By David-Elijah Nahmod, September 2015 Issue.
The internet offers a plethora of youth-oriented films, from all across the LGBT spectrum. Here are six titles, worth checking out as you or your kids head back to the classroom this fall.
From Lesbian-owned Wolfe Video:
1. Boys
In this sweet romance from the Netherlands, Sieger and Marc (Gijs Blom and Ko Zandvliet) play two teens grappling with first love – just as Sieger is coming to terms with his sexuality. During the course of their summer they swim, bike ride, eat ice cream and find the courage to be vulnerable with one another.
This Canadian comedy follows the day-to-day of two very different households in in our fast-changing, multicultural world. As Cara and Janet, an Asian lesbian couple, contemplate marriage, downstairs neighbor Jesse, a mixed-race gay teen, is dealing with a much different set of circumstances. Just as Jesse’s very uncomfortable step-dad offers him pamphlets about queer youth and gay sex, his biological gay birth dad shows up.
Delightful and insightful, Floored By Love is also hilarious. "Is that the flag of your ancestor's country?" asks Cara's mom as she spies two Rainbow flags on the mantle.
3. Tomboy
Lesbian director Celine Sciamma helms this French drama about 10-year-old Laure (Zoe Heran) who moves to the suburbs and passes herself off as Mykael, a boy. Tomboy offers a fascinating look at gender roles and what it means to be true to oneself.
Banned in Singapore for "normalizing homosexuality," this Filipino film tells the story of a teen poet in Manila who falls in love with a macho go-go boy as he discovers his own sexuality. What begins as an erotic fascination becomes a deeply personal journey about family and self-expression.
To watch these and other Wolfe on Demand films, visit wolfeondemand.muvies.com.
From gay-owned Ariztical Entertainment:
5. Silent Youth
Whether or not Silent Youth is a gay teen variation of the classic film Before Sunrise is anyone’s guess. This German film introduces viewers to Marlo and Kirill, two teen boys who literally bump into each other in Berlin. As they begin to wander around the city together, the attraction to each other grows.
Fashion Victims is a German comedy about a not-so-nice fashion designer who hires his teenaged son to be his chauffeur. Poor dad! The kid promptly comes out and falls in love with Papa's chief rival and hilarity ensues.
To watch these and other Ariztical Entertainment titles, visit arizticalondemand.com.
Are there any titles we missed? Let us know, or share your favorite LGBT youth-centered film with us int he comments below!
