Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Downriver (Iris Prize Screening/DVD Review)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

James (Reef Ireland) has just been released from a Youth Detention Centre, having been locked up when he was an adolescent for his involvement in the drowning death of another child. However, due to having an epileptic fit on that day, he doesn’t know what happened to the body, which disappeared and therefore left many open questions, not least from the kid’s mother.

Despite being told his probation is dependent on not returning to where the events took place, he heads there on a determined quest to discover what happened and where the body ended up. Most believe the dead child was washed down the river and cannot ever be found, but James thinks something else might have happened. [Read more…]

Downriver Trailer – Take a look at the LGBT-themed film from Iris Prize winning director Grant Scicluna

By Leave a Comment

downriver-slide2We’ve been following Downriver for a couple of years, ever since it was announced that filmmaker Grant Scicluna was planning to make it.

Scicluna’s The Wilding won the Iris Prize LGBT Short Film prize with its tale of two tough young men who find love in a young offenders institute. There’s a bit of a thematic link between the two films (and the same main actor – Reef Ireland), with Scicluna previous saying of The Wilding, ‘To a degree it precedes the story of Downriver’.

Now we can get a full taste of the Aussie movie, as the trailer has arrived. Here’s the synopsis: ‘James was convicted of drowning a boy even though the body was never found. Upon parole he meets the victim’s mother who prompts him to seek the truth. He risks his life to uncover the trail of sins that may lead to closure & redemption.’

Take a look at the promo for the very atmospheric, LGBT-themed movie below. And to find out more, read our interview with Scicluna and cinematographer Anthony Cox, which took place shortly after they’d filmed Downriver. [Read more…]

CHECK OUT THESE RELATED ARCHIVES:
ACTORS:   DIRECTORS:   FILMS:   

Boys On Film 9: Youth In Trouble (DVD)

By Leave a Comment

Starring: , , ,
Director:
Running Time:
Certificate:
Release Date:

Read our thoughts on the other Boys On Film releases by clicking here.

Boys On Film, the series of DVDs showcasing the best in LGBT short films, returns with Youth In Trouble, featuring eight shorts ranging from 11 to 29 minutes long. They come from countries as diverse as Brazil, Germany, Canada, Britain, Australia and Spain, but are brought together by the theme of young people facing emotional and/or physical peril. It’s another great selection, with only a couple of bum notes amongst the crop – and even they’re not too bad. [Read more…]

The Wilding – Iris Prize Best Short Film Winner Review

By Leave a Comment

A story of sacrifice for love, The Wilding follows Malcolm, a hardened borstal inmate, who’s in love with his cellmate Tye. As Malcolm faces an opportunity for parole, a feud with other inmates escalates, with Tye being targeted as Malcolm’s weak spot. Malcolm is forced to choose between his own freedom and protecting the one he loves.

Most short films are mini-movies in themselves. They often suffer having been crammed into such a short space. It is very difficult for filmmakers to convey enough in 15 minutes: something usually falls short, be it narrative or character development. [Read more…]