Focus On The Rainbow

The Tribeca Film Festival co-founded by Robert De Niro has announced its 2010 program, which includes several films with themes rooted heavily in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues premiere at the Festival, which runs April 21 – May 2.

Arias with a Twist: The Docufantasy follows performance artists Joey Arias (openly gay New York City-based drag artist) and Basil Twist (recognized puppeteer) along with those who have inspired their growth. Similarly, the life of 1970s fashion icon and gay man Roy Halston Frowick will be revealed in Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston, which will be making its world debut at the Festival. The Other City is a powerful documentary on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Washington, D.C. that follows a number of individuals devoting their lives to the cause or suffering from it. One of its lead protagonists is a young, gay male who is in the final stages of his AIDS plight and has lost the ability to do anything on his own. It is a truly heart-wrenching tale that brings light to this sub-community in the nation’s capital. At the other end of the spectrum, the comedic and lighthearted Spork follows a teen hermaphrodite with the same name that you’ll grow to love.

Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston, directed by Whitney Smith. (USA) – World Premiere. A glowing, prismatic portrait of the rise and fall of America’s first celebrity designer– Halston–the man who became a household name by bringing style into every American household. Dressing the world’s most famous and glamorous women for over two decades, Halston was synonymous with Fashion in the 1970’s, and was also the emperor of NY city nightlife, which he ruled from his throne at the legendary Studio 54. Interviews with friends, associates, witnesses, and survivors, (including Liza Minnelli, Diane Von Furstenberg, Andre Leon Talley, Anjelica Huston, Bob Colacello and  Billy Joel, among many others) round out this glittering evocation of the man who defined the most beautiful–and decadent– era of recent  memory. Cast: Liza Minelli, Andre Leon Talley, Diane Von Furstenberg, Billy Joel, Bob Colacello, Angelica Huston, Pat Cleveland, Cathy Horyn, Chris Makos

Loose Cannons (Mine Vaganti), directed by Ferzan Ozpetek, written by Ivan Cotroneo and Ferzan Ozpetek. (Italy) – North American Premiere. Ferzan Ozpetek (Facing Windows, A Perfect Day) sets this playful family comedy in the picturesque city of Lecce in the deep south of Italy. Tomasso, a reluctant soon-to-be-partner in his wealthy family’s pasta business, has plans to come out—and hopefully get out of his familial obligation. But when his plans are thwarted by his brother, Tomasso gets stuck on the path that he was desperately trying to avoid. In Italian with English subtitles.

Arias With A Twist: The Docufantasy, directed by Bobby Sheehan (USA) – North American Premiere. More than just an exploration of the lives and art of two artists: legendary performance artist Joey Arias and internationally renowned puppeteer Basil Twist.  This documentary is a love letter to the creative spirit.  We explore the history, process and the need to create as Arias and Twist come together to create and perform the avant-garde and ground breaking theatrical show “Arias With A Twist”.  We follow the show on its world tour, while we meet the many collaborators who have contributed to their singular vision- artists such as Andy Warhol, David Bowie, Klaus Nomi, Thierry Manfred Mugler, Jim Henson, Ruben & Isabel Toledo, Keith Haring, John Sex, Ann Magnuson, Divine, Grace Jones, Elvira, Pee-Wee Herman, Kenny Scharf, Michael Musto, Kim Hastreiter Michael Halsband and countless others.  Arias transformation as an artist, singer and performer is explored in the film and never before seen footage of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and other downtown superstars help to illuminate his artistic evolution.  This is a film that will not inspire it will allow people to dream, and is a love letter to the creative spirit of these extraordinary men. Cast: Joey Arias, Basil Twist, Ann Magnuson, Kenny Scharf, Oscar Eustis, Cheryl Henson, Kim Hastereiter, Michael Musto, Thierry Mugler

Elvis e Madona (Elvis and Madona), directed by Marcelo Laffitte. (Brazil) – North American Premiere. A romantic comedy featuring a lesbian biker Elvis (Simone Spoladore) and a transvestite Madona (Igor Cotrim), showing the trajectory of two characters who are running after their dreams and life’s projects. Elvis, born 25 years ago as Elvira, is a beautiful and solitary woman. The rebel daughter of a traditional family from the country-side, Elvis is in Rio to pursue her dream of being a photographer in a big newspaper. Meanwhile, as her family is broke, Elvis take a job as a delivery “boy” at the Mozzarella&Co pizzeria. The transvestite Madona, whose real name is Adailton, is 35 years old and her big dream is to put up a show in a theater, which she has saved money working many years at Diva, a famous and sophisticated hair-salon in Copacabana, and doing performance in the Rio’s night life. In her first day of work, exactly in her first delivery, Elvis is going to deliver Madona’s order, whom is receiving her occasional lover John Tripod (Sergio Bezerra). But John has a bad intention: steal all the saving money that Madona has kept all along her life to produce her show. So, soon after the villain left with the travesty’s money, Elvis arrives at Madona’s home and meet her completely desperate. From this unusual encounter, the life of this two characters inter-twine. And from there emerge a curious situation which transforms itself in desire, passion and love. Cast: Simone Spoladore, Igor Cotrim, Sergio Bezerra, Maite Proenca, Jose Wilker, Wendell Bendelack 

The Other City, directed by Susan Koch. (USA) – World Premiere. In every city, there’s another city that people rarely ever see. But this other city isn’t just anywhere — it’s in the capital of the most powerful country in the world. This is a story about sex and drugs, homelessness and health care. About politics and ideology, corruption and bureaucracy. About an epidemic that grew out of control while few people paid any attention or cared. This is a story about people who live in the shadow of the Capitol but remain almost invisible to the lawmakers and lobbyists who work there. This is the story of “The Other City” — Washington to most, “D.C.” to its residents — a city that boasts a higher rate of HIV/AIDS than Port-au-Prince, Haiti and some countries in Africa. Told through intimate, character-driven stories, and with unprecedented access to those living on the front lines of the AIDS epidemic, this documentary offers a raw, personal look at the “two Washingtons” — one that is affluent and powerful, the other that is overwhelmingly poor and powerless. And while Washington D.C. has highest rates in the U.S., there are other cities across America that are also dealing with epidemic-like numbers. With a disease that knows no borders, “The Other City” will resonate with a worldwide audience and speak to the disparities and inequities that exist in cities all over the world.

Spork, directed by J.B. Ghuman. (USA) – World Premiere. With her mother buried in back of their trailer, Spork, an awkward fourteen-year-old hermaphrodite, is raised by her older white trash brother, Spit.  When Tootsie Roll, Spork’s black booty-dancing neighbor, injures herself and loses her place in the junior high talent show, Spork opts to take her place in order to win the cash prize.  It’s her fondest hope to use her winnings to give herself a Swan-like makeover. With her archrival, Betsy Byotch, competing against her, Spork recruits the help of fellow junior high outcasts Chunk, a fat boyish Asian girl, and Charlie, an effeminate possibly gay boy, to help train for the competition. In the end, Spork finds everything she’s looking for and more in the most unlikely of places. Within herself. This black comedy and its cast of misfits are sure to prove that anyone can fit in as long as you make a place for yourself. Cast: Savannah Stehlin, Sydney Park, Rachel Fox, Michael Arnold, Oana Gregory

Ticked Off Trannies With Knives, directed by Israel Luna. (USA) – World Premiere. A group of transgender women are violently beaten and left for dead. After regaining their consciousness the violated vixens turn deadly divas and with their newfound confidence and courage, slice their way to vengeance. An homage to the exploitation/revenge films of the 70’s and 80’s, this film sets out to create a new and unique genre called “Transploitation.” Loaded with titillating dialog, bodacious bods and extreme violence, this revenge-fantasy proves that it takes more than balls to get even. Cast: Krystal Summers, Erica Andrews, Kelexis Davenport, Jenna Skyy, Willam Belli

You can find more information plus all the films which will be featured at the Tribeca Film Festival by going here.

“The Sensei” is a labor of love for Diana Lee Inosanto, who spent seven years working on the project. She said the murder of Matthew Shepard and her cousin’s coming out had a strong impact and inspired her to write her screenplay.

“I kept looking at a storyline about a straight couple dealing with the whole AIDS issue,” she said. “ … The storyline wasn’t working … and when Matthew’s case came around, I thought, that’s it.”

The film takes place in 1980s Sterling, Colo. and follows the story of hapa Karen O’Neil (Inosanto) who returns to her hometown after a five-year absence. After a gay high-school student named McClain, played by Michael O’Laskey II, is severely beaten by his peers, she agrees to teach him martial arts in secret.

“I wanted to play with the themes of tolerance and go around the issues of hate and how we all deal with it and how we, maybe, overcome it,” Inosanto said during the discussion following the movie.

O’Laskey said it was surprinsingly easy to get into character. He said he was confused about how a gay person would live in a setting of a small town with the AIDS scare, but figured that’s what McClain was feeling as well.

“Approaching the character, I was more or less concerned with the fact that McClain’s problem is not that he’s gay, (but) that he’s being bullied,” he said. “I’m sure we can all identify with bullying at one point in our life.”

Inosanto has been involved with the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

From an article by Joe Nguyen, AsiaXpress.com . Visit the website of  The Sensei

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Listen to filmmaker Stu Maddux interviewed at OUTTAKE VOICES

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It may be the friendliest audience Reed Cowan will get in Utah.

Cowan received two sustained standing ovations Sunday for his documentary “8: The Mormon Proposition,” which harshly criticizes The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for its campaigning for California’s ban on same-sex marriage, from the 600-strong audience attending the film’s world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.

Some in the audience cried when hearing stories of gay men and lesbians recounting discrimination they have suffered. Others hissed when Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka appeared on-screen, or when State Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, appeared to declare homosexuality “the greatest threat to America going down.”

Mostly, though, they applauded and cheered Cowan’s film for presenting evidence of the LDS Church’s work to persuade its members to donate money to the campaign for California’s anti-gay Proposition 8 — and to hide the church’s involvement, knowledge of which would have dissuaded voters, through front organizations.

Source – full article at The Salt Lake Tribune

On December 23 as reported here via Pop Eater, Robert Downey, Jr has suggested in interviews that Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson may have had more than a investigative relationship.

Apparentley this hint and suggestion that Holmes and Watson may be gay is not at all sitting well with the executors of  Sir Arthur Canon Doyle, creator of the popular Victorian era sleuths.

The executors of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s literary estate have threatened to withdraw Guy Ritchie’s rights to the Sherlock Holmes story if the director hints at a homosexual relationship between the lead characters in his sequel.

Robert Downey, Jr., who plays the supersleuth in Ritchie’s new movie adaption, recently appeared on David Letterman’s U.S. talk show and hinted at a homoerotic subtext in the relationship between his character and Jude Law’s Dr. Watson.

During the interview the actor also asked the audience to decide whether Holmes is “a very butch homosexual.”

But Downey, Jr.’s comments have infuriated Andrea Plunket, who controls the remaining U.S. copyrights to the Holmes story, and she’s threatened to withdraw permission for a follow-up if Ritchie suggests the detective is more than just friends with his sidekick.

She says, “I hope this is just an example of Mr Downey’s black sense of humour. It would be drastic, but I would withdraw permission for more films to be made if they feel that is a theme they wish to bring out in the future. I am not hostile to homosexuals, but I am to anyone who is not true to the spirit of the books.”

Source – jam! showbiz

Publicists for the upcoming ‘Sherlock Holmes’ movie are very concerned that its star, Robert Downey Jr., can’t stop hinting that the great dapper detective’s relationship with Dr. Watson may involve more than just solving crime. “When Robert joked with Letterman that they might be ‘homos,’ Warner Brother executives died,” laughed one industry insider who believes Downey is messing with studio bigwigs.

During Downey’s interview on Letterman, he was asked if Holmes and Watson had “a different level of relationship.” Downey quickly shot back with a smirk: “That they were homos … That is what you’re saying”

A chuckling Letterman replied “In a manner of speaking, yes … that they were closer than just out solving crimes.” After further banter, Downey left it up to the people. “Why don’t we observe the clip and let the audience decide if he just happens to be a very butch homosexual,” he said.

“The studio wants to position this as an action-packed adventure, not ‘Brokeback Mountain 2,’” my insider joked.

Source – Pop Eater