Category: New This Week

Now Available: A Wake

A Wake is an affecting new drama about a family coping with the death of a teenage boy named Mitchel. Questions linger about the nature of Mitchel’s death, but no one seems to want to talk about it.

Mason (Noah Urrea), Mitchel’s identical twin, is desperate to reach his brother by any spiritual means in an effort to assuage his relentless guilt. Precocious preteen Molly (Sofia Rosinsky) presides over the ceremony, determined for it to go smoothly, but finds herself in over-her-head. And older sister Megan (Megan Trout), fueled by anger and alcohol, insists on asking the questions everyone’s been ignoring.

When Mitchel’s secret ex-boyfriend, Jameson (Kolton Stewart), shows up to the wake unexpectedly, the family is forced to confront realities about Mitchel’s life.  When the children clash with their elders over how to handle the situation, family members left torn apart look for solace in places they least expected it.

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

New This Week – 12/10/21

When a school bully starts spreading rumors about his sexuality, Umut stands his ground, refusing to deny the allegation, apologize or explain himself. His time at school, however, becomes more fraught with tension. Set in the high testosterone world of teen sports, this powerful drama from Turkey holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay in so much of the world today. ‘Not Knowing’ is available to stream now, exclusively on Dekkoo!

When a young gay man goes to visit his uncle in the hospital, he becomes witness to an awkward, barely-conscious ramble about sexual fantasies, which morph into a vulnerable confession about love and forgiveness. A unique short film from writer-director-star James Patrick Nelson. Watch ‘Waking Up’ now on Dekkoo!

A married poet finds himself becoming increasingly infatuated with – and creatively inspired by – a handsome young donut shop employee. This comedy-drama from South Korean director Kim Yang-hee explores family structures and repressed queer desire. ‘The Poet and the Boy’ is available now on Dekkoo!

A short drama about sexual exploration, Naufrago follows Juan, a 17-year-old who longs to have sex with his girlfriend Samantha. When he starts dressing up in Samantha’s clothes, he begins to discover new ways of feeling pleasure. Stream ‘Naufrago’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week:  A groundbreaking American indie that was the most fervently debated film of the early 1990s and a trailblazing landmark of queer cinema. 

Short Film Spotlight: Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall

Inspired by a convention of Cold War-era Thai filmmaking not well known to American audiences – wherein most of the actors voices were dubbed to emphasize character – the politically-charged queer espionage thriller Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall carries the viewer through a strange world where cinema and reality meet.

The film follows Ang, a transgender sex worker with a pretty (and deliberately dubbed) feminine voice, who is assigned a special mission as an undercover spy. She disguises herself as a cis-masculine man to enter into a romantic relationship with Jit, a belligerent yet idealistic student activist with an evil voice (also dubbed for cinematic effect).

Ang must extract important information from Jit. However, the mission goes awry as she slowly falls for him. Apolitical at first, Ang is slowly awakened by Jit to see the other world where people speak in another way.

Hyper-stylistic, this unusual and fascinating 30-minute short film marks writer-director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke as an artist to keep an eye on.

Watch the trailer for Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall below. The full film is available now on Dekkoo.

Don’t miss the award-winning, critically-acclaimed Kanarie

Johan Niemand (Schalk Bezuidenhout) is a fashion-loving gay teen in small-town South Africa in 1985, a time of apartheid, religious conservatism and war – an era when not even his idol Boy George had dared to come out publicly as gay yet. 

When Johan is called up to serve his compulsory two-year military training, he escapes the border war by joining The South African Defence Force Church Choir and Concert Group, known as Die Kanaries (The Canaries), where he discovers his true self through hardship, camaraderie, first love and the liberating freedom of music.

A winner of over 15 different international awards, Kanarie earned rave reviews from critics. It currently has a 100% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Los Angeles Times called it “A rich, poignant and finely observed musical drama.” Michael McNeely in theBUZZ said “Every once in a while comes a film that is filled with so much joy, human connection, and emotional turmoil, you know that as long as it sticks the landing, it is a masterpiece.”

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

New This Week – 12/3/21

The children of a religious family begin clashing with their elders during the wake of their recently deceased brother. Teenage Mason is desperately trying to reach his lost identical twin brother through spiritual means. When a handsome stranger arrives, family secrets are brought out into the open. ‘A Wake’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo.

18-year-old Jules is reluctantly spending his holidays in the naturalist camp where he was raised. He soon finds himself torn between his attraction to Karim, an alluring seasonal worker on the textile beach, and Adele, his depressed mother who refuses to let him grow up and move on. Watch ‘Nuclear Family’ now on Dekkoo!

When twenty-something Maurice joins his family on a weekend getaway, he starts to notice how much of a gap has grown between the generations. Though he tries to keep up appearances, he grows more and more frustrated by his family’s myriad secrets – until he reaches a breaking point. The short film ‘Holiday’ is now playing on Dekkoo!

The life and important work of Hank Wilson, a longtime San Francisco LGBTQ rights activist and AIDS survivor, are chronicled in this deeply emotional feature-length documentary. ‘Thanks to Hank’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A film that holds a mirror up to what it still means to be young and gay today in so much of the world.

Mailman is a mad-cap black comedy, a bizarre musical and a touching coming-out story all wrapped up in one film

Phil (played by writer-director Joseph Baken) is a mail carrier, and though he loves his job, he really wants to be a writer. But how does one become a creative force? Especially when you feel stuck in a rut?

Phil thinks he’s finally found the answer when an old woman on his route dies under very mysterious circumstances. Suspecting foul play, he descends into an investigatory rabbit hole, hoping to land a juicy story that will inspire his novel. But, like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Phil discovers the most important journey in uncovering truth is not an outward one – or a wild goose chase – but a quest for inner truth.

Featuring a hilarious ensemble cast that quickly takes the story in all sorts of bizarre, over-the-top directions, Mailman is a black comedy, an unexpected musical, and a modern coming-out story all wrapped in one.

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

The lost queer classic Wild Tigers I Have Known has been restored and remastered for its 15th Anniversary

A 13-year-old boy learns to cope with his newfound sexuality and his unrequited love for the coolest kid at school in this lyrical coming-of-age indie from visionary director Cam Archer.

After being work-shopped at the 2005 Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, Wild Tigers I Have Known had its world premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival where it earned stellar reviews from critics. The film went on to be screened at New Directors/New Films Festival, London International Film Festival, Locarno International Film Festival and AFI Film Festival.

Despite great word-of-mouth, the film was heavily re-edited before being released theatrically by IFC Films in 2007. This shorter edition changed the sound as well as the order of the scenes, making them chronological. The edited version also leads to a completely different interpretation of the film’s events and themes – one not in line with the director’s original intent. In Europe, where the film was released on DVD only, the film was trimmed down to an even shorter 1 hour and 13 minutes.

In honor of the film’s 15th Anniversary, the indie boutique distribution label Altered Innocence has restored and remastered the film, presenting the full uncut version as Cam Archer envisioned it.

Watch the new trailer for Wild Tigers I Have Known below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 11/26/21

Drafted into the South African army during apartheid, a young soldier joins the military’s travelling choir – and a romance on the battlefield causes him to deal with his long-repressed sexual identity. ‘Kanarie’ is a comedy, drama, romance, musical, war movie and coming out story all wrapped up in one film.

While Sebastian lives a pretty standard life with his family, he’s pulled outside of it when he gives into his secret desires on a mysterious and dark hill. A stylish short film from Chilean director Constanza Majluf based on the short story by Pablo Simonetti. ‘Santa Lucia’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

***EPISODES 17 thru 20 ARE NOW AVAILABLE***

Scott, a mild-mannered gay writer in Los Angeles, gets wrapped up into a world of bad boys and their crime-filled past after being adopted as their “Daddy Scott”, whether he likes it or not. ‘Bad Boy’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Sometimes the right path is a circle.

Two high school friends get closer than they ever expected in the coming-of-age drama Blurred Lines

Janik and Samuel (Emil von Schönfels and Mekyas Mulugeta) are extremely close best friends celebrating the end of their senior year of high school. Both come from completely different worlds. Janik’s parents are seemingly perfect, while Samuel comes from a broken home. Naturally, Samuel is looking for stability while Janik just wants to rebel.

Sex and sexuality are never far from the surface for both, which leads the pair to one impulsive moment that could threaten their friendship forever. In an attempt to rekindle their relationship, the boys set off on a trip to Istanbul, but the blurred line that has been crossed proves hard to re-establish.

Based on a young adult novel by German writer and filmmaker Finn-Ole Heinrich, Blurred Lines (also known as Stambul Garden) is a thoroughly modern take on the bonds that develop between young men.

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

Gary Oldman and Alan Bates star in the 1988 drama We Think the World of You

Based on a 1960 novel by British writer J.R. Ackerley, We Think the World of You stars Gary Oldman and Alan Bates as ex-lovers who find their relationship put to the test over the love of a dog.

Originally released in 1988, the film is set in post-War London and follows Johnny (Oldman), an aimless young bisexual man who is sent to prison. He is forced to entrust his beloved dog, Evie, to the reluctant care of his down-trodden parents and older, middle-class ex-lover and best friend, Frank (Bates).

After a series of visits to Johnny’s parents’ home, Frank bonds with the dog – whose mischievous spirit reminds him of his incarcerated friend. As it becomes apparent to Frank that Johnny’s father is beating the dog, who is left for days on end in a small yard, a class war erupts over Evie’s welfare, exacerbated by Johnny’s manipulative and antagonistic wife Megan (Frances Barber), whose sole aim is to claim Johnny back from Frank on his forthcoming release.

A set of tragi-comic relationships evolve with the dog coming to represent the hold these two men really have over one another.

Though it was hard to find for quite a long time, We Think the World of You is now available to audiences once again on Dekkoo.