Mother Knows Best

Sex is power, and Waseem, a Syrian gay-for-pay hustler seeking asylum in Cologne, wields it like a shield. Keeping his johns at an emotional arm’s length while satisfying their most carnal desires in order to eke out a living, he meets his match in Lars: a kind, affluent professional with a growing personal interest in Waseem. This gripping tale of transactional identity explores the tactical exchange of trust and intimacy in a partnership, and the divisions between immigrants and their host countries in contemporary Europe.

The fourth volume of an amazing series, Male Shorts: International V4 features six brand-new short films focusing on men. The 6 short films are: Venus in Nykes [Vênus de Nyke] (2021); The Red Trinket [O Berloque Vermelho] (2021); Ten Times Love (2020); It's Just in My Head [È solo nella mia testa] (2020); Playtime [Giochi] (2021); It Is Not the Brazilian Homosexuals Who Are Perverse, But the Situation in Which They Live [Nicht die brasilianischen Homosexuellen sind pervers, sondern die Situation in der sie leben] (2021).

Tonoin Kei, a musical genius, becomes the new conductor of Fujimi, clashing with the group's leader, Morimura Yuuki, who is unaware of Kei's feelings for him.

After an incident at her high school pulls her into the orbit of the only other Black girl in her year, “Essex Girl” Bisola is plunged into a journey to discover a whole new side of herself.

A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

Selma, a Czech immigrant on the verge of blindness, struggles to make ends meet for herself and her son, who has inherited the same genetic disorder and will suffer the same fate without an expensive operation. When life gets too difficult, Selma learns to cope through her love of musicals, dreaming up little numbers to the rhythmic beats of her surroundings.

Separate We Come, Separate We Go is the story of a 10-year-old girl, Thea who escapes her bleak domestic life to find sanctuary in the surreal desert landscape of Dungeness. Roaming around the barren skeletons of boats and abandoned fishing huts, she is increasingly aware of her loneliness and vulnerability. Seemingly out of nowhere a man (David Thewlis) appears; she is so intrigued by him she defies all lessons taught about strangers and approaches him. As they walk and talk she discovers he is a widower and has lost his son; she realises she is not alone in experiencing loss. He notices her sadness and unusual maturity and decides to help lift her out of her melancholy. Through the metaphor of the freedom of flying birds, he shows her that life does have exciting possibilities. This redemptive story shows that in life you should not allow fear to limit your horizons.

Elias is a handsome young deputy manager in a garment factory in São Paulo. When he’s not working, he enjoys casual encounters in the big city. The arrival of a young African, Fernando, on the production line piques his interest and Elias finds himself increasingly drawn into socialising with his work colleagues.

Anna, a 16 year-old girl from the sticks, trades her military education for life in the big city Running away to Prague opens a whole new world where she drinks her first cappuccino and meets the kind of people she has only seen in movies.

"The Big Meet" follows drunken writer Blake (Lane Carlson) on an absurd adventure with a macho stranger called Nate (Mike Genovese) he meets in a bar. Several drinks later, the impaired writer is lured into a haphazard plot to murder his newfound companion.

Kou is a cook with a dream, living alone in Tokyo. When news of his father's death arrives, he hastily returns to his hometown. Faced with the pressure from his family to marry, he flees to his childhood secret hangout, only to accidentally run into his high school teacher Eiji, whom he had a crush on. Eiji's appearance stirs up feelings in Kou's heart; can their forbidden love come true?

There is a live house beloved by music lovers, where musicians of various genres take to the stage day and night. However, the owner Kohei has decided to close the venue soon. "Why are you quitting?" "Because I got bored." "What are you going to do if you quit?" "A trip around the world," Kohei lies. In reality, Kohei's body is being eaten away by illness and he doesn't have much time left. One night, when Kohei closes up shop and goes outside, a young man with an injury suddenly jumps out in front of him. Sensing that there must be some reason, Kohei invites this man called Hiroto in and treats him. The next morning, Kohei urges Hiroto to go to the hospital. But Hiroto refuses and tries to leave but collapses in pain. Kohei doesn't ask anything and decides to let Hiroto stay for a while. An unfinished music sheet in Kohei's hands was written by Makoto, Kohei's former lover. He wants to perform this song for the final stage of Pink Triangle.

Noboru and Takashi meet in prison. Shocked by his lover's betrayal, Akira becomes addicted to hunting for men in Hattenba, and is eventually imprisoned for drugs. Noboru, who was a sexual outlet for prisoners in prison, was helped by Takashi, a member of the Ogasawara gang of the chivalry organization. Takashi persuaded Noboru to take care of himself, and as a result of his efforts, Noboru was able to rehabilitate himself and come to respect Takashi as an older brother. One day, Takashi's older brother, Kanzaki, comes to visit and informs him that he has been excommunicated from the group...

After her estranged brother's sudden death, young wife Lucia bonds with his fiancée through their shared grief and finds herself falling in love.

In the near future, John Smith takes a test that reveals the exact date of his death. How will he react when his perfectly ordered life is suddenly thrown into chaos ?

After Alicia's obsessive ex-husband Victor is released from prison, she is determined to protect herself and their son Malcolm. Alicia resists Victor's demands to reconcile and reunite as a family, but in a twisted turn of events, Victor traps Alicia underground and buries her alive. Alicia pushes down the panic and fear of suffocating and manages to claw her way of out of her grave. Now freed, she searches desperately for her son who she fears may be next. Inspired by a true story.

Following his son Gabriel’s death, Jorge travels from conservative Bolivia to New York City to confront Gabriel’s boyfriend Sebastian. While the two battle over Jorge’s inability to accept his son, Sebastian channels his grief into a bold new play in honor of his lost love, in which Gabriel’s inner turmoil is transformed into an eye-popping gay fantasia.

This anthology film explores three sudden acts of violence and examines the impact on the innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire: In Binghamton, New York, an ESL instructor faces domestic violence at home and even greater peril at school. Friends take a night out in Paris only to find themselves caught up in a horrifying situation. And two lovers at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando fight to survive a chaotic night of terror.

Takashi works at a gay bar in Shinjuku but his boyfriend Yuichi is often away working on a cargo ship. Everything changes when new guy Norifumi Aida moves next door...