After learning he has only six weeks to live, all veteran drag queen Jackie Collins wants to do is perform his long-running act and behave as if everything is normal. But between a new friendship with a rising young queen and some unfinished business with his estranged daughter, he’s about to have the most eventful month and a half of his life. ‘Tucked’ is available now on Dekkoo!
After leaving Brazil, Cesar meets Martin at an empty café in Tallinn, Estonia. In front of these two attractive young men lies an uncertainty as infinite as the sea itself. A charming new short film drama from writer-director-star Gabriel Motta. Watch ‘Two Men By The Sea’ on Dekkoo!
A deliciously scandalous documentary about unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose controversial bestselling memoir portrayed him as a sexual liaison to the biggest movie stars of the 1940s and ‘50s – including Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and more. Stream ‘Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood now on Dekkoo!
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Coming next week: An unapologetically homoerotic study of a profound male friendship.
Since its origins, animation has thrived as one of cinema’s most beloved formats to tell stories – and this exciting new collection from MIYU distribution is no different.
Through the eyes of award-winning directors, Colour Me Queer explores issues of sexuality, love, and acceptance in a number of thrilling, imaginative styles.
Below we have a short synopsis for each of the 12 films featured in this astounding new collection. Colour Me Queer is available now on Dekkoo.
Tom has a Plant Tom is living in a world where he doesn’t feel that he belongs, torn between staying or searching for a better place. On his last day, Tom decides to give all of his plants away to the ones he loves, without knowing that they already have a secret plan for him.
I Wait for the Night A discussion between two boys on the shores of an abandoned lake will force one of them to face his inner demons.
Holy Nuns Sucked into a whirlwind of improbable events, two eccentric nuns end up sliding down the slippery slope to sin.
Shudo Two samurais face one another on a battlefield ravaged by war. Absorbed by their pride, they clash in a duel fuelled by deep emotions.
Modern Man Frida is an old housewife. Her anger rises when she observes her spoiled and pampered husband being indoctrinated by a sexist rap clip.
Tentatrice During the Roaring Twenties of Chicago, Myrtille is desperately attracted to the the Cabaret’s Singer. One night, the power of a peculiar perfume gives her a chance to step out of the shadows.
Bacchus Alex, a young woman bored with modern life, is lured by Bacchus into a colorful and mysterious world to explore her deepest desires.
Chapped Lips In a kitchen, a mother and a child struggle to establish dialogue.
She In her room, a little girl is unhappy. Sitting on her bed on which is placed a doll, she looks at it with annoyance then catches and throws. This model little girl’s room is not in her image.
Animals Find out what happens when people stuck on a train stop being anti-social and impolite and start getting real.
Ama 1950: On the coast of Japan, an American woman is visiting a village with her military husband and a group of friends. Breaking away from the group, she meets with Namiko, a young ama fisherwoman.
Make a Stand Two young women are about to receive the greatest honour : be sacrified to their gods. But the sacrifice doesn’t go as expected.
Of Aska Two women live happily together, one starts to transform, disturbing their usual dynamic. The one left unchanged has to decide how far their love goes.
The new 18-minute short film I Am Norman opens with a warning. “You may find the following scenes upsetting, but that doesn’t always mean you should turn away.” The film then follows a man, a conversion therapy survivor living in his car, who takes a filmmaker into the woods to share a dark and disturbing secret.
From director/star Arron Blake and co-director Darius Shu, I Am Norman was filmed over three days during lockdown. The filmmakers challenged themselves to create a visually beautiful short with provocative storytelling using only a two-man crew.
Featuring an exceptional lead performance from Blake, the film has earned rave reviews from critics. Voice Magazine called the film “silently masterful,” Film Threat called it a “refined piece of work,” and Culture Fix called it, rightfully, “unsettling.”
Watch the trailer for I Am Norman below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.
A brand-new Dekkoo Films original short film from director Jonathon Pawlowski and screenwriter Madison Hatfield, If I’m Good is a touching short film about grief and finding a light at the end of the tunnel.
Sam (Jono Mitchell) isn’t in a great place. He lost his husband, unexpectedly, only twelve days ago. As anyone who has been through the grieving process knows, it takes a while, and Sam is at just about the point where the reality of his loss is beginning to sink in. Though his sister (Jordan Blair Mangold Brown) wants nothing more than to help, there isn’t a whole lot she can do to mend her brother’s broken heart.
When Sam takes a trip to the pharmacy, he meets Jorge – pronounced “George” – (Daniel Annone). Self-described as “the worst pharmacy associate,” Jorge breaks the rules and decides to flirt with his cute new customer. While Sam is nowhere near ready to start a new relationship, Jorge’s attention brings him just a tiny glimmer of hope – and a reminder that, no matter how difficult things may seem, there are always new opportunities around the corner. The two end up spending a little time together, and Sam soon turns an important corner.
A sweet, smart and gently emotional short film, If I’m Good is now available on Dekkoo.
Hao is a lonely and romantic young janitor who works at a spa for gay men. He dreams of finding a loving, committed relationship, but lacks the confidence to make it happen.
When he meets Kai, a customer, and has an opportunity to become his masseuse, an unexpected bond begins to grow and Hao suddenly sees a chance to make his dreams come true.
A short comedy-drama from Taiwanese co-writer Bon An and co-writer/director Jhi-Han Yu, Gentleman Spa is filled with awkward sexual tension, but also packs a positive message about feeling comfortable in your own skin (especially when it’s coming into contact with attractive strangers).
Watch a short trailer for Gentleman Spa below. The full 18-minute short film is now available on Dekkoo.
Theo (Hubert Girard) is a young dock worker who is starting to find only monotony in his day-to-day life. When he meets the alluring Giuseppe (Youssouf Abi-Ayad) a disillusioned sailor spending some time ashore, things begin to change.
Through Giuseppe, Theo starts to imagine a potential new life for himself – one far more exciting than the one he is living. Soon, he musters up the courage to face the waves, escape his dull existence and get closer to Giuseppe by joining his crew.
From Swiss writer-director Loïc Hobi, The Pier Man is a sexy, stylish and thought-provoking 20-minute short film. Using an almost 1980s-style synth score and spare, careful cinematography, the film takes a look at what life is like in an only-male world out at sea – and how, for some, that could be either a blessing or a curse.
“Silence is the language of God. All else is poor translation.” – Rumi
From Nigerian writer-director Adé Sultan Sangodoyin, A Cemetery of Doves is a thoughtful and deeply poetic coming-of-age short film about love, heartbreak and navigating the world as a queer individual.
Though the film features no dialog, the feelings are present. The filmmaker also employs subtitles to give us an idea of the young protagonist’s inner dialog.
What story exists in the film concerns a young Nigerian teenager’s misguided declaration of love for an older man. When his sentiments are met with rejection, he subsequently struggles with heartbreak and fear for his safety and future in a society which is intolerant of the LGBTQ community.
Adé Sultan Sangodoyin studied English Literature and Journalism at the University of Buckingham in England. His films, Different Plains and Eyimofe have screened at film festivals all over the world. His short stories, “A Language of the Unconscious”, “Dad Attempted Many Things and Failed” and “The Charred Flower” have been published in the Kalahari Review and Agbowo Magazine, respectively. A Cemetery of Doves marks him as a visually gifted filmmaker to watch.
Robert Gray is a talent to watch in the world of Queer cinema.
Originally from Prince Rupert, British Columbia, he taught screenwriting at the Vancouver Film School in the early 2000s, has published two serialized novels, written six short films and directed two.
His story collection ‘Entropic’ won the 2016 Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award and his short film Choke Hold (included in this collection) was nominated for the prestigious Iris Prize.
Choke Hold follows two friends who discover that sometimes you have to go too far to know your own strength. Zack & Luc utilizes a split-screen to tell two different versions of of a relationship from each person’s side. Aidos tells the story of a deceased man who had twenty-one different people profess their love for him before he passed. Finally, Bed: A Short Documentary examines what our choices in beds and mattresses say about ourselves, our relationships and our histories.
Young Kamal (Akram Tanna) is trapped in a seemingly endless circle of male prostitution fueled by his brother Hatim (Nizar El Manouzi) and pimp Danny (Chris Peters).
After weeks of few jobs and low revenue, Kamal accepts a call from Jacob (Tobias Nierop). Hatim soon begins to feel an attraction towards Jacob, and what once was simply business now has become so much more. Hatim must now try to escape his world of blackmail and danger while trying to pursue a budding relationship with Jacob.
Khata never shies away from showing the gritty details of male prostitution. The audience is forced to bear witness to violence, drug use, and a particularly violent depiction of sexual assault. The film lays everything bare and forces it’s audience to confront the sometimes violent word of sex work head on.
Jesse (Mercedes Torres) is s mixed-race transgender teen, arrives from Switzerland for a cross-country road trip with her estranged father Marcus (Stephen Hill).
As Marcus struggles to understand his daughter, and Jesse finds her deep desire to be understood, accepted and loved by him growing. This leads the two to strike up an unusual and weighty agreement, one with serious repercussions for their relationship and their trip.
Written and directed by Swiss filmmaker Vinz Feller, Jesse won the Bronze Award for Best LGBTQ Short at the Independent Shorts Awards. The film was also chosen as an Official Selection at both the LA Queer Film Fest and OutFest Los Angeles.
Watch the trailer for Jesse below. The full 15-minute short film is available now on Dekkoo.