Pride Month Spotlight: Coby

In a small town deep in the American Midwest, Suzanna begins a gender transition and becomes a boy: Coby.

Cobyโ€™s transformation deeply impacts the lives of everyone who love him – and each member of this tight-knit family must confrontย  their own preconceived notions of gender and sexuality.

Combining excerpts from Cobyโ€™s video dairy with candid, heartfelt interviews from his closet friends and family – director Christian Sondereggerโ€™s debut feature is an intimate and sensitive look at timely subject.

Ultimately, Cobyโ€™s journey morphs into the transformation of a whole family compelled by love to modify their own perspectives.

Coby weaves together interviews with Coby himself, his girlfriend, parents, and brother – along with his transition timeline YouTube videos. This documentary offers up a deeply compelling real-life portrait of what it looks, sounds, and feels like to go through the transition process.

Watch the trailer for Coby below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

 

Don’t miss the heart-warming and inspiring romance Morgan

Morgan (Leo Minaya) comes home after a tragic accident in a bikers race leaves him paraplegic, binding him to wheelchair use for the rest of his life. He tries to stay positive, not letting the accident end his life, but deep-rooted feelings of uselessness make him wish, at times, that he has not survived.

Rolling out for beer, he meets the handsome, charismatic Dean (Jack Kesy), and the two strike up a friendship that quickly develops into a romantic connection. Morgan wants to participate in the biking race again, more so because of his competitive nature than to prove his ability. Everyone is against it, even Dean, leading to differences that begin to show between the two for the first time.

A powerful and moving story about love and overcoming even the toughest of life’s obstacles, Morgan is a deeply touching romantic drama from writer-director Michael Akers – featuring terrific performances from the two leads.

Watch the trailer for Morgan below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

New This Week – 5/29/20

Following four gay men in Singapore, “People Like Us” is a poignant reflection and insightful look into the lives of Joel, Ridzwan, Rai, and Isaac navigating lust, love and life. Season 1 and 2 are available to watch now on Dekkoo!

The long-distance relationship of two men is tested during the Covid-19 crisis. ‘Same Time Tomorrow’ is streaming now on Dekkoo.

In the village of Chagrin Falls, Ohio, 21 year old Coby leads a normal life, surrounded by his family and partner. In a very intimate way, this documentary tells the story of the journey that led him to live a life according to his true gender identity, but also the commitment of his close surrounding. An incisive, tender and ironic portrait of a transgender man and his family seeking for freedom. ‘Coby’ is streaming now on Dekkoo.

‘Cold Coffee’ is a punchy and heartfelt rom-com following the fragmented relationship of two people who cannot be together and yet cannot be without each other. Break-ups are never easy. Stream ‘Cold Coffee’ now only on Dekkoo!

Coming next week: An estranged brother and sister attempt to reconnect after choosing very different paths in life.

Now Available: My Big Gay Jewish Conversion

Is Israel really the best place in the world to be gay? And is Judaism the one mainstream religion that accepts homosexuality? Meet Simon, a gay Catholic man from the West of Ireland on a quest to find out.

Simon has never truly felt accepted by his own church, a problem that Matthew, his Jewish boyfriend from North London, has never had to face. Simon begins to wonder if the grass may be greener, and considers converting. He starts with a trip to the local Rabbi where they chat, among other things, about getting ‘snipped’, but Simon is itching to get to Judaism’s homeland: Israel. He hops on a plane and first hits the streets of Tel Aviv, ‘the gayest city on Earth’, where he meets gay people from all walks of life, including gay soldiers in the IDF. Then he heads to Jerusalem, where the story here is very different. Extreme views towards homosexuality are rife and Simon encounters this at an uncomfortably close proximity. Then, it’s crunch time. Faced with the facts, will Simon jump ship and become Jewish?

A deeply personal, cross-cultural documentary from filmmaker (and subject) Simon Atkins, My Big Gay Jewish Conversion looks at love, relationship and religion with an intelligent and introspective eye.

Watch the trailer for My Big Gay Jewish Conversion below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Siberia & Him

Brothers-in-law Sasha, a meek farmhand, and Dima, a policeman, have always had a fraught relationship. When the two set out on a trip together through the desolate, wide-open country of Siberia in an effort to reach a troubled relative, things begin to change.

Along their journey, unspoken truths are uttered and a deep intimacy is built. The pair soon become not only travel companions, but secret lovers – spending their days hiking and hunting for food and their nights in one another’s arms. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice.

Selected and supported by the IFP Filmmaker Lab and destined to evoke both the breathtaking landscapes and forbidden romance of Brokeback Mountain and the tragedy of a Dostoevsky novel, writer-director Viatcheslav Kopturevskiyโ€™s auspicious debut drama is an elliptical and much-needed examination of internalized homophobia, repression, and identity in a remote Siberian town.

Watch the trailer for Siberia & Him below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Consequences is a hard-hitting coming-of-age drama about youth in detention

Based on Slovenian filmmaker Darko ล tanteโ€™s own experiences working with youth in a correctional facility, the debut feature Consequences follows a troubled teen who must adapt to the harsh hierarchy of a youth detention center and come to terms with his sense of self and developing masculinity. Centered around a powerful performance from charismatic newcomer Matej Zemljic, the film takes an unflinching look at the raw impulses of adolescence and the insecurity that lies beneath.

Troubled Andrej (Zemljic) has reached the end of adolescence and of his parentsโ€™ patience. He is summoned before a court judge for his anger, violence, and deceit. Sentenced to attend a youth detention center, the handsome and muscular teen is thrown into the correctional facilityโ€™s intimidating and testosterone-fuelled hierarchy.

Holding strong against its violent initiations, Andrej finds his anchor of approval and companionship in ลฝeljko (Timon Sturbej), the aggressive leader of the center’s gang, which he soon joins in a carefree spiral of sex, drugs, and violence. Yet Andrejโ€™s tough posturing belies an intimate fragility. Revealing this would unravel everything around him.

Watch the trailer for Consequences below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Two Meters Apart is the Grand Prize winner of Dekkoo’s ‘Love & Distance’ Short Film Contest!

“How can I possibly love you when we’re all in quarantine?”

In order to give back to queer filmmakers during these unprecedented times, Dekkoo asked directors to create and submit short films dealing with the theme of LOVE & DISTANCE. The Dekkoo staff, along with our subscribers, helped pick the winners. We were thrilled by the variety of submissions sent in and we are proud to announce that our Grand Prize Winner is Two Meters Apart from director Marco De Luca!

Set in our tumultuous present day, Two Meters Apart manages to convey a great deal of information in a very short amount of time. Though it’s less than three minutes long (not counting the end credit sequence), this sexy and stylish work is filled with relatable compassion, heartbreak and longing.

Adam has just met Tom… and he’s deeply in love. But the sudden lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic keeps them apart at a crucial moment in their relationship. Is Adam’s love requited? And why isn’t Tom responding to his texts?

Though most film production has ground to a halt, Marco De Luca has shown how a creative, talented artist can use limitations to his advantage. He also absolutely nailed the challenge we threw at him, thematically. Marco will receive a $2,500 prize – as well as a budget of $5,000 to shoot a new Dekkoo-Original Short Film. We can’t wait to see what he comes up with.

Two Meters Apart is available now on Dekkoo. You can stream this terrific short along with the rest of our LOVE & DISTANCE submissions here.

2meters_2

The Love & Distance Short Film Challenge

VOTING IS NOW OPEN!

Check out the video above!

Dekkoo.com understands the hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has put on Queer filmmakers. To help creators, Dekkoo launched a one-week short film challenge. Submissions had to use the theme of ‘Love & Distance’ and could be no more than 5-minutes in length. All submissions had to be sent into Dekkoo no later than Sunday, May 10.

While our grand prize (a $2500.00 reward and $5000.00 budget to make a Dekkoo-original short film) will be selected by the Dekkoo staff, there are four $1000.00 prizes that will be awarded to the films that receive the most comments on Dekkoo.com. That’s where YOU come in!

Visit Dekkoo.com to watch the submissions!

After you’ve watched them all, leave a comment on the film(s) that you like best. Remember, 1 comment = 1 vote!

Only comments left on Dekkoo.com will be counted.

Voting ends Sunday, May 17 at 11:59 PST. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, May 20!

New This Week – 5/1/20

Three teenagers are shaken up by their first loves in the turmoil of their youth. At a time when others are conforming, they stand their ground and assert their right to love and be free.ย ‘Genese’ is available now to stream on Dekkoo!

A lonely New Yorker serendipitously meets a mysterious foreigner and sparks ignite in this meditation on life and love in the digital age. Watch ‘Foreign Lovers’ now on Dekkoo!

In this one-man show, author/actor/humorist Del Shores shares sordid stories about his Texas family, reads caustic letters he’s written to people like Newt Gingrich and Kirk Cameron and acts out scenes from life. ‘Naked. Sordid. Reality.’ is available now on Dekkoo!

_________________________

Coming next week: Secrets are repressed in a youth detention center.

ATTENTION QUEER FILMMAKERS!

Dekkoo understands the hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has put on you. To help creators, Dekkoo is launching a one-week short film challenge. You could win a cut of $10,000.00 in prizes! Interested? Read on!

THE THEME: LOVE AND DISTANCE

Dating from a distance. Home alone and loving it. Dealing with romance and heartbreak while social distancing. Far-away flirting.

The pandemic has put a spotlight on our relationships with others and ourselves. What do relationships in the time of quarantine look like? How do they function? Shoot and submit a 5-minute maximum length short film telling a story from a Queer perspective that deals with LOVE AND DISTANCE. It can be funny, sad, romantic, sexy โ€“ anything.

PRIZES

  • The Dekkoo Jury Award โ€“ One film will be selected. The winning film will be decided by the Dekkoo staff based on artistic merit. The winner will receive a cash award of $2500.00 and the opportunity to direct a Dekkoo-original short film with a production budget of $5000.00.
  • Audience Favorites โ€“ Four films will be selected. The four films that receive the most comments on that films page on Dekkoo.com will win $1000.00 each! Filmmakers are encouraged to ask fans to comment often!

Voting will be tallied through May 18th. Winners will be announced May 20th.

HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR FILM

Submissions must be no more than 5-minutes in length and submitted via Dekkooโ€™s Dropbox Folder or a password-protected URL between Monday, May 4 and Sunday, May 10, 2020. All submissions are due no later than Sunday, May 10 at 11:59pm Eastern.

Submission specifications:

  • All films should be 1920×1080 or higher, H.264, preferably no vertical video. All submissions uploaded to Dropbox should be clearly labeled with the film title and director (ex: Avengers_Whedon.mp4)
  • All films should be in English or have English subtitles.

To submit your film:

RULES & TERMS

It is FREE to submit your film. There is no entrance fee! As an added bonus, all filmmakers who submit a film to the challenge (as long as it is accepted by Dekkoo) will receive a free 6-month Dekkoo-subscription.

  • Entrants must abide by laws and guidelines concerning quarantine and self-isolation according to their local regulations.
  • Films must be submitted as an online streaming video via the Dekkoo Dropbox Folder or a password-protected streaming URL.
  • If you change the password or link after submitting, you must email Dekkoo at digital@dekkoo.com immediately with that change so we may update accordingly. If the Festival is not notified of the change and the link is found to be inactive or the password to be incorrect, the submission may be deemed ineligible.
  • If a film is accepted, the filmmaker agrees to allow Dekkoo to edit beginning and/or ending credits down for the purpose of time as well as use film footage and audio for promotional purposes.
  • The submitter must be entitled to submit the film and the legal rights to screen it.
  • Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Dekkoo will review all submissions and the submitter will be notified if the film has been approved. Submitter will then be required to sign a Dekkoo Licensing Agreement before the Submission is accepted.
  • By submitting your film you agree to grant Dekkoo exclusive streaming rights to the film for a period of three (3) months. Winners agree to grant Dekkoo exclusive streaming rights to the film for a period of three (3) years.
  • Dekkoo reserves the right to use stills and images for promotional or press needs.
  • Films must be original work. Applicants are solely responsible for obtaining all necessary rights and permissions for third-party materials included in their films, including but not limited to music, trademarks, logos, copyrights, and other intellectual property rights.
  • We just want to say this clearly, one more time, MUSIC MUST BE ORIGINAL or you must have express consent to use the music in your film.
  • Dekkoo expressly disclaims all liability or responsibility for any violations of the foregoing.

BY SUBMITTING THE MATERIAL, I/WE HEREBY AGREES TO INDEMNIFY, HOLD HARMLESS, AND DEFEND THE FESTIVAL, ITS EMPLOYEES, DIRECTORS, REPRESENTATIVES, AND AFFILIATES FROM ALL LIABILITY, CLAIMS, AND DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE SUBMISSION AND FROM ANY FEES AND EXPENSES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO REASONABLE ATTORNEYSโ€™ FEES, THAT ANY OF THEM MAY INCUR IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.