Short Film – Page 56 – Discover great gay stories.

Filmmaker Spotlight: Brandon Zuck

Supremely talented filmmaker Brandon Zuck spent his youth as an awkward Star Trek-obsessed Eagle Scout (and sometimes Ford model) in the exotic suburbs of Northern New Jersey.

While an undergraduate at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he studied filmmaking in New York, London, Paris and Russia. Though he can’t remember his mid-twenties, he’s been told there were two years of law school and an accidental detour into the bleak hell-scape of the fashion industry. He has worked in publicity and production at major studios in New York and Los Angeles, and graduated from Columbia University’s MFA Film program.

His award-winning short films have screened at festivals all around the world, including Stay, The Happy Ones and Goodbye Blue Sky – all of which are currently streaming on Dekkoo!

The Happy Ones (2011)

In The Happy Ones, Zuck’s thirteen-minute 2011 short, a young drifter searches for a connection on the streets of Los Angeles, trying to understand his place in the world, and wondering who’ll remember him when he’s gone.

Stay (2013)

Stay tells the story of Ash (Brandon Tyler Harris), a kid from the grungier side of Florida. He’s a bit of a loner, and would probably be living in his car if only he could afford one. In order to make some quick cash, he accepts a shady job from the friend of a friend: delivering a suitcase to the Florida Keys. All he has to do is drive it down to a houseboat docked somewhere private, and wait for the hand-off. There are only two rules: don’t open the bag, and don’t get pulled over. But when Ash gets handed the keys to a slick car, he gets a dangerous idea. He decides to invite his ex-boyfriend, Jacks, along for the ride- thinking that he might be impressed by the weekend getaway. Ash never mentions the real reason for the trip, but it doesn’t take long for Jacks to start putting the pieces together. All Ash wanted was a chance at happiness, but Jacks has bigger plans. And when these two misfits come together, everything else falls apart.

Goodbye Blue Sky (2017)

Visually stunning, Zuck’s newest short Goodbye Blue Sky is a must-see. Long after the end of the world, five strangers sharing an abandoned desert motel are forced to decide between love and survival.

You can watch all three of these films right now on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 8/17/18

Matthew is a young Canadian new to Berlin. He’s come to make a fresh start, but he feels the isolation of living in a strange, new city. When he meets Matthias, he is entranced. Beautiful and charismatic, Matthias is everything Matthew wants to be. Soon Matthew’s interest escalates, becoming an obsession. ‘M/M’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo!

Two horrible people who happen to be best friends go about their day together. ‘The Disgustings’ is available to stream now, on Dekkoo.com!

A gay Brit living in New York is deprived of his immigration status, and risks losing his family and life in the U.S. He marries his lesbian best friend to remain in the country and stay with his family, but things get complicated when he meets the love of his life and is forced to make an impossible choice. ‘I Do’ is available now to stream on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Two gay dads. One meddling tiger mom. What could go wrong?

Short Film Spotlight: Tomorrow

As the new millennium was approaching (and some pesky, much-buzzed-about technological anxieties hung heavy on our minds), New Year’s Eve in 1999 became a deeply memorable occasion. The leads of the stellar short film Tomorrow have a slightly different reason to remember that particular evening.

Tomorrow finds college-bound best buddies Clark (Daniel Rashid) and Trevor (Zachary Roozen) concerned about the future of their friendship. It becomes clear early on that Clark is secretly in love with Trevor… and too afraid to say anything about it.

When the two meet a local girl and end up attending a pool party, Trevor asks Clark to help him win her affections. He reluctantly complies, but when said girl turns out to have more of an interest in Clark, the friends learn that jealousy is a two-way street. Soon, their relationship is tested in ways neither could have imagined – resulting in some explosive revelations.

Featuring terrific performances from its game young cast, this tense and emotional film from writer Joshua Paul Johnson and director Leandro Tadashi is a skillfully-made 13-minute coming-of-age gem. The film is presented by the USC School of Cinematic Arts, which is known for turning out talented artists – and it certainly shows in the quality here. We can’t wait to see what these filmmakers get up to in the future.

You can stream Tomorrow TODAY on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 8/10/18

A homosexual Catholic priest finds out during confessional that a young girl is being sexually abused by her father, and has to decide how to deal with both that secret and his own. ‘Priest’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo!

On Josh and Greg’s first date, they quickly realize that the generational divide between them is the least of their worries. The gay short film ‘Call Your Father’ is available to stream now on Dekkoo!

Two gay men celebrate their 25th anniversary by traveling across the country to get married in every state that will let them. The documentary ‘Married and Counting’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week – Matthias lives in Berlin. Matthias likes techno. Matthew likes Matthias. Matthew wants Matthias. Matthew wants to be Matthias.

New This Week – 7/27/18

Ayden and Brent work together to maintain a healthy relationship as two gay men in a society where they are setup to fail. Binge-watch the entire first season of ‘About Us’.

A Jewish New Yorker is bedridden patriarch dying of lung cancer, confesses for the first time to son that he was always attracted to men. Despite his long-lasting marriage and faithfulness to wife. Watch the gay short film ‘Like Father’ now on Dekkoo!

Mischa, a rap producer, is in a secret relationship with Lukas, a young performer, who is spiraling out of control on drugs and the fear that he is past his prime. When Lukas’ younger brother begins to capture Mischa’s attention the siblings begin to compete for the spotlight and Mischa. Watch ‘Off Beat’ now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: A brand new gay film that has an eye for natural splendor and a feel for humanity’s existential fears.

Watch the short (soon to be feature) film Breaking Fast

Well-received by critics, audiences and juries at film festivals all around the globe, writer-director Mike Mosallam‘s short film Breaking Fast is currently on the path to becoming a feature film. The original short is now available on Dekkoo!

The 17-minute short follows Mo (Ryan P. Shrime), an Arab-American Muslim man dealing with heartbreak. Soon into the film, Mo meets Kal (Tom Berklund), a very sweet and attractive All-American dude. At first, Mo assumes that the two of them will have little to nothing in common. To his great surprise, however, Kal offers to break fast with him during the month of Ramadan. As the two men learn more and more about each other, they begin to fall in love.

“My intention was to tell a story that my friends and I could see ourselves in – one that spoke to the nuances of daily life and treated identity: religious, sexual, gender and otherwise, as harmonious lenses by which individuals interact with the world around them,” said Mosallam during an interview with the Arab Film Festival, where he was selected as a juror. “When a friend asked what characters in modern cinema I felt best represented my journey, as a Muslim, I was at a complete loss to name one.”

Mosallam is working to change that in ways both big and small – and Breaking Fast is certainly a step in the right direction. Check out the trailer below and make sure to watch the film on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 7/20/18

Hicham runs away from his home and comes to Lyon, looking for Thibaut, a young man who tried to kiss him a few years earlier. Thibaut is an activist at the ‘G-Spot’, a LGBT Center. Hicham enters his world, apprehensive but enthusiastic. However, as Hicham begins a journey to find his own identity, he comes to understand that Thibaut isn’t exactly who he appears to be. ‘Woke’ is available to binge-watch now on Dekkoo!

An average gay guy discovers a magic website that can change him into the fantasy man he desires, but there is a price to pay. ‘VGL-Hung!’ is available to stream now!

Eighteen-year-old Mathieu vacations at the beach with his family when he meets local teen Cédric. After an extremely erotic kiss, the boys begin a passionate romance, complete with skinny-dipping at night, nude dancing on the beach and intense lovemaking in the dunes; yet, as Mathieu grapples with his sexuality and copes with his sick mother, absent father and annoying kid sister, his bond with Cédric grows stronger until it bursts. The gay classic film ‘Come Undone’ is available now on Dekkoo!

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Coming next week: Two men of color work together to maintain a healthy relationship in a society where they are set up to fail.

New This Week – 7/13/18

In ‘The Revival’, a secret love affair between a southern Baptist preacher and a young drifter challenges the equilibrium of a growing church. Stream this new gay film now on Dekkoo!

This documentary chronicles Madonna’s controversial 1990 “Blonde Ambition” international tour. The film is a behind-the-scenes look at Madonna’s relationships with her dancers and crew, her then-boyfriend Warren Beatty, and her family and friends, achieving an intimate glimpse into the boundary-pushing singer’s drive and individuality. ‘Madonna: Truth or Dare” is now available on Dekkoo!

On the holiest night during the month of Ramadan, Mo, a practicing Muslim reluctantly attends his best friend’s birthday party, where he unexpectedly meets Kal, a 30-year-old all-American white guy, who catches him by surprise with each twist and turn through the streets of Los Angeles. ‘Breaking Fast’ is now available to stream on Dekkoo.

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Coming next week: “Shimmeringly beautiful and utterly real.” – Stephen Holden, THE NEW YORK TIMES

New This Week – 7/6/18

***A DEKKOO EXCLUSIVE***

Andreas and Martin have shared all the ups and downs of life, and now that their son has matured and moved out on his own, they have more free time to focus on themselves again. But when they are left alone with only themselves, will the spark still be there? ‘Paths’ is available now on Dekkoo, one month before it’s DVD release!

A powerful documentary, ‘Pansy’ follows artist, writer and designer Paul Harfleet. Since 2005, Paul has been planting pansies at different sites where instances of homophobic abuse have occurred. An act of quiet, thoughtful resistance, this project aims to turn tragedy into art and trauma into recovery. ‘Pansy’ is available to stream on Dekkoo!

Wes and Chris, in couples counseling, decide to explore opening the relationship to spice up their sex life. Watch Cock N’ Bull 2 now on Dekkoo. And don’t forget to stream the first Cock N’ Bull!

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Coming next week: “Mother” visits Dekkoo!

Pride Month Spotlight: The Apple Tree

When Gabe and Jonathan (played as young men by Jay Renshaw and Ryland Shelton) fall in love in the 1940s, they decide to spend their life together in secret. But as the times changed, so died the couple – who were eventually able to express their love openly.

When Jonathan unexpectedly passes away years later, Gabe (played as an older man Jerry Bornstein) is faced with a dilemma that many LGBT elders encounter when they move into retirement homes… going back into the closet.

A 30-minute short film, writer-director Matthew Ladensack’s The Apple Tree screened world-wide at LGBT film festivals, and ended up winning the Best Picture prize at Out in the Desert. The short was very powerful at the time it was released and over the intervening years, with many baby boomers entering assisted living homes, the story the film tells has become much louder and stronger – so much so that Ladensack is in the process of adapting it into a feature film.

The writer/director’s newest draft earned a spot in the Top 50 of the world famous Tracking Board Launch Pad feature screenplay contest and was a semi-finalist at the Nashville Film Festival Feature Screenplay Contest. The feature will focus not only on aging in the gay community, but on two generations of gay men coming together – a new primary character, Colton, is a closeted high school football player who ends up forming a close bond with Gabe and seeing, first hand, the experiences of his LGBTQ fore-bearers.

Make sure you check out the original short film before the full-length feature arrives. The Apple Tree is currently streaming on Dekkoo. It’s one of our Pride Month picks.