Short Film Spotlight: Peer

Filmed in Ocean City, Maryland, writer-director Marlon Wallace’s new 19-minute short Peer tells a quick, heartfelt story about a beachside romance.

Eli Johnson stars as Harold, a timid young man who takes a late-summer vacation with his best girlfriend Maritza, played by Daniela Cruz. Harold enjoys his time on the boardwalk, but he’s never actually been to the beach before. His intense fear of drowning – and recurring nightmares – keep him far away from the ocean.

When the pair are approached by Vincent and Arthur (Jared Anthony and Tommy Watson) a cute pair of local lifeguard buddies, they end up coupling off. After learning about his phobia, Vincent makes it his mission to ease Harold’s fears, teach him to swim and help him learn to enjoy all the magic a beach town has to offer. Harold, however, has to decide whether this adorable new love interest is worth all the anxiety.

With a touching script, beautiful cinematography and refreshingly naturalistic performances, Peer shows how the power of love can conquer even the deepest fears.

Watch the trailer for Peer below. The full short film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

Todd Flaherty wrote, directed and stars in the sharp-edged indie comedy ‘Chrissy Judy’

Reminiscent of the freewheeling spirit of Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig’s Frances Ha, the witty new indie comedy Chrissy Judy peels back the layers of the East Coast’s queer triumvirate – New York City, Fire Island, and Provincetown – and examines the realities gay men face in their pursuit of love and acceptance.

Wyatt Fenner and writer-director Todd Flaherty star as Chrissy and Judy, respectively. Besties by day and cabaret drag partners by night, the two longtime pals find themselves at a crossroads when one of them couples off and moves away from New York.

As the duo drifts apart, the remaining queen must reinvent himself or risk becoming an irrelevant solo act both onstage and off.

Flaherty’s previous film, the gorgeously-directed short relationship drama Let’s Meet Again at the End of the World (also available now on Dekkoo), marked him as a writer, director and actor to watch.

Brilliantly written and beautifully shot in crisp black and white, Chrissy Judy delivers on that early promise, exploring the pain of breaking up with a best friend and asking the difficult question, “What do you do when your chosen family no longer chooses you?”

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

Short Film Spotlight: Dylan Dylan

A gorgeously-crafted 16-minute short film from French writer-director Sylvain Coisne, Dylan Dylan is a profoundly emotional relationship drama set in the aftermath of a devastating loss.

Matthieu Dahan and Vincent Marie star as Yanis and Hugo, a married gay couple who are coping with the recent death of their four-year-old son. Though both men are in great pain, they deal with their grief in different ways.

It remains to be seen whether or not the tragedy will ultimately bring them closer together or widen the gulf that seems to be growing between them. As the pair try to regain some sense of normalcy, the outside world interferes with their grieving process in cruel and insensitive ways.

As Yanis and Hugo realize they have become the victims of a hateful, homophobic act of vandalism, they also find themselves the interest of a pair of documentarians whose motives are not entirely clear.

Dylan Dylan offers no easy answers or pat resolutions – there never are any in the face of such tragedy. Instead, the film tackles the grieving process with compassion and unflinching honesty.

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

Now Available: Sublime

How do you avoid losing something precious when it’s the very thing tearing you up inside?

Whether he’s writing music with his garage band buddies, having dinner with his family or sneaking off into the woods with his girlfriend, 16-year-old Manu (Martín Miller) is never quite present. He’s consumed by a secret that’s been eating him up inside.

In his dreams, Manu and his best friend Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando) lie in bed together, staring longingly into one another’s eyes while inching closer and closer together. Though they never kiss, the desire is clear. That desire simmers beneath the surface of writer-director Mariano Biasin’s moving new coming-of-age drama Sublime.

Featuring beautiful cinematography, an exceptional soundtrack and palpable chemistry between lead actors Miller and Inama Chiabrando, this award-winning new film follows one teen whose affection for his best friend can only stay suppressed for so long.

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

Short Film Spotlight: Dogfriend

An intelligent and wickedly funny 18-minute short from Germany, Dogfriend follows a kinky hook-up that gets incredibly heated… just not for the reasons you might expect.

Screenwriter Lamin Leroy Gibba also stars in the film as Malik, an attractive young man of color who is anticipating the arrival of Phillip (Til Schindler), a newer, unmistakably white and ambiguously political lover.

A classic over-thinker, Malik isn’t sure that this new relationship has legs. Phillip has a confident and casual demeanor that often conflicts with Malik’s neuroses. When Phillip finally arrives, presenting a pair of handcuffs and asking Malik to dominate him, the night takes a wildly unexpected turn.

Malik cuffs Phillip to the bed, but can’t seem to locate the key. Once the men find themselves discussing race relations, Malik starts to realize that he finally has the upper hand and Phillip, flush with white privilege, finds himself more vulnerable than ever before.

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

Queer Classics: Edge of Seventeen

A high-water mark of queer cinema in the ‘90s, the coming-out classic Edge of Seventeen was recently remastered for a new director-approved HD restoration – now available on Dekkoo.

Written by Todd Stephens, the director behind Gypsy ’83, Another Gay Movie and the acclaimed recent release Swan Song, and based on his own coming-of-age story, Edge of Seventeen is set in Sandusky, Ohio during the summer of 1984.

Chris Stafford stars as Eric, a closeted young man who has just finished his junior year of high school and takes a job serving food at the local amusement park. When he meets Rod, an attractive, slightly older co-worker played by Andersen Gabrych, he finds himself exhilarated, but somewhat terrified by his sudden attraction.

Their heated flirtation slowly brings Eric out of his shell, but his sexual awakening is complicated by his family life, his undefined relationship with his best friend Maggie (played by Tina Holmes) and, ultimately, the time period itself – it’s the Reagan era, after all.

Featuring Lea DeLaria in a scene-stealing supporting role and a pitch-perfect soundtrack that includes Bronski Beat, Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins and the Eurythmics, Edge of Seventeen is an unflinchingly honest and deeply touching gay romance than still resonates today.

Watch the original trailer for Edge of Seventeen below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.

The first season of ‘After Forever’ is now available on Dekkoo

Co-created by Emmy-nominated TV writer and playwright Michael Slade and actor-writer Kevin Spirtas, the moving series After Forever follows Brian and Jason, a 50-ish gay couple living in New York City who appear to have it all… until they don’t.

When Jason dies unexpectedly, Brian must face the grieving process. Suddenly, he’s forced to think about his own future – and ultimately his own mortality – without the love of his life.

Winner of six Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Digital Drama Series, After Forever is a funny, heartbreaking, heartwarming and ultimately empowering series that will resonate with audiences of all ages and sexual identities as it explores relationships, healing and new beginnings.

The first season of After Forever is available on Dekkoo now. The second season will premiere in August. Watch the trailer below.