Shank (2009)

Cal (Wayne Virgo), a sexy 18-year-old gang member, has a life of drugs, online sex hookups, random acts of violence and his big gay secret. As the film begins, Cal hooks up violently with an anonymous stranger that temporarily satisfies his cravings, but fails to quell lust for his best friend, Jonno (Tom Bott). Nessa (Alice Payne), their twisted, foul-mouthed and controlling, gang leader, suspects that there is something going on between them but she can't put her finger on it and tries to split the two buddies apart. Cal is drifting apart from the gang as his gay self emerges. Using horrible violent force, the gang mugs a young cutie Olivier (Marc Laurent). Cal decides to make his break from the gang official by trying to restrain them so that Oliver can escape. Ignoring Nessa's fierce taunts, Cal chases after Olivier and takes him to safety. The two young men together plot a revenge scheme, which then turns quickly to lust and then love. Shank is a very real, edgy and raw British drama played out on the streets of Bristol.
-- Scott Cranin
http://www.tlavideo.com/

Awards: 3 wins

Director: Simon Pearce
Screenwriter: Christian Martin, Darren Flaxstone
Cast: Alice Payne, Marc Laurent, Tom Bott, Wayne Virgo
Country: United Kingdom
Runtime: 89 min
Genre: Drama

Eating Out: All You Can Eat (2009)

A raunchy sex comedy or a gay romance, however you see this third entry in the highly successful series, it's a wonderful film, filled with laughs, hot guys and a beautiful love story. Beside the requisite dirty jokes, director Glenn Gaylord and writer Phillip J. Bartell developed this story as a love story, a gamble that paid off big-time. Sexy temptress/fag hag Tiffani (Rebekah Kochan reprising her role) and her boyishly cute friend Casey try to lure the buff and sweet Zack with a phony online profile using the image of Tiffani's buff ex, Ryan. That works fine until the real Ryan shows up and chaos ensues. Only through some fancy footwork, advice from his Aunt Helen (Mink Stole) and mentor Harry (Leslie Jordan, "Sordid Lives"), and a particularly photogenic hook-up, can Casey figure out how to set things right and date Zack. Besides the gay icons in the film, Eating Out: All You Can Eat introduces six openly gay actors in lead roles including: Daniel Skelton, Chris Salvatore, Michael Walker, John C. Stallings ("The Janice Dickinson Modelling Agency"), Maximiliano Torandell, and Rick D'Agostino.
--Scott Cranin
http://www.tlavideo.com/

Director: Glenn Gaylord
Screenwriter: Phillip J. Bartell, Q. Allan Brocka
Cast: Chris Salvatore, Daniel Skelton, John C. Stallings, Leslie Jordan, Maximiliano Torandell, Michael Walker, Mink Stole, Rebekah Kochan
Country: USA
Runtime: 80 min
Genre: Comedy

A Siren in the Dark (2009)

A supernatural tale with gay softcore nudity, Steven Vasquez's (Sideline Secrets) new film is a mixed bag. While the boys are hot, the writing is muddled and some of the acting is amateurish. The film is about a cop with psychic abilities who uses his powers to uncover the mystery of a missing gay boy. He learns that a hot gay man who lures strangers to his house for drug and sex hookups is killing his victims. While much of the storyline is hard to grasp on the first watching, the cast is certainly cute and the film is certainly entertaining. I wish someone would give James Townsend and Steven Vasquez some real money to make a movie. There's talent here, it just needs to be harnessed.
-- Scott Cranin
http://www.tlavideo.com/

Director: Laura Reilly, Steven Vasquez
Cast: David Beutler, Donna Michelle, James Townsend, Orion Cross
Country: USA
Runtime: 80 min
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller









http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1361332/

Russian Tunnel (Tunel Russo) (2008)

Film about the police brutality in dealing with homosexual public demonstration of affection. A gay couple is tortured and harassed because they are kissing on the streets of Rio.

Director: Mau Couti
Cast: Alexandre Hulkinho, Mau Couti, Renan Fragale, Rick Yates, Suzana Saldanha, Chiquinho Chic.
Country: Brazil
Runtime: 19 min
Genre: Drama, Short

Tunel Russo (Russian Tunnel) A film by Mau Couti. from Mau Couti on Vimeo.

The Art of Being Straight (2008)

John thinks he's got it all figured out--he's young, good looking and has always had a way with the ladies. After a break-up with his girlfriend he moves west to Los Angeles for a fresh start; he is officially back on the market and looking to score. Crashing on his buddy Andy's couch is a comforting return to the college patterns of partying, womanizing and trash talk with the guys. However, reconnecting with his old flame Maddie proves to be surprising when she introduces him to her girlfriend Anna. An aspiring photographer, John takes an entry-level position at an ad agency determined to prove himself. Things get a little confusing when Paul, a successful executive at the firm, takes a special interest in John. When John ends up in Paul's bed, his world is turned completely upside down.

Awards: 1 win

Director: Jesse Rosen
Cast: Jesse Rosen, Johnny Ray Rodriguez, Rachel Castillo
Country: USA
Runtime: 70 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama










http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1222330/

Awakening (En Forelskelse) (2008)

16-year-old Carsten just started dating Melissa. He is introduced to her sweet and likable parents, who kindly welcome their first son in law. On a weekend in their summerhouse it turns out that Carsten and Melissa's dad might have more in common than they first thought.


Awards: 1 win



Director: Christian Tafdrup
Cast: Allan Hyde, Julie Grundtvig Wester, Lars Brygmann, Ellen Hillings
Country: Denmark
Runtime: 39 min
Genre: Drama







http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1233198/

The Shadows (2007)

A horror novelist about to buckle under the pressures of his publisher's expectations and a messy divorce settlement experiences a chance encounter that sends him spiraling into darkness in director Guillermo R. Rodriguez's intimate horror film. Stephen Grimes is a bestselling author who has mastered the art of the paperback shocker. But lately Stephen has been under increasing pressure from his writer and editor to turn out another book, and his ex-wife is making their divorce settlement as miserable as humanly possible. One night, while cruising the back roads on a moonlit drive, Stephen accidentally hits a young man named Emett. Later, after rushing Emett to a nearby hospital, the author and the boy strike up a tenuous friendship. Before long that friendship has erupted into a torrid sexual affair, thrusting the author into a sinister story that seems to have been ripped straight from the pages of one of his own disturbing stories.

Director: Guillermo R. Rodríguez
Cast: Emett Allen, Joe Lia
Country: USA
Runtime: 80 min
Genre: Mystery, Thriller






The Shadows


http://www.tlavideo.com/

Parting Glances (1986)

This wonderfully rich and seductively appealing comedy-drama is considered by many to be one of the best gay films ever. The action takes place within a 24-hour period and centers around a gay New York couple who are about to temporarily separate for job reasons. The plot is their tearful separation and a party held for them by their mostly gay friends. The party habitués are all finely drawn, creating familiar types for gays; not gay stereotypes.
But it is Steve Buscemi who steals the show by giving a bravado performance as a young rock singer dying of AIDS. The film's strengths lie in its simple and honest moments - a loving embrace, a telling confession. A joyful, knowing gay love story.

Director: Bill Sherwood
Cast: Richard Ganoung, John Bolger, Steve Buscemi, Adam Nathan, Kathy Kinney
Country: USA
Runtime: 90 min
Genre: Drama, Romance

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091725/
http://www.tlavideo.com/

Permanent Residence (2009)

Permanent Residence explores, in complete abandon and full nudity, the life story of a young man who pursues an impossible love with his straight boyfriend and contemplates on the mortality of his loved ones. Permanent Residence exudes a deep understanding and sensibility towards the important issues involved in loving, living and dying.

Director: Scud
Cast: Jackie Chow, Osman Hung, Yu Hong Lau, Sean Li
Country: Hong Kong
Runtime: 115 min
Genre: Drama

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1386963/

Queens (Reinas) (2005)

Queens is a hilarious screwball comedy about of the increasingly frantic lives of five headstrong women (hence the title) as they prepare for their sons’ mass gay marriage ceremony, made possible by Spain’s legalization of same-sex unions. Lead by some of Spain’s most celebrated actresses (and Pedro Almodóvar regulars) including Carmen Maura (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Verónica Forqué (Kika) and Marisa Paredes (All About My Mother), Queens takes absolute delight in these women’s romantic entanglements and frenzied personal lives which include a famous actress upset that their son is marrying not a man, but the gardener; a meddlesome message therapist; and a nymphomaniac. And then there are the sons -– reacting in their own ways as their impending marriage looms. Taking place all on one frantic weekend, this collective group of drama queens creates mayhem as the clash of sex, anger, bigotry and love threaten the orderly proceedings. With the “I Do’s” pending, will the hearts of the “Queens” find the strength and love to give their sons away on their special day?

Director: Manuel Gómez Pereira
Screenwriter: Joaquín Oristrell, Manuel Gómez Pereira, Yolanda García Serrano
Cast: Marisa Paredes, Veronica Forque, Mercedes Sampietro, Betiana Blum, Hugo Silva, Paco Leon, Daniel Hendler, Carmen Maura
Country: Spain
Runtime: 108 min
Genre: Comedy, Romance








http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0434304/

http://www.tlavideo.com/

He Likes Guys (2008)

Steam 2008, 3 mins. Great Britain, Dir. Damien Rea
A super buff party boy gets all steamed up.

Silver Road 2007, 13 mins, Canada, Dir. Bill Taylor
At the end of an idyllic summer on the farm, what will happen when Danny finally acts on his desire for his best friend, Mark? Andrew Hachey and Jonathan Keltz give stellar performances in this accomplished gay drama.

Traces 2008, 19 mins. USA, Dir. Rachel Zisser
What if Julian’s Dad knew the truth about his handsome collegiate son? Sometimes parental love can trump homophobia; and sometimes the truth comes out too late. A tragic cinematic drama from the American Film Institute.

Just 2007, 12 mins., USA, Dir. David Maurice Gil
PlanetOut Short Movie Awards Top 5 Films Winner
Two buff Asian guys (one 23, one 32) have relatively anonymous hot sex after meeting online. The younger man is offended when he finds out that the older one is cheating on his boyfriend. A very well written and beautifully shot short about the ideals of monogamy.

Laundromat 2007, 13 mins. USA, Dir. Edward Gunawan
Beefy Lawrence and his new live-in boyfriend Joey bicker over Lawrence’s cruisy ways. Will they stay together? Crossing paths with elderly Bob at the laundromat gives them inspiration for couplehood in this poignant drama.

Seeing You in Circles 2005, 21 mins. USA, Dir. Sam McConnell
On the night of his 30th birthday Jerome asks his ex-boyfriend Wade to meet him at their favorite place in Brooklyn for a drink. The insensitive Wade brings along his latest squeeze Cal. From writer-director Sam McConnell comes this aching drama of grown up gay men learning to, well, grow up.

Waiting for Yvette 2007, 14 mins, USA Dir. Justin Ross
Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me) heads up a perfect ensemble cast in this humorous yet poignant meeting of the Gay Men’s Tuesday Night A.A. Scheduled for her final gender reassignment surgery, will this be Yvette’s last meeting? Or not.

Babysitting Andy 2007, 11 mins, Canada, Dir. Pat Mills
What do you do if you’re 9 years old and nobody will tell you what “fellatio” means? If you’re as devious as Andy, you corner your gay uncle and his boyfriend with a Supersoaker and demand answers.


http://www.tlavideo.com/

Dona Herlinda and Her Son (1985)

A funny and subversively heartwarming love story about Dona Herlinda, a shrewd yet always placid mother who wishes for her son only that he live happily with Mom, his wife... and another man if need be. Her son, a sexually confused surgeon, is having a relationship with Ramon, a handsome music student. When Mom realizes that their relationship is romantic and deep, she helps things out by inviting her son's lover to stay with them, reasoning "Rodolfo has such a large bed!" A wickedly funny and uplifting Mexican comedy-of-manners which sympathetically portrays gay love.

Director: Jaime Humberto Hermosillo
Cast: Guadalupe del Toro, Marco Antonio Trevino, Arturo Meza
Country: Mexico
Runtime: 90 min
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089048/
http://www.tlavideo.com/

The New Twenty (2009)

Slick and as polished as many Hollywood films, The New Twenty is the story of a group of NYC (straight & gay) college friends who are on the cusp of their thirties. Their tight friendships come apart at the seams over the course of this 90 minute crisp drama. At the group's core are a hard-edged investment banker Andrew and his equally fierce Asian fiancé Julie. And then there's Ben, a cuddly gay guy addicted to online hookups (with untruthful profiles); Julie's gay brother Tony who is in a relationship with Robert, an HIV-positive writer (seasoned actor Bill Sage); and Felix, their drug-addled friend, always in a mess. Conflicts are brewing beneath the surface of this seemingly loving group of friends. The drama comes to a head on the evening of Andrew's bachelor party, and great drama it is too.

Director: Chris Mason Johnson
Cast: Andrew Wei Lin, Bill Sage, Colin Fickes, Nicole Bilderback, Ryan Locke, Terry Serpico
Country: USA
Runtime: 92 min
Genre: Drama

http://www.thenewtwentymovie.com/index.php
http://www.tlavideo.com/

The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina) (2003)

The Pink Mirror pits two Indian drag queens against a gay teenager in a battle to woo a handsome hunk. It’s a clash of the east and west. Who will win? The drag queens, who are expert in the art of seduction with their wit, innuendo and cunning or the young teenager who is saucy, slutty and sly? Underneath the campy humorous exterior, the film is an exploration of the Indian gay landscape and understanding of the deep, humanly tender bondings that exist between drag queens in India who form unique, non-patriarchal families. Using the Bollywood soap idiom of song, dance and drama and for the first time in the Indian drag queens’ very own language, Hindi, the film also explores other veiled issues related to the Indian gay community: the lurking threat of HIV/AIDS.

Winner of several awards and screened at 72 international film festivals and over 150 screenings across the world.

Director: Sridhar Rangayan
Cast: Edwin Fernandes, Ramesh Menon, Rishi Raj, Rufy Baqal
Country: India
Runtime: 40 min
Genre: Comedy, Short

Between Love & Goodbye (2008)

Sometimes relationships have a “’til death do us part” ending, and sometimes it’s a bit more complicated. Casper Andreas’s (A Four Letter Word) new film is the story of two men who fall in love fast and hard and out of love even faster. For Kyle and Marcel, it’s love at first sight. Marcel is not a citizen, so they finagle him a sham marriage with their lesbian neighbor Sarah. All is secure and happy until Kyle’s troubled sister April arrives, homeless and full of drama. The brother and sister start their old band back up, and April wants rid of the boyfriend. She’s manipulative, jealous and wants her brother all to herself. In bits and pieces we learn some of April’s history. She’s a transsexual hooker with a history of mental problems and a complete lack of cash. It’s when April decides she wants to change her gender back to male that things really get crazy. Set on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, Between Love & Goodbye has an authentic East Village flavor, a great score and a compellingly original story.

Director: Casper Andreas
Cast: Justin Tensen, Rob Harmon, Simon Miller, Aaron Michael Davies, Jane Elliott
Country: USA
Runtime: 96 min
Genre: Drama

http://www.tlavideo.com/