Boys on Film is back with the latest entry to the globally sourced phenomenon. Coming fresh from Peccadillo Pictures, Boys on Film 22: Love To Love You brings audiences back to the critically acclaimed LGBTQA+ series for more.

The newest edition is a contemporary mix of self discovery, companionship and connection. 

Set in foreign lands and distant eras we see a father desperate to reconnect with his son, a son desperate to escape out from his mother’s grief and a politician desperate to keep his secrets out of the public eye. 

Below are just some of what Boys on Film 22: Love To Love You has to offer.

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Have We Met Before?

The first in the series, Have We Met Before? explores how gay men have come across each other over the decades.

Starting with the ‘Hanky Code’ back in the 70s, the short covers how the code opened a gateway for men to find exactly what, or shall we say whom, they were after.

“The internet is a surprise, it’s essentially opened up a world that used to be very quiet and very silent.”

Real testimonials add a relatable weight to Have We Met Before? as we journey through the days of old and wonder how the older generations scratched that itch. 

An insightful start to the latest BoF collection, you’ll discover a sentimental relatability to the methods and practices that have come and gone over the years in the lead up to Grindr.

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First Position

First Position follows dancer Zachary as he slowly succumbs to AIDs. Set in San Francisco 1982, the short is a powerful, emotional piece that follows his arrival in the city as he dances his way to his dreams.

Tragically though, Zachary (played by Anthony Sorrell) discovers he is ill, but refuses to “wither away” and dances through his own grief. 

As Zachary dances, emotions are stirred as that all too familiar tale is told: a young man whose life and aspirations were cut short.

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Melon Grab

Set in a sunny Australian suburb, Jaxon spends his days skateboarding around, beating BFF Corey at Playstation and… reciting poetry? We’ll allow it, boys can be sensitive too. 

Melon Grab is a story about the sunny days and friendships you’ll only ever experience as a teen. Sadly though, their summer days together are getting cut short as Corey is moving away.

The short does an excellent job at portraying the companionship of the two youths in the final days of their time together. 

Soft music plays over slow-mo shots of the boys flying through the air, close ups of the two walking side by side – the flap of Jaxon’s t-shirt here, the wind running through Corey’s hair there; you get the drift – all filmed before a glorious Aussie summer.

Before it’s over you’ll find yourself harking back to your own misspent youth and wondering whatever happened to those old friends of yours.

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Thrive

A naked man, Joe, is alone in an apartment with the London skyline in the distance. 

That all too familiar Grindr buzz pings and we’ve arrived at the thirst-trap we’ve all been waiting for. 

Enter Alex for a particularly steamy scene before Thrive gets down to business; Addressing the current treatments and the stigma of HIV that still lingers within the gay community and its ‘hook-up’ culture.

Following their own hook up, Alex makes it clear that he knows more than Joe is letting on as the other almost immediately becomes distant. Instantly, the fear of rejection, of isolation are etched into actor Taofique Folarin’s face as Joe freezes in front of Alex.

Thrive wastes no time in laying down the facts with HIV lingo in the modern world.

“I’m undetectable. That means I can’t pass the virus on.” 

Short films like this are important.

With the Boys on Film collection being aimed at a primarily gay audience, representing people living with HIV and the normality of their lives is still important, as the recent hit series It’s A Sin proved. Not only can it educate people who are HIV negative, it also shows positive members of any community that they are more than just a status.

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With 9 short films ready and waiting to be viewed, Pecca Pics flexes once again to show us why they are at the forefront of gay cinema.

Peccadillo Pictures’ Boys on Film available on DVD, BLU-RAY & Digital from June 27th 2022.