Category: International Film

Dekkoo Films presents ‘The Summer with Carmen’ – now available to rent or own!

A brand-new original from Dekkoo Films, the colorful, funny and relentlessly sexy new gay comedy The Summer with Carmen follows actors, writing partners and best friends Demos and Nikitas (Yorgos Tsiantoulas and Andreas Labropoulos) as they spend a sweltering day together at a queer beach in Athens.

Nikitas, fed up with only being considered for stereotypical queer roles, becomes determined to create his own opportunities in the Greek film industry by directing his first feature. As the two casually nude friends soak up the sun, they begin to brainstorm a screenplay idea based on the colorful events of a previous summer – a life-changing period that involved a devastating break-up and a dog named Carmen.

Taking a fresh, rule-breaking perspective on storytelling, writer-director Zacharias Mavroeidis has devised a clever ‘film within a film,’ playfully shifting between timelines while delivering a funny and poignant look at queer romances, friendships and intimacy – not to mention pet ownership – all set against multiple steamy Greek summers to remember.

The Summer with Carmen is now available to rent or own from all major VOD platforms! It will be available to Dekkoo subscribers on the service later this year.

Short Film Spotlight: Sperm Friends

The short Argentine comedy Sperm Friends concerns two queer couples, three bottles of wine and one slightly awkward proposal.

Partners Andrea and Carla (Belén Castroagudín and Verónica Mayorga) are looking to become parents, but they’ve been running into a lot of issues when it comes to sperm donation.

The pair think they’ve finally come up with the perfect solution. They decide to ask Hernan and Facundo (Alberto Verla and Gastón Filgueira), their best gay friends, to be their donors. They’re even excited by the prospect of co-parenting with another couple. But they’re going to have to jump through a lot of hoops to get the men to agree.

What was supposed to be a relaxing couples’ night turns into an increasingly absurd evening of negotiation.

From director Ramiro Velasco, Sperm Friends is a cute, sweet-natured short about four friends who have the potential to build the family of their dreams… if they can just get themselves to agree on anything.

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

A personal video sparks a media firestorm in the acclaimed Singaporean drama ‘#LookatMe’

When twin brothers Sean and Ricky are invited to attend church with Sean’s girlfriend, they are treated to an Evangelical rock concert capped by a searing anti-gay sermon.

Incensed by what he’s seen, Sean, a Youtuber, decides to drop an outrageous video lampooning the megachurch’s pastor, but soon finds himself widely condemned – and even prosecuted – for flouting Singapore’s strict laws on public expression.

As Sean descends into near-madness in prison, Ricky gains prominence as an LGBTQ+ activist. Both find themselves at the heart of a culture war that spills out from social media into the real world.

Featuring an impressive lead performance by Yao (sometimes credited as Thomas Pang), an up-and-coming Singaporean actor who plays both brothers, #LookatMe blends together a wide variety of moods and genres, veering from deadly serious to colorfully camp without ever losing sight of its humanity.

Banned from screening in Singapore during a particularly ironic moment of life imitating art, director Ken Kwek’s acclaimed film tells a morally essential fable about social media celebrity, cancel culture and the erosion of basic human rights.

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

Take a trip back to 1996 with the sexy surfside drama ‘Bromance’

From writer-director Lucas Santa Ana and co-writer Diego Mina, sexy surfside drama Bromance follows four close friends who go on a camping trip together in a remote part of Argentina… and find some of their barely-concealed sexual tensions quickly bubbling to the surface.

Once in virtual seclusion by the beach, Julietta (Luana Pascual), the only girl of the group, quickly recognizes that the boys (Javier De Pietro, Agustín Pardella and Marcos Ribas) seem to have a closer relationship than what she would consider ‘normal’ (it’s only ’96, after all). The line between friendship and love fade further for two of the boys in particular as their desire becomes too much to bear.

When what started as a simple getaway quickly becomes tinged with sex, romance and conflict, everyone is forced to confront who they really are for the very first time.

Starring some very hot lead actors – including De Pietro, the scrumptious star of Marco Berger’s films Absent, Young Hunter and Sexual Tension: Volatile – Bromance uses a distinct time period and a clever found-footage aesthetic to deliver a thoughtful and supremely sexy meditation on young, burgeoning gay love.

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

Straight friends take their relationship to a new level in the 12-minute short ‘I Don’t Know’

Two straight buddies find themselves unexpectedly pushing the boundaries of their sexuality in French writer-director Jérémy Barlozzo’s 12-minute comedy short I Don’t Know.

Best friends William and Clement (William Dentz and Clement Olivieri) both have a romantic interest in a girl named Alice (Noemie Schmidt).

After the trio have dinner together at Clement’s apartment, the buddies try to figure out which one of them she likes more. Soon, however, they discover that Alice is only really interested in going to bed with them if they come as a pair – and express the same level of desire for one another as they do for her.

With their comfort level challenged, the date doesn’t go particularly well. Alice leaves and the boys soon find themselves alone and reflecting on their open-mindedness about sexuality. After doing the dishes and sparking a joint, the prospect of sharing an intimate kiss suddenly doesn’t seem so unusual. William and Clement decide to attempt a passionate kiss and take their relationship to a new – and perhaps more emotionally evolved level.

Featuring terrific performances from all three lead actors, I Don’t Know is a thoughtful, funny and slyly sexy short about two straight boys learning some new tricks.

Watch a short teaser trailer for I Don’t Know below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: With Thelma

A gay couple gets a crash course in parenting in the charming 14-minute short With Thelma.

When a volcano erupts in Iceland, it strands Vincent’s brother and sister-in-law overseas. Until planes start flying again, someone will need to take care of Thelma, their 2-year-old daughter – who has been staying with a no-longer-available family friend in Paris.

The task falls to Vincent and his partner Jean, who enjoy a pretty typical urban gay lifestyle and worry about their ability to manage a toddler. But when Thelma arrives, they rise to the occasion – learning all about the responsibilities of fatherhood through trial and error.

By the time Thelma’s parents are ready to return, the prospect of breaking up their makeshift family proves far more emotional than either of them expected.

Featuring incredibly funny performances from lead actors Jean La Peltier and Vincent Lecuyer – not to mention Thelma Balboni as the scene-stealing titular 2-year-old – With Thelma is a lovingly-crafted ode to all the joys and pressures of parenthood.

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

A shy teen is caught between his family and the boy of his dreams in ‘I Love You More’

How much would you be willing to sacrifice to finally meet up with the man of your dreams? That’s the question at the heart of the new teen drama I Love You More.

For the better part of a year, Ben (Don Shala), a shy Kosovar teen, has been involved in a romantic online entanglement with a boy named Leo. Though they haven’t met in person, they are making plans to do just that. Leo, who lives in Germany, is expecting to come for a visit in just one month.

Falling into the bittersweet throes of first love, Ben spends most of his waking hours engaged in online pillow talk while daydreaming about the day when the pair will finally be together.

An unexpected wrench is thrown into the works when his mom announces that the family will soon be moving to America and starting a new life for themselves. Though this might seem like good news, Ben is not nearly ready to move. If they leave Kosovo, he might never have the opportunity to meet Leo in person again.

Longing for love and connection, Ben puts his family’s dreams on the line and struggles to finally come forward with his truth.

The debut feature from non-binary filmmaker Erblin Nushi, who based the story on their own experiences and feelings of isolation as a queer kid in Kosovo, I Love You More is a tender, resonant and gorgeously crafted coming-of-age drama.

Watch the trailer for I Love You More below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.