Gay Short Films & Web Series

Beyond Plain Sight has done pretty well for itself, screening at festivals around the world, winning Best British Short Film at Raindance and Best International Short Film at AFRIFF. Now the short is available online and you can take a look at its unnerving secrets below.

It all starts out so seemingly nicely – a man is caring for an apparently disabled woman who needs feeding, and then heads out onto the streets of London. It feels like he’s lonely and in need of connection. However, when he returns home, we discover he has some extremely dark and disturbing secrets, and that when he was looking at a poster of a missing man earlier, it wasn’t just innocent interest.

However, no matter how sinister things are in private, it doesn’t seem to affect the rest of his life.

It is a pretty unnerving short, partly because the camera seems so neutral about what it’s showing you, to the point it sometimes feels like it’s taking you into the head of someone you might not want to be so close too. Take a look at it 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.

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Various lesbian-themed web series have been made, but until now New Zealand hasn’t had one of its own. That’s changing though with Pot Luck, which has released its first episode and launched a crowdfunding campaign so that they can finish the season.

The show ‘is a fresh, fun, and sexy narrative web-series that explores the lives of three Wellington friends when they make a pact which turns their weekly Pot Luck dinners into a search for love. Or not.’

Ness Simons, the writer and director, is a graduate of the NZ Film School and Whitirea’s Creative Writing Programme. The series was inspired by many enjoyable nights Ness has had sharing pot luck dinners with her friends, and she says “there’s so much scope for story when you bring a group of women together, so it seemed like a good idea to build a series around friendship and food and the different dynamics around the table”.

Set in Wellington, the storyline revolves around the friendship of Mel, Debs and Beth. Mel, played by Nikki Si’ulepa, is charismatic, free and easy. Her mate Debs (Anji Kreft), is a shy butch whose heart was broken six years ago, so there’s a softer, complex side to this staunch woman. Beth, (Tess Jamieson-Karaha), is the third part of the trio, she’s also Mel’s ex-girlfriend. The weekly dinner format allows for a range of guest characters, and Beth’s mother Eileen (Kate Ward) will also make a regular appearance.

Episode One (“The Pact”) was funded by the Emerging Artists Trust (http://www.eatwellington.org.nz/) which Ness says has been “a huge vote of support and really helpful in getting the momentum for the series underway”. However, to get more more the the Pot Luck team is looking for further funding to complete the series, including running a crowd funding campaign on the Arts Foundation website, Boosted, which runs until the 17th December.

Take a look at Episode 1 below, and then head over to Boosted or the show’s website if you want to see more. [Read more…]

It is part of the know lore of the early days of AIDS that US President Ronald Reagan dragged his feet horrifically, not mentioning the disease until over 5,000 American citizens died, and waiting until four times as many were dead before making a speech about the health emergency.

However, if you’ve ever wondered why that was or the true contempt the Reagan White House held those suffering from the disease – largely because at the time it mainly effected gay men – a short new documentary released via the Vanity Fair website shows just how little they cared, with staff joking about people dying of AIDS.

The words come from White House Deputy Press Secretary Larry Speakes in previously unremarked on audio from press conferences, where he seems to think the fact it’s happening to gay men makes they tragic death humourous.

Take a look 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…]

Back in May, HIV Equal debuted its gay-themed web series, Unzipped. Well, that first season has now become Unzipped NYC and it’s now been followed by the new Unzipped Dallas, which has debuted its first two episodes.

Once more the show looks into the lives of a group of guys – and this time one girl – who, ‘discuss their relationship status, their turn ons, and the qualities they look for in a potential match. This season, Unzipped takes on the topics of love, trust, disclosure, monogamy, and hook-ups gone wrong. From the hilarious to the disastrous, these guys and girl aren’t afraid to speak the truth.’

As you’ll see these aren’t people who are afraid of talking about pretty much anything. Take a look at episodes 1 & 2 below, and you can watch the first season here. [Read more…]

A few days ago we posted the first instalment of Buzzfeed Yellow’s mini-series, ‘The Moment It Becomes…’ mini-series. Now part two and three have arrived, and you can watch them below.

The first instalment, The Moment It Becomes More Than A Hookup, followed two young men negotating the point when it’s about more than just sex – with one of them actively looking for that, while the other was closeted and less sure about it.

Part 2 charts when that relationship becomes official – it’s several months later and one of them want to know ‘I was wondering if you would want to be my boyfriend?’.

In Part 3 it’s a year into the relationship and the duo have to work out how they’re going to deal with it becoming long distance.

Watch them below.

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Following a successful run at film festivals, where it won several awards, Undetectable has now been released online for us all to watch.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Adam, a gay man living with undetectable HIV, must confront the guilt tormenting him in his dreams after betraying and infecting his now dying ex-lover, Raphael. As Adam sets out to reconnect with Raphael on the anniversary of their diagnosis, he discovers that they have both been living nightmares of their own.’

While the bare bones of the plot might sounds like it’s a short that will continue the sidelining and stigmatising of people with HIV, it tries to tread the fine line of remaining neutral about the disease while dealing with the internal struggle of those who have passed HIV to others, as well as the anger and frustration of those who have have contracted the condition.

It is a bit weird and creepy though.

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.

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Buzzfeed Yellow has released the first part of a new gay web mini-series, which takes a look at (as the title suggests), people negotiating the point between where it’s just about a bit of fun and sex, and when it becomes more than that.

The Moment It Becomes More Than A Hookup follows two guys who’ve been hooking up for a few weeks. One of them is looking for something more and thinks he may have found it. However, the other is still deep in the closet and seemingly confused about what he’s actually looking for. But will he let the other guy sleep over?

It appears future episodes will look at other ‘moments’, such as when the relationship becomes official, and when they try to go long distance.

Take a look at The Moment It Becomes More Than A Hookup below.

Click here to watch Parts 2 & 3 of the mini-series.

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Aaron Nassau’s Birdbath is a witty and sweet short film, which takes on the theme of two very different people trying to figure out if they should stay together, with the situation complicated by their different cultural backgrounds.

One half of the couple, Harris, has realised his boyfriend, Jasper, is a lot to handle at the best of times, but when you take into account Harris’ conservative Malaysian background he’s starting to wonder whether it can ever work out. Maybe it’s time to call it quits.

With plenty of humour and a few surprises it’s a very charming short film which is definitely worth a look, so watch it 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…]