Hong Khaou

A young man of Chinese-Cambodian descent dies, leaving behind his isolated mother and his lover of four years. Though the two don't share a language, they grow close through their grief.

Kit can’t remember much of his native Vietnam. When he returns to the Land of the Golden Star for the first time in over thirty years, he takes in his local surroundings as any Western tourist would, and the environment is as exotic as the language is incomprehensible. The aim of Kit’s travels – to find a place to scatter his parents’ ashes – thus becomes part of a journey back to his roots and to the discovery of his identity, which external circumstances have rendered ambiguous and complex.

Seven short films in which gay youths and young men negotiate society, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. In several, teen boys come out, perhaps first to a close friend - how will the friends react? For some youths, coming out risks violence. In two films, love is thwarted - by mother, in one, and by immigration, in another. The collection includes "Summer" (Great Britain), "Night Swimming" (USA), "Running Without Sound" (USA), "Out Now" (Germany), "Œdipe N+1" (France), "Hitchcocked" (USA), and "The Bridge" (Australia).

Created by gay directors and actors, Boys On Film features numerous award-winning shorts that deal with all aspects of gay life. Volume 1: Hard Love contains nine complete films: Hong Khaou's "Summer" starring Peter Peralta and Jay Brown; Michael Simon's "Gay Zombie" starring Brad Bilanin, Ryan Carlberg, and Robin McDonald; Jason Bushman's "Serene Hunter" starring Eric Debets, Flannan Obé, and Jonathan Blanc; Timothy Smith's "Le Weekend" starring Omar and Fernando Peres; Jean Baptiste Erreca's "Cowboy Forever" featuring Govinda Machado de Figueiredo and Jones Carlos Fialho de Araújo; Damien Rea's "Scarred" starring Chris Anderson, David Durham, and Lara Cazalet; Tim Hunter's "Packed Lunch" featuring Kevyn Boemia, Chris Sayers, and Steven Quigg; John Winter's "Mirror Mirror" starring Roy Billing; and Maxwell Barber's "VGL-Hung!" starring Marcus Proctor, Jeff Chandler, and Ashley Ryder.

From the cliffs of the Isle of Wight to an abandoned swimming pool in Lambeth, Boys On Film 8: Cruel Britannia presents an eclectic mix of ten UK-set short films including: Harry Wootliff's "I Don't Care" starring Iwan Rheon; Ben Peters's "Downing" starring Jamie Brotherston and Ross William Wild; David Andrew Ward's "All Over Brazil" starring Iain De Caestecker, Frank Gallagher, and Gemma Morrison; David Leon and Marcus McSweeney's "Man and Boy" starring Eddie Marsan, Geoff Bell, and Eddie Webber; Aleem Khan's "Diana" starring Neeraj Singh; Jason Bradbury's "We Once Were Tide" starring Alexander Scott, Tristan Bernays, and Mandy Aldridge; Hong Khaou's "Spring" starring Chris O'Donnell and Jonathan Keane; Sybil H. Mair's "The Chef's Letter" starring Jonathan Firth, Ray Fearon, and Layke Anderson; Faryal's "What You Looking At?!" starring Rez Kabir, Michael Twaits, and Hussina Raja; and Dominic Leclerc's "Nightswimming" starring Harry Eden, Linzey Cocker, and Tim Dantay.

Six dark-themed gay short films, including: SPRING: A young man meets a stranger for S&M sex, an experience that will change his life forever. REMISSION: As a man awaits the results of a biopsy at his secluded cabin, his dread amplifies when he suspects that he may not be alone. WINNER TAKES ALL: The unapologetic manipulator Ryker engineers a fight between his two boyfriends ... with Ryker himself as the ultimate prize. PROMISE: Stu and Chris appear to be the perfect couple, but past indiscretions are revealed on the eve of their wedding, causing unforgivable actions that both will regret. VIDEO NIGHT: What starts out as a fun night making videos goes terribly wrong when a group of friends discover something unexpected in the raw footage. COMMUNICATION: The story of an Orthodox Jewish student who unexpectedly inherits the estate of his estranged mentor and discovers a painful truth about their relationship.

As a young couple discuss the idea of giving up smoking, the sounds of a neighboring argument spill into their flat. The argument makes them question their own marriage, while doing nothing about the neighboring situation. Meanwhile, a young teenager argues with his mother as he tries to sneak out to a party with friends. His mother blackmails him into staying home, using his guilt against him.

This short gay themed film touches some of the more extreme areas of gay eroticism. The encounter of the younger, possibly virgin young man, with a slightly older man is full of little ritualistic intimacies that will shape this young man's life - and his life will never be the same again....