Two young men from different worlds come together in the tender new romance ‘Liuben’

Set in a Bulgarian mountain village, where prejudice simmers, Liuben follows a summer romance that develops between two young men from very different worlds.

Twenty-seven-year-old Victor (Dimitar Nokolov) has a nice life in Madrid with his partner, Jose (Ramón Esquinas). But after returning to his childhood home in Bulgaria for his grandfather’s funeral, he decides to stay for the summer.

While reconnecting with his father and their village’s way of life, he unexpectedly finds love in the form of Liuben (Bojidar Iankov Asenov), an eighteen-year-old Roma boy. Despite their differences, and the conflicts around them, Victor and Liuben find refuge in each other.

Liuben, which has its world premiere at Guadalajara International Film Festival last June, is a bit of a groundbreaker. Not only is it the first openly gay film from Bulgaria, but it casts Roma actors, who are usually absent from Bulgarian cinema, in the film’s lead roles.

A poetic romance from writer-director Venci Kostov, Liuben tells the heartfelt story of two lovers who are condemned to be strangers in their own land.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Sapphire

A trippy, visually inventive British drama from director Leanne Hanley and screenwriter Harry Hains, Sapphire tells the story of a troubled young poet who is caught between two identities.

Ethan (Andreja Pejic) struggles with an addiction to both love and drugs. When they meet an alluring man on the street, a relationship develops that sends them deeper into their worst tendencies.

The films flashes back and forth through time, observing different periods in Ethan’s life – the abyss of addiction, the thrill of first love, a moment of reflection and honesty in a therapist’s office and, finally, a fantasy world where they’re forced to make a choice.

Ethan looks to free himself from the abyss by becoming Sapphire, a glamorous alter ego. But whether or not this new identity will be enough to save them from their inner demons remains to be seen.

Watch a short trailer for Sapphire below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The nude musical revue ‘Naked Boys Singing’ has come to shed its clothes on Dekkoo!

Imagine inviting ten gorgeous, intelligent, creative and completely naked men into your living room for an evening full of entertainment! That’s what you get with Naked Boys Singing, a superb filmed performance of the famed musical revue.

After 2,500 performances worldwide since 1998, they staged the piece for the cameras to give audiences an opportunity to see this wonderful review in the comfort of their own homes.

Originally released in 2007, the film is back to slay on Dekkoo. With catchy songs strung together like Christmas lights, we’re confident that musical theater queens will love this film as much as we do.

Perfect for parties, (or family gatherings if your family is into nude gay men) Naked Boys Singing has more adorable naked men than the latest CockyBoys movie – and you can actually watch this one with your sister. It’s a wonderful musical cast made up entirely with hot naked men… what’s not to love?

Click the link below to watch the original (not safe for work) trailer for Naked Boys Singing below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The charming comedy ‘Nate & Margaret’ examines a May-December friendship

Natalie West, an accomplished Chicago theatre actress best known for her recurring role as Crystal on the original incarnation of ‘Roseanne,’ delivers an incredible under-the-radar performance in Nate and Margaret, a charming indie comedy from writer-director Nathan Adloff.

West plays the titular Margaret, an aspiring comedian in her fifties who lives alone, works at a coffee shop by day, works on stage skills at open mics by night and shares an unusually deep friendship with her neighbor, a much younger gay film student named Nate, played by Tyler Ross.

When Darla, an audacious classmate played by Gaby Hoffman, sets Nate up on a date with an eager young suiter named James (played by Conor McCahill), everything starts to change.

Swept up in feelings of young love, Nate suddenly has less time for his middle-aged friend and a bittersweet tension grows between them.

With shades of the Hal Ashby classic Harold and Maude, Nate and Margaret is a heartfelt and smartly observed comedy-drama about two very particular people who are each coming-of-age… despite the considerable difference of those ages.

Watch the trailer for Nate and Margaret below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Bettas

A seemingly trivial couple’s fight turns unexpectedly violent in Bettas, a frenzied and deliberately over-the-top short thriller from director Benjamin-Shalom Rodriguez.

Lovers Frank and David (Jose Diaz-Oldenburg and Nick Ley) are showering together in a bathroom that isn’t their own. They’re away from home celebrating both Frank’s birthday and the wedding of his best friend.

David is harboring some resentments at the start of the film. Not only is he salty about having paid for the trip, but he’s not happy that Frank coerced him into having sex by the public pool of their hotel.

After a particular song comes on and Frank declines David’s invitation to dance, all hell breaks loose – and their simmering relationship troubles come to the fore in a shockingly bloody crescendo.

Uncomfortably funny and made with a brisk, kinetic energy, Bettas is a deliciously twisted “anti-romance.” We recommend watching it on a date night with your significant other – if only as a cautionary tale about anger management.

Check out the poster for Bettas below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The queer buddy comedy ‘Unidentified Objects’ hits the road in search of alien life

Peter (Matthew August Jeffers) is an introverted New Yorker with dwarfism who prefers to hide from the world inside his apartment.

An unexpected visit from his upbeat, eccentric neighbor Winona (Sarah Hay) forces Peter out of his shell and onto an impromptu road trip. Their destination? What she believes to be the site of an upcoming alien visitation in the wilderness of rural Canada.

From first-time feature director Juan Felipe Zuleta, Unidentified Objects is a delightful and darkly funny indie comedy, following the odd couple’s increasingly surreal odyssey – during which they encounter bickering lesbian cosplayers, mushroom-addled survivalists and even extraterrestrial highway cops.

The further these two go, and the more their trauma comes to light, the clearer it becomes that the only thing scarier than being abducted by aliens is being alone in the universe.

Featuring terrific performances from lead actors Jeffers and Hay, Unidentified Objects is supremely entertaining and full of surprises, marking Zuleta as a filmmaker worth keeping an eye on.

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

A sex worker gets into a tricky relationship with an older man in the Belgian drama ‘All Yours’

Prolific actor Nahuel P̩rez Biscayart (Glue, Persian Lessons, BPM) stars in All Yours as Lucas, a young and penniless Argentine escort who moves to a small Belgian town with the help of Henry (Jean-Michel Balthazar), a lonely Рand much older Рgay bakery owner who dreams of saving him from a life of prostitution.

Henry fell completely head over heels for Lucas when he first spotted him as a web cam model. He bought Lucas a plane ticket hoping that he would not only help out in the bakery, but share his bed.

With very different ideas about living together, the two men find their personalities and expectations clashing. Things get even more tense when the predominately straight Lucas starts falling for Audrey (Monia Chokri), a single mother who also works for Henry.

A complicated love triangle soon develops in this tender, award-winning character study from acclaimed writer-director David Lambert.

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

Oscar nominee Colman Domingo stars in the profoundly moving 30-minute drama ‘North Star’

Colman Domingo, Malcolm Gets, Laura Innes and Kevin Bacon make up the primary cast of this astounding 30-minute short film that challenges the meanings of freedom, faith and family.

A winner of countless awards at film festivals all around the globe, North Star is easily one of the most acclaimed gay short films ever made.

Domingo, who also produced the film, stars as James, a rural rancher who makes incredible sacrifices to care for his dying husband – all while his zealot sister-in-law attempts to impose her will and a pair of televangelists peddle shame, fear, and division as the cornerstones of faith.

A deeply personal film by writer-director P.J. Palmer, based on his own experiences of being in same-gender, multi-cultural relationships, North Star is a profoundly emotional drama that will linger with you love after the credits roll.

Watch a short teaser trailer for North Star below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

A mysterious drifter comes between two rich siblings in the stylish queer thriller ‘Palace of Fun’

After a chance meeting in a nightclub, a summer romance begins to develop between young lovers Lily and Finn (Phoebe Naughton and Andrew Mullan). Instantly smitten with one another and not looking to part ways too soon, Lily ends up inviting Finn to come stay with her at her parent’s opulent Sussex home.

As her folks are vacationing in Italy, the pair expect to have the estate all to themselves. Their alone time is broken, however, by the arrival of Lily’s mischievous brother Jamie (George Stocks).

When Jamie discovers a revealing secret about Finn on the internet, he uses it to blackmail the handsome young man into performing increasingly uncomfortable favors – playing a dangerous and sinister game with his sister’s new flame.

Paying knowing homage to Patricia Highsmith’s ‘Ripley’ novels, classic three-hander thrillers like Knife in the Water and even a little bit of Some Like it Hot, co-writer/director Eddie Stocks’ Palace of Fun is a smart and supremely tense sexually-charged thriller.

Watch the trailer for Palace of Fun below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.