Category: Performing Arts

Exploring Grief: The Journey in Warm Smooth Mean

An emotional and gorgeously shot 14-minute drama from director Jess Maldaner and screenwriter Mark Allen, Warm Smooth Mean concerns a grieving son digging into his famous father’s mysterious past.

The short film follows Hunter Nelson (William McKinney), a brooding young man troubled by the suicide of his father, River Nelson. Before his death, River was one half of a legendary country western duo called Silent Station.

When Hunter receives an unexpected royalty check from his father’s work, he embarks on a journey to find the mysterious Jerry Lee McCoy (Cameron Dye), his father’s former bandmate, and pass along the money.

Finally coming face to face with Jerry, Hunter is surprised to find himself rudely rebuffed. He sets forth attempting to break down the older man’s defenses and to finally get some answers about what was behind his father’s untimely passing years ago.

Check out the poster for Warm Smooth Mean below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo!

A man looking down, wearing a dark denim jacket, with soft light coming through a window in the background. The image features text that reads '20 YEARS AGO TODAY COUNTRY LEGEND RIVER NELSON LEFT US... WARM SMOOTH MEAN'.

Head to the beach with ‘The Best Friend,’ a sexy, vibrant and romantic new gay musical!

Set at a bright and beautiful Brazilian beachside, The Best Friend follows Lucas (Vinicius Teixeira), a handsome young architect who is in a crisis with his boyfriend. On vacation, he spots Felipe (Gabriel Fuentes), an alluring former school crush who is now working as a local tour guide.

Hidden desires are soon re-awakened. In this musical paradise, Lucas surrenders to the pursuit of liberating intimacy while Felipe loses himself in colorful nights and a variety of willing partners.

Will these two men find happiness and love together under the scorching Brazilian sun? As nostalgic pop music of the 1980s and ’90s fuel spontaneous song and dance, the pair explore reconciliation, jealousy, and self-discovery.

From writer-director Allan Deberton, The Best Friend is a vibrant gay musical, blending romance and rhythm within the coastal paradise of Brazil while celebrating gay love with lighthearted charm and infectious energy.

Watch the trailer for The Best Friend below. The film is now available exclusively on Dekkoo!

Don’t miss ‘Joyland,’ a critically-acclaimed, award-winning queer romance from Pakistan

Banned in its home country of Pakistan, the critically-acclaimed Joyland explores the many sides of love and desire in a patriarchal society.

Gentle and timid, Haider (Ali Junejo) lives with his wife, his father, his elder brother, pregnant sister-in-law and their three daughters in Lahore, Pakistan. As the family eagerly anticipates the birth of a baby boy to continue their family line, Haider secretly takes a job as a background dancer at an erotic theatre.

The unusual position shakes up the steadfast traditional dynamics of his household and enables Haider to break out of his shell. He also finds himself intrinsically drawn to Biba (Alina Khan), the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show.

Soon, Haider and Biba fall into a secret summer romance, which opens his eyes and ultimately his worldview, in ways unexpected, intimate, and heartbreaking.

Writer-director Saim Sadiq calls Joyland “an homage to all the women, men and trans people who pay the human cost of patriarchy.” It is also a celebration of the desire that creates unlikely bonds and the love that immortalizes them.

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

An actor discovers the seedy underbelly of L.A. in the short gay classic ‘The Blue Boy’

An aspiring young actor discovers the seedier side of Los Angeles in director Ray Vecchiola’s provocative 25-minute short film The Blue Boy.

Matt (Carlo Angelo), a 20-something, leather jacket-clad hunk, insists that he’s straight, but has been working in gay porn to pay the bills. Frustrated with his cocaine-addled girlfriend Diane (Susan Nichols), he starts spending more and more time within the scene.

He soon forms a connection with a wealthy older benefactor (Scott McKinley), who teaches him about the finer things in life in exchange for sexual favors.

Becoming increasingly more confused about his identity, Matt ends up burning bridges with almost everyone in his life, finding himself with fewer and fewer places to turn.

The Blue Boy was originally released to LGBTQ+ film festivals back in 1997. With shades of Cruising and Boogie Nights, the film is a fascinating artifact of an earlier time in the depiction of sex work in cinema.

Long thought to be lost, The Blue Boy is now available for new audiences to discover on Dekkoo. Watch a short clip from the film below..

Take a trip back to 1995 with the heartfelt coming-of-age comedy ‘Screams from the Tower’

From up-and-coming writer-director Cory Wexler Grant, Screams from the Tower takes place in 1995, following best friends Julien and Cary (Richie Fusco and David Bloom) as they begin their junior year of high school.

Though his offbeat, frequently edgy and often inappropriate sense of humor is not for everyone, Julien’s primary ambition is to host a show on the high school radio station.

When his dreams start to become a reality, Julien learns that he must come to terms with his shiny new popularity, his at-risk friendship with Cary and the reality of his own sexual identity.

A hilarious and heartfelt blend of comedy and drama, Screams from the Tower perfectly captures the highs and lows of teenage life, the struggle for self-acceptance and the true meaning of friendship. The real screams are the friends we make along the way.

Watch the trailer for Screams from the Tower below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Debut

The 28-minute short Debut follows Philip (Hannes Fohlin), a young man who dreams of becoming a model.

At a casting call, he gets the rare opportunity to be photographed alongside a well-known model named Sebastiaan (Karl-Henrik Franzen) – and there is clearly a spark between them.

During the photo shoot, Philip pushes his limits more and more in order to keep the photographer’s interest. Soon the alluring young men find themselves losing control of the situation, as Philip is doing everything he can just to be able to stay in front of the camera.

From screenwriter Veronica Zacco and Swedish director Anette Sidor, Debut is a sexy and provocative short about art and desire, featuring seductive performances from the lead actors.

Check out Debut today – the short film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Boychick

In sunny suburbia, a loud-mouthed Jewish mother (Andrea LaBella) incessantly nags and humiliates her shy, gay, teenage son (Ben Lang) – who she calls her Boychick.

Meanwhile, in the classroom, Boychick can’t seem to stop ogling a hunky male classmate. If only Boychick had the courage to face up to his desires.

As if by magic, along comes his idol, a pop star by the name of Ashley Hart (Lindsey Girardot). She arrives just at the right time, ready to give our lonely, long-suffering protagonist the hip-strutting, hair-flicking confidence he desperately craves.

Originally released in 2001, this crowd-pleasing 12-minute comedy from writer, director and producer Glenn Gaylord won over 14 different awards at LGBTQ+ festivals.

Boychick is finally back to slay once again! The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo!

The rock n’ roll romance ‘Throuple,’ a Dekkoo-original film, is now available to stream!

Gay singer-songwriter Michael (Michael Doshier) is hopeless when it comes to expressing himself. When he meets Georgie and Connor (Tommy Heleringer and Stanton Plummer-Cambridge), a married couple, their nonchalant hook-up turns into a night of vulnerability that none of them expected.

As the couple challenges him to open up about his feelings, Michael ignites a new flicker of excitement in their marriage. His world is soon thrown into chaos, however, when everyone in his social circle begins making life-altering decisions that leave him feeling abandoned. He must decide whether to finally open up and go after what he wants or watch his dreams slip away.

From director Greyson Horst and screenwriter/star Michael Doshier, Throuple is a colorful and sexy new rock n’ roll romance about one man’s journey to live and love openly… while creating a few new songs along the way.

Watch the trailer for Throuple below. This brand-new exclusive is now available to stream on Dekkoo!

A budding young writer attempts to shake off the torment of lost love in the Canadian drama ‘Seek’

A homegrown feature film from Canadian first-time director Eric Henry, Seek centers around Evan (Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski), a shy young journalist with two dreams: to become a staff writer at a newspaper and to reconnect with the hunky model he can’t get out of his head.

Evan’s big break comes when the editor of Toronto’s leading newspaper hires him to write a feature story about the characters that populate the town’s nightlife. Enter Hunter (Ryan Fisher), the city’s top gay party promoter, who agrees to give Evan a behind-the-scenes look at the world of lights, music, sexy guys and talented drag performers.

But as Evan moves closer to his dreams, he is unable to see Hunter’s true motivation for helping Evan with his story.

Featuring an alluring local Toronto cast, Seek explores the diversity of desire and the mistake people make when they don’t see the beauty standing right in front of them.

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

A closeted A-list actor has a secret affair in the sexy, underseen gem ‘I Am Syd Stone’

Syd Stone (Travis Nelson), the title character of the feature film I Am Syd Stone, is a hunky former A-List actor whose once-promising career has hit a major slump.

Syd now finds himself in a small town, reluctantly shooting a B-movie. While getting drunk in a hotel bar, he forms an almost instant connection with Matt (Benjamin Charles Watson), a young lawyer on the verge of his biggest case yet.

Despite pressure from his representatives to hide his sexuality for the sake of his career, Syd and Matt soon become more than just friends. An intense affair ensues, putting Syd’s personal life and career in jeopardy.

Originally created as a six-episode web series and based on an acclaimed 2014 short film of the same name, I Am Syd Stone has been edited into a stellar feature by director Denis Theriault.

A sexy and thoughtful coming-out romance featuring moving performances from handsome lead actors Travis Nelson and Benjamin Charles Watson, the film offers up a heartfelt exploration of two troubled souls finding comfort in one another and, together, finally learning to live authentically.

Watch the trailer for I Am Syd Stone below. The feature film edit is now available to stream on Dekkoo.