Mitski stans will get to listen to her new album early and watch some classic films at listening parties the singer is hosting across the U.S. and Australia prior to the release of her new album. On Tuesday, Mitski announced that she’ll throw “music and film double features” in support of her new album The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, out Sept. 15.
Depending on the location, The Land will be played alongside films 1954’s La Strada, 1978’s Days of Heaven, Donna Deitch’s Desert Hearts, and 1989’s Drugstore Cowboy.
Depending on the location, The Land will be played alongside films 1954’s La Strada, 1978’s Days of Heaven, Donna Deitch’s Desert Hearts, and 1989’s Drugstore Cowboy.
- 8/29/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
Many of the most important queer films in cinema history share a birthplace: the Sundance Film Festival. Organized by the Sundance Institute, the legendary annual fest in Park City, Utah, has boasted international and U.S. premiere titles as varied as the groundbreaking New York ballroom documentary Paris Is Burning in 1991, Donna Deitch’s 1985 lesbian road drama Desert Hearts or even recent masterworks like Luca Guadagnino’s 2017 adaptation of Call Me by Your Name.
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
The Hollywood Reporter spoke with Kim Yutani, director of programming at Sundance, about some of the most important Lgbtqia+ films to debut there.
“Seeing the films that Sundance has programmed over the years, especially around the early 1990s with the New Queer Wave, that was what attracted me to Sundance,” says Yutani, who’s been working with the festival for 17 years, and has also worked in various positions within the film industry, like as Gregg Araki...
- 6/26/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Good news for those who wish to know what their Twitter feed’s jacking off to: the Criterion Channel are launching an erotic thriller series that includes De Palma’s Dressed to Kill and Body Double, the Wachowskis’ Bound, and so many other movies to stir up that ceaseless, fruitless “why do movies have sex scenes?” discourse. (Better or worse than middle-age film critics implying they have a hard-on? I’m so indignant at being forced to choose.) Similarly lurid, if not a bit more frightening, is a David Lynch retro that includes the Criterion editions of Lost Highway and Inland Empire (about which I spoke to Lynch last year), a series of shorts, and a one-month-only engagement for Dune, a film that should be there in perpetuity.
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
Retrospectives of Harold Lloyd, Rohmer’s Tales of the Four Seasons, and shorts by Fanta Régina Nacro round out the big debuts,...
- 3/20/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The Women’S Media Center hosted their 2022 Women’S Media Awards on November 17th at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City.
Wmc 2022 Women's Media Award Honorees
Credit/Copyright: Dave Kontinsky/Getty
The Wmc Awards were presented to outstanding leaders and champions for women in media. This year’s Wmc 2022 Women’s Media Awards honorees were: Andrea Mitchell, Robin Roberts, Mariana Ardila Trujillo, Loretta J. Ross, Salamishah Tillet, Loreen Arbus, and Maria Martinez.
Women’S Media Center Co-Founders Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem, and Wmc President & CEO Julie Burton gave remarks at the gala. Wmc Co-Founder Jane Fonda, Wmc Board Chair Janet Dewart Bell, Wmc Co-Chair Emerita and Board Member Pat Mitchell made special appearances via Zoom. Farai Chideya, former Wmc President Carol Jenkins, and Wmc Board Member Erica González Martínez made appearances at the gala.
The Women’s Media Center opened the Women’s Media Awards with a special Wmc Solidarity...
Wmc 2022 Women's Media Award Honorees
Credit/Copyright: Dave Kontinsky/Getty
The Wmc Awards were presented to outstanding leaders and champions for women in media. This year’s Wmc 2022 Women’s Media Awards honorees were: Andrea Mitchell, Robin Roberts, Mariana Ardila Trujillo, Loretta J. Ross, Salamishah Tillet, Loreen Arbus, and Maria Martinez.
Women’S Media Center Co-Founders Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem, and Wmc President & CEO Julie Burton gave remarks at the gala. Wmc Co-Founder Jane Fonda, Wmc Board Chair Janet Dewart Bell, Wmc Co-Chair Emerita and Board Member Pat Mitchell made special appearances via Zoom. Farai Chideya, former Wmc President Carol Jenkins, and Wmc Board Member Erica González Martínez made appearances at the gala.
The Women’s Media Center opened the Women’s Media Awards with a special Wmc Solidarity...
- 11/21/2022
- Look to the Stars
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Ahed’s Knee (Nadav Lapid)
It’s always interesting, at the beginning of any Nadav Lapid film, to note the myriad Israeli institutions that have backed the project. Since Emile’s Girlfriend (2006), Lapid’s work has sought to make sense of Israeli society—his criticisms a byproduct of attempting to articulate the confusion and warring arguments in his own head. Having won Berlin’s Golden Bear with Synonyms in 2019, Lapid could claim to be the most renowned Israeli filmmaker of his generation. That his work is at risk of falling afoul of that same state speaks volumes about the country’s ever-increasing authoritarianism as a whole. Further confirmation of that renown came with news that his latest would compete for the Palme...
Ahed’s Knee (Nadav Lapid)
It’s always interesting, at the beginning of any Nadav Lapid film, to note the myriad Israeli institutions that have backed the project. Since Emile’s Girlfriend (2006), Lapid’s work has sought to make sense of Israeli society—his criticisms a byproduct of attempting to articulate the confusion and warring arguments in his own head. Having won Berlin’s Golden Bear with Synonyms in 2019, Lapid could claim to be the most renowned Israeli filmmaker of his generation. That his work is at risk of falling afoul of that same state speaks volumes about the country’s ever-increasing authoritarianism as a whole. Further confirmation of that renown came with news that his latest would compete for the Palme...
- 5/6/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
America has officially celebrated Women’s History month since the 1980s when a feminist surge for equal job opportunities and education blossomed out of local celebrations and the International Women’s Day holiday, as well as Women’s History Week. And for the entire month of March, the streaming service HBO Max is celebrating Women’s History Month with programming devoted entirely to stories about women.
HBO Max is stacked with movies and shows that show complex female leads, and along with their spotlight page offerings, HBO is offering a first ever in-app trivia experience to celebrate the event. The HBO Max Women’s History Month Trivia tray allows fans to discover entertainment milestones that all involve women. To reveal the answer, viewers can simply click or tap the tile.
HBO Max has curated a list of films, TV shows and documentaries that reflect empowering and challenging female characters, overlooked and underrated performances,...
HBO Max is stacked with movies and shows that show complex female leads, and along with their spotlight page offerings, HBO is offering a first ever in-app trivia experience to celebrate the event. The HBO Max Women’s History Month Trivia tray allows fans to discover entertainment milestones that all involve women. To reveal the answer, viewers can simply click or tap the tile.
HBO Max has curated a list of films, TV shows and documentaries that reflect empowering and challenging female characters, overlooked and underrated performances,...
- 3/2/2022
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
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Whether it’s romantic dramas, war stories, action films, dark comedies, or illuminating the stories of marginalized women and girls, there’s no denying that female directors have shown their cinematic range. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done in widening opportunities, and completely shattering the glass ceiling, but female directors continue to make strides that have shifted the landscape.
The last three years have seen an uptick in women director’s helming box-office hits, and the numbers continue to increase. Despite the start of the global pandemic that crippled the movie theater industry but boosted the streaming world, 16 percent of the top 100 films in 2020 were directed by women.
Whether it’s romantic dramas, war stories, action films, dark comedies, or illuminating the stories of marginalized women and girls, there’s no denying that female directors have shown their cinematic range. Of course, there’s still a lot of work to be done in widening opportunities, and completely shattering the glass ceiling, but female directors continue to make strides that have shifted the landscape.
The last three years have seen an uptick in women director’s helming box-office hits, and the numbers continue to increase. Despite the start of the global pandemic that crippled the movie theater industry but boosted the streaming world, 16 percent of the top 100 films in 2020 were directed by women.
- 3/8/2021
- by Latifah Muhammad
- Indiewire
Smooth Talk. Courtesy of Janus Films/PhotofestThe new retrospective at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (Bam), "Punks, Poets, and Valley Girls" offers such an abundance of stylistic and narrative through-lines that it’s hard to distill them. This is partly the point of the Bam programmer Jesse Trussell: that if you forego focusing on commonly consecrated auteurs, suddenly the 1980s yield not a dearth or a trickle but rather a flood of films by women. If there’s one thing to be said about these films it’s that their sexual and identity politics are as rich as you’d expect them to be—from L.A Rebellion films, by filmmakers such as Monona Wali, that address communal demands for justice, to the feminist films of Lizzie Borden and Donna Deitch, to the quieter, more ambiguous works, such as Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk (1985), an assured debut, and a lean,...
- 8/7/2019
- MUBI
CNN premiered the first episode in Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman’s six-part summer series “The Movies” Sunday night, 84 minutes devoted to the 1980s. Subsequent installments cover the 90s and post-2000 and then turn back to the 70s, 60s, and the bulk of core film history — 1930-1950 — crammed into the finale. Silent film, it seems, was not worth a mention.
First of all, this series is not targeted at erudite cinephiles who know their film history. Any self-respecting TCM watcher is too sophisticated for this breezy look at “The Movies.” Clearly the producers are trying to draw younger audiences who might be vaguely familiar with some of the movies here, from Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” to Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull.” (Both directors are on hand to comment.) Snobby old Hollywood lovers sometimes forget that for today’s 18-year-old film fan devouring classic films made before they were born,...
First of all, this series is not targeted at erudite cinephiles who know their film history. Any self-respecting TCM watcher is too sophisticated for this breezy look at “The Movies.” Clearly the producers are trying to draw younger audiences who might be vaguely familiar with some of the movies here, from Steven Spielberg’s “E.T.” to Martin Scorsese’s “Raging Bull.” (Both directors are on hand to comment.) Snobby old Hollywood lovers sometimes forget that for today’s 18-year-old film fan devouring classic films made before they were born,...
- 7/10/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
In the summer, Outfest celebrates the latest Lgbtq movies and short films in downtown L.A. During the fall, the non-profit organization turns its attention to legacy: It honors key entertainment figures working today, while raising money to help ensure that past landmark Lgbtq movies do not vanish before our eyes.
The annual Outfest Legacy Awards serve as the key fundraiser for Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, a preservation initiative in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive. UCLA’s archive contains more than 40,000 Lgbtq pieces — from fiction to nonfiction films, home movies and news reports. Among the project’s restored films: “Different From the Others,” the earliest known movie with a gay protagonist.
The German silent feature from 1919 was nearly destroyed by the Nazis, who objected to the story about two male musicians whose love is threatened by blackmail. Within a year of its release, the movie was banned from public...
The annual Outfest Legacy Awards serve as the key fundraiser for Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, a preservation initiative in conjunction with UCLA Film & Television Archive. UCLA’s archive contains more than 40,000 Lgbtq pieces — from fiction to nonfiction films, home movies and news reports. Among the project’s restored films: “Different From the Others,” the earliest known movie with a gay protagonist.
The German silent feature from 1919 was nearly destroyed by the Nazis, who objected to the story about two male musicians whose love is threatened by blackmail. Within a year of its release, the movie was banned from public...
- 10/26/2018
- by Matthew Carey
- Variety Film + TV
The first installment of Infinite Fest, a monthly column by festival programmer and film critic Eric Allen Hatch, author of the recent “Why I Am Hopeful” article for Filmmaker Magazine, tackling the state of cinema as expressed by North American film festivalsIllustration by Alice Meteignier.The first film festival I ever attended was the Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) in 1998. I was there, improbably, as a bonus from my retail job as a manager at Video Americain, Baltimore’s late, great rental shop immortalized in John Waters’ Serial Mom. With me was the manager of another Video Americain location, Sean Williams (perhaps now better known as the cinematographer of films like Queen of Earth and Good Time). It was a whirlwind trip on a tight budget: a frighteningly compact puddle-jumper from Delaware to Buffalo; a rental-car jaunt across the border; two days, one night in Toronto.I was young, glum,...
- 8/13/2018
- MUBI
As impressive a directorial debut as it is a cinematic landmark, Donna Deitch’s 1985 masterpiece Desert Hearts joins the ranks of the Criterion Collection as not only one of the few pieces of queer content to ascend to its ranks, but also one of the few lesbian narratives to be directed by a woman.
Continue reading...
Continue reading...
- 12/19/2017
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
For my final home video column of the year, I’d like to round up the most interesting and enjoyable Blu-ray and DVD titles I’ve encountered in recent months — not necessarily a “ten best” list, but a compendium of highly recommended releases that rank among 2017’s home viewing highlights (and that make great gifts for cinephiles as the holiday shopping season approaches). Here goes: Desert Hearts. Director Donna Deitch embarked on her narrative feature debut with a simple goal — to tell a love story between two women that didn’t end with either of them dying or in a bisexual […]...
- 11/24/2017
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
A woman arrives in Reno by train and will leave the same way, with one seismic difference: she has met and fallen in love with Cay (Patricia Charbonneau), a local artist and resident free-spirit. The year is 1959, and Vivian (Helen Shaver) is in Reno to get divorced. (In 1959, did people always have to go to Reno to get divorced?) She's an academic leaving a loveless, functional marriage. The idea of falling for a woman has never entered her wildest speculations. Modern audiences will inevitably connect Donna Deitch's 1985 independent film, Desert Hearts, with Todd Haynes' masterpiece of twenty years later, Carol. Both are set in the 1950s and feature older/younger relationships forming between an experienced woman and a woman only beginning to discover...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/20/2017
- Screen Anarchy
By 1985 Hollywood had still only dabbled in movies about the ‘shame that cannot speak its name,’ and in every case the verdict for the transgressors was regret and misery, if not death. Donna Deitch’s brilliant drama achieves exactly what she wanted, to do make a movie about a lesbian relationship that doesn’t end in a tragedy.
Desert Hearts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 902
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Film Editor: Robert Estrin
Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall
Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule
Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch
Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...
Desert Hearts
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 902
1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.
Cinematography: Robert Elswit
Film Editor: Robert Estrin
Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall
Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule
Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch
Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...
- 11/7/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In a career that began with “sex lies and videotape” in 1989, “Logan Lucky” is Steven Soderbergh’s 26th theatrical release. It will extend his record as the top-grossing American director to come out of the independent scene in its formative years — a period we’ll define as 1975 (Joan Micklin Silver’s “Hester Street”) through 1992 (Quentin Tarantino’s debut, “Reservoir Dogs”).
To be clear, Soderbergh’s an outlier; his billion-dollar box office dwarfs every other indie filmmaker. However, looking at the performance of his contemporaries who got their start in that indie film movement, you may be surprised at who’s on the list. (Note: “Outside wide release” means less than 1,000 screens. Also, the list doesn’t include directors like Sam Raimi and Abel Ferrara, who have independent roots but were not discovered via the film festival/arthouse pathway, or Alan Rudolph, another significant ’80s figure; he started in horror films in the early ’70s.
To be clear, Soderbergh’s an outlier; his billion-dollar box office dwarfs every other indie filmmaker. However, looking at the performance of his contemporaries who got their start in that indie film movement, you may be surprised at who’s on the list. (Note: “Outside wide release” means less than 1,000 screens. Also, the list doesn’t include directors like Sam Raimi and Abel Ferrara, who have independent roots but were not discovered via the film festival/arthouse pathway, or Alan Rudolph, another significant ’80s figure; he started in horror films in the early ’70s.
- 8/19/2017
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
November over at The Criterion Collection may look a smidge slim, offering up just four new titles, but each new addition to the collection is a seminal selection well-deserving of the Criterion treatment. Of most interest, however, is Donna Deitch’s feature debut “Desert Hearts,” a seminal lesbian drama that’s been going through something of a resurgence as of late, thanks to last year’s 30th anniversary and a continued adoration for its forward-thinking subject matter.
As we recently explored, in the early ’80s, Deitch was a film school grad with only docs under her belt, eager to make a different kind of feature about lesbians in love, and “without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become...
As we recently explored, in the early ’80s, Deitch was a film school grad with only docs under her belt, eager to make a different kind of feature about lesbians in love, and “without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become...
- 8/16/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
For every cult classic like Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me or stone cold classic like Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon, the folks at Janus and The Criterion Collection decide to use their platform to shine a light on some of film’s most interesting unsung gems. Be it from the early days of African cinema, the Romanian New Wave or even American indie cinema of the ‘80s and ‘90s, some of Janus and Criterion’s most interesting theatrical and home video releases are the ones that seemingly come out of nowhere.
Take, for example, Desert Hearts. From director Donna Deitch, Hearts tells the story of Vivian, a conservative, buttoned up English professor caught in the middle of late ‘50s Reno and a going-nowhere marriage. In the midst of a divorce Vivian meets Cay, a gorgeous and vibrant woman who helps not only open Vivian’s eyes to herself but to the world around her.
Take, for example, Desert Hearts. From director Donna Deitch, Hearts tells the story of Vivian, a conservative, buttoned up English professor caught in the middle of late ‘50s Reno and a going-nowhere marriage. In the midst of a divorce Vivian meets Cay, a gorgeous and vibrant woman who helps not only open Vivian’s eyes to herself but to the world around her.
- 7/20/2017
- by Joshua Brunsting
- CriterionCast
In the early ’80s, Donna Deitch was a recent film school grad with no feature credits looking make a lesbian romance — one that didn’t end with killing its heroines. Without the help of Kickstarter or industry backing, she launched an unorthodox grassroots campaign that eventually gained the support of Gloria Steinem, Lily Tomlin, and Stockard Channing. The result was a hit at Sundance in 1986 that went on to become a groundbreaking lesbian classic that still resonates today.
Read More‘Desert Hearts’ Trailer: Donna Deitch’s Groundbreaking Lesbian Classic Restored — Watch
Adapted by Natalie Cooper from the 1964 Jane Rule novel “Desert of the Heart,” Deitch’s 1985 film is a poignant romance set in 1959, when straitlaced Columbia professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives at a ranch in Reno, Nev. to get a divorce (the only place one could at that time). She meets the rancher’s daughter, Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), an open and self-assured lesbian,...
Read More‘Desert Hearts’ Trailer: Donna Deitch’s Groundbreaking Lesbian Classic Restored — Watch
Adapted by Natalie Cooper from the 1964 Jane Rule novel “Desert of the Heart,” Deitch’s 1985 film is a poignant romance set in 1959, when straitlaced Columbia professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) arrives at a ranch in Reno, Nev. to get a divorce (the only place one could at that time). She meets the rancher’s daughter, Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), an open and self-assured lesbian,...
- 7/20/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Set in 1959 and released in 1986, “Desert Hearts” is utterly timeless. Not only was Donna Deitch’s groundbreaking film directed and produced by a woman, but it was the first film to show two women have a romance onscreen that didn’t result in their deaths. A little over thirty years since its Sundance debut, Deitch’s classic is getting a beautiful 4k restoration and anniversary theatrical run — complete with this brand new trailer and poster.
Adapted from a novel by Jane Rule, “Desert Hearts” chronicles straitlaced English professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) who arrives in Reno to finalize her divorce. Hoping for a little peace and quiet, her world is turned upside down by the firecracker Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau). Ten years younger and not afraid to go after what she wants, Cay’s blows the lid off of Vivian’s carefully cultivated world at full speed.
The period details...
Adapted from a novel by Jane Rule, “Desert Hearts” chronicles straitlaced English professor Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver) who arrives in Reno to finalize her divorce. Hoping for a little peace and quiet, her world is turned upside down by the firecracker Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau). Ten years younger and not afraid to go after what she wants, Cay’s blows the lid off of Vivian’s carefully cultivated world at full speed.
The period details...
- 7/14/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It’s almost time to get your Q on, St. Louis!!
The 10h Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs March 29th – April 2nd at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103)
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of films from filmmakers that represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
All screenings at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103). Individual tickets are $13 for general admission, $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members with valid and current photo IDs.
Advance tickets may be purchased at the Hi-Pointe Backlot box office or website. For more info, visit the Cinema St. Louis site Here
http://www.
The 10h Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs March 29th – April 2nd at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103)
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of films from filmmakers that represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
All screenings at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103). Individual tickets are $13 for general admission, $10 for students and Cinema St. Louis members with valid and current photo IDs.
Advance tickets may be purchased at the Hi-Pointe Backlot box office or website. For more info, visit the Cinema St. Louis site Here
http://www.
- 3/16/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 2017 Sundance Film Festival may already have announced their premieres, Spotlights, Competition and Next lineup, among other films and installations, but there’s four more features joining the festival.
Sundance Institute has added two Documentary Premieres and two archive From The Film Collection movies to next year’s lineup. The two documentaries are “Bending the Arc” and “Long Strange Trip,” with the archive films being “Desert Hearts” and “Reservoir Dogs,” which premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. The 25th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s classic will be followed by an extended Q&A with Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender.
Read More: Sundance 2017: The Lineup So Far
The archive films are selections from the the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute, established in 1997. With these additions, the festival will present 118 feature-length films, which represent 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers. For...
Sundance Institute has added two Documentary Premieres and two archive From The Film Collection movies to next year’s lineup. The two documentaries are “Bending the Arc” and “Long Strange Trip,” with the archive films being “Desert Hearts” and “Reservoir Dogs,” which premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. The 25th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s classic will be followed by an extended Q&A with Tarantino and producer Lawrence Bender.
Read More: Sundance 2017: The Lineup So Far
The archive films are selections from the the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute, established in 1997. With these additions, the festival will present 118 feature-length films, which represent 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers. For...
- 12/14/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Festival brass on Wednesday added two Documentary Premieres as well as a pair of favourites from the vaults – Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs.
Documentary Premieres are Haitian activism story Bending The Arc from Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos, and Long Strange Trip, about The Grateful Dead, from Happy Valley and The Tillman Story director Amir Bar-Lev.
Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs producer Lawrence Bender will participate in a post-screening Q&A.
The archive films are selections from the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute established in 1997 that has grown to more than 4,000 holdings representing close to 2,300 titles.
The four additions boost the 2017 roster to 118 feature films representing 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers, including 20 in competition.
Entries were selected from 13,782 submissions including 4,068 features and 8,985 shorts. Of the feature submissions, 2,005 were from the Us and 2,063 were international. One hundred...
Documentary Premieres are Haitian activism story Bending The Arc from Kief Davidson and Pedro Kos, and Long Strange Trip, about The Grateful Dead, from Happy Valley and The Tillman Story director Amir Bar-Lev.
Desert Hearts and Reservoir Dogs premiered at Sundance in 1986 and 1992, respectively. Quentin Tarantino and Reservoir Dogs producer Lawrence Bender will participate in a post-screening Q&A.
The archive films are selections from the Sundance Institute Collection at UCLA, a joint venture between UCLA Film & Television Archive and Sundance Institute established in 1997 that has grown to more than 4,000 holdings representing close to 2,300 titles.
The four additions boost the 2017 roster to 118 feature films representing 32 countries and 37 first-time filmmakers, including 20 in competition.
Entries were selected from 13,782 submissions including 4,068 features and 8,985 shorts. Of the feature submissions, 2,005 were from the Us and 2,063 were international. One hundred...
- 12/14/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Lgbt festival also sees industry and filmmaker delegate numbers double.
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has reported a 9% audience boost for its 30th anniversary edition, which closed on Sunday with a gala screening of Catherine Corsini’s French lesbian drama Summertime.
Audiences at all events and screenings over the 11-day festival totalled 25,623 – up on the 23,500 recorded in 2015.
This year’s festival also saw a boost in industry numbers with 168 visiting filmmakers and more than 300 press and industry delegates – up on the 120 filmmakers and 200+ industry that attended last year.
This was due to an expanded industry offering that included daily press screenings, alongside talks with an Lgbt focus on development, production and distribution with speakers including Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and new series The Makers, with key international filmmakers Silas Howard (Transparent), Fenton Bailey (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures), and Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts).
Expanding vision
Clare Stewart, head of festivals...
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has reported a 9% audience boost for its 30th anniversary edition, which closed on Sunday with a gala screening of Catherine Corsini’s French lesbian drama Summertime.
Audiences at all events and screenings over the 11-day festival totalled 25,623 – up on the 23,500 recorded in 2015.
This year’s festival also saw a boost in industry numbers with 168 visiting filmmakers and more than 300 press and industry delegates – up on the 120 filmmakers and 200+ industry that attended last year.
This was due to an expanded industry offering that included daily press screenings, alongside talks with an Lgbt focus on development, production and distribution with speakers including Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and new series The Makers, with key international filmmakers Silas Howard (Transparent), Fenton Bailey (Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures), and Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts).
Expanding vision
Clare Stewart, head of festivals...
- 3/30/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Lgbt festival will feature more than 50 features in its 30th anniversary year; Catherine Corsini’s Summertime [pictured] revealed as closing night film.
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has revealed the line-up for its 30th anniversary edition.
The festival will feature more than 50 features and 100 shorts this year, as well as a series of events and an expanded industry programme.
The film programme will be split into three programmes - Hearts, Bodies and Minds - which will highlight three distinct themes: Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, transgender representation, and Queer Science and new technology.
The first of those, Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, will feature titles including Tomer and Barak Heymann’s documentary Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?, Andrew Stegall’s Departure, and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures.
The second strand, Transgender representation on screen, will feature...
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival (March 16-27) has revealed the line-up for its 30th anniversary edition.
The festival will feature more than 50 features and 100 shorts this year, as well as a series of events and an expanded industry programme.
The film programme will be split into three programmes - Hearts, Bodies and Minds - which will highlight three distinct themes: Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, transgender representation, and Queer Science and new technology.
The first of those, Lgbt content in British film and new British talent, will feature titles including Tomer and Barak Heymann’s documentary Who’s Gonna Love Me Now?, Andrew Stegall’s Departure, and Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato’s Mapplethorpe: Look At The Pictures.
The second strand, Transgender representation on screen, will feature...
- 2/18/2016
- ScreenDaily
Team Film Experience isn't at Sundance this year, so instead we're going back through the years to discover and revisit some Sundance classics. Here is Glenn with the 1986 winner of the Special Jury Prize, Donna Deitch's Desert Hearts.
It was a happy accident that on a whim I picked the 1985 drama Desert Hearts to write about today given we’re still very much wrapped up in the warm bosom of Carol. I had not seen Donna Deitch’s film before and had no idea prior to sitting down to watch it that it shared so much in common with Carol, 30 years its senior. I was aware of course that it was a lesbian romance, and I was also aware that the film is (famously) regarded as the first film to allow a lesbian romance to end without tragedy. Still, there were moments where beat-for-beat the films are almost identical.
It was a happy accident that on a whim I picked the 1985 drama Desert Hearts to write about today given we’re still very much wrapped up in the warm bosom of Carol. I had not seen Donna Deitch’s film before and had no idea prior to sitting down to watch it that it shared so much in common with Carol, 30 years its senior. I was aware of course that it was a lesbian romance, and I was also aware that the film is (famously) regarded as the first film to allow a lesbian romance to end without tragedy. Still, there were moments where beat-for-beat the films are almost identical.
- 1/21/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
L.A.'s oldest film festival, Outfest, will open its 31st annual Lgbt film fest on July 11 with writer-director Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s “C.O.G.,” the first film adaptation of David Sedaris’s work, which stars Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Corey Stoll, and Dean Stockwell. Outfest will be held July 11 – 21, 2013. That same night at the Orpheum Theatre, Outfest will also present its 17th annual Achievement Award to writer/director Kimberly Peirce (“Boys Don’t Cry,” “Stop-Loss,” “Carrie”). The Achievement Award is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to Lgbt film and media. Outfest has previously given this award to John Waters, Jane Lynch, Bill Condon, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, Don Roos, Donna Deitch, Kenneth Anger, Greg Araki, Todd Haynes, Jane Anderson, Christine Vachon, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Freidman, Gus Van Sant, Ian McKellen, John Schlesinger, and Strand Releasing. The complete lineup for Outfest 2013 will be announced.
- 5/18/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This Berlin flew by! A good overview is that of Screen Daily and if we're lucky, you can read it here without subscribing. My own activities flowed from two sources:
1) Education: I taught and led tours of the market for Berlinale's Talent Campus Meet the Experts, for Deutsche Welle Akademie Film Festival Workshop, and for Ina Sup, a TV, film and new media school based in France and linked to the French National Audiovisual Institute (Ina). This is the most rewarding work, seeing what talent is coming up in our world, seeing ideas take hold as the students learn about the market.
2) Our Consulting: Another pillar of our company, aside from blogging and professional education, is strategic planning with filmmakers. This Berlinale was very intense and very energizing for my partner Peter Belsito and me, with Beyond the Moonwalk having found a berth for international sales representation with Steve Arroyave's Arrow Entertainment and a U.S. distribution commitment, and more actively involving, with Donna Deitch's The Catcher, where a series of meetings with top German and Canadian producers and sales agents gave the project the momentum of a race horse bound for first place!
What follows are my impressions of various other Berlin events as they passed by -- ever so quickly -- but still with enough eye-catching power to capture my attention in the first place.
I was happy to see Jeff Lipsky and Adopt Films' co-managing executive Tim Grady cleaning up with 3 acquisitions; no time to waste anymore as the third Bingham Ray memorial pointed out to those who have the mind to realize the message. Sister (L'enfant d'en haut) by Ursula Maier (Isa: Memento, Swiss rights with FilmCoopi), I hear is A+, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Cesare deve morire) (Isa: Rai Trade) won the Golden Bear, and Chris Petzold's Barbara, all in Competition.
American indie works-in-progress have been granted a second chance to screen for European indie distributors (EuropaDistribution) at the upcoming Paris Film Festival in June. I have been invited to be on the jury of "U.S. in Progress" and am thrilled at the prospect. I was honored to have been invited to be on the jury in Wroclaw at the American Film Festival in November as well, for the first edition of this chance for U.S. filmmakers to win post-production and cash prizes. This is where the film Now, Forager was picked up by fledgling international sales agent, the only international sales agent in Poland, New Europe Sales founded by Jan Naszewski [jnaszewski At gmail.com] and Anja Sosic [anja At NewEuropeFilmSales.com]. The film went on to screen at Rotterdam Film Festival. Even hotter news will be forthcoming from Moma and The New York Film Society's New Directors/ New Films about one of the films at the Aff's "U.S. in Progress". If you missed it in Poland you will be able to see it in New York this April!
I was lucky to see two films during the market and after the market closed, this last Saturday and Sunday, when I caught some more films I was unable to see earlier due to my "real" work. Of the films I saw here in Berlin, here are my unique :) comments for what they're worth.
Children of Srikandi (Panorama) is a very personal account by a female filmmaker collective in Indonesia on what it means to be a lesbian in their society. The sweet intimacy of the film overrides its non-professional veneer (the "filmmakers" were all non-professionals). In fact, this could serve as a template for other non-professionals who want to tell their stories. Schools come to mind as possible candidates for this sort of filmmaking, as does my own pet project, The Literacy Project. The Indonesian contingent here in Berlin was interesting and sociable as they met their audience and fans. They were hosted by Berlin based producers Laura Coppens who is a doctorate student in ethnological studies in Zurich and Angelika Levi, doc filmmaker (My Life, Part 2 about growing up Jewish in Berlin).
Bergman & Magnani: The War of the Volcanos. This invitation-only work in progress with Wide House uses a unique way to show the emotion filled and the biggest jet-set love scandal of all times, the story of Roberto Rossellini, Anna Magnani and Ingrid Bergman as Rosellini and the volcanic Anna Magnani ended their relationship after making Volcano (1950) and the married Ingrid Bergman and Rossellini began theirs with the filming of Stromboli (1950), the name of the second volcano on this Aeolian Island which has been in almost continuous eruption for 2,000 years. The visuals of their stories are illustrated entirely with the scenes from movies starring them as they enact the real life emotions and the commentary of the doc. I am most interested to see how well this technique succeeds.
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Isa: Rai Trade) is a moving illustration of the transformative power of art as hardened criminals in an Italian prison rehearse and perform Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The the 80 + year old Brothers Taviani deserve recognition for their artistic excellence. I can't argue with Mike Leigh and the jury's judgement except that on my emotional meter, Rebelle (War Witch) was the real winner.
Rebelle (War Witch) by Kim Nguyen (Isa: Films Distribution) should have won the Golden Bear. The Silver Bear for Best Actress was awarded to Rachel Mwanza, but this film is so deeply moving on the most primal levels, maintaining its African roots while touching our most sensitive emotions of parents, love, rape, pregnancy and infants as they are experienced by a female child soldier from ages 12 to 14. It should also win Best Foreign Language Film in next year's Academy Awards. Produced by the industry vets Marie-Claude Poulin and Pierre Even, it is yet another feather in the cap of the the Canadian film industry.
Dieter Kosslick observed that with 15 Competition titles confirmed at the time Screen International interviewed him, “both thematically and geographically, we have many films coming this year from Asia, and particularly China and Indonesia. There is also an interesting focus on France this year, beginning with the opening film Farewell My Queen (Les adieux a la reine) (Isa: Elle Driver) and going through all of the festival’s sections. Moreover, we have two French jury members [Francois Ozon and Charlotte Gainsbourg] in the International Jury.“ Eight titles selected to date have German majority or minority participation, so German filmmakers and (co-)producers will again enjoy a record presence in the Competition on a par with 2011’s tally of eight films involving German directors or German production partners." He also notes Competition films' trending toward "times of upheaval and new departures... with many films coming from Africa and Arab countries". My observation of the 23 Competition films finally selected is that the nostalgic look back at European aristocracy and top social tiers (A Royal Affair, Bel Ami, Farewell My Queen) and its mores stands in stark contrast to today's upheavals of families and children (Childish Games, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Postcards from the Zoo, Just the Wind, Mercy, Shadow Dancer, Sister, Rebelle, Home for the Weekend, Jayne Mansfield's Car, Coming Home). Seven other films continue the theme of social upheavals: Tey - which deal with childhood memories of Senegal experienced by an American, Captive about Phillipine hostages, Barbara an Eastern German looking to move to the West, Caesar Must Die about prisoners finding art in their sequestered lives, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate about upheavel during the Ming Dynasty, White Deer Plain about upheavel towards the end of Imperial China, The Flowers of War about the upheavel of China by the Japanese in World War II. The exceptions, Tabu and Meteora, deal with love, the Saving Grace.
Two major disappointments were Steven Soderberg's Haywire (Isa: Mandate) and Stephen Elliott's Cherry. Both about women, they left me puzzled with what the plot was about. Pretty, well done and negligible.
This Berlin Diary Part 2 will continue after I work on my new and soon-to-be launched website! I have spent an entire day on this blog and I still have much more to write!
1) Education: I taught and led tours of the market for Berlinale's Talent Campus Meet the Experts, for Deutsche Welle Akademie Film Festival Workshop, and for Ina Sup, a TV, film and new media school based in France and linked to the French National Audiovisual Institute (Ina). This is the most rewarding work, seeing what talent is coming up in our world, seeing ideas take hold as the students learn about the market.
2) Our Consulting: Another pillar of our company, aside from blogging and professional education, is strategic planning with filmmakers. This Berlinale was very intense and very energizing for my partner Peter Belsito and me, with Beyond the Moonwalk having found a berth for international sales representation with Steve Arroyave's Arrow Entertainment and a U.S. distribution commitment, and more actively involving, with Donna Deitch's The Catcher, where a series of meetings with top German and Canadian producers and sales agents gave the project the momentum of a race horse bound for first place!
What follows are my impressions of various other Berlin events as they passed by -- ever so quickly -- but still with enough eye-catching power to capture my attention in the first place.
I was happy to see Jeff Lipsky and Adopt Films' co-managing executive Tim Grady cleaning up with 3 acquisitions; no time to waste anymore as the third Bingham Ray memorial pointed out to those who have the mind to realize the message. Sister (L'enfant d'en haut) by Ursula Maier (Isa: Memento, Swiss rights with FilmCoopi), I hear is A+, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Cesare deve morire) (Isa: Rai Trade) won the Golden Bear, and Chris Petzold's Barbara, all in Competition.
American indie works-in-progress have been granted a second chance to screen for European indie distributors (EuropaDistribution) at the upcoming Paris Film Festival in June. I have been invited to be on the jury of "U.S. in Progress" and am thrilled at the prospect. I was honored to have been invited to be on the jury in Wroclaw at the American Film Festival in November as well, for the first edition of this chance for U.S. filmmakers to win post-production and cash prizes. This is where the film Now, Forager was picked up by fledgling international sales agent, the only international sales agent in Poland, New Europe Sales founded by Jan Naszewski [jnaszewski At gmail.com] and Anja Sosic [anja At NewEuropeFilmSales.com]. The film went on to screen at Rotterdam Film Festival. Even hotter news will be forthcoming from Moma and The New York Film Society's New Directors/ New Films about one of the films at the Aff's "U.S. in Progress". If you missed it in Poland you will be able to see it in New York this April!
I was lucky to see two films during the market and after the market closed, this last Saturday and Sunday, when I caught some more films I was unable to see earlier due to my "real" work. Of the films I saw here in Berlin, here are my unique :) comments for what they're worth.
Children of Srikandi (Panorama) is a very personal account by a female filmmaker collective in Indonesia on what it means to be a lesbian in their society. The sweet intimacy of the film overrides its non-professional veneer (the "filmmakers" were all non-professionals). In fact, this could serve as a template for other non-professionals who want to tell their stories. Schools come to mind as possible candidates for this sort of filmmaking, as does my own pet project, The Literacy Project. The Indonesian contingent here in Berlin was interesting and sociable as they met their audience and fans. They were hosted by Berlin based producers Laura Coppens who is a doctorate student in ethnological studies in Zurich and Angelika Levi, doc filmmaker (My Life, Part 2 about growing up Jewish in Berlin).
Bergman & Magnani: The War of the Volcanos. This invitation-only work in progress with Wide House uses a unique way to show the emotion filled and the biggest jet-set love scandal of all times, the story of Roberto Rossellini, Anna Magnani and Ingrid Bergman as Rosellini and the volcanic Anna Magnani ended their relationship after making Volcano (1950) and the married Ingrid Bergman and Rossellini began theirs with the filming of Stromboli (1950), the name of the second volcano on this Aeolian Island which has been in almost continuous eruption for 2,000 years. The visuals of their stories are illustrated entirely with the scenes from movies starring them as they enact the real life emotions and the commentary of the doc. I am most interested to see how well this technique succeeds.
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani's Caesar Must Die (Isa: Rai Trade) is a moving illustration of the transformative power of art as hardened criminals in an Italian prison rehearse and perform Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The the 80 + year old Brothers Taviani deserve recognition for their artistic excellence. I can't argue with Mike Leigh and the jury's judgement except that on my emotional meter, Rebelle (War Witch) was the real winner.
Rebelle (War Witch) by Kim Nguyen (Isa: Films Distribution) should have won the Golden Bear. The Silver Bear for Best Actress was awarded to Rachel Mwanza, but this film is so deeply moving on the most primal levels, maintaining its African roots while touching our most sensitive emotions of parents, love, rape, pregnancy and infants as they are experienced by a female child soldier from ages 12 to 14. It should also win Best Foreign Language Film in next year's Academy Awards. Produced by the industry vets Marie-Claude Poulin and Pierre Even, it is yet another feather in the cap of the the Canadian film industry.
Dieter Kosslick observed that with 15 Competition titles confirmed at the time Screen International interviewed him, “both thematically and geographically, we have many films coming this year from Asia, and particularly China and Indonesia. There is also an interesting focus on France this year, beginning with the opening film Farewell My Queen (Les adieux a la reine) (Isa: Elle Driver) and going through all of the festival’s sections. Moreover, we have two French jury members [Francois Ozon and Charlotte Gainsbourg] in the International Jury.“ Eight titles selected to date have German majority or minority participation, so German filmmakers and (co-)producers will again enjoy a record presence in the Competition on a par with 2011’s tally of eight films involving German directors or German production partners." He also notes Competition films' trending toward "times of upheaval and new departures... with many films coming from Africa and Arab countries". My observation of the 23 Competition films finally selected is that the nostalgic look back at European aristocracy and top social tiers (A Royal Affair, Bel Ami, Farewell My Queen) and its mores stands in stark contrast to today's upheavals of families and children (Childish Games, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Postcards from the Zoo, Just the Wind, Mercy, Shadow Dancer, Sister, Rebelle, Home for the Weekend, Jayne Mansfield's Car, Coming Home). Seven other films continue the theme of social upheavals: Tey - which deal with childhood memories of Senegal experienced by an American, Captive about Phillipine hostages, Barbara an Eastern German looking to move to the West, Caesar Must Die about prisoners finding art in their sequestered lives, Flying Swords of Dragon Gate about upheavel during the Ming Dynasty, White Deer Plain about upheavel towards the end of Imperial China, The Flowers of War about the upheavel of China by the Japanese in World War II. The exceptions, Tabu and Meteora, deal with love, the Saving Grace.
Two major disappointments were Steven Soderberg's Haywire (Isa: Mandate) and Stephen Elliott's Cherry. Both about women, they left me puzzled with what the plot was about. Pretty, well done and negligible.
This Berlin Diary Part 2 will continue after I work on my new and soon-to-be launched website! I have spent an entire day on this blog and I still have much more to write!
- 3/10/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
In 1989, Donna Deitch directed the made for TV movie "The Women of Brewster Place" starring and produced by Oprah Winfrey, which was based on Gloria Naylor’s 1982 novel of the same name.
The film featured an all-star cast and included two lesbian characters played by Lonette McKee (Lorraine) and Paula Kelly (Theresa). The couple flees their middle-class suburban neighborhood due to their sexuality and makes Brewster Place their new home. However, they soon find they're facing the same issues that they faced while living in their previous residence.
Though McKee and Kelly’s characters were not lead roles, their story was groundbreaking at the time. Over 20 years later, African American lesbian director Dee Rees released her film "Pariah," which tells the coming-out and coming-of-age story of a young black lesbian and garnered Rees many accolades.
In between that 20-year span a handful of black lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (Lgbt...
The film featured an all-star cast and included two lesbian characters played by Lonette McKee (Lorraine) and Paula Kelly (Theresa). The couple flees their middle-class suburban neighborhood due to their sexuality and makes Brewster Place their new home. However, they soon find they're facing the same issues that they faced while living in their previous residence.
Though McKee and Kelly’s characters were not lead roles, their story was groundbreaking at the time. Over 20 years later, African American lesbian director Dee Rees released her film "Pariah," which tells the coming-out and coming-of-age story of a young black lesbian and garnered Rees many accolades.
In between that 20-year span a handful of black lesbian, bisexual, gay and transgender (Lgbt...
- 2/7/2013
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Chicago – The Hollywood Celebrities & Memorabilia Show (now The Hollywood Show) provides a showcase for celebrities to meet their admirers, and get a little insider information about favorite movies and TV series. Lonette McKee (”The Women of Brewster Place”), Patricia Kara (”Deal or No Deal”) and Amber Smith (”Lingerie”) were three actresses who participated in a 2011 show.
HollywoodChicago.com was on hand to interview all three women, and photographer Joe Arce covered the event and provided Exclusive Portraits.
Lonette McKee, “The Cotton Club,” “The Women of Brewster Place,” “Malcolm X”
The multi-expressive and multi-talented Lonette McKee is an actress, screenwriter, director, singer and music composer/songwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and broke out as a child music prodigy at the age of seven. She recorded her first album at 14 years old, and wrote the title track for the film “Quadroon” when she was 15. Stage, screen and TV roles followed,...
HollywoodChicago.com was on hand to interview all three women, and photographer Joe Arce covered the event and provided Exclusive Portraits.
Lonette McKee, “The Cotton Club,” “The Women of Brewster Place,” “Malcolm X”
The multi-expressive and multi-talented Lonette McKee is an actress, screenwriter, director, singer and music composer/songwriter. She was born in Detroit, Michigan, and broke out as a child music prodigy at the age of seven. She recorded her first album at 14 years old, and wrote the title track for the film “Quadroon” when she was 15. Stage, screen and TV roles followed,...
- 2/4/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
October is Lgbt History Month, which means it's a great excuse to celebrate all of the queer women who came before you. Like you could watch tonight's episode of The Playboy Club to see Colbie Callait play Lesley Gore, the '60s pop star who came out as a lesbian years later.
So if you're now saying "Wow, lesbians existed in the '60s!?" you should watch some of these documentaries of people starring as themselves. Here are films you can track down to revel in your Lgbt herstory this month (and forever after).
If you want a love story, watch:
Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement
Two women discuss their relationship that spanned 42 years and the socio-political climate they lived in throughout.
If you want a love story that's also highly political:
No Secret Anymore
This film is not only the story of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon's partnership,...
So if you're now saying "Wow, lesbians existed in the '60s!?" you should watch some of these documentaries of people starring as themselves. Here are films you can track down to revel in your Lgbt herstory this month (and forever after).
If you want a love story, watch:
Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement
Two women discuss their relationship that spanned 42 years and the socio-political climate they lived in throughout.
If you want a love story that's also highly political:
No Secret Anymore
This film is not only the story of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon's partnership,...
- 10/3/2011
- by Trish Bendix
- AfterEllen.com
In the 2006 documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated, lesbian director Jamie Babbit spoke openly about how the MPAA ratings board saw lesbian content in movies as offensive or racy content. To get an R rating on her film, But I'm a Cheerleader, she said she had to cut down the sex scene between Clea Duvall and Natasha Lyonne. For those who have seen the movie, you know there is no nudity and it's mostly some breathing sounds with brief glimpses of hands moving over skin under the blanket in the dark.
Yet you've likely seen much more explicit sex scenes between men and women on film, such as Monster's Ball or 9 1/2 Weeks.
The latest film to be part of a ratings uproar is Blue Valentine, which features Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams having "believable" sex. (Acting sex; not engaging in real sex acts, which does happen on film. See: The Brown Bunny.
Yet you've likely seen much more explicit sex scenes between men and women on film, such as Monster's Ball or 9 1/2 Weeks.
The latest film to be part of a ratings uproar is Blue Valentine, which features Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams having "believable" sex. (Acting sex; not engaging in real sex acts, which does happen on film. See: The Brown Bunny.
- 12/9/2010
- by Trish Bendix
- AfterEllen.com
Before there was Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts) and Cheryl Dunye (Watermelon Woman) there was Barbara Hammer. In 1974, while attending school in UCLA, the young Barbara met a group of women and realized she was both a lesbian and a feminist, something that would influence not only Barbara herself, but generations of women — whether they realize it or not.
1974 is when Barbara put the first lesbian sex scene on film. It was a short, called Dyketatics, and shot close-up in all black and white. It was real sex between two women (Hammer and a friend) and it was controversial, of course. But it helped Barbara realized that capturing lesbian life on screen was part of her ideal life, and she wouldn't stop using her camera and her sexuality to infiltrate the worlds of art and film. Now, she's giving herself to the world of publishing with her new book, Hammer! Making...
1974 is when Barbara put the first lesbian sex scene on film. It was a short, called Dyketatics, and shot close-up in all black and white. It was real sex between two women (Hammer and a friend) and it was controversial, of course. But it helped Barbara realized that capturing lesbian life on screen was part of her ideal life, and she wouldn't stop using her camera and her sexuality to infiltrate the worlds of art and film. Now, she's giving herself to the world of publishing with her new book, Hammer! Making...
- 3/8/2010
- by Trish Bendix
- AfterEllen.com
Grey’s Anatomy just got gayer. Out actress Sarah Paulson has signed on to appear in an upcoming episode as the younger version of Ellis Grey, Meredith’s mother. Joining her will be Angel alum J. August Richards as the young Dr. Richard Webber.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the episode titled “Time Warp” will include flashbacks to 1982 to show the beginnings of years-long affair between Ellis and Richard. The episode will feature flashbacks to younger Bailey (Chandra Wilson) in her “pre-‘Nazi’ days” and Callie (Sara Ramirez) pre-Seattle Grace days. That would also be Callie pre-gay days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Now, I’m happy anytime Sarah Paulson returns to my TV. She was the best thing about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a cast of amazing actors. In particular I hope Sarah can show off a little of her amazing comic timing in the role.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the episode titled “Time Warp” will include flashbacks to 1982 to show the beginnings of years-long affair between Ellis and Richard. The episode will feature flashbacks to younger Bailey (Chandra Wilson) in her “pre-‘Nazi’ days” and Callie (Sara Ramirez) pre-Seattle Grace days. That would also be Callie pre-gay days. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Now, I’m happy anytime Sarah Paulson returns to my TV. She was the best thing about Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip in a cast of amazing actors. In particular I hope Sarah can show off a little of her amazing comic timing in the role.
- 1/21/2010
- by dorothy snarker
- AfterEllen.com
Outfest will present its 13th annual Achievement Award to writer-director Don Roos at the gay and lesbian film festival opening-night screening of "La Mission" on July 9 at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angles.
Roos' screenwriting credits include "Love Field," "Single White Female" and "Boys on the Side," and he's written and directed "The Opposite of Sex," "Bounce" and "Happy Endings."
The award, Outfest's highest honor, is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to Lgbt film and media.
"As a writer, director and producer, Don has had a profound impact on both mainstream and Lgbt audiences and media," said Kirsten Schaffer, Outfest executive director. "Through a perfect combination of dark humor, fresh-yet-familiar characters and biting pop culture sensibility, Don consistently delivers stories that are relevant and entertaining to all. It is for his extraordinary vision, passion and talent that we honor him this year.
Roos' screenwriting credits include "Love Field," "Single White Female" and "Boys on the Side," and he's written and directed "The Opposite of Sex," "Bounce" and "Happy Endings."
The award, Outfest's highest honor, is presented in recognition of a body of work that has made a significant contribution to Lgbt film and media.
"As a writer, director and producer, Don has had a profound impact on both mainstream and Lgbt audiences and media," said Kirsten Schaffer, Outfest executive director. "Through a perfect combination of dark humor, fresh-yet-familiar characters and biting pop culture sensibility, Don consistently delivers stories that are relevant and entertaining to all. It is for his extraordinary vision, passion and talent that we honor him this year.
- 6/22/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Power Up, founded in 2000 to promote the visibility of gay women in the entertainment industry, is going co-ed by adding men to its honorary board of directors.
Joining its honorary board are "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, filmmaker Q. Allan Brocka, producer Bruce Cohen, Indie PR president Jim Dobson, Showtime's Robert Greenblatt, HBO's Michael Lombardo and actor-director Peter Paige.
A nonprofit film production company and educational organization, Power Up develops, finances, produces and distributes Glbtq films and conducts educational programs, consisting of filmmaking classes, workshops and seminars.
"With the current climate, Power Up saw this as a time, more than any other, where our Glbtq community -- women and men -- needs to be unified to help achieve our collective goal of equality, representation and acceptance," said Stacy Codikow, the organization's founder and executive director. "Although our mission was geared to gay women, the reality is that Power Up...
Joining its honorary board are "Milk" screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, filmmaker Q. Allan Brocka, producer Bruce Cohen, Indie PR president Jim Dobson, Showtime's Robert Greenblatt, HBO's Michael Lombardo and actor-director Peter Paige.
A nonprofit film production company and educational organization, Power Up develops, finances, produces and distributes Glbtq films and conducts educational programs, consisting of filmmaking classes, workshops and seminars.
"With the current climate, Power Up saw this as a time, more than any other, where our Glbtq community -- women and men -- needs to be unified to help achieve our collective goal of equality, representation and acceptance," said Stacy Codikow, the organization's founder and executive director. "Although our mission was geared to gay women, the reality is that Power Up...
- 5/26/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Want to know the status of a particular movie, TV show, or band? Wondering what a certain actress is up to these days? Want to know if someone is openly gay? (We won't out anyone, but we'll let you know what they've said publicly.) Send your entertainment-related questions to askafterellen@gmail.com — with your first name, city and country — and we'll try to answer as many as we can.
Question: Is [actress] Clea DuVall a lesbian or has she ever come out and said anything about her sexuality?
— Melissa, Syracuse, New York
Clea DuVall
Answer: The 31-year old actress has never publicly stated her sexual orientation.
She is a favorite among lesbian viewers for her work in several films by out director Jamie Babbit, including But I'm A Cheerleader (1999), Sleeping Beauties (a short film starring Radha Mitchell, of High Art fame), Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), and her role in the HBO film,...
Question: Is [actress] Clea DuVall a lesbian or has she ever come out and said anything about her sexuality?
— Melissa, Syracuse, New York
Clea DuVall
Answer: The 31-year old actress has never publicly stated her sexual orientation.
She is a favorite among lesbian viewers for her work in several films by out director Jamie Babbit, including But I'm A Cheerleader (1999), Sleeping Beauties (a short film starring Radha Mitchell, of High Art fame), Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007), and her role in the HBO film,...
- 1/13/2009
- by karman
- AfterEllen.com
With more than 200 films, 50,000 expected attendees and 26 years of history at its back, Outfest: the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, which kicked off Wednesday night, has reached an age that typically connotes old guard orthodoxy and establishment entrenchment. But if you ask interim executive director Kirsten Schaffer what makes Los Angeles' longest continuously running film festival important, it's all about the newbies.
"The festival is a launching pad for emerging queer filmmakers," Schaffer said. "This is the place to make connections with other filmmakers and industry, and begin to bring their careers to new places."
Because of Outfest's proximity to Hollywood, a certain amount of industry presence is endemic to the festival. However, as director of programming Kimberly Yutani said, the industry crowd is somewhat incidental to the festival's primary draw.
"Outfest is very much an Lgbt community festival," she said. "Yes, there are people in the industry who are gay that come with an eye for talent, but they come as a member of that community."
The festival's neutral attitude toward Tinseltown is perhaps best evinced by its lack of a formal marketplace. As Schaffer said, "A lot of things get bought and sold during Outfest, but we're not the queer Afm."
This aversion to becoming a trade show is essential to the festival's commitment to showcase compelling work. "We're an arts organization, so we're not confined by profit margins," Schaffer said. "We can show movies that mainstream entities aren't dealing with."
That especially applies to Outfest's Platinum section, which focuses on avant-garde and experimental media. This year's Platinum programming pays tribute to underground punk mutineer Bruce Labruce with screenings of his "Super 8 1/2" (1993) and new "Otto; or, Up With Dead People" (Strand Releasing) at Redcat.
This year's highest honor, the Outfest Achievement Award, will go to filmmaker Donna Deitch, whose 1985 "Desert Hearts" made waves for its earnest and positive portrayal of lesbian romance.
Outfest also has selected a small number of "centerpiece" films for Gala screenings. This year's opening- and closing-night galas at the Orpheum Theatre are 2007's "Breakfast With Scot" and 2008's "Tru Loved," both of which depict families helmed by gay and lesbian parents in tree-lined suburbia.
Likely to create buzz this election year are films in the Outing Politics series, including the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," a narrative version of which will be released by Focus Features this year, and Dan Butler's satire 2007's "Karl Rove, I Love You," which centers on an unknown actor's obsession with the Dubya handler.
"The festival is a launching pad for emerging queer filmmakers," Schaffer said. "This is the place to make connections with other filmmakers and industry, and begin to bring their careers to new places."
Because of Outfest's proximity to Hollywood, a certain amount of industry presence is endemic to the festival. However, as director of programming Kimberly Yutani said, the industry crowd is somewhat incidental to the festival's primary draw.
"Outfest is very much an Lgbt community festival," she said. "Yes, there are people in the industry who are gay that come with an eye for talent, but they come as a member of that community."
The festival's neutral attitude toward Tinseltown is perhaps best evinced by its lack of a formal marketplace. As Schaffer said, "A lot of things get bought and sold during Outfest, but we're not the queer Afm."
This aversion to becoming a trade show is essential to the festival's commitment to showcase compelling work. "We're an arts organization, so we're not confined by profit margins," Schaffer said. "We can show movies that mainstream entities aren't dealing with."
That especially applies to Outfest's Platinum section, which focuses on avant-garde and experimental media. This year's Platinum programming pays tribute to underground punk mutineer Bruce Labruce with screenings of his "Super 8 1/2" (1993) and new "Otto; or, Up With Dead People" (Strand Releasing) at Redcat.
This year's highest honor, the Outfest Achievement Award, will go to filmmaker Donna Deitch, whose 1985 "Desert Hearts" made waves for its earnest and positive portrayal of lesbian romance.
Outfest also has selected a small number of "centerpiece" films for Gala screenings. This year's opening- and closing-night galas at the Orpheum Theatre are 2007's "Breakfast With Scot" and 2008's "Tru Loved," both of which depict families helmed by gay and lesbian parents in tree-lined suburbia.
Likely to create buzz this election year are films in the Outing Politics series, including the Oscar-winning 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk," a narrative version of which will be released by Focus Features this year, and Dan Butler's satire 2007's "Karl Rove, I Love You," which centers on an unknown actor's obsession with the Dubya handler.
- 7/9/2008
- by By Chris Edling
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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