Set against the gorgeous landscape of Venice, Sex Love Venice is a sexy, romantic drama from writer/director Steve Balderson, exploring love, intimacy, and self-discovery.
The film follows Michael (Daniel Bateman), who visits the Italian city of Venice to heal from a bad breakup and finds himself awash in the gay hookup culture. But soon he meets Marco (Alexander Ananasso), who turns out to be a connection of a very different flavor. What follows is a refreshingly positive view of gay romance.
The synopsis reads: “Healing from a breakup, Michael travels to Venice, Italy, where he discovers the beauty of desire and experiences a love that awakens his spirit, promising to forever change the course of his life.”
The chemistry between Bateman and Ananasso is palpable delivering an onscreen love that shimmers with authenticity. The film’s richly layered score gives further emotional gravity to the story’s romanticism.
Sex Love Venice also leans into observations about the current hookup culture in the gay male community and whether these connections are good for our emotional health.
The movie has garnered raves on the film festival circuit including winning the Director’s Choice Award and the Audience Award at the Palm Springs LGBT Film Festival (2024).
David-Elijah Nahmod at The Bay Area Reporter gushed,”‘Sex Love Venice’ has an erotic tension that few films ever had, and the two leads are the reason why. Bateman and Ananasso have enormous onscreen chemistry, both as individuals and as a couple.”
Related: Who’s In The Mood For A Bro-Tastic Romantic Comedy?
My Instinct colleague Denny Patterson recently sat down to chat with Daniel Bateman about the audition process, the film’s themes of transcending judgment and discovering love in unexpected places, and which scene was especially rewarding. Hit play below.
Sex Love Venice is available now on streaming platforms today, including Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video.
Daniel Bateman is a brilliant actor whose ability to show subtle emotion just in his facial expressions is a rare talent.