Coming-of-Age Gay Films - Gay Films Matter

SHORT FILM

Snake

2019 Drama

A bitter-sweet story, about the beginning of a friendship between a 9-year-old daredevil Mario and an eccentric gay young man Borche, challenged by the fear and the prejudices of Mario's parents, in a remote Macedonian small town.

SHORT FILM

Aline

2019 Drama

Alban lives in a ski station with his mother. Every night, the teenager runs off to be with Julien - the boy who, strangely, shares a first name with the hero of the novel he's avidly reading.

Pain and Glory

2019 Drama

A film director contemplates the life-altering decisions he's made as the weight of his past and present collide.

Animals

2012 Drama, Fantasy

Pol, a calm teenager, shares his secret with Deerhoof. He becomes fascinated by Ikari, an enigmatic student, and their routine transforms into a fantastic adventure.

SHORT FILM

Islands

2018 Drama

Theo yearns to express his true feelings to classmate Linus. It seems there is nobody around him to understand his predicament. That is, until Mr. Kruger, seen by most as merely an odd old teacher, appears to be the one who understands Theo.

What My Love Is For

2016 Comedy, Romance

A self-critical county boy must outwit the ruling class to save his ancestral home before the bank forecloses at the end of the summer.

SHORT FILM

Sugar Babies

2022 Drama

A journey through London with two queer teenagers, trying to figure out what they want from both life and each other.

SHORT FILM

Gabriel

2014 Drama, Romance

Gabriel, living with his boyfriend Lars in Germany, reminisces about his conservative Spanish upbringing through nostalgic daydreams.

SHORT FILM

Crabs in the Sand

2012 Drama

Noam, 13, spends the day on the beach with his sister, friends, and Michael, a 30-year-old man with special needs. But when he takes things too far, their friendship changes forever.

Joe Bell

2020 Drama

A working-class father embarks on a nationwide walk against bullying after his son's ordeal, grappling with his absence from home and striving for redemption.

SHORT FILM

Family Affair

2011 Drama

Rossi's attempt to socialize with his brother's friends yields unexpected results.

Summerland

2020 Comedy, Drama

Bray, Oliver, and Stacey embark on a road-trip to the Summerland music festival, facing challenges and unexpected encounters along the way.

SHORT FILM

Photographs

2023 Romance

A college student needs a model for his portfolio and Greyson needs new photos for his dating apps.

SHORT FILM

Opening Night

2023 Drama, Romance

A high school teenager faces his nerves in the moments before his debut stage performance, where he unexpectedly shares his first kiss with a classmate in front of a live audience. Despite his anxiety, he finds solace in the unexpected romantic connection.

Minyan

2020 Drama

Caught between private trysts and family expectations, a young Jewish man in 1980s Brooklyn navigates the complexities of his identity.

SHORT FILM

Cowboy Forever

2006 Drama, Romance

Inspired by true events, this docu-drama explores the lives of Brazilian cowboys in Mato Grosso do Sul, focusing on Govinda and John's friendship and Govinda's exploration of his feelings towards his fellow cowboy.

Screams from the Tower

2024 Comedy

Julien and Cary’s dream of having their own radio show on the high school station is finally realized, bringing them a popularity and infamy they never imagined.

Blue Citrus Hearts

2003 Drama, Romance

A first love could quite possibly be the last for Sam, a Memphis teenager coming to terms with the romantic feelings he harbors for his best friend, Julian. Will the love he feels for this boy guide him through his struggles with his abusive father, ignorant girlfriend, and suicidal thoughts – or will the conflict that his love for Julian stirs throughout his life prove to be more than one boy can handle?

SHORT FILM

My Brother Is a Mermaid

2019 Drama

Follows a non-binary teenager through the eyes of their seven-year-old brother. Set in a quiet seaside town, it shows how a child’s innocence and unconditional love can challenge the world and bring about unexpected change.

SHORT FILM

O Beautiful

2002 Drama

A gay bashing incident takes a surprising turn when one attacker returns with remorse and a secret.

A Night in the Fields

2020 Drama

In a working-class town, Anthony and Dylan navigate a night of choices at a retro house party, where romantic desires and personal risks collide, testing their friendship and individual paths amidst turbulent circumstances.

SHORT FILM

Contestant #4

2016 Drama

A teenager frequently visits an old man who lives alone, keeping him always in good company. One night, he chances upon the old man watching a dated clip of himself as a cross-dressing boy. This sparks within the teen an interest to find out more about the old man's past. What he ultimately discovers aids both him and the old man towards a richer understanding of how the weight of life and identity should be carried.

No Hard Feelings

2020 Drama, Romance

Parvis, working at a refugee shelter, forms a tentative romance with Amon amidst the challenges of refugee life and cultural differences.

Beneath the Skin

2015 Drama, Romance

After his family falls apart, Joshua moves to Canada to live with his estranged father, where he forms a deep bond with Jay, a local tattoo artist, despite the challenges they face.

Cactus Pears

2025 Drama

Anand, a 30-something city dweller compelled to spend a 10-day mourning period for his father in the rugged countryside of western India, tenderly bonds with a local farmer struggling to stay unmarried.

Ernesto

2020 Drama

In Rome, teenager Ernesto embarks on spontaneous relationships, grappling with political ideologies and personal growth as life compels him forward.

SHORT FILM

Lukas by the Sea

2016 Drama

During a seemingly endless night, a young man attempts to find a real connection with whomever he encounters.