Bender Defenders (2024)

Dirt Femme

Dirt Femme is a 2022 visual starring Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Lo.

Tove

Helsinki, 1945. The end of the war brings a new sense of artistic and social freedom for painter Tove Jansson. While focusing her artistic dreams on painting, the enchanting tales of the ‘Moomin’ creatures she told to scared children in bomb shelters, rapidly take on a life of their own, bringing international fame.

We Are Not Here

We Are Not Here is a short film about a small derelict town, waiting for a road. Through a series of vignettes we take a glimpse into the life of the town and its residents.

Exteriors

Three gay men each find themselves in modern relationship issues through three separate coincidences. Wyatt learns that his best friend Logan is unknowingly falling in love with his ex, while Jason is shocked to learn the owner of the pool he's cleaning is the man he fell in love with over a one-night stand eight years earlier. Finally, therapist Peter Lesh has become dangerously obsessed with his client Lex who tells him he's just met the man of his dreams.

Lesbian Space Princess

A space princess is thrust out of her sheltered life and into a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter ex-girlfriend from the Straight White Maliens.

Ibiza Dream

Three old friends who have each come to a crossroads in their lives. Carlos (Paco Marin) has decided he is a hedonist. Chica (Adriana Dominguez) has grown tired of her lifestyle on Ibiza and begins to seek something more. Nacho (Adria Collado) has found spiritual enlightenment in India and has returned to Ibiza and must now figure out how his new views fit into his old world.

Rude

This is the Easter weekend. In an inner city project, three people struggle against their demons and try to find redemption. They are Maxine, a window dresser depressed since she had an abortion and lost her lover ; Jordan, a boxer who has indulged in gay-bashing ; and 'The General', a drug dealer turned artist.

Top 1

Azi and Dex are both vying to be their batch valedictorian but Dex is always behind Azi. He then plans to make her fall in love to be a distraction, but his plan is a double-edged sword.

Kaskasero

A talented mechanic and driver, Migs quickly finds success when a customer he likes, Gabbi, leads him into the life of street car racing. But as he goes along this life and learns of Gabbi’s past, Migs makes rash decisions that might put the brakes on their relationship.

Uhaw

A wife learns that her husband who's in coma had an affair. She confronts the other woman but instead finds solace in her. She then realizes she's falling for her husband's mistress.

For My Brother

The two brothers Aske and Bastian live with their father, Lasse, in a world of fear, violence and alcohol but the brothers' strong and close relationship means everything. Aske must serve his father's sexual needs, as well as paying customers and his father's friend, Hans. Aske tries everything to keep his little brother out of it all so that he won't experience the same as himself. But one day Bastian is abused by their father. The brothers choose to move to Norway, far away in the beautiful mountains. Their friendship outshines everything! They are together and far away from their evil father...

Monster Pies

Mike has felt alienated and alone for as long as he can remember, until a new boy arrives at his school - awakening feelings and a world of possibilities he'd never before dared to dream of.

Lose Your Head

Lose Your Head is a psycho thriller about a Spanish party tourist who gets lost in Berlin. The film is inspired by the true story of a young Portuguese man who disappeared some years ago after a night at Berghain.

My Straight Son

The story of Diego, a young and successful photographer that lives in the glamorous world of fashion, shallowness and excess. A tragic accident turns his world around; his partner is now in a coma. Unexpectedly, and right at this terrible time, Diego must take care of his son, Armando. Now, both of them have to adapt to each other; Armando to the unknown, homosexual world of his father, and Diego to the closed attitude of his teenage son.

Just Friends?

A sweet reunion turns heavy when Min-soo's fear forces him to hide his love with two words: "just friends."

Free Fall

A promising career with the police, a baby on the way... Marc's life seems to be right on track. Then he meets fellow policeman Kay and during their regular jogs Marc experiences a never-before-felt sense of ease and effortlessness – and what it means to fall in love with another man.

Eden's Curve

A coming of age romantic drama set in 1972 based on real life events. It is 1972 and muscularly handsome blond Peter heads off to an exclusive Virginia university, unsure of what to expect. He joins a fraternity house where he meets William, a classics major who has a strong attraction to him. Despite their flirting the reserved Peter becomes romantically involved in a menage a trois with his room mate Joe and Joe's girlfriend Bess. When the trio's social bliss is disrupted by a violent episode Peter is taken in and protected by Ian, his poetry professor. recuperating at Ian's idyllic country house, Peter soon falls in love with his hunky professor. Of course, their hot and heavy affair which includes skinny dipping, passionate sex and bathing outdoors is taboo. When jealousy rears its ugly head, Peter and Ian's happiness is threatened.

Natan

Natan tells the remarkable story of Bernard Natan, a Romanian immigrant who came to Paris in 1905 and was involved almost immediately with French cinema. He took control of the Pathe film group in the late 1920s and went on to produce epic films such as Les Miserables. But Natan has become largely written out of French film history for various different reasons. Little attention is paid to him centres on his alleged career as a pioneer and performer in early gay and BDSM porn? The story is an excellent one, suffice to say that his ethnicity and subsequent rumours plagued Natan almost from the start of his career. His ‘comeuppance’ for his alleged transgressions is at the heart of this devastating documentary.

The Lesbian Bar Project: FLINTA

The Lesbian Bar Project: FLINTA documents the complex and triumphant stories of the FLINTA communities in Cologne & Berlin; a reflection of where the queer community is headed internationally. Despite Lesbian Bars disappearing in Germany, there’s a growing FLINTA movement that epitomizes the evolution of queer culture. Featuring Boize Bar owner Payman Neziri, comedian Ricarda Hofmann, human rights activist Anbid Zaman, politician Tessa Ganserer, and party collectives Bebex and Girlstown.

Mae Martin: SAP

From a mythical moose encounter to the gender spectrum in "Beauty and the Beast," Mae Martin reflects on a world off its axis in this comedy special.

White Night

Flight attendant Won-gyu left Korea 2 years ago with painful memories and now comes back. Won-gyu meets Tae-joon, who is a quick service delivery man and has a special night with him.

One Night

In Havana, Raul dreams of escaping to Miami. Accused of assault, he appeals to Elio to help him reach the forbidden world 90 miles across the ocean. One night, full of hope, they face the biggest challenge of their lives.

My Place is Here

Marta, a single mother promised to an older farmer in the aftermath of WWII, forges an unlikely friendship with Lorenzo, the village's openly gay "wedding planner." In the conservative backdrop of rural Southern Italy, Lorenzo introduces her to a hidden community of gays, sparking Marta's journey to challenge societal prejudices. In the first year of women's suffrage in Italy, Marta navigates her evolving role as a woman, breaking barriers and finding her place in a changing world.

Praying for Us

Núbia finds herself confortable in the systemic conventions of her religion, much to the disappointment of Cecília, who challenges her to rethink her priorities.

The Thistle in the Kiss

Declan has had no luck with the holidays: his girlfriend Stephanie broke up with him on the way to Christmas dinner. He's managed to keep it secret until New Year's Day, when his car breaks down and his sister Rachel shows up to help him fix it. Crumbling under her relentless curiosity, Declan is now on a crash course to confront the poor decisions of his life.

Spark

Aaron, a hopeless romantic, finds himself reliving the same day after an awkward but intense encounter with the mysterious Trevor. His excitement at the opportunity for a do-over soon turns sour as Aaron suspects Trevor may be the cause of his time loop. Aaron’s relentless pursuit of love forces him to confront his own insecurities and the blurred boundaries between infatuation and self-destruction.

Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives

More than two dozen men and women of various backgrounds, ages, and races talk to the camera about being gay or lesbian. Their stories are arranged in loose chronology: early years, fitting in (which for some meant marriage), coming out, establishing adult identities, and reflecting on how things have changed and how things should be.

That Certain Summer

The first US teleplay to deal sympathetically with homosexuality. Divorced San Francisco contractor Doug Salter is looking forward to a summer visit from his fourteen-year-old son Nick, who lives in Los Angeles with his mother Janet. The boy does not know that his father is gay and committed to Gary McClain, his life partner of several years.

The Eighth Sense

A shy art student joins a surfing club—and falls for the senior who teaches him more than just how to ride the waves.

Abuse

Brutally abused by his parents, teenage Thomas finds comfort in associating with a film director who is making a documentary about physical child abuse. The two fall in love, and the elder is faced with the decision of either running away with Thomas or focusing on his career and thereby letting the boy possibly be beaten to death.

It Gets Better

Saitarn, a retired post-op transsexual, falls in love with a local mechanic. Tonmai has inherited a gay cabaret bar from his father. And Din is a high school boy whom his father found out to be a trans. His father sends him upcountry to be ordained hoping it may make him straight.

Frisky Business

An anxious young drag queen searches for a way out before a revealing news story hits the airwaves, two silent strangers wander out into the night in a city under curfew, and a lively summer camp seeks to rid the youths of America of their sinful heterosexual desires. A defiant collection of shorts exploring passion, persecution and revolt from eras past, present and future. The 5 short films are: AYOR (2021); All the Way (2018); Lost Queens [Locas perdidas] (2015); Gay Camp (2018); Undercurrent [宵禁] (2020).

Bad Boy Street

Two men embark on an unconventional romance in Todd Verow's sexy Parisian-set drama. Claude finds a young man passed out in the street and, taking pity on him, decides to take him to his apartment to safely sleep. Awakening the next morning, the sexy stranger soon makes a play for his forty-something host, kick-starting a passionate romance. But will the chance meeting develop into more than just lust or will the pair's differences drive them apart? An accomplished, serious and very modern gay romance .

A Bigger Splash

After a difficult break-up, Hockney is left unable to paint, much to the concern of his friends.

I'm So Excited!

Something has gone wrong with the landing gear of a plane en route from Madrid to Mexico City. The group of eccentric travelers on the flight, defenseless in the face of danger, indulge in colourful confessionals, while the outlandish crew attempts to find ways to entertain them.

We All Play

"WE ALL PLAY" addresses the reality of the LGBTQIA+ community in sport. In a trip around the world, we will meet outstanding world elite athletes, who will talk, many of them for the first time, about their personal and professional experiences in first person.

Shoulder Dance

Best friends Ira and Roger haven't seen each other in 24 years. When Roger arrives unexpectedly for the weekend, long suppressed desires dangerously resurface. As the boundaries of friendship, love, and sex collide, the strength of Ira's long term relationship with Josh is tested as never before.

Sunflower

A seventeen-year-old boy struggles to understand and embrace his sexuality as he comes of age in the working class suburbs on Melbourne's edge.

Imagine… Pet Shop Boys: Then and Now

Featuring exclusive access to their recent tour and their new album, this documentary reveals the fascinating world of Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.

The Gay Agenda 27

In this series of shorts, the phrase "Gay Agenda" is reclaimed from the religious right and transformed into a celebration of gay culture. Sit back and enjoy "Read Aloud," "The Surf Report," and "Trigger."

Oscar Wilde About America

This big-hearted romp from New York City to Hollywood, CA leads Oscar to the queer joy, love, and liberation that eluded him 141 years ago, with the attendant themes of diversity, identity, and inclusion beautifully expressed in the film's original song, "Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Taken", based on one of Wilde's most popular quotes. Filmed in London and in multiple locations across the United States, the film stars West End star Oscar Conlon-Morrey as Oscar Wilde, and features film/TV/stage veterans Rosemary Harris and Kate Burton.

Dottie Gets Spanked

A six-year-old boy in pre-hippie 1960s United States endures ridicule from his schoolmates and worry from his father over his fixation with a TV star named Dottie.

The Men Next Door

This is a fast-paced comedy about a 40-year-old gay man who finds himself dating two equally lovable men - a secure 50-year-old who came out later in life, and an adventurous 30-year-old who wasn't looking for a relationship. What he doesn't find out right away is that the two men are, in fact, father and son. And as they say, wackiness ensues.

Flat Girls

Two teen girls grapple with the realities of love, friendship and burgeoning adulthood when one of them has to leave the home where they both grew up.

The Paradise of Thorns

When his partner Sek dies, Thongkam loses his property to his late love's eager family and must fight to reclaim the home they built together.

The Everlasting Secret Family

A beautiful, if ambitious and amoral, youth is tapped to become the lover of a powerful senator. The young man quickly realizes that he can hold this place, with all its perks, only as long as he is young. He has no other function than being young. With the help of an aged judge, the young man, referred to only as The Lover, contrives a plan to make a change in the way of the world, a plan that will take him years to realize. To succeed, he must manipulate, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, the senator, his wife, the family chauffeur (who was, when young, a lover), and, by implication, the entire well-planned and controlling everlasting secret family.

I Am a Woman Now

Whoever wanted a sex reassignment surgery in the 1950's could do so in Casablanca, at French gynaecologist Georges Burou's clinic, without fear of psychological examination. The French transgender singer known as Coccinelle was one of the first to use Burou’s services, and many others followed. Michiel Van Erp’s film follows five women who underwent surgery during that time, just before the sexual revolution and the Gay Liberation movement of the 1960's. Intimate interviews reveal their lifestyle, what made them change their sex, how it influenced their lives, and how they cope with the unavoidable ageing.

Facing Mirrors

Rana has chosen a path in order to support her family, while Adineh (Eddie) has fled his home and city to escape his complicated situation as a transsexual man prevented from living as his true self by his family. They find themselves on the same journey and caused to know each other in a better way.

The Visitor

James, a newly unemployed man whose personal life is falling apart. Opting to leave his problems behind he encounters entirely new and unexplained ones at the cabin. Strange things happen once he arrives, and James is unsure whether they happen because of an eccentric local named Val or something more sinister.

The Wedding Banquet

Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee's expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min's grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet.

Paris, France

A writer has torrid fantasy affairs with young men.

Raging Sun, Raging Sky

A story of love, sex and destiny. Youthful Kieri and Ryo share a deep and passionate love for each other. Kieri sets off in search of his soul mate after Ryo is kidnapped. A female spirit is with Kieri as he searches for Ryo. Ryo escapes and the pair will have to work hard to prove their love for each other as obstacles are placed in their path along the way.

The Senator

Senator Arthur Alencar leads a double life. In the media and to his constituents, he portrays himself as a family man and a defensor of morals and good values. However, behind the spotlight, he is entangled in corruption schemes and maintains his sexual toy, the young Renan. But everything changes when Renan meets Victor, a daring journalist who will stop at nothing to expose the senator.