Shut Eye (2022)

Boys on Film 22: Love to Love You

The latest in Peccadillo’s critically acclaimed series – now established as a leading showcase for new and emerging queefilm-makingng talent from around the world – features a fresh and exciting selection of the very best contemporary gay short films. Each self-contained drama in this diverse and thoughtfully curated collection offers fascinating and insightful new perspectives on the gay experience – sensual, affecting, sometimes provocative and always entertaining. The 8 short films are: Have We Met Before? (2019); The Act (2020); First Position. (2019); Winter [Invierno] (2021); The Suit Weareth the Man (2020); Infinite While It Lasts [Infinito Enquanto Dure] (2019); Melon Grab (2017); Thrive (2019).

Stonehearst Asylum

An Oxford Medical School graduate takes a position at a mental institution and soon becomes obsessed with a female mental patient, but he has no idea of a recent and horrifying staffing change.

Shiva Baby

College student Danielle must cover her tracks when she unexpectedly runs into her sugar daddy at a shiva - with her parents, ex-girlfriend and family friends also in attendance.

Satdee Nite

A short observational account of one Saturday night in the mundane life of Stuart. He gets drunk, goes out to clubs,, searches for love and falls asleep unfulfilled on the floor of the club.

Bonjour Tristesse

At the height of summer, 18-year-old Cécile is relaxing by the French seaside with her father and falling in love with her new boyfriend. The arrival of her late mother's enigmatic friend turns her world upside down.

3670

Despite the close bonds among fellow defectors, Cheol-jun—a young North Korean defector—felt isolated while hiding his gay identity. Finally, he takes his first step into South Korea's vibrant gay community and forms close ties after meeting Yeong-jun at a casual gathering. Yet, a trivial misunderstanding shatters these fragile bonds.

Illti

The story of a mischievous manchild living in a Punjab village surrounded by a lush jungle. After a comical misunderstanding, Illti befriends Bhajno, a spirited girl seeking to reclaim her childhood home from local criminals. Together, they uncover a mafia plot to destroy the village’s jungle and embark on a courageous journey to save their homeland. Amid humor, danger, and an unexpected detour into the Stone Age, the duo fights to protect their environment and discovers love and purpose along the way.

Silly Girl

The story sees a 40-something trans man recalling and reliving his first romantic entanglement.

Lagpas

On the day of Roy's birthday, an unexpected event happens in the lives of the people in his house. Unbeknownst to Diego, a hunk gay waiter, Roy, a student, is the only key to the truths surrounding the lies and deceits in the house. Drugs and hidden motives involving Diego and Sandro, a callboy and student, will be revealed which eventually lead to the death of the latter. Upon knowing that Diego's life is in danger, Orlando, a band member in love with Diego, decided to postpone his intentions of taking his life in order to help the love of his life. Orlando saves Diego from death, but sadly, all is too late. Orlando is weakening and is dying of AIDS. Regardless of the time given to them, Diego and Orlando use the precious remaining time to show their love for each other.

Childhood's End

A story of two teens discovering their budding sexuality. Greg is having his first sexual experience and first relationship with his friend's mother, a woman twice his age....while Denise is angry with Greg, and sleeps with another girl. Both are in a hurry to mature, but both must deal with the repercussions of growing up, moving out, and leaving the security of childhood behind.

Snapshots

Rose spends her days fishing near the beautiful lake house she’s called home for 50 years. She’s not getting any younger and her daughter Patti worries about Rose being all alone, but the stubborn matriarch will not sell. There are memories here that she doesn’t want to leave. These come flooding back one weekend during a visit from Patti and granddaughter Allison, when a long-forgotten roll of film reminds Rose of the summer she met and fell in love with the bold and beautiful Louise.

The Boy and the Heron

While the Second World War rages, the teenage Mahito, haunted by his mother's tragic death, is relocated from Tokyo to the serene rural home of his new stepmother Natsuko, a woman who bears a striking resemblance to the boy's mother. As he tries to adjust, this strange new world grows even stranger following the appearance of a persistent gray heron, who perplexes and bedevils Mahito, dubbing him the "long-awaited one."

Acute Misfortune

The film adaptation of Erik Jensen's award-winning biography of Adam Cullen is the story of the biographer and his subject, as it descends into a dependent and abusive relationship.

Little Richard

The story of Little Richard Penniman, from his poor Southern upbringing to dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a Black singer in the 1950s, to his born-again phase and brief "retirement" from rock and roll.

Lucky Fish

Two Asian-American teenagers meet in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant while having dinner with their families.

Where Butterflies Don't Fly

Daniel is an odd guy who lives with his endlessly quarrelling parents uncomplaining about his destiny. He keeps a distance from other people, he has no friends, nobody understands him, he is different. He will be turning nineteen and the last thing he would spend his time on is a preparation for his approaching graduation. Adam is his class teacher. He is gay who lives in a relationship with his younger partner David and his strictly guarded secret keeps locked behind a door of their apartment. Daniel and Adam live in their own bubbles until a moment when they both happen to be together in life threat. Lost in the darkness, cut off from the rest of the world, they are both looking for a way out. How far will they be willing to go?

Sing in Love

A respected teacher’s life unravels after a brutal assault and a public humiliation. Now, he must choose between silence and revenge.

Velvet Goldmine

Almost a decade since larger-than-life glam-rock enigma Brian Slade disappeared from public eye, an investigative journalist is on assignment to uncover the truth behind his former idol.

Rent

This rock opera tells the story of one year in the life of a group of bohemians struggling in late 1980s East Village, New York, USA. The film centers around Mark and Roger, two roommates. While a tragedy has made Roger numb to new experiences, Mark begins capturing their world through his attempts to make a personal movie. In the year that follows, they and their friends deal with love, loss, and working together.

The Chronology of Water

Growing up in an environment torn apart by violence and alcohol, a young woman struggles to find her path. She manages to escape her family and enters university, where she finds refuge in literature. Gradually, words offer her an unexpected freedom...

The Wedding

Lia is set to marry Cebu's most eligible bachelor and mayoral candidate Philip. Conflict begins when Lia's ex boyfriend Wado works for them in a project that will potentially help Philip win the elections.

Midnight Cowboy

Joe Buck is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women; he finds a companion in Enrico "Ratso" Rizzo, an ailing swindler with a bum leg and a quixotic fantasy of escaping to Florida.

Bambi

Bambi's tale unfolds from season to season as the young prince of the forest learns about life, love, and friends.

Connection

A kidnapped woman will be freed on one condition: She must convince her kidnapper that his life is worth living.

The Favourite

England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.

Fighting to Be Me: The Dwen Curry Story

Based on a powerful true-life story, Detroit native Dwen Curry moves to Oakland, California as a teen in the early 90s and overcomes depression, suicidal thoughts and drug addiction. He finds success as a salon owner and celebrity stylist to LisaRaye McCoy, Mariah Carey, YoYo, Missy Elliot, DMX, and more. Fueled by his desire for a lavish lifestyle and a drive to take care of those around him, Dwen leads a secret life as the criminal mastermind of an underground organization known as the Gay Gangsters, making millions from fraud. Dwen's life is even more complicated by his sexuality, identity, and struggles with self-acceptance as Dwen journeys from being a gay man to fully accepting herself as transgender. Dwen's rise to celebrity is followed by her fall when she is convicted for wire fraud and sent to prison. This coming of age tale is filled with glitz, glamour, and gangster moves as we witness Dwen's trials and eventual triumphs to survive and stand strong in her authentic truth.

Then Came You

An American hypochondriac who is working as a baggage handler is forced to confront his fears when a British teenager with a terminal illness enlists him to help her carry out her eccentric bucket list.

Chez Nous

Chez Nous is a feel good comedy and the name of a gay cafe in the heart of Amsterdam that is on the brink of being closed.

Markova: Comfort Gay

Escaping the torment of growing up with an abusive older brother, he and his friends found further suffering at the hands of Japanese soldiers, forced into sex work to survive. But even after the war, Markova's struggle continued.

Dream A40

Two years before the Sexual Offences Act decriminalised homosexuality, a young gay couple's relationship is put to the test as they make a journey during which they must refrain from public demonstrations of affection. Daring and poetic, An experimental drama which explores a gay man's fears about his sexuality and physical attraction to another man. Dream A40 was the second film by Jamaican actor-director Lloyd Reckord.

I Like Movies

Socially inept 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence Kweller gets a job at a video store, where he forms a complicated friendship with his older female manager.

1 Month Like Summer Vacation

Ever since bike messenger Junya lost his pro cyclist father in a traffic accident one year ago, he's spent his days in lethargy. While out on a delivery, he spots a man, Shintarou, considering jumping from the roof of a building. By chance, the two meet later on after an accident caused by Shintarou sends Junya to the hospital. From there starts the story of their ill-fated friendship.

Nagisa

Set in the late 60s in a small seaside town, this coming of age drama centres on a young girl named Nagisa. She spends her summer holidays working in a local seaside bar, searching for her lost cat, dancing to rock’n’roll and discovering first love.

Along Came a Spider

After the harrowing death of his partner, forensic psychologist and best-selling author Alex Cross cannot forgive himself and has retreated to the peace of retirement. But when a brilliant criminal kidnaps a senator's young daughter, he is lured back into action as the kidnapper wants to deal with Alex personally. Teamed with Jezzie Flanigan, the Secret Service agent assigned to protect the missing girl, Alex follows a serpentine trail of clues that leads him to a stunning discovery - the kidnapper wants more than just ransom.

Y Tu Mamá También

In Mexico, two teenage boys and an attractive older woman embark on a road trip and learn a thing or two about life, friendship, sex, and each other.

Breakfast on Pluto

In the 1970s, a young transgender woman called “Kitten” leaves her small Irish town for London in search of love, acceptance, and her long-lost mother.

The Virgin Suicides

A group of male friends become obsessed with five mysterious sisters who are sheltered by their strict, religious parents.

Imagine Me & You

During her wedding ceremony, Rachel notices Luce in the audience and feels instantly drawn to her. The two women become close friends, and when Rachel learns that Luce is a lesbian, she realizes that despite her happy marriage to Heck, she is falling for Luce. As she questions her sexual orientation, Rachel must decide between her stable relationship with Heck and her exhilarating new romance with Luce.

Ghosts

Nina, an end-of-teenage orphan with mental problems, starts a new job as a garden cleaner when she meets Toni. They fell in love with each other, but soon Toni starts betraying Nina. In the meantime, Francoise is picked up at a psychic department of a Berlin hospital by her husband, Pierre. After seeing Nina, Francoise believes that she has found her kidnapped daughter Marie, but neither Toni nor Pierre believe her. Nina is unsure about what to think...

American Psycho

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

Frida

A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.

Shortbus

In post-9/11 New York City, an eclectic group of citizens find their lives entangled, personally, romantically, and sexually, at Shortbus, an underground Brooklyn salon infamous for its blend of art, music, politics, and carnality.

Sagrada Travesti do Evangelho

Plot unavailable

Dying Briefly

Sebastián is accepted into an important dance company so he decides to leave his family. When Arsenio joins the company, they begin a torrid romance.

S.A.M.

Two young men form a connection on the swings of their local park.

See You Soon

A tender queer romance about a gay man who travels across the country to spend the weekend with someone he met on a dating app.

Dreams Such As Ours

Kartik & Aman’s relationship is tested when one of them has a fling which leads to a domestic spat. Kartik’s parents’ relationship breaks apart when Damodar and Vasudha have a tiff. Will these two couples ever be able to resolve their differences? Will their relationships stand the test of time? Kuch Sapney Apne is a sensitive heartwarming film about relationships, queer or not, and what happens when uncomfortable truths challenge relationships.

Living Off Love

The exploitation of young men as prostitutes in the district around the Roman coliseum is the focus of Simon Bischoff's documentary and fiction piece that spares no close-up view of male anatomy. This latter trait reveals just as much about the tenor of this film as it does about the body. Several years earlier, Bischoff met the main 17-year-old protagonist here, "Er Moretto," when he was just a 13-year-old runaway. The intervening years show how he changed into a streetwise vendor of sex, and Bischoff also details how the 17-year-old is picked up by a middle-aged man to be his companion. Fiction segments do not fare as well as the documentary aspects of this work, which in the end, seems at least ambiguous, if not questionable, in its intent.

Love Proof

Thomas and Marie are getting divorced and must meet one last weekend to empty and sell their summer house. Neither one of them knows the other's real intentions. A young woman suddenly appears, with a jealousy-driven agenda all of her own. What was supposed to be a civilized end to a long-standing marriage turns minute by minute into a shattering weekend that turns everything in their lives, upside down.

Billie Blue

Follow the summer of Billie's 16th birthday, a lifeguard at the water park, with her two best friends, Rosine and Juliette, as well as her perfect big sister, Annette. Billie's summer is quickly turned upside down when she falls in love with a charming cycling champion.

Mädchen in Uniform

A sensitive girl is sent to an all-girls boarding school and develops a romantic attachment to one of her teachers.

My Summer of Love

In the Yorkshire countryside, working-class tomboy Mona meets the exotic, pampered Tamsin. To seal their friendship, Mona introduces Tamsin to her born-again Christian brother and helps her spy on her adulterous father. Bound together by their secrets, the two girls see their friendship deepen and enter into dangerous waters.

I Am Woman

In 1966, Helen Reddy landed in New York with her three year old daughter, a suitcase, and $230 in her pocket. Within weeks, she was broke. Within months, she was in love. Within five years, she was one of the biggest superstars of her time and an icon of the 1970s feminist movement who wrote a song which galvanized a generation of women to fight for change.

My Father, Die

Deaf and mute since having his hearing knocked out at the age of 12, Asher has been training for almost two decades to avenge himself on Ivan, the man that killed his older brother, 21 years ago. And now that his nemesis is out of prison, he gets his chance. But Asher's target also happens to be his father.

The Glass Cage

Swarthy Paul Yeager arrives in New Orleans, and promptly gets a job bartending at La Cage du Verre, a show bar where his former girlfriend Jacqueline is a dancer and the moll of its sadistic owner, Marko. He and Jacqueline smuggle diamonds and drugs, with the local police detective in on the take. Even though Paul is ex-CIA, he's not undercover, he just wants to win Jacqueline back. His CIA pals from black ops are on hand hoping to arrest Marko's boss. Detective Montrachet finds out Paul's past and sets up a double cross. Her aims are less clear: to get back with Paul, to stay with Marko, or to run her own scam and scamper away?

Versus

The story of a Filipino migrant in Brisbane and her fight for the custody of her Filipino children.

8 Years

How to overcome true love? Jose considers David the man of his life, but when he suddenly breaks up with him after 8 years together, Jose is haunted by memories of their past relationship, which bring home to him that their life together wasn't as ideal as he once thought.

Alexander

Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then known world, venturing farther than any westerner had ever gone, all the way to India.

Paranoid Park

A teenage skateboarder becomes suspected of being connected with a security guard who suffered a brutal death in a skate park called "Paranoid Park".

Persepolis

In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Satrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own.

Spirit in the Blood

After a young girl is found dead in a secluded religious mountain community, a pack of teenage girls decide to fight against the evil spirits they believe killed her by embracing their own dark nature.

Out

Tom and Ajani are outsiders in their small conservative village in The Netherlands. Together, they dream of freedom and a new life as film students in Amsterdam, where their relationship no longer has to be a secret. When they finally leave their old life in the countryside behind, they are confronted with the norms and social constructs of the big city that turn out to be completely different than what they imagined. While Ajani thrives in the Amsterdam queer scene, Tom struggles to find his place, putting a strain on their now public relationship. In this new world, freed from always being hated for who they are, who will they become?

Grotto

Marco is a small town 20-year-old going to college in bustling Manhattan. When he returns to his rural home for the summer, Marco reunites with his best friends at a midnight pool party with intentions to tell them he is gay. But as he tries to hold his ground, an unexpected guest to the party, coupled with an approaching storm, compromise everything Marco anticipated the night to be.

Platinum

While Felix loses his voice, he believes he needs treatment. But is it really a disease that blocks or rather the feelings he tries to choke?

The Clown Affair

A mute clown encounters a bizarre world of characters after he's tasked with delivering flowers to a woman in town.

The New Member

In his sophomore year, An faces the pressures of exams, love, and music, realizing that rock n’ roll and passion know no boundaries.

The Morning After

In post-pandemic Taipei, Tian and Jay meet for their annual fling—until a heart attack forces them to confront what they really mean to each other.

Rue des Roses

It’s Father’s Day and Mehdi is impatient to see his daughter. He now lives a perfect life with boyfriend Axel, but will his precocious princess accept Axel?

Just a Question of Love

After his gay cousin dies from hepatitis, young Laurent, who lives with his best friend Carole, falls in love with Cedric, a plant scientist. He's afraid to inform his conservative parents that he is gay.

The Lady Banker

Ambitious Emma Eckhert successfully makes her way into a world previously reserved for men: that of high finance. She quickly becomes popular with small savers, but leads a scandalous life that will cost her.

The Fantastic Three

Max, a witty and brave 12-year-old, feels like he has two families instead of one. In and after school, he spends all his time with his two best friends Tom and Vivian, who are always there to make life easier for each other. Together, they are The Fantastic Three. His real family on the other hand, is messy, with a depressed single mother and a brother in jail.

The Child I Never Was

A serial killer dispassionately discusses the nuts and bolts of his grisly avocation, as well as the youthful traumas which helped to mold him into a psychopath, in this disturbing independent drama from Germany, based on the true story of of Germany's most famous child murderer Juergen Bartsch who, between the ages of 15 and 19, abused, tortured and killed four schoolboys in the Ruhr region of Germany from 1962 to 1966.