Category: Performing Arts

A musician’s spark is ignited by a young trans man in the Australian drama ‘Unsound’

When guitarist Noah (Reece Noi) finds himself growing disillusioned, he quits his band and returns to his mother’s home in Sydney, Australia.

Clashing with his mother over old wounds, Noah seeks solace elsewhere and soon finds himself swept up in the vibrant, passionate life and of a young trans-man named Finn (Yiana Pandelis), who runs a local center and nightclub for his deaf community.

Together, the pair traverse new ground, sharing their languages – Noah’s music and Finn’s sign language – with one another. They move carefully, as this is Finn’s first relationship while he is on the precipice of diving into his trans journey.

Noah offers to help aid the club any way he can, but as the two become closer, and with no shared language to fall back on, they risk hurting each other as they learn to be true to themselves.

From screenwriter Ally Burnham and director Ian Watson, Unsound is a thoughtful and romantic queer drama that takes great pride in its conversational awareness of both the LGBTQIA+ and deaf or hard of hearing communities.

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

Short Film Spotlight: The Singing Telegram

Matt (Eddie Grey) is an aspiring young musician from Sydney, Australia who is living with his boyfriend Daniel (Andrew Chappelle) in New York City.

Not quite living the cosmopolitan American lifestyle he’d imagined, he’s found himself stuck delivering singing telegrams in an effort to make ends meet.

Blinded by his desire to succeed, Matt risks losing the one part of his life he needs most… until a surprise telegram changes his perspective.

Starring, written and co-directed by up-and-coming Broadway actor Eddie Grey, The Singing Telegram is an adorable, colorful and ultimately uplifting romantic musical comedy short about learning to be grateful for what you have while never giving up on your dreams.

Watch a short teaser clip from The Singing Telegram below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Shiba San and Meow Chan

Shiba San and Meow Chan, a 30-minute Taiwanese short film from director Chung-Chieh Chiang, revolves around two brothers, both stars of a hit children’s show – in which they perform as a dog and a cat, respectively.

Their show, having swept through the nation capturing the eyes and hearts of kids, has brought them great fame and media attention. Though radiant on stage, both actors have something else on their minds.

Shiba San has been secretly in love with a married man while Meow Chan misses his remarried mother and finds himself desperately searching for reasons why she left him.

Their journey will lead the two stray siblings to confront their emptiness that comes with very public success.

Mixing cuteness and melancholy, Shiba San and Meow Chan is a touching story of two brothers coming of age under intense scrutiny.

Watch the trailer for Shiba San and Meow Chan below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Two dancers find their relationship threatened by ambition in the sensual drama ‘Dying Briefly’

Dying Briefly follows young performer Sebastian (Martín Saracho) who, shortly after joining an esteemed dance company, meets Arsenio (Joan Kuri), a charming and more experienced fellow dancer.

The two men quickly fall for one another, beginning an intense affair and soon becoming a couple.

When a manipulative new choreographer arrives with methods that begin to shake up the established group dynamics, the pair find themselves in crisis.

Now they must compete with one another for the same role while trying to stay true to themselves and their affection for one another. Will their relationship, and the troupe as a whole, survive the competition?

Like a gay male version of Black Swan, Dying Briefly is a captivating and thought-provoking romantic dance drama, exploring complicated issues of body image, bullying, and self harm with sexy and talented lead actors and impressive choreography that will sweep you off your feet.

Watch the trailer for Dying Briefly 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.

‘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.

‘Throuple’ is now available to rent or buy on Dekkoo and all other major VOD services!

The acclaimed new queer rom-com Throuple is now available to rent or buy on Dekkoo, as well as all other major VOD providers!

Gay singer-songwriter Michael is hopeless when it comes to expressing himself. When he meets Georgie and Connor, 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. You can rent or buy the film right now on Dekkoo, Amazon and various other VOD services. It will be available to Dekkoo subscribers later this year.

Short Film Spotlight: Intermission

Life imitates art in Intermission, a 25-minute drama from Spanish writer-director Arnau Vilaró. The film follows David (David Selvas), a middle-aged actor who is preparing to star in a new stage production.

After rehearsing a dramatic monologue about nostalgia and melancholy, he receives an unexpected phone call that sends him on a journey of his own. Though we don’t immediately know why, David is suddenly compelled to seek out a former long-term partner named Gerard.

The news he has to share, concerning a mysterious matter set in motion years prior, has the potential to change both of their lives… as long as it’s not too late.

Deliberately paced and packed with mystery, Intermission is a stylish drama about aging, self-reflection, and the relationships that make us who we are.

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

‘The Summer with Carmen’ is now streaming exclusively on Dekkoo!

The playful 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 nude 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 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.

Watch the trailer for The Summer with Carmen below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

‘The Sons of Tennessee Williams’ charts the evolution of the Mardi Gras drag scene

Paying homage to monumental queer documentaries like The Queen and Paris is Burning, director Tim Wolff’s film The Sons of Tennessee Williams interweaves archival footage with contemporary interviews to chart the evolution of drag and politics in the gay Mardi Gras scene.

Having come of age in New Orleans in the 1940s and ’50s, gay krewe members reminisce fondly of being inspired by the opulence of the Mardi Gras festivities, a hotbed for decadence and dress-up.

Seven years before the first rock was thrown at Stonewall, the gay krewes began throwing lavish balls as a sendup of their straight society counterparts and have since become a powerful force in city politics.

Members, many of them now in their seventies and eighties, discuss the importance of creating safe spaces at a time of police crackdowns in gay clubs, gaining a seat at the political table, the toll of AIDS and Hurricane Katrina on the community, and the importance of passing on the torch to a younger generation.

With oversized wigs and lavish costumes, these unlikely political activists strut their stuff with style, grace, and an eye toward the future.

Watch the trailer for The Sons of Tennessee Williams below. The documentary is now streaming on Dekkoo.