Queer stories in coming-of-age films have become pretty well trod territory. Since the early days of Beautiful Thing and Edge of Seventeen, countless young queer characters have stepped out of the closet and found their first loves on-screen. It now begs the question, what other takes can we see within this film genre? Luckily, SUBLIME has the answer, telling a freshly told and grounded coming-of-age story by filmmaker Mariano Biasin that is filled with naturalistic and compelling performances from its young cast.

Biasin has remarked that the idea for SUBLIME was born out of a character waking up from a confusing dream, which had the power to put his most valuable friendship in danger. This of course manifests for Manu (Martin Muller), who suddenly finds himself dreaming intimately about his childhood best friend, Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando). Suddenly every interaction sends Manu into a frenzy of emotions, debating whether Felipe may reciprocate in any way. This is especially tricky when they spend so much time together, whether this is band practice, song writing sessions or to Manu’s increasing hesitation, talking about other girls.

Part of what makes SUBLIME such a refreshing watch is how Manu’s inner conflict does not derive from Felipe being a boy, but instead from him being his best friend. As Biasin stated in our interviews (available now on the DVD and PeccadilloPOD), “in this film there is no struggle with sexuality or bullying. Manu is not ashamed of what he’s feeling […] but he doesn’t want to ruin the friendship.” In not dwelling on the familiar subject of coming out to yourself and others, the film finds a richer driving force for the characters as they deal with their developing feelings. Even Manu’s father treats Manu’s feelings with sincerity and humour, rather than focusing on them being for another boy.

Also pivotal to the film’s success was Biasin’s age-appropriate approach to casting. It wisely avoids casting actors older than the age they were portraying as is highly common in other coming-of-age stories. Biasin asserted that “this story is so intimate and delicate that I wanted it to be realistic and so I wanted the actors to be really close to the age of the characters.” This meant that a COVID delay in production forced casting to be restarted, as many candidates were already too old for the characters.

However, in some ways this was a blessing for Biasin and the film, as the delay meant that Muller was now the perfect age for Manu. Muller puts in an exceptionally expressive yet grounded performance, wordlessly expressing Manu’s inner torment and confusion through his face alone as his feelings for Felipe grow. He makes for a compelling scene partner to Inama Chiabrando’s Felipe, whose easy-going charm and “inner fire” (as described by Biasin) make it easy to see why Manu is falling for him. Their natural performances and sweet chemistry together make a great case for why this kind of age-appropriate casting can be important to the success of a coming-age film.

We can only hope that future stories of queer youth finding themselves can present their characters with the natural touch that SUBLIME does. For now, Biasin’s film is a leading example that deserves a place in the queer coming-of-age canon.

SUBLIME is available now on DVD and On Demand.

Even at a time where gay characters on film and television continue to light up the screen, their sex lives tend to remain behind the curtain. Gay sex and nudity on screen are often still a taboo, as we see in even the most iconic gay films when they opt to tastefully cut away before things get too racy. Thankfully, this sanitised version of queer cinema is nowhere to be seen in Peccadillo’s sexy new gay cowboy flick, LONESOME.  

Director Craig Boreham’s modern Western follows Casey (Josh Lavery), a country boy who runs from his demons to Sydney and loses himself in the city’s easy access to sex and pervasive loneliness. Boreham smartly takes the atmosphere and aesthetics of the genre and transplants them into present-day Australia to create this stylish snapshot of the queer community today. The isolation of the dusty-coloured landscapes is echoed by that same isolation Casey feels, going from hook-up to hook-up without finding any human connection. That is of course until he meets Tib (Zarif). 

Their instant sexual chemistry breaks past the walls both had built up and so showing the sex was vital. On our LONESOME episode of Peccadillo Sofa Club, Boreham explained that from the scripting stage that he intended to use sex scenes in a way that actively explores how sex can show the dynamics and emotions happening between the characters. For this, nudity was necessary and Boreham was keen to break this reluctance to show what he described as the somehow “sacred” naked male body on screen. The usual close-ups of moving body parts followed by a pan to a tree wouldn’t suffice!  

This freedom in showing the character’s bodies allows the sex scenes to not only develop Casey and Tib’s relationship, but to explore the other ways that gay men negotiate sex and sex spaces – whether it is transactional, out of aggression or a genuine connection. Josh Lavery even expressed that he’d often forget that he was acting naked until well after the cameras had cut. The way Casey navigates these sex spaces informs the character’s journey and shows how sex and nudity can be utilised for cinematic storytelling that is yes, titillating but also rich and rewarding.  

LONESOME is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand.

Hear more from Craig Boreham and Josh Lavery talking all things LONESOME in our special Peccadillo Sofa Club episode, hosted by Joel Simpson:

If you’re looking for other gay films that embrace gay sex and nudity on screen, check out some of these other Peccadillo titles!

A film by Andrew Haigh

If you cast your mind back a decade ago, we had a royal wedding, the London riots and another year of same-sex marriage not being legal in England and Wales. However, it was on this week 10 years ago that WEEKEND premiered, and we honestly cannot quite believe it.

To say that this small independent film created a monumental shift in the world of cinema would be an understatement. We’ve gone on to see many films like WEEKEND, but it’s this title that managed to create a story of the modern gay experience whilst still resonating with the wider audiences, regardless of sexual orientation.

Andrew himself reflects “Can it really be ten years ago? WEEKEND will always be the film I hold closest to my heart and the way it has resonated with audiences over the years has meant everything to me.”

Over the years Haigh’s masterpiece has meant different things to different people, for some it has become a comfort film but for others it was catalyst that helped them come out.

Darryl Griffiths describes WEEKEND as “the film that broke me and ultimately built me back up to have the courage to say I’m gay. You can have all the budget and box office returns – but you can’t put a price tag on that impact. Getting to thank Tom Cullen personally at LFF 2019 a dream!”

Abiyasha seconds this describing that the film became “a way to understand myself. I’ve watched it 9 times already and it has become my yearly routine.”

For many, the impact of the film is also reflective in their own work. Filmmaker Charlie Tidmas explains that “everything I’ve ever made and ever will make comes back to being influence by this film. Life-changing stuff!”

Writer Adam James says “Happy 10th birthday to the film that rocks my soul, warms and then promptly breaks my heart. Every time. Normalised gay representation, beautiful character dynamics and dialogue so natural, I wish it were a wine…”

We here at Peccadillo thoroughly enjoyed working on this film too! Peccadillo’s Founder Tom Abell reflects, “every so often, as we approach the release of a film, a title comes along that just catches the zeitgeist and you can feel the anticipation and excitement of the audience before the film is even released.

WEEKEND was the first film that did that for us. Just before the UK premiere at the London Film Festival I was chatting with Andrew, Tristan, Chris and Tom and I said, ‘this moment is going to change all our lives’ – and it did.”

“A huge thank you to everyone who pushed this little gay film out into the world. It certainly changed my life. I might even watch it again. It’s been a while…” – Andrew

You can rediscover WEEKEND on PeccadilloPOD

SEQUIN IN A BLUE ROOM DIRECTOR STATEMENT

When I set out to make this film, I wanted to tell a queer coming of age story, one that truthfully reflected a modern-day experience. A digital coming of age. A world of online instant access and sexual discovery on demand. A world where vastly different experiences of being queer collide within one social app. At its heart, this film is a story of wanting to grow up fast, a story of our fantasies colliding with realities. 

The queer community in Australia, much like the rest of the western world, is experiencing a shift, a generational divide. With the sexual fluidity and liberation of the new generation reflecting the limitations imposed on the generations before it. This unique tension served as a foundation for the film as our protagonist hurdles through the intense complexity of his community in the search for love. Due to the political and social circumstances of the times, a large amount of queer films of the past and present have looked outward. Concerned with presenting an image of the queer experience to the outside world. For this film I wanted to look inward, to examine and question a specific part of our community as it is today. 

I made this film at twenty-five. I grew up as part of the first generation of young queer people to come of age with social media and hook-up app communication. From Googling what it meant to be gay to joining “Gay Teen Chat Rooms” and talking to strangers from around the world. From having to learn about gay sex from internet pornography to meeting my first boyfriend on Myspace. Every part of my coming of age as a queer person has been informed by the internet. The good and the bad. I grew up faster than the teenagers around me in school. An experience I know a lot of queer people share. Our coming of age walks hand in hand with coming out, and for me that meant the forming of my sexual identity as a constant act of transgression. This led me to experiences I wasn’t ready for and situations that put me in danger. 

During the writing process for Sequin In A Blue Room, my co-writer Jory Anast and I met, interviewed and discussed coming of age during this era with other queer people of our generation. It was an incredible feeling to be surrounded by individuals sharing similar experiences. A reoccurring theme amongst us all was this tension between sexual discovery and transgression. A close friend spoke to me of their experiences growing up with hook-up apps saying, “I can’t believe the situations I put myself in. If I told anyone about it they would tell me how dangerous it could have been. But I did it, then I left, didn’t tell anyone and largely pretended it didn’t happen.” These shared experiences, themes and ideas all went into forming a character, a place and a social app that became the building blocks for Sequin In A Blue Room. 

THE DIGITAL WORLD ON SCREEN 

Bringing that digital world to the screen was a real challenge in a film of this scale and budget. Showing digital interaction on screen is something that the industry has been toying with for over a decade now. Early on I knew I want- ed to push this further than I had seen it done before. My cowriter and I al- lowed for the digital world in the screenplay to be as expansive and complex as it is in reality. This meant stepping beyond just text messages on screen and actively using a full app operating system as part of our story world. This included multiple apps, picture sharing, location sharing, blocking, deleting, searching and more. Everything that has become a part of our daily life in reality. We were so fortunate to be able to work with motion graphics artist Chris Johns to bring this all to life on screen. Chris brought an authenticity to the motion graphics design, drawing on his own experiences of being gay in the digital age to create the graphics of an app that felt at once a part of our reality and the story world of the film.

WRITER/DIRECTOR – SAMUEL VAN GRINSVEN