Enjoy three unique short films from up-and-coming Spanish director Manu Roma

Manu Roma is an up-and-coming filmmaker from Barcelona who uses his work to tell personal queer stories. To give you a strong sense of his burgeoning talent, we have collected his first three short films, all made over the past three years.

First up is Bones, a 9-minute film about Victor, a 20-year-old with two immediate goals: to lose his virginity and, more dangerously, lose as much weight as possible before his 21st birthday.

Shot gorgeously in black and white, Roma’s next short, the 19-minute Anonymous, uses a first-person perspective to tell the stories of three men who go cruising for sex in different locations around Barcelona.

The final film, The Virgins, is a 13-minute slice of meta-fiction about the making of a short film. When the two stars of a new movie drop out at the last minute, the director and his boom operator find themselves taking over the lead roles and going to unexpected romantic lengths to tell their story.

A visionary filmmaker worth keeping your eye on, Dekkoo is proud to bring the work of Manu Roma to American audiences.

Bones, Anonymous and The Virgins are all available now on Dekkoo.

Short Film Spotlight: Jay

From Taiwanese director Szu-Wei Chen, Jay is a darkly funny and casually disturbing 14-minute drama that isn’t afraid to explore a particularly cringe-worthy taboo.

The film follows the titular character, a mysterious 13-year-old boy Jay, played by Nick Wang. Reaching a pivotal moment of sexual awakening, the teen finds himself suddenly fascinated by his toned and attractive older brother. Spying on him at every opportunity, including during a sexual encounter with a girlfriend, Jay’s curiosity morphs into an all-consuming obsession.

Playing out with very little dialog, the film gets its point across mostly through eerie suggestion. The story plays out mostly through visuals and emotions thanks to Wang’s lead performance – which, while somewhat stoic, conveys everything we need to know about this youngster’s misguided affections.

Watch a short teaser trailer for Jay below. The full short film is now available on Dekkoo.

Now Available: 5 Minutes Too Late

From Romanian writer-director Dan Chisu, 5 Minutes Too Late is a gripping drama based on true events.

A cinema in Bucharest screening a controversial film about a lesbian couple becomes the epicenter of a radical, far-right, anti-gay protest. During the incident, a young man is physically attacked and brought to the hospital in a coma.

Complicating matters are inconsistencies in the police reports, in which they claim the attack on the young man took place before their arrival. The accuracy of their claim is called into question when security footage shows the ambulance arriving after the police, and leaked footage belonging to a bystander reveals the captain making homophobic comments to one of the anti-gay protesters.

A battle over competing narratives ensues between the stubborn, arrogant captain and an equally stubborn, idealistic investigative reporter who is just looking to unveil the truth.

As each party attempts to gain the upper hand over the public narrative, the officer and the reporter engage in questionable tactics in an effort to thwart each other. Meanwhile, a young man clinging to life becomes increasingly forgotten amid their political struggle.

Watch the trailer for 5 Minutes Too Late below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Dedalus tells three expressionistic stories of lost souls in flux

Dedalus is a fictional triptych portraying community, love and loss.

In rural Iowa, a grocery cashier watches helplessly as classmates conceal their act of sexual violence against his teenaged step-sister.

In another story, a hustler sells his body for food, shelter and intimacy during a harsh winter in New York City. A young woman takes him in, but nothing satiates his unrequited love for an older gay client.

In the third story, mortality compels a father to leave his home in Los Angeles and move in with his daughter.

Director Jonah Greenstein’s gorgeously shot new feature debut laces loneliness with beauty to create a film of startling cinematic intimacy.

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

Two troubled boys fall in love in the Romeo & Juliet-inspired On the Fringe of Wild

Two young men fall in love under harsh circumstances in the moving new romance On the Fringe of Wild.

Harrison Browne stars as Peter, a teenager who dreams of leaving his small Ontario town to pursue life as an artist, but his homophobic father, played by Andrew Bee, insists on turning him into “a man.” Sending him on a hunting trip one cold winter break, tensions run high and Peter runs away.

Lost, cold and reaching his breaking point, Peter meets another young man named Jack, played by Cameron Stewart. Jack is also desperate to escape his toxic family situation. A romance quickly develops between the two boys as they hide away in a secluded cabin, discovering one another and themselves. But the world outside eventually pulls them back and they’re soon stuck facing the circumstances they tried so desperately to flee.

Inspired by Romeo and Juliet and set in the early 2000s, On the Fringe of Wild offers up an early 21st Century snapshot of queer adolescent boys on the verge of growing up into men and discovering their authentic selves. The film was shot in rural regions of Northern Ontario, Canada, mostly outdoors amongst the beautiful, but cold, stark and melancholic winter landscapes.

Watch the trailer for On the Fringe of Wild below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.

Now Available: A Queer Country

Harriet and Lisa, one of whom is gay and Jewish while the other is neither, began their journey in Israel last year.

The pair integrated themselves into the LGBTQ community in Tel Aviv and saw the difference between life there and in Jerusalem, where not long ago the Pride march had to be held indoors due to violence from the ultra orthodox community. They have since made very intimate and established relationships within the community and returned in the Summer of 2014 to continue their fascinating journey into a country which is continually diverse and complex.

Israel is a haven for the Jewish people and also, increasingly, a haven for the gay community. It’s governed by Orthodox civil law and yet it hosts the world’s biggest gay pride. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement say this is a cynical marketing ploy, not a political awakening.

Investigating these claims, A Queer Country takes us on an extraordinary journey into Israel’s bohemia and the social revolution that’s challenging the foundations of the Jewish state.

Watch the trailer for A Queer Country below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.

Now Available: Lose Your Head

Lured by Berlin’s reputation as city with a pulsating night life, young Luis, played by Fernando Tielve, leaves his boyfriend behind to travel there – eager to indulge in drugs, sex, partying, music and mindless fun.

Somewhat innocent and certainly naïve, the wide-eyed Luis is quickly sucked into the dizzying whirlwind of the club scene where he meets up with a strange bohemian crowd, does coke and hooks up with Viktor, played by Marko Mandic, a domineering Ukrainian immigrant with his own set of hidden problems.

After he meets a couple looking for a missing man who bears a striking resemblance to him, and after Viktor becomes more menacing, Luis gives in to paranoia as a sense of deteriorating reality begins to overcome him.

A gritty gay drama, Lose Your Head is a complex, “Alice in Wonderland”-like tale of a young man methodically driven out of control.

Watch the trailer for Lose Your Head below. The film is available now on Dekkoo.