Category: Short Film

Short Film Spotlight: Skinny Fat

In Skinny Fat, a short Welsh comedy based on real events by writer-director Mathew David, a gay man confronts his insecurities in a store changing room, triggering him to relive a past trauma.

The filmmaker also stars as Mathew, a 33-year-old man shopping with his mom, Bernie (played by British comedy legend Ruth Madoc). Trying to find the perfectly fitting shirt proves difficult: the smalls are too small everything else is too big.

Mathew’s belly fat becoming the all-consuming focus of his attention causes his mother to be concerned about his behavior. Flashbacks to an abusive relationship with his ex-boyfriend only lead him deeper down the rabbit hole.

Being a loving mother, Bernie tries, through kindness and charm, to break him out of this dangerous path of self-sabotage. But can she pull him out of the darkness? Will Mathew find a way to be happy in his own skin? Or will he be destined to live in fear of his own body?

Watch a clip from Skinny Fat below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: That Dark Day

Fábio (Miguel Filpi) is a young trans man from Sao Paulo who works as a caregiver for the elderly. Mourning the end of a recent love affair, his memories and dreams offer a closer look at his coming-of-age and the dilemmas he faced while coming to understand his gender and sexuality.

Everything starts coming into focus for Fábio when he begins working for Louise (Isabelle Lenoble), an elderly cisgender woman who is living far away from any close friends or family. Slowly dying of a terminal illness, Fábio becomes her rock. As weeks go by, their relationship matures into one of abiding affection and deep understanding.

Living in a polarized society, fraught with political and financial turmoil, the pair begin to rely solely on one another and start learning how to say their goodbye – he to a cherished relationship and the person he used to be; and she to life itself.

From Brazilian writer-director Daniel Guarda, That Dark Day is a profoundly emotional 29-minute short film that will linger with you long after the credits roll.

Celebrated at screenings around the world, the film won the ‘Silver Rabbit Award,’ the Audience Choice for Best Brazilian Short Film, at MixBrasil Festival of Diversity Culture when it debuted in 2022.

Watch the trailer for That Dark Day below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Havana

Living in Cuba in the 1970s, immigration officer Antonio (Ifeanyi Dike Jr.) earns money on the side by selling illegal visas at exorbitant prices. And that’s not his only secret. He’s also hiding his sexuality.

His hush-hush lifestyle is starting to get the better of him. Afraid of the outside world, he spends most of his time confined within the walls of his small Havana apartment. His only solace comes in the form of visits from Jian (Shaofei Chen), his secret boyfriend. But when Jian arrives one night looking for an illegal visa of his own, and an opportunity to start a new life, it becomes clear that Antonio is not the only person keeping secrets.

An exceptionally well-made short film from accomplished Hollywood production manager Faith Strongheart, Havana uses top-notch talent to tell a bittersweet story about the forbidden queer love and two men’s desperate longing for escape from an unforgiving time and place.

Watch a short clip from Havana below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: One Like Him

A Jordanian man must find a way to tell his childhood friend and first love the truth about what happened twenty years ago, when a single moment changed both of their lives. When he can’t find the words, their conversation repeats, becoming increasingly surreal… until he loses control.

From director Caitlin French McLeod, One Like Him is a stirring 16-minute short about how the past influences the present.

Rooted in love and framed within a queer, Arab lens, the film is about how we grapple with the narratives imposed on us and how we must build our own narratives to express who we truly are – all while overcoming judgement, letting go of internalized shame and turning inwards to look for the answers.

Gorgeously crafted, One Like Him was screened at countless festivals worldwide, including multiple BAFTA and Academy Awards-qualifying events, picking up numerous awards along the way.

Watch a teaser for One Like Him below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Two-Headed Calves

The 29-minute short Two-Headed Calves follows bride and groom Johannes and Marie (Andreas Hammer and Jennifer Sabel).

At the beginning of the film, a torrential downpour breaks out in the middle of their outdoor wedding reception… and that turns out to be the least of their problems.

The biggest issue is that Johannes has been keeping a secret from Marie for the entirety of their relationship. He’s gay. He always has been, and he always will be. But that hasn’t stopped his meddling, conservative parents from trying to fix what they perceive as a problem.

Working with an unorthodox personal conversion therapist, Johannes momentarily believes he has overcome his own sexuality and can bring happiness to every disapproving person in his life – even if it comes at the cost of his own.

But when everything that can go wrong does go wrong during the wedding, it seems like a sign that he needs to start being open and honest – especially with his new bride.

Using a found footage aesthetic, German director Benjamin Kramme crafts a painfully funny family comedy that also brilliantly skewers the entire notion of conversion therapy.

Watch the trailer for Two-Headed Calves below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Casa de Bonecas

Supple young bodies fuse and ooze in the delirious audiovisual freak-out Casa de Bonecas.

Kind of like a mix of John Waters and David Lynch, this experimental – and experiential – 15-minute short from Brazilian writer-director George Pedrosa doesn’t tell a story so much as establish a deeply weird vibe.

This mind-melting film follows three scantly-clad queer performance artists as they descend into a trippy rabbit hole of madness – a dark, wet place where the grotesque and the sensual merge and anyone who enters is seduced by the pink secretions that lie within.

There is plenty of gross-out imagery in store as the film gleefully sashays through various genres – musical, comedy, sci-fi and horror, just to name a few – and our heroes transform into beautiful creatures who dance, devour and arouse.

A cross between your worst nightmares and your wildest wet dreams, Casa de Bonecas is thoroughly bonkers in the best possible way.

Watch a brief clip from Casa de Bonecas below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.