Films about first kisses are often rather sweet, although as The Boy Who Couldn’t Swim is half an hour long, it would easily outstay its welcome if there wasn’t more to it than that. Thankfully there is, as it’s a good story with some naturalistic acting and moments that will put a smile on your face.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘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.’

You can watch the full short film below.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

Two people having to deal with their feelings when they’re about to be split apart is a popular subject in short films, but it’s often an effective one, as it is here in Dear Friend.

Shot in 2 days, Dear Friend tells the story of seventeen-year-old Christian who in 1965, falls in love with his best friend, James.

Things are further complicated when on the night before James is about to leave, Christian tries to make his feelings known but gets rejected. That sets things up for a showdown the next morning when the two confront one another in a way that could reveal Christian’s secret to his father.

Take a look at the short below.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

If you put the words ‘modern’ and ‘dance’ together a lot of people immediately roll their eyes. Perhaps this video will change your mind though.

It’s a celebration of the Bromance, with three guys showing the bonds that can grow between men, and doing it through the medium of dance.

You’ll be pleased to hear that they don’t shy away from the homoerotic edge that can come with these friendships, whether it’s acknowledged or not, along with the a strong feeling of how these peoples’ lives are bound together.

It may not be ‘gay’ exactly, but it’s as close as you can’t get without saying ‘no homo’.

You can take a look at Bertil Nilsson’s sexy short film below.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

100m Freestyle is a great little film about a subject many gay men will know well – trying to deal with your feelings for someone you know is almost certainly straight and won’t feel the same way you do.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Polo and Domingo spend their last days together between Ciudad Mendoza and Cordoba, in Veracruz, Mexico, before Domingo moves to another city. Domingo has to say goodbye to his girlfriend, Mina; while Polo deals with his feelings towards his best friend in the little time they have left.’

You can watch the full film below. It’s sweet and well worth sticking with.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

Grinders is ‘a fake trailer that explores the world’s perception of skateboarders. For many people in the “real world”, a skateboard is nothing but a useless wooden toy, something that gets thrown away when you grow up. This film is for the misunderstood people who never threw it away.’

And in the process of showing that, it offers a great analogy to being gay, feeling the need to hide their desires – as well as hang out in toilet cubicles with other guys – so take a look at it below.

The film won the top prize (Best Overall) for Converse and Kingshit Magazine’s “Connect the Dots” 2014 competition, which gives 10 skaters/filmers have 30 days to film a 5 minute creative film, as well as submit 10 photos to Kingshit Magazine. [Read more…]

In the past few days a short film made by PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) China has viral, which seeks to get parents of gay children to accept their child’s sexuality when they come out. It tells the story of a young man who is shunned by his parents when he comes out, but they eventually comes to acceptance of their child.

THR notes, ‘Coming Home was launched to coincide with China’s Lunar New Year’s holiday this week, when families traditionally gather all over the country in much the same way as they do in the U.S. at Thanksgiving.

‘Homosexuality was decriminalized in China in 1997, and in the early 2000’s it was removed from the list of mental illnesses. But there is a deeply held Chinese belief that children are required to marry and bear offspring to continue the family line, which means homosexuality is still heavily stigmatized. Because of this, the Chinese New Year family gathering can be a harrowing experience for gays and lesbians.’

PFLAG China was established in Guangzhou in 2008 and now runs chapters, support groups, and counselling services across China. The short features mothers of LGBTI children in the credits, who encourage gay people to come out and for families to accept them.

Take a look at the short film below. [Read more…]

Some of the best short films realise that finding great locations that add to the story can really raise the piece above the ordinary. That’s certainly true here, with director Manfred Rott taking his characters to places in Paris that were built decades ago in the hope of creating a better, futuristic utopia, but which are now strange looking hulks, that are often decaying, impractical and have become hives of dystopia – but still retain an essence of hope.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Two young French men from different social backgrounds spend time together to know each other. They explore the suburbs around Paris and visit vacated utopian architectural projects built in an era when a better future for all was still the goal of society. Inspired, they hope for their own personal utopia where they are free to love each other.’

Utopies screened at numerous LGBT film festivals and won several awards. It’s easy to see why, as the film is oddly lyrical, sweet, and sometimes pretty perceptive, both in its idea about the utopias of the past and the modern world of young gay men ‘hooking up’ (although it is a little too French for its own good sometime).

Take a look at the film below. If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

I’m slightly in two minds about the short film Out Of The Closet, as I like it a lot but I’m not sure about how self aware it is.

The film is about a couple facing the breakdown of their relationship, when the one of them who is deep in the closet is unimpressed that his boyfriend has turned up out of the blue, just before his female fiancee is due to turn up.

On the surface the short seems to be strongly on the side of the guy being dumped, but at the same time it shows an awful lot of situations from the couples’ past where the openly gay guy should probably have taken the hint. While I’m not coming out in massive support of closet cases here, it does always seem that in films and TV series about people in the closet, the blame is always placed totally on them, even if the other person knew (or at least should have) what they were getting into and were setting themselves up for a fall.

Out Of The Closet may be aware of that, but it’s difficult to say whether things such as one of the men repeatedly refusing public displays of affection is showing that he’s an asshole, that his partner is deluding himself that things will change, or a bit of both. But hey, perhaps I’m just overthinking it and not enjoying the hot guys, sexiness and drama.

Amara Cash directs the film, which was made for James Franco’s Master Class ‘Sex Scenes’ as part of Playhouse West Studio 4. Damien Diaz and Daniele La Leggia star.

You can watch the short film below. If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

Teens Like Phil has won several awards and also featured in the gay short film collection Boys On Film X, but now it’s available online and you can watch the moving teen drama below. However be warned it’s not always an easy watch, as it takes a close look at homophobic bullying and gay teen suicide.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Phil, a shy, insecure teenager growing up in an affluent American suburb, is trapped in the painful throes of adolescence and the internalised struggle in coming to terms with his sexuality. At his elite private school, Phil is bullied by Adam, his former friend and love interest. Adam frequently lashes out against Phil and enjoys humiliating him in the locker room. When Phil can no longer tolerate the situation he takes drastic action to bring it to an end.’

As we said we when reviewed it, ‘It’s clear Teens Like Phil has absolutely the right intentions and in the early stages manages to look with great insight into the issues of being young and gay, not least the complicated emotions of teenagers and the role of authority figures in all this’.

Watch Teens Like Phil below. If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]

Tonight It’s Me was one of our favourite films in the recent Boys On Film 12: Confession gay short film collection, but if you need to be convinced that the whole DVD is worth a look, we’ve discovered that the complete Tonight It’s Me short is online and you can watch it below.

The short is about, ‘A hot young hustler who finds himself in uncharted waters when he spends the night with a client who is far from the “Johns” he’s used to servicing.’

In our review we said, ‘It’s an oddly sweet, well-made film that looks at disconnected souls coming together and finding common ground, even if their experience of life is very different. It’s well worth watching, making you consider the different marks that our encounters with other people leave on us.’

Unfortunately we found it a bit too late to help with the crowdfunding for a possible sequel, as a few days ago a Tonight It’s Me: Part II IndieGoGo campaign closed having reached its $3,000 goal. We’re going to have to keep our eyes open as this sequel will only be available on Youtube and is going to be released April 1st 2015, and will let us know what happened to CJ and Ash after the short below.

If you know a short film we ought to be posting, tell us by getting in touch via our contact page. And check out more gay short films and web series here. [Read more…]