Short Film Spotlight: Burn Bridge

If you’ve ever harbored secret romantic feelings for a straight best friend, you’ll find a lot to relate to in Burn Bridge, a 15-minute slice-of-life drama from British writer-director Rhys Marc Jones.

Charlie Rice stars as Harry, a typically angst-filled teen whose hormonal frustrations have been causing him to act out in increasingly mischievous ways. That’s also partly due to the influence of Jamie, his roguish and perpetually horny best buddy played by Macaulay Cooper.

The two smoke pot and drink together, pull pranks and joke around in that mildly aggressive, boys-will-be-boys kind of manner. But all the while, Jamie remains aloof to Charlie’s growing desires.

Exploring his sexuality alone in the safe confines of his bedroom only does so much to alleviate Charlie’s deep longing. When Jamie starts hooking up with a local girl named Lucy, who has a friend she wants to set up with Charlie, jealousy rears its ugly head and those barely-concealed feelings start inching ever closer toward the light.

Filmed in a matter-of-face style, Burn Bridge offers up an unflinching examination of those lusty teen infatuations that can be hard to shake.

Watch a clip from Burn Bridge below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A dangerous man invades a nude queer campground in the provocative thriller ‘Birder’

From first-time feature director Nate Dushku, Birder is a brand-new queer erotic thriller that delves into the dark cultural spaces that society often ignores while exploring the lines of consent in a dom/sub space.

Michael Emery stars as Kristian, a bird watching-enthusiast from Vermont who ingratiates himself with the fellow campers at Lotus Lake, a sex-positive queer nudist colony nestled in the woods of New Hampshire.

The site offers up an abundance of gorgeous views and escapist fantasy. It’s a supportive place where psychologists, wellness coaches, body workers, throuples, bisexual couples and drag artists alike can feel free to explore their sexuality without judgement.

Bed-hopping, fetish play, campfire hookups and a bit of relaxed fishing ensue, but love amongst the trees turns dark and twisted when Kristian the birdwatcher is around. It soon becomes clear that it’s not the just the bears in the woods that people need to worry about.

Reminiscent of director Alain Guiraudie’s 2013 gay classic Stranger by the Lake, Birder is the thinking man’s sexually-charged horror flick, handling sensitive material with caution and delivering the thrills while managing to convey a positive message. The film takes a sardonic and disturbing look at what a monster sees when they look in the mirror and uses metaphor to explore the traumas the queer community endures at the hands of social entities lacking empathy.

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

Two college buddies grow closer over four consecutive Valentine’s Days in this tender drama

Unfolding over the course of four years – or, more specifically, four consecutive Valentine’s Days – 4 Days is an achingly romantic drama from Filipino auteur Adolfo Alix Jr., which takes an intimate look at the complicated relationship between two college buddies.

Sebastian Castro stars as Derek, a seemingly typical straight dude who has had a string of girlfriends – none of whom he has hung onto for very long. All the while, after each break-up, his best friend Mark, played by Mikoy Morales, has been waiting on the sidelines – ready to clean Derek’s wounds while harboring secret romantic feelings of his own.

Through intrusive, carefully selected long takes, we’re invited to observe the pair year after year and witness as the tension between them escalates.

Morales and Castro give exceptional, often heartbreaking performances in this thoughtful and patient romance – wherein the awkward silences and furtive glances speak volumes.

Watch the trailer for 4 Days below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: First Kiss

The new short film First Kiss follows Andi (Julio Bohigas-Couto), a shy teen living in a small commuter town who has yet to experience his first kiss with another boy.

The only person that even knows he’s gay is his straight older brother Raúl (Álvaro Lucas), who, though supportive, makes a sport of teasing him about losing his virginity. Today, though, Andi feels as if everything is about to change. He has his first official date with Néstor (Aritz Itoiz), a city-boy his own age whom he met on Instagram.

After traveling to Madrid on the train, he meets up with the adorable Néstor and his eyes are soon opened to a whole new world of acceptance. The pair peruse the literary offerings at a colorful queer book store, enjoy some penis-shaped pastries at a gay-friendly bakery, open up to one another about their coming-out experiences and finally, blessedly, find themselves locking lips before it’s time to say goodnight.

Their moment of joy is cut short, however, by the arrival of some less-than-tolerant passersby who haven’t learned how to mind their own business. By the end of the night, Andi has learned numerous lessons – some wonderful, some despicable – about openly gay urban life.

From writer-director Miguel Lafuente, First Kiss is a deeply heartfelt coming-of-age short about opening up to the people who love you and standing firm in who you are, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

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

The New Queer Cinema classic ‘Young Soul Rebels’ comes home to Dekkoo

Young Soul Rebels, a 1991 classic from maverick New Queer Cinema director Isaac Julien, has been restored to its original director’s cut in a stunning new 4K version overseen by Julien and director of photography Nina Kelgren.

Set in East London in 1977 – just days before Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee – the film revolves around underground DJs Chris and Caz, who find their worlds rocked when a close friend is murdered in a queer hook-up park.

Their tight-knit local Black community suspects potential right-wing involvement, while the police point fingers at Chris as the prime suspect.

Winner of the Critic’s Prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival, Young Soul Rebels has gone on to earn even more critical acclaim in the time since its release.

With pulsating energy and an unforgettable soundtrack, Julien examines race clashes and the interaction between cultural youth movements – namely skinheads, punks and soul boys – along with the social, political and cultural tensions between them.

Still as relevant today, we’re thrilled to introduce Young Soul Rebels – back and looking better than ever – to a whole new generation.

Watch a trailer for the new restoration below. Young Soul Rebels is now available on Dekkoo.

Alexandra Billings stars in the endearing and inspiring comedy-drama ‘Queen Tut’

‘Transparent’ actress Alexandra Billings stars in the endearing comedy-drama Queen Tut as a trans stage veteran who takes an aspiring seamstress and drag queen under her wings.

Following the death of his mother, Egyptian-raised teen Nabil (Ryan Ali) reluctantly moves to Toronto to live with his traditionally-minded father. There he meets Malibu (Billings) who is on her own crusade to protect Mandy’s, her drag nightclub and queer haven, from demolition.

The shy Nabil, wanting to learn how to sew like his late seamstress mother, finds a drag mentor in the exuberant Malibu, who makes all her own dresses.

As the boy begins to find his true self, the local community’s fight to save their favorite nightclub quickly escalates, pitting Nabil against his architect father and drag queens and queers against the gentrification-minded establishment.

Funny, inspiring and packed with memorable performances, Queen Tut is a rousingly entertaining and insightful coming-out drag tale which has left audiences cheering at film festivals all around the globe.

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

Director Julián Hernández returns with the erotic and thought-provoking short film ‘Cobalt’

Julián Hernández, the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker behind Raging Sun, Raging Sky, I Am Happiness on Earth and the recent Dekkoo release The Trace of Your Lips, is back with another emotional, thought-provoking and sexually-charged short film classic.

Reuniting with actor Luis Vegas, who was featured in The Trace of Your Lips, the 21-minute Cobalt finds Hernández examining the tricky relationship between a talented photographer and his most mysterious model.

Though Uriel, the photographer, has not heard from Damián, his alluring muse, in quite some time, he’s quick to come to his aid after receiving an emergency phone call in the middle of the night.

Damián, who has been earning money on the streets, sustained serious injuries during a rough hook-up with a client. Now it’s up to Uriel to nurse him back to health – all while wondering how deep their relationship actually goes.

The film flashes back to different points in the pair’s history, explaining how they met outside of a porn theater and formed a working relationship that evolved into a passionate, though largely undefined, romantic entanglement.

Though we get glimpses into Uriel’s thoughts via voiceover narration, the relationship between the two men mostly plays out wordlessly. Hernández lets the actor’s eyes and bodies do most of the talking – while the tense score and Hitchcockian cinematography warn us of the dangers ahead.

Gorgeously composed and acted with incredible grace and beauty by the two leads, Cobalt offers an intimate examination of a bruising romance – and it’s almost impossible to look away.

Watch the trailer for Cobalt below. The short film is now streaming on Dekkoo. Also make sure to check out Vegas and Hernández’s other recent collaboration, The Trace of Your Lips – available now.

Don’t miss Australian filmmaker Craig Boreham’s sizzling new gay romance ‘Lonesome’

From Craig Boreham, the acclaimed Australian filmmaker behind Teenage Kicks, comes a sexually-charged new romance about a young cowboy who falls in love with the big city… and the man he meets there.

Lonesome follows Casey (Josh Lavery), a handsome young country boy who is running away from a small-town scandal. While trying to rebuild his life amid the hustle and bustle of Sydney, Australia, he meets Tib (Daniel Gabriel), a street-smart city boy struggling with his own scars of isolation.

While palpable desire and undeniable chemistry define their early interactions, the young men soon find something that’s been missing in their connection with one another – and that sudden rush of intimacy both excites and terrifies them.

Featuring exceptional performances by lead actors Lavery and Gabriel, Lonesome is a gorgeous and thoughtful gay drama, exploring casual sexuality, affection, loneliness and the distinct feeling of isolation in a world that has, technically, never been more connected.

Boreham has created a powder-keg of a would-be romance that doubles as a sensuous portrait of reconciliation and redemption.

Watch the trailer for Lonesome below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo. You can also watch Craig Boreham’s Teenage Kicks, which is available now.