Two Men Kissing (2008)

 
Two Men Kissing (2008)


 Director: Waide Aaron Riddle
Writers: Waide Aaron Riddle
Genre: Drama, Romance, Short Movie
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 8 min
Year: 2008



Stars: Jefferson Hendrick, Waide Aaron Riddle










In a single kiss, two men explore sexual emotion, sexual tension and the intensity of man-on-man bonding and loving.



Two Men Kissing from Waide Riddle on Vimeo.

Based on the award-winning 1995 poem, this film adaptation explores the moment of a single passionate kiss between two men.

Ageless (II) (2013)

Ageless from Heath Daniels on Vimeo.
"Ageless"
Love, sex and relationships are seen through the eyes of two men; one in his 50s, the other in his 20s. Their common struggles prove to be ageless.
A short film written and directed by Heath Daniels.
Shot entirely on an iPhone 5.

Starring:
Michael Massei
Michael Saul
Windham Beacham
Derek Villanueva

Tomorrow (2014)

Tomorrow (2014)

Director: Leandro Tadashi 
Writers: Joshua Paul Johnson 
Genre: Short Movie 
Country:  USA
Language: English
Duration: 13 min 
Year: 2014



Stars: Daniel Rashid, Zachary Roozen, Katie Bake

Clark has never said it, but he's in love with Trevor. It's one of those things that has clearly built up within an existing friendship which is itself so important that he's terrified of putting it at risk. They're both in their teens, on the cusp of going to college, which could tear them apart anyway. When Trevor asks Clark to put in a good word for him with the girl he fancies, Clark agrees - it's what friends do - and tries to hide his quiet devastation. But when the girl turns out to have other ideas, things really start to get complicated.

Situations like this do happen in real life but it's difficult to relate them in film - especially in the short format - without them seeming twee. There's not much to distinguish Leandro Tadashi's short in terms of plot; the background presents us with a house party that has a swimming pool and a band, quite unlikely in real life but an accepted part of the world of teen cinema - and of course, there's not an adult in sight.

What makes the film stand out, however, is the acting, especially Daniel Rashid's sensitive portrayal of Clark, which will hopefully see him getting a lot more attention from casting directors. With the dialogue necessarily flat, the film hinges on what he shows us with his face and body. The mixture of hope, fear, disappointment and excitement that ebbs and flows throughout the film is something anyone who remembers their first feelings of love will relate to.

It's the complexity of these emotions, and of the reactions of the other characters, that gives the film a measure of tension and unpredictability. Polished visuals sit appropriately at odds with the rawness of what its young hero has to confront. Everything here is technically impressive, especially for a small production. It's slight but perfectly formed.

ABAN + KHORSHID (2005)

ABAN + KHORSHID (2005)

Director: Darwin Serink 
Writers: Darwin Serink 
Genre: Short, Short Movie
Country:  USA
Language: English
Duration: 13 min
Year: 2005



Stars: Mojean Aria, Bobby Naderi














ABAN + KHORSHID from darwinserink on Vimeo.

WATCH, SHARE & MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Please share this film on your social networks with the hashtag #LOVEisbeingEXECUTED. Add the name of your favorite human rights organization in honor of #HumanRightsDay to your post or tweet.

At the end of December, the filmmakers will make donations to three of the organizations suggested by viewers.

Every share makes a difference! Please like the film on Vimeo!

Based on a 2005 Iranian photo that was taken of two men on the day they were executed for being gay, the award-winning 13-minute film ABAN + KHORSHID from writer/director Darwin Serink depicts the atrocious and inhumane executions still happening around the world today based purely on sexual orientation.

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ABAN + KHORSHID 

AWARDS:
Cannes Emerging Filmmakers Showcase, American Pavillion: Best LGBT Short
Casting Society of America : Best Casting of a Short Film (Nominated)
Seattle International Film Festival: Short Film Competition Special Jury Award
Seattle International Film Festival: Nominated, Golden Space Needle Award, 4th runner up.
Cleveland International Film Festival: Jury Award for Best LGBT Short Film
Palm Springs Short Fest : Best Of Fest
Outfest: Best Of Fest
Iris Prize Awards: Highly Commended - TOP 3
GAZE International Film Fest. Dublin, Ireland: Best International Short Film
Edmonton International Film Festival: Best Cinematography
Edmonton International Film Festival: Audience Award
Image Out Rochester LGBT Film Festival: Jury Award, Best Short Film
San Pedro International Film Festival: Best Short Film
Meziprata: Best Short Film, Jury Prize
Ft Lauderdale (FLGFF): Best Short Film
Long Island LGBT Festival: Best Short Film
Mix Film Festival Brasil: Best Short Film, Audience Award
Durango Film Festival: Best Short Film
Human Rights Arts Film Fest, Melbourne: Best Int’l Short Film

Abrase (2015)

Abrase (2015)

Director: Toshadeva Palani
Writer: Toshadeva Palani
Genre: Short movie
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 8 min
Year: 2015


Stars: Christian Adams, Michael Bordenave

Powerful and psychedelic. Abrase is the transparent picture of the fading love of two men, remembered. Prepare yourself to be deeply lost in an ephemeral tale and efflorescent images. Sadly, this title does not have an official Internet address. All we know is that Abrase was directed by Toshadeva Palani, and starring Christian Adams and Michael Bordenave.

The fading love of two men, remembered. A relationship once vivid, now dissipating into a fog of partial remembrance; the memories of heartbreak and loss that bend and change as the years go by.

Abrase | Short Film from Toshadeva Palani on Vimeo.

Ruben (2012)

Ruben (2012)


Director: Thijs Verhoeven 
Writers: Hans Arendshorst
Genre: Drama, Short, Short Movie
Country:  Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Duration: 14 min
Year: 2012



Stars: Erick Brons, Anneli van der Hulst, Jim de Groot

This movie is about a young boy Ruben in search of his homosexuality and experience harassment & violence from where the problems of acceptance begins. He found out his love for boys when he has a date with Mike. His parents and little sister don't know about his struggle and harassment at school. This film is going to be used in education for acceptance of homosexuality and against violence.

The Young and Evil (2008)

The Young and Evil (2008)

Director: Julian Breece 
Writers: Julian Breece
Genre: Short movie
Country:  USA
Language: English
Duration: 15 min
Year: 2008


Stars: Vaughn Lowery, Diana Elizabeth Jordan, Reggie Watkins, Eric Pumphrey, Mark Berry

The five-year-old black gay short film, The Young and Evil, recently resurfaced online as a cautionary tale for gay men of all ages. The intention may have been to garner sympathy for the main character, instead it comes off as a horror movie chronicling the origin of a villain.

Directed by Julian Breece, the film tells the story of an 18-year-old black gay teenager Karel Andrews (excellently portrayed by Vaughn Lowery) living life on the edge. Burdened with caring for his debilitated mother and be an Out homosexual in an urban neighborhood, Karel adopts a lifestyle of dangerously causal unprotected gay sex. Upon hearing the news from a doctor that he tested HIV negative despite his risky sexual activity, the young man reveals that he actually wants to contract the virus.

“My favorite thing in this world is to get fucked,” he tells the doctor, “I like getting fucked so hard, I don’t know who I am when it’s over. I like high-risk, sometimes HIV infected cum. and I’m not giving it up.”

This is where the short film derails. One could speculate through subtext that Karel wanted to be punished for his sexuality, for being gay. One could speculate that Karel was turned on by the thrill-seeking adrenaline rush of engaging in high risk sex. One could speculate that Karel just didn’t care about life in general so he lived it like each day was his last.

The problem with all of that speculation is the filmmakers leave all of the heavy lifting for the audience instead of carrying the weight themselves. This is a trend that is heavily adopted in black gay short films and web series.

It’s never made clear why Karel lives the way he does. Throughout this short film we just see random scenes of a character likely created based on the writer reading a newspaper or blog headline. The internal conflicts and motivations of the main character is never really examined at all. This is a huge oversight given the fact that Karel is depicted to be so self destructive. It turns out the writers devoted most of their attention in building the character Naaman, played by Mark Berry.

As Karel continues his quest to become HIV positive (seriously, this is the ridiculous premise of the short), he finds his way into a dark candlelit sex party. It’s here that he sees Naaman, an older man in his 40s that Karel recognizes from an online video of men speaking on their positive HIV status.

Karel follows the live-in maintenance man of the complex, Naaman, down to the basement of the building where he tries to seduce him. The more reserved elder man of the two clearly recognizes the game that Karel is attempting to play, opting to try to talk sense into the teenager instead.

What follows is a amazingly brilliant, superbly acted and well written pair of scenes that (almost) makes us forget about the shortcomings of the previous dozen. Seeing Naaman reluctantly resist the young man’s advances as Karel quickly calls audibles to adjust his plays was more engaging than any scene in any black gay web series to date.

By the end, however, we’re still left scratching our heads. What did we just see and what was the point of it all?

Was the message: Avoid unprotected sex? If so, Karel was an HIV negative man who wanted to be positive, unprotected sex was the best means to an end in his case.

Was the message: Beware of older HIV positive sexual predators? If so, Naaman did his damnedest to avoid sex with the teenager at all costs until he reluctantly gave in to unrelenting advances. The younger HIV negative man was the predator here. On top of that, whose to say the older man didn’t eventually grab a condom before giving in when all was said and done? The scene cuts off before that moment so Karel may have done all that for nothing.

The only points and messages I could muster from watching this film was:

– Black Gay men love sex, lots of it. Especially unprotected sex.

– Black gay men are weak and self destructive. (even our Naaman eventually gives in to temptation)

This short had to potential to examine possible causes for dangerous lifestyles and behaviors. It could have examined the larger issue of depression in the black gay community. It could have delved into the pressures young black gay men face in urban communities, which often leads to depression and/or risky sexual activities.

The story of Karel was essentially the origin story of a killer or predator. In the context of the world created, we know that once he reached his HIV positive goal, he would continue to have unprotected sex and possibly infect others. That is the only thing that explains his intentional efforts to become infected himself, to infect others. If suicide was his goal, there are much more effective ways to kill yourself. Especially since HIV is not the death knell that it once was.

So if you view The Young and Evil as a horror film (with emphasis on ‘evil’), it works well as a prequel to a larger and more interesting story. Still, given its shortcomings, the skilled directing, strong acting performances and amazing last couple scenes of the film make this a must see.

Source: cypheravenue.com

Perpetual (2015)

Perpetual (2015)
Morke Rum (original title)


Director: Peter Lavrsen 
Writers: Flemming Klem, Jakob Thomsen, Peter Lavrsen 
Genre: Drama, Short, Short Movie 
Country:  Denmark
Language: Danish
Duration: 26 min 
Year: 2015


Stars: Mads Hjulmand, Sofie Topp-Duss, Nicolas Wollesen

Morke Rum (Perpetual) is an unconventional love story that centers around a private booth at a seedy sex club. The young Sebastian explores his sexuality and seeking sex/love online. He meets the older Jacob, who takes him to a sex club. In the new and frightening surroundings Sebastian surrender and in their subsequent meetings love sprouts, at least for Sebastian. Outside the darkness of intense togetherness, the reality penetrates. Jacob is full of lust and not love. So when Sebastian’s hopes are disappointed and Jacob pulls away, Sebastian return to the dark room to restore the lost with a stranger.

Kiss Me Softly (2002)

Kiss Me Softly (2002) 
"Kus me zachtjes" (original title)

Director: Anthony Schatteman
Writer: Anthony Schatteman
Genre: Short movie
Country: Belgium
Language: Dutch, Flemish
Duration: 16 min
Year: 2002



Stars: Ezra Fieremans, Tim Bogaerts, Marijke Pinoy 

17 year old Jasper lives in a very grey, small town. In his family, he cannot be himself. Jaspers dad is a singer, named Lukkie Luk. All the attention in the family goes to his career. Jasper searches a way to handle this and is faced with the typical questions in the live of an adolescent. Questions that will not be answered when he stays in his own routine.

Alex and the Imps (2015)

Alex and the Imps (2015)

Director: Ryan Grippi 
Writers: Ryan Grippi 
Genre: Short Movie 
Country:  USA
Language: English
Duration: 13 min 
Year: 2015



Stars: Josiah Jacoby, Klein Wong, Rodner Saldago, Kara Goldberg

Alex and the Imps is a coming of age story about a teen magician coming to terms with who he is and learning to love himself for it in a world where everyone is against him. Inspired by the "It Gets Better Project" this story is a salute to the unusual qualities in all of us that make us who we are.

La dérade (2011)

Director: Pascal Latil 
Writers: Pascal Latil 
Genre: Short movie 
Country:  France
Language: French
Duration: 24 min 
Year: 2011



Stars: Valérie Vogt, Yoann Moëss, Adrien Stasiulis








Two lovers talking on a beach in France. One hides the fact that he is in need of a heart transplant. He knows that someone has to die so that he may live. But to find out who it was that died so that he may live.

For Dorian (2012)

For Dorian (2012)


Director: Rodrigo Barriuso
Writer: Rodrigo Barriuso
Genre: Short movie
Country: Canada
Language: English
Duration:16 min
Year: 2012


Stars: Jerald Bezener, Dylan Harman, Ron Lea

A father fears the sexual awakening of his disabled son, a teenager living with Down syndrome, and wrestles with the notion of letting him grow up.

Oliver, a controlling yet loving father is shaken abruptly when forced to recognize his son Dorian, a teenager living with Down syndrome, as an emerging adult with sexual urges who yearns for his independence. As Oliver begins to discover the changing dynamics within his home, he starts to fear that his son might not only be different by virtue of his disability, but also his sexual orientation.

The Boy Who Couldn't Swim (2011)

The Boy Who Couldn't Swim (2011)
"Drengen der ikke kunne svomme" (original title)


Director: Anders Helde
Writer: Anders Helde
Genre: Short movie
Country: Denmark
Language: Danish
Duration: 33 min
Year: 2011


Stars: Jonas Wandschneider, Sebastian Elkrog Sorensen, Christian Damsgaard

Rasmus arrives in Copenhagen determined to find his mother whom he has never met. Having just arrived at Copenhagen Central Station Rasmus is approached by Nicklas who wants Rasmus to help him by keeping a stolen IPod. Rasmus does so and to return the favor Nicklas offers to give Rasmus a ride to his mother’s house. Reluctantly Rasmus accepts the offer and that kicks off a day that holds lots of fun and reveals hidden feelings.

Two young actors have that faces that are were very expressive of their personal sense of unsureness and disconnectedness with the world, yet wishing to demonstrate a bravado and control of their personal circumstances. The opening shots of the film showed the yearning and glistening hope in the eyes of the boy, Rasmus, as he looked out the train window, contrasted with the harsh face of a middle-aged stranger sitting next to him on the train whose face showed the angry lines of a firm acceptance of his place in hard world where dreams won’t come true. One can see in that that youth is not apt to find much of value from people such as those, who are more apt to destroy their spirit than they are to ignite it.

In the train station, the other boy, Niklas, almost by a kind of bodily magnetism instantly connects with Rasmus as someone he can trust to help him by holding a stolen item while he escapes from men who are pursuing him. A while later, Niklas, having escaped from the pursuing men, meets up with Rasmus and while it seems that Rasmus has a vague destination he is heading for that he doesn’t feel like revealing to Niklas, Niklas convinces him that they need to go there together with Rasmus riding in the cart of Rasmus’s bicycle cart. And that really was the true journey, the two of them toward, or with, each other, they who share certain personal circumstances and need.

This action of them traveling together seemed to put them together in their own isolated bubble. Much of the movie was simply their traveling together throughout the city of Copenhagen from one destination to another (which I appreciated seeing, as while I have passed through Copenhagen, I haven’t seen very much of it), but the beauty of the city, the simple shared exuberance of the boys as they felt the wind in their hair and a feeling of their own motive power, and the various expressions on their faces, sometimes wide open, sometimes cautiously masked, tell the true story without a need for words. And what words there were, were pointed and expressive, and throughout those conversations the boys were continually reaching out in yearning for connection, and then drawing back into unsureness, wavering on that balance beam between “yes I need” and “no I don’t”.

The title of the movie, “The Boy Who Couldn’t Swim”, made me think of a wise Jewish saying that I learned about in a psychology book, “A father’s job is to teach his children how to swim.” While at first that seems trivial, you come to realize that “swimming” is metaphorical of leaving the safety of home and venturing out bit by bit into an alien and dangerous world (or an uncaring and exploitative one). The father is not to hang onto his children, but to help them grow up into a secure adulthood. So what of those children who have not been “taught how to swim?” How do they maneuver out in this world without having had a secure center to start out from? Perhaps they can have another chance, by finding helpers along the way, if only they can recognize them and take the risk of connecting with them when they find them.

Source: Reviews by Amos Lassen

Disc Of Love (2013)

Disc of Love (2013)


Director: Ryan DaveyWriters: Brandon Bushman (screenplay) (as Josh Brandon Bushman) , Ryan Davey (additional material)
Genre: Short movie
Country: Australia
Language: English
Duration: 8 min
Year: 2013



Stars: Luke Cosgrove, Brandon Taylor-Cotton







Jake has packed his bags and is heading off to visit his parents.
His roommate, Lucas seems all too disillusioned by the idea of Jake being gone for the entire weekend, and is acting in a very strange manner. Jake tries to find out why, but all he receives is this mixed CD.
Odd as it may be, Jake willingly accepts it and is wished a safe journey. While the entire trip seems to be going just as planned, he soon discovers what is on this mysterious disc, and all hell breaks loose!

Un Mostro Chiamato Ignoranza (2014

Un Mostro Chiamato Ignoranza (2014)eng. A Monster Called Ignorance


Director: Alessandro Antonaci
Writer: Alessandro Antonaci
Genre: Short movie
Country: Italy
Language: Italian
Duration: 24 min
Year: 2014


Stars: Daniel Lascar, Luca Buongiorno, Chiara Moscatello, Gioa Orlando, Mattia Antonaci, Andrea Zirio, Roberto Pitta, Vanina Bianco, Simone Sarzano

Elia is a 20 years old boy who decides to tell the story about his family in front of a camera. A long flashback shows us how 2 years old Elia was loved by his wonderful parents, Roberto and Marco, and their best friend, 'aunt Sara'. The movie is not set in a specific place or time and shows how beautiful and genuine a LGBT family can be. But ignorance will come in their lives and destroy their happiness. Marco will be taught a very important lesson about how essential facing hate and discrimination is and he will fight every day against that 'monster called homophobia', that still causes attacks, murders, suicides and many more injustices.

Boygame (2013)

Director: Anna Nolskog
Writer: Anna Nolskog
Genre: Short movie
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish
Duration: 15 min
Year: 2013

Stars: Charlie Gustafsson, Joakim Lang, Sophie Adolfsson

John and Nicholas are best friends. They both claim to be interested in girls but feel insecure when it comes to their first sexual encounter. So as not to come across inexperienced…they decide to “practice'” with each other.

Anna Nolskog is an emerging European filmmaker having directed three shorts to date – Emella, Boygame and Bury Me In The Back Yard.

VGL Seek Same

VGL Seek Same


Short Film, written and directed by Dorjan Williams

Director: Dorjan Javas Williams
Writer: Dorjan Javas William
Genre: Short movie
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 7 min

Stars: Kraig Million, Richard Ruskin, Dorjan Javas Williams

No Match Found (2005)

No Match Found (2005)



Director: Brian Pelletier
Writer: Brian Pelletier
Genre: Short movie
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 10 min

Stars: Michael Ciriaco, Michael Dean Connolly, Nick Estrada

When Kevin discovers his boyfriend is cheating on thier anniversary, his friends come to the rescue to find him a quality person. Of course, the best intentions don't always have the best consequences and he swings from bad date to bad date only to discover what he's been looking for is right next door. Written by Brian Pelletier

Park Bench (2007)

Park Bench (2007)



Directors: Elias Benavidez, Jim Le
Writers: Elias Benavidez, Jim Le
Genre: Short movie
Country: USA
Language: English
Duration: 6 min
Year: 2007



Stars: Ian Delaney, Clayton Froning, Julia Graham







A timid young man yearning to connect and express his true attractions finds an opportunity to do so when a handsome stranger sits next to him on a park bench.

Caged (2013)

Caged (2013)
"Uitgesproken" (original title)


Directors: Dylan Tonk, Lazlo Tonk
Writers: Dylan Tonk, Lazlo Tonk
Genre: Short movie
Country: Netherlands
Language: Dutch
Duration:14 min
Year: 2013



Stars: Joël Mellenberg, Josha Stradowski, Yldau de Boer

David and Neils are best friends and their love for each other as friends came about because of their love of sports. However, their friendship will be tested when David finds out that Neils is gay.

Written by Lazlo & Dylan Tonk, this is a depiction of the emotional rollercoaster of coming out within the macho environment of the sporting arena. Here the sport is track and the film feels very real. We see scenes that strikingly juxtapose outright prejudice with the open arms of sexual acceptance, frankly there’s a lot to like here, including an ending that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. Unfortunately we can only gather from watching what happens as there no English subtitles (yet). Nonetheless we feel the heartfelt message of love and acceptance comes through the Dutch celluloid loud and clear thus making this a delightful viewing experience.