his mother and twin sister aren’t speaking to one another. Not willing to confront his family during the last days of the summer holidays, Phil escapes to hang out with his best friend, Kat (Svenja Jung), eating ice cream and playing dress-up.

Louis Hofmann and Svenja Jung in Center of My World

As the school year begins, a new student arrives – the handsome and mysterious Nicholas (Jannik Schümann). Smitten, Phil watches his crush as he runs around the track after school, and is thrilled when Nicholas returns his feelings. However, when first love’s volatility comes to light, Phil realizes he must deal with the problems of his past in order to deal with the issues of his present.

Louis Hofmann, Jannik Schümann and Svenja Jung in Center of My World

A touching must-see romance, Center of My World was chosen as an Official Selection and won numerous “Best Feature Film” and “Best Director” awards at festivals around the globe. Louis Hofmann delivers a terrific lead performance, which has earned him a lot of additional high-profile work in film and television internationally.

Jannik Schümann and Louis Hofmann in Center of My World

Watch the trailer for Center of My World below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 3/1/19

Shane, a gay Anishinaabe teen in Northern Ontario is struggling to support his family after his sister’s suicide. Torn between responsibilities at home and the promise of freedom calling from the city Shane must decide his true path. ‘Fire Song’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

The boyfriend of a handsome photographer tries to deal with his jealousy after finding nude photos he took of a gorgeous model. Dekkoo Films presents ‘The Jealous Sea’. Watch it now!

‘Drag Heals’ is a documentary series that follows men who have never worn heels or make-up but have always dreamed of letting their inner drag queen out. Stream the entire series now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Four friends. One swimming pool. One house. One phone call. One question – What if the love of our life came back 10 years after everything was over?

Now Available: Unfriend

Set in Manila, loosely based on a real-life true crime, Unfriend tells the story of a socially isolated fifteen-year-old named David (Sandino Martin) who is coming to terms with his sexuality and dealing with the intense emotions of his first relationship, which doesn’t seem to be going very well.

After having met the attractive, slightly older fellow teen Jonathan (Angelo Ilagan) on Facebook, David begins to develop strong feelings for his new social media friend. Unfortunately, he soon learns that social media relationships tend toward the casual. Realizing that Jonathan has discarded him for another guy, David embarks on an increasingly self-destructive mission to win him back at all costs.

Written by prolific Filipino television creator Zig Madamba Dulay and directed by Joselito Altarejos, the innovative filmmaker behind The Game of Juan’s Life, Pink Halo-Halo and Antonio’s Secret, Unfriend is a powerful film that aims to inspire discussion and shine a light on certain stigmas associated with mental health problems.

Also, according to the director, Unfriend is his take on “how social media has changed the way we live our lives, how we have become performers, and how social media has also made us voyeurs and exhibitionists.”

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

Now Available: Fire Song

One of the first films by a First Nations director to deal with two-spirited people, Fire Song, the thoughtful and moving debut feature by Adam Garnet Jones, focuses on a young Anishinaabe man who is forced to choose between staying in his community or exploring the expanded possibilities of the world outside.

In the wake of his sister’s death, Shane (Andrew Martin) finds himself at an existential crossroads. A smart kid with good grades, he wants to leave the reservation for Toronto and attend university. But his boyfriend David (Harley Legarde-Beacham) begs him to remain, dedicated to understanding their cultural history and ancestral traditions. At the same time, he’s also fooling around with Tara (Mary Galloway), who’s blind to his gay tendencies and hopes to depart for the big city with him.

Torn between the city and the country, formal education and embracing tradition, a straight life and being true to his desires, Jones has rendered a character pulled in all directions at once.

Watch the trailer for Fire Song below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Two men get lost In the Grayscale

When architect Bruno (hot Chilean TV star Francisco Celhay) finds himself passionately drawn to Santiago tour guide, Fernando (Emilio Edwards) he faces challenging decisions about his identity – and his relationship with his wife and young son.

Hired to design a civic landmark for the Chilean capitol city, Bruno struggles with the commission. His uncertainty about how to proceed professionally is paralleled by his personal grappling.

Offering no easy answers, this tenderly told tale of sexual discovery has earned comparisons to Andrew Haigh’s Weekend for its beautifully realized portrayal of two men in love. Variety called In the Grayscale “A measured, tenderly played study of imprecise sexual identity.” The San Francisco Chronicle called it a “wonderfully complex character study.” The film also won the Jury Award for Best First Feature at the Frameline San Francisco LGBT Film Festival and the Ibero-American Debut Award at the Miami International Film Festival.

Watch the trailer for In the Grayscale below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Heartstone is a moving coming-of-age story from Iceland

In a remote fishing village in Iceland, teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer. As one of them tries to win the heart of a girl, the other discovers that he is harboring romantic feelings toward his best friend.

Baldur Einarsson and Blaer Hinriksson in Heartstone

When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood for the first time.

Baldur Einarsson and Blaer Hinriksson in Heartstone

An absolutely gorgeous, profoundly emotional coming-of-age film, Heartstone has won the hearts of critics all over the world. The Playlist said it’s “beautifully shot, touchingly performed and delivered with a thrillingly atmospheric sense of place.” And Screen International said it’s “Affecting as well as perceptive in how it intimately depicts the blossoming of youth… just the right amount of confidence, compassion and clear-eyed style.”

Baldur Einarsson and Blaer Hinriksson in Heartstone

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

New This Week – 2/22/19

In a remote fishing village in Iceland, teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer, as one tries to win the heart of a girl, while the other discovers new feelings toward his best friend. When summer ends and the harsh nature of Iceland takes back its rights, it’s time to leave the playground and face adulthood. ‘Heartstone’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

After four years of escorting to pay for college, Dane struggles to transition into a new reality and must say goodbye to one particular client. Don’t miss the wonderful gay short ‘Getting Off’!

‘The Constitution’ tells the story of four people who live in the same building, but avoid each other because of the differences in their lifestyles, sexual habits, nationality and religion. Stream it now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A documentary series that follows men who have always dreamed of letting their inner drag queen out!

The new doc Words explores gender identity in NYC

“I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word.” – Emily Dickinson

In a generation built on texts, tweets, memes, and irony, what has become of the weight of our words? In what way does communication serve as a form of self-expression, and self-expression a form of communication?

Director A.J. Mattioli’s new documentary Words explores how people navigate gender and identity in the open and evolving landscape of New York City. Using some of NYC’s most gender fluid scenes as a backdrop, Mattioli investigates how masculinity, femininity and everything in between are contextualized in a range of environments, from the theatre world to early childhood education.

Featuring exclusive interviews from a variety of artists, activists, icons, and innovators, Words is a poignant and powerful tribute to the language we use to shape our identities.

Check out the trailer for Words below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Cinema Spotlight: John Apple Jack

When handsome and philandering John (Chris McNally) discovers his sister’s fiancé is Jack (Kent S. Leung), his secret childhood crush, passions ignite and his life spirals out of control.

Chris McNally and Kent S. Leung in John Apple Jack

After losing his job and his playboy reputation, a newer, penniless, and more soulful John quickly becomes difficult for Jack to kick to the curb. Circling Vancouver’s trendy East-meets-West restaurant industry, they both venture to blend money, sex, family and love into one sumptuous recipe for life.

Still of the supporting cast from John Apple Jack

A positively adorable, uplifting, sexy and very funny new romantic comedy, John Apple Jack has earned acclaim at film fests around the world. Dumpling Magazine said that it’s “everything good about gay cinema with half the saturated hype.”

Chris McNally and Kent S. Leung in John Apple Jack

Lead actors Chris McNally and Kent S. Leung do a great job selling their romantic and sexual chemistry. It’s easy to see why these guys would secretly fall for one another.

Chris McNally and Kent S. Leung in John Apple Jack

John Apple Jack is available to watch now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 2/15/19

Bruno, an architect with a great life, is hired to build an iconic landmark, and as he works with a gay history teacher named Fer, an unexpected and intense romance starts to blossom. ‘In the Grayscale’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

In this short film, Billy, a 17 year-old boy in a seemingly perfect relationship, grapples with his feelings towards an older male tattoo artist. Watch ‘Hold My Hand’ now on Dekkoo!

On Christmas Day, young David finds out that his boyfriend Jonathan as taken another lover. The discovery sends him into a depression that drives him to “get him back” at all costs. ‘Unfriend’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: In a remote fishing village in Iceland, teenage boys Thor and Christian experience a turbulent summer,