The first trailer for Departures has arrived, and it’s filled with messy breakups, chaotic makeups, sex and more.
Based on a “real heartbreak,” the film stars Lloyd Eyre-Morgan as Benji and David Tag as Jake, two men who start a whirlwind romance after a chance meeting.
As per the synopsis: “Benji meets Jake at an airport check-out gate and is immediately intrigued. Jake is fit, elusive, dominant and, as Benji happily suspects, ‘a bit gay’.
“Cue monthly getaways to Amsterdam, a lot of sex and the creeping emergence of a doomed power dynamic. This Manchester-made feature was self-funded by a collective of working-class LGBT+ filmmakers, who have successfully created a funny, raw and empathetic cinematic experience for all.”
Departures is co-directed by Eyre-Morgan and Neil Ely, with the former writing the screenplay.
Additional cast includes Liam Boyle, Saira Choudry, Kerry Howard, Olly Rhodes, Lorraine Stanley, Kimberly Hart-Simpson, Tyler Conti, Jacob Partali, Kelsea Knox, Ali Afzal, Oliver Sublet and Jake Haymes.
The gay comedy-drama is set to have its world premiere at the 2025 BFI Flare Film Festival on 23 March, with a second screening scheduled for 29 March.
Tag is best known for his work on the hit British soap Hollyoaks, portraying Sylvester ‘Sylver’ McQueen, and LGBTQIA+ short films Boys on Film 24: Happy Endings and S.A.M.
Eyre-Morgan first made waves in the film and TV industry after releasing his critically acclaimed short film Closets, which won the Best of British Iris Prize. The talented creative has also directed various episodes of EastEnders, Waterloo Road, and Hollyoaks episodes.
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In a recent interview with Digital Spy, Tag opened up about Departures and how he got involved with the film.
“I first did a short film with Lloyd Eyre-Morgan and [co-director] Neil Ely back in 2019. I was still on Hollyoaks at the time. Then I worked with them again on another project called White Wedding, which was an LGBTQ+ horror-musical short, and that was great too,” he told the news outlet.
“We’ve remained friends since. I had to still audition for this role in Departures, but I think Lloyd and Neil had quite a clear view of what they wanted the characters to be like. So I think I was in good stead to get the part, luckily.”
As for what drew him to the role of Jake, Tag said it was different from anything he’s ever done.
“My character Jake is bisexual and I’d never played a character who is struggling with his sexuality before. I thought it’s be a really good challenge,” he added.
Visit here for more information on Departures, and watch the first trailer below.
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