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Dancer from the Dance...

Dancer From The Dance

Published in 1978, Andrew Holleran's novel - finally - gets a film adaptation.

Alan Poul - producer of Armistead Maupin's Tales... & Six Feet Under - is set to direct.

Shooting doesn't start until summer 2016...

So, we'll have to wait until 2017...to see Anthony Malone & Andrew Sutherland's shenanigans.

Or, you can read the book...whet that appetite...published by Harper Perennial.

The Emmys 2015...

 Emmys

THE WINNERS ARE...

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Mayim Bialik, The Big Bang Theory
Anna Chlumsky, Veep
Gaby Hoffmann, Transparent
Jane Krakowski, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Allison Janney, Mom
Kate McKinnon, Saturday Night Live
Niecy Nash, Getting On

Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
Episodes, “Episode 409,” David Crane and Jeffrey Klarik
Louie, “Bobby’s House,” Louis C.K.
Silicon Valley, “Two Days of the Condor,” Alec Berg
The Last Man on Earth, “Alive in Tucson (Pilot),” Will Forte
Transparent, “Pilot,” Jill Soloway
Veep, “Election Night,” Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, and Tony Roche

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Andre Braugher, Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Adam Driver, Girls
Keegan-Michael Key, Key & Peele
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Tituss Burgess, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Tony Hale, Veep

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
Louie
, “Sleepover,” Louis C.K.
Silicon Valley, “Sand Hill Shuffle,” Mike Judge
The Last Man on Earth, “Alive in Tucson (Pilot),” Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Transparent, “Best New Girl,” Jill Soloway
Veep, “Testimony,” Armando Iannucci

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Louis C.K., Louie
Don Cheadle, House of Lies
Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent
William H. Macy, Shameless
Anthony Anderson, Black-ish
Will Forte, The Last Man on Earth
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes

Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Lisa Kudrow, The Comeback
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation
Amy Schumer, Inside Amy Schumer
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

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Battle of the Sexes...

More like battle of the films...or, the names...

In case you don't know anything about this...there's the 2013 documentary about the squalid event...you can read our review:

The Battle Of The Sexes (2013)

Two projects are being planned:

HBO...with Elizabeth Banks and Paul Giamatti

Fox Searchlight...with Brie Larson as King and Steve Carell as Riggs.

The vile Bobby Riggs is going to make money out of these...doubly so.

He may not have won the match...but, he's laughing...!

Hart to Hart...re-make...

HartToHart

NBC are developing an idea...

Re-making Hart to Hart...with...wait for it...a gay couple!!!

WHAT?!?

Just change their f**king names and it wouldn't be a re-make...or, is it the intention to churn out all the old scripts?!?

Is Max going to be an old gnarled drag queen, puffing on 100-a-day, suffering from emphysema? Freeway becomes a coiffured Shih Tzu!!!

A bad idea...is so many ways.

Where has all the originality gone?!?

The Chuckle Brothers...

aka The Krays...

TheKrays

These delectable characters get numerous makeovers in 2015...in no less than 3 films made about their devilish ways...

The Kray Kills Order (2015) The Rise Of The Krays (2015) Legend (2015)

Hopefully, we'll never see their ugly mugs and minds - on film - again. A subject well and truly exhausted.

Well Done Tom...

Graeme Coleman from the LGBT site Daily Xtra - quite rightly - made to feel like a knob!!!

 

We think...Tom was very polite.

Ed Koch - once, when asked the same question - replied: It's none of your f**king business.

The editorial team @ Daily Xtra have defended Mr Coleman...really, think about it, is it any of your f**king business?

Categorically, NO.

And, let's be truthful, it was a fantasticallly stupid question!

In recent months, some [LGBT] 'journalists' (for want of a better word) have tried to scoop-the-outing of many a celebrity...give it a rest!

Unless a person is a humongous hypocrite...their sexuality is no f**king business of ours.

The Golden Lion goes to...

Desdealla

Desde Allá by Lorenzo Vigas

You can read our review here


Set in Caracas, Desde Alla tells the story of a rich 50-year-old gay man who begins an affair with a 17-year-old gang leader.

Toronto International Film Festival...

and the LGBT films are...

Toronto

About Ray

Directed by Gaby Dellal - USA

Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon and Elle Fanning star in this funny and touching story about a NYC teenager struggling with gender identity.

Benjamin

Directed by Sherren Lee – Canada

When a dually-pregnant lesbian couple loses one of the babies in utero, the grieving mothers break their surrogacy arrangement with another gay couple — their closest friends — in order to keep the remaining baby. Driven by stellar performances, Benjamin traverses complex emotional terrain as it redefines the classic family drama.

Closet Monster

Directed by Stephen Dunn - Canada

An East Coast teenager and aspiring special-effects makeup artist (Connor Jessup, Blackbird) struggles with both his sexuality and his fear of his macho father, in this imaginative twist on the coming-of-age tale from first-time feature director Stephen Dunn.

Desde Allá

Directed by Lorenzo Vigas - Venezuela/Mexico

Newcomer Lorenzo Vigas’ first feature explores issues of social stratification through the story of a wealthy man who pays young men to endure a kind of contact-free abuse, only to find unexpected intimacy with one of his companions.

Downriver

Directed by Grant Scicluna - Australia

A young ex-con encounters secrets from the past and danger in the present when he returns to the rural Australian community to discover the truth behind a crime he supposedly committed when he was a child.

Fire Song

Directed by Adam Garnet Jones - Canada

One of the first films by a First Nations director to deal with two-spirited people, the thoughtful and moving debut feature by Adam Garnet Jones focuses on a young Anishinaabe man who is forced to choose between staying in his community or exploring the expanded possibilities of the world outside.

Freeheld

Directed by Peter Sollett - USA

Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Steve Carell and Michael Shannon star in this true story about terminally ill New Jersey police officer Laurel Hester, whose 2005 legal battle to pass on her pension benefits to her domestic partner became a flashpoint for LGBT activism.

Girls Lost

Directed by Alexandra-Therese Keining - Sweden

Three outcast teenage girls get a new perspective on high-school life when they are mysteriously transformed into boys, in this skillfully crafted tale of sexual confusion with a supernatural twist.

The Guy From Work

Directed by Jean-François Leblanc - Canada

Raynald has worked at the same tire plant for over thirty years without incident — until a long-held secret compels him to break the unspoken rules of his workplace’s raucous fraternity.

In Jackson Heights

Directed by Frederick Wiseman - USA

Legendary documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman (At Berkeley, National Gallery) explores the culture, politics and daily life of the Queens, NYC district of Jackson Heights, which lays claim to being the most diverse neighbourhood in the world.

Never Steady, Never Still

Directed by Kathleen Hepburn – Canada

A troubled young man is driven back to his childhood home by a horrible mistake — and discovers that he is not alone in his struggle. Never Steady, Never Still is a thundering whisper that beautifully captures the solace of family and home.

One Last Night

Directed by Kerem Blumberg - Israel

In this tough and tender punk-rock romance, Noa and Orr have just one more night to spend together in Tel Aviv before Orr leaves for Berlin. But, as is so often the case, the passions and ideals of youth may be imperilled by adulthood's tough emotional truths and knotty ethical dilemmas.

Peacock

Directed by Ondrej Hudecek - Czech Republic

A writer named Ladislav terrorizes a nineteenth-century Bohemian village with his mischief, until war breaks out and he is forced to hide in a monastery where he unexpectedly discovers his hidden desires. Peacock is at once a historical picture book, a queer literary encyclopedia, and a black comedy based on a true story about revered Czech writer Ladislav Stroupeznický.

She Stoops To Conquer

Directed by Zack Russell - Canada

A struggling talent-show performer wanders into a nightclub disguised in a mask, and is inexplicably attracted to the real-life doppelgänger of her masked character. She Stoops to Conquer is a fantastical oddity that celebrates those who defy the status quo in their search for self-expression.

The Society

Directed by Osama Rasheed - Iraq/Germany

Lovers Muhamad and Ahmed live in a society that not only rejects homosexuality but actively and insistently pressures its young men into marriage and fatherhood. In this frank look at a strictly religious and traditional society, filmmaker Osama Rasheed delivers a raw and starkly honest statement about the experience of being gay in Iraq.

Stonewall

Directed by Roland Emmerich - USA

Roland Emmerich (Anonymous) directs this drama about the 1969 Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village, which became a milestone in the LGBTQ rights movement in North America.

Summertime

Directed by Catherine Corsini - France

In 1971 France, a young girl from a rural family moves to Paris and begins a life-changing affair with a feminist activist.

Te Prometo Anarquía

Directed by Julio Hernández Cordón - Mexico/Germany

The daring new feature from Mexico’s Julio Hernandez follows two teenage lovers in Mexico City who become embroiled in the city’s illegal, narco-run blood trade.

Women He's Undressed

Directed by Gillian Armstrong - Australia

Australian filmmaker Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career, Little Women) directs this documentary tribute to legendary Hollywood costume designer Orry-Kelly, who won multiple Academy Awards for his work on such classics as An American in Paris and Some Like It Hot.

GLAAD...it's all over...

...for the Responsibility Index of LGBT Characters on TV.

 

Glaad

Reach for the tissues...the Network Responsibility Index’s job is done!

It will be replaced by the Where We Are On TV Report...the cheering is deafening! Calm yourselves.

This report will be more about the diversity of LGBT representation than the quantity.

Sounds utterly compelling.

China Approves First Gay Film...

...for a Theatrical Release

Seekmccartneyout

For the first time, Chinese censors have approved the theatrical release of an LGBT film without demanding any cuts. Seek McCartney, a Chinese-French production, stars pop star Han Geng alongside actor Jérémie Elkaïm, and recieved the greenlight after a year of deliberation. 

Candidatas al XVI Premio Sebastiane...

Sebastiane

El Rey de la Habana (2015) Spain

Director: Agustí Villaronga

Freeheld (2015) USA

Director: Peter Sollett

Barash (2015) Israel

Director: Michal Vinik

El Club (2015) Chile

Director: Pablo Larraín

Desde Allá (2015)

Director: Lorenzo Vigas

Butterfly (2015) Argentina

Director: Marco Berger

Russia cancels film festival...

Moscow Premiere has been cancelled...just a little bit too gay - for a state-funded festival.

In its place, the snappily entitled: Youth Festival of Life Affirming Film

The reportage stated that this was Russia's only LGBT film festival. WRONG!!!

Saint Petersburg has its very own LGBT festival...Side by Side International Film Festival.

Reporters...do your research before you commit to paper...use Google!!!

Shoddy decision. Shoddy reporting.

Downton Abbey...

Here's the trailer for the final series...

Will Thomas Barrow have a happy ending?

Queer Lion...@ Venice International Film Festival

9 - 12 September 2015

Heading the jury is American writer Alonso Duralde, Programmer for L.A. Outfest, pre-screener for the Sundance Film Festival, former arts and entertainment editor at the Advocate, film reviews editor for TheWrap; the other jury members are Daniel N. Casagrande, Founder of Queer Lion Award, journalist, member of the National Union of Italian Film Critics, teacher of History of Cinematographic Language and Marco Busato, Founder member and General Delegate of cultural association CinemArte, translator, academic in Cinema history.


The Nominations...

The Danish Girl by Tom Hooper with Eddie Redmayne, Alicia Vikander (Uk/Usa, 120’) Venezia 72

Copenhagen, early Twenties. The Danish artist Gerda Wegener paints a portrait of her husband Einer dressed up as a woman. The painting gains a huge success and Einar starts permanently assuming a female appearance, changing his name to Lili Elbe. Inspired by feminist ideals and supported by the wife, Elbe attempts the first-ever male to female sex reassignment surgery, deeply affecting his marriage and identity.

Desde allá by Lorenzo Vigas with Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva (Venezuela, 93’) Venezia 72

In the chaotic Caracas, Armando, owner of a dental prosthesis laboratory, lurks nearby bus stations, approaches young boys and offers them money to accompany him home. Armando also uses to spy an old man, the place where he lives and the ones where he goes. Perhaps there is something in the past that links both of them. One day Armando brings home with him the 18-year-old Elder, head of a small gang of vandals. It’s the start of a relationship that will change their lives forever.

Spotlight by Thomas McCarthy with Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton (Usa, 123’) Fuori Concorso

In 2001, the Boston Globe conducted a report that shook the foundation of the city and shocked the world. Spotlight tells the story of this investigation, led by the members of the Globe detective team Spotlight. They uncovered the strategic blanketing by the Archdiocese of Boston on sexual abuses against children by several priests. Spotlight casts a new light on the investigations of men and women working to denounce the scandal.

Janis by Amy Berg (Usa, 115’) Fuori Concorso

The documentary follows the main stages of Janis Joplin’s life, from her performance at Monterey Pop in 1967 to Woodstock in 1969 and Festival Express in 1970, including interviews with relatives, friends and rock stars of her time. The soundtrack features Janis Joplin’s hits, among which Cry Baby, Mercedes Benz and Piece of My Heart. Amy Berg shows the woman behind the myth, other than the rock&roll icon, unveils a gentle, innocent yet strong woman. Well known as rock icon, the personal story of Janis Joplin is very complex. Janis serves as a narrator, telling us her life through the letters she wrote to her friends, relatives and lovers, leading us in a journey that starts from her childhood.

La calle de la amargura by Arturo Ripstein with Patricia Reyes Spíndola, Nora Velázquez (Mexico/Spain, 99’) Fuori Concorso

Two old prostitutes go back to their hovels. One of them has problems with the teenage daughter and the husband devoted to cross-dressing. The other one lives completely alone, with no ties. However, that night they have an appointment to celebrate the in-ring victory of two midget wrestlers. The film is based on the true story of two wrestlers found dead in a Cuauhtemoc hotel in Mexico City, presumably poisoned by the two women.

Lama Azavtani by Hadar Morag with Muhammad Daas, Yuval Gurevich (Israel/France, 94’) Orizzonti

A rejected boy from the fringes of society discovers a distant, enigmatic man, a lone ranger who dominates the back alleys of a filthy city. Stubborn and tenacious, the boy instills himself under the man`s wing. In their struggle for self-control, their attempts to restrain themselves get out of hand.

Arianna by Carlo Lavagna with Ondina Quadri, Massimo Popolizio (Italy, 84’) 12. Giornate degli Autori

Arianna is nineteen, but she’s still waiting to get her first period. As the summer begins, her parents decide to renew their acquaintance with their country house on Lake Bolsena, where Arianna lived until she was three, and has never been back. As the family settle in for the summer, long-repressed memories start to re-emerge, and Arianna decides to stay on after her parents return to the city.

Andrew Haigh on Looking...

Jesus H. Christ...this man can't accept the fact that he made a dud drama...Looking

AndrewHaigh

Admittedly, it did improve in the second series...but, too little, too late.

He moans about how the gay community turned off after the pilot...

Well, think about it Andrew...they didn't turn off Channel 4's Cucumber and Banana.

Get over yourself! Accept and...move on, there's a good boy.

BBC's Boy Meets Girl trailer...

The six-part sitcom, which will air on BBC2 later this year, stars Harry Hepple and trans actress Rebecca Root.

The series was created by Trans Comedy Award winner Elliott Kerrigan along with Simon Carlyle and Andrew Mettam.

The show also stars Denise Welch of Waterloo Road as Leo’s mother, Janine Duvitski of Benidorm, Nigel Betts of Emmerdale, Lizzie Roper of Hollyoaks and Jonny Dixon of Coronation Street.

BBC Commissioning Editor Kristian Smith said: “Boy Meets Girl is a heart-warming romantic comedy that draws on the glorious differences that shape all of us.

“It’s a brilliant thing to be able to support comedy that is not only funny, but can also promote affirming messages of humanity and acceptance.”

The show is the first major role for Root, who usually works as a specialist voice coach heping trans people with their speaking voice.

TV for the Autumn...

Best Time Ever With Neil Patrick Harris (NBC, September 15)

Emmy and Tony award winner Neil Patrick Harris has become quite a multi-talented entertainer and after several turns hosting some of the biggest award shows (Emmys, Tonys and Oscars), he steps in as the master of ceremonies in this live one-hour weekly show where anything can happen. Expect stunts, comedy skits, performances, audience giveaways and hidden camera pranks. Best Time Ever is based on the U.K. hit Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

Scream Queens (FOX, September 22)

The creators of Glee and American Horror Story are unleashing some hellishly good fun in their new series, which focuses on a string of murders that take place in a college campus and involve the sorority Kappa Kappa Tau. Co-creator Ryan Murphy has called the show “Halloween meets Heathers,” only this time the Heathers have been replaced by the Chanels. The show features an impressive all-star cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Keke Palmer, Abigail Breslin, Niecy Nash, Nasim Pedrad, Diego Boneta, Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas. However, don’t get too attached to anybody. Murphy has already disclosed that only four of the 25 characters will survive this first season.

Empire (FOX, September 23)

We were on the edge of our seats during the first season of this Lee Daniels and Danny Strong primetime drama that has been described as a modern-day Dynasty set in the world of the hip-hop music industry. Gay men who tuned in fell in love with Cookie Lyon (portrayed flawlessly by Taraji P. Henson), the street smart matriarch who is never at a loss for words, and her son Jamal (Jussie Smollett), the gay singer-songwriter whose homophobic father also happens to be the head of his music label. Get ready for more queer storylines during the second season as Jamal continues to navigate the music industry as an openly gay artist, as well as a guest starring turn from Marisa Tomei in the recurring role of a new character who is described as “a lover of hip-hop, social trends, high-end fashion and beautiful women.” Oh, and did we mention Mariah Carey will also be appearing on the show?

How To Get Away With Murder (ABC, September 24)

The show that gave us murder, jaw-dropping intrigue, one of the hottest man-on-man sex scenes to ever air on primetime network television, and Viola Davis’s character, Annalise, snatching the wig off her head before asking her husband, “Why is your penis on a dead girl’s phone?” returns for a second season in September. The first season’s cliffhanger set the stage for a new whodunit mystery, and viewers can also expect an HIV storyline courtesy of Connor Walsh’s (played by Jack Falahee) boyfriend Oliver. Hopefully, there will also be more gay sex scenes like the one previously mentioned. Watch the clip below if you need to refresh your memory.

Couples Therapy (VH1, October 7)

The series that examines the complex world of celebrity couples is back for a sixth season. (Spoiler alert: Most of the relationships featured in this show are dramatically dysfunctional and make our own disastrous dating lives seem mundane.) This time around Dr. Jenn Berman will counsel Janice Dickinson, Mob Wives’ Big Ang, Creed frontman Scott Stapp, and rapper Joe Budden along with their significant others. However, all eyes will be on trans model, actress and former RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Carmen Carrera and her husband Adrian Torres.

American Horror Story: Hotel (FX, October 7)

Even though we’re still in mourning over Jessica Lange’s departure from the series, there’s plenty to get excited over. The show’s creator Ryan Murphy has promised a scary and sexy season that will be set in Downtown Los Angeles and also boast one of the most star-studded casts we’ve seen on TV in a while. Among the guests checking into AHS: Hotel are Cheyenne Jackson, Matt Bomer, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Naomi Campbell, Chloe Sevigny, Sarah Paulson and Lady Gaga.

Angel From Hell (CBS, November)

Jane Lynch has ditched the Glee tracksuit and traded it in for a pair of wings. In this new half-hour sitcom, Lynch stars as Amy, a guardian angel who doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries or how to sugarcoat the truth. Based on the promo clip for the show, we’re guessing this is what Sue Sylvester would have been like if she had a sense of humor, smiled a bit more and actually liked people.

Kristen Stewart speaks...

...after her mother outs her...

KristenStewart

If you feel like you really want to define yourself, and you have the ability to articulate those parameters and that in itself defines you, then do it,” she said.

But I am an actress, man. So I live in the fucking ambiguity of this life and I love it. I don’t feel like it would be true for me to be like, ‘I’m coming out!

No, I do a job. Until I decide that I’m starting a foundation or that I have some perspective or opinion that other people should be receiving…I don’t. I’m just a kid making movies.”

She should have said: mind your own fucking business ...instead of this garbled garbage!

Larry Kramer says...

Larrykramer

"Don't listen to the crazies. For some reason there is a group of 'activists' that insists on maintaining their prime importance and participation during this riot. Unfortunately there seems no one left alive to say 'it wasn't that way at all,' or 'who are or where the fuck were you.' As with so much history there is no way to 'prove' a lot of stuff, which allows artists such as yourself (and me I might add) to take essences and attempt to find and convey meaning and truth. I sincerely hope this boycott your film shit peters out. We are not dealing with another 'Cruising' here. Keeping your film from being seen is only hurting ourselves. Good luck and thank you for your passion." 

Larry Kramer, responding to the Stonewall boycott.

Dear Sweet Jesus...

Stonewall Poster...a tiny part of the world has gone stark raving mad.

 

A few people out there are getting their knickers in a twist...about a film...that they haven't seen yet!

That film is Roland Emmerich's Stonewall-inspired Stonewall...and these knicker-twisted 'activists' (for want of a better word) want everyone to boycott the film because...it is not a true representation of what happened...(because they weren't there, they haven't seen the film...wethinks: bandwagon, jumping).

Okay...let's take this a little further, this is not a complex extrapolation...why not call to boycott every Hollywood film on the same grounds?!?!

Remember The Imitation Game?!??! Not exactly the most truthful/accurate account of Mr Turing's life. Did we hear any outcries then? No.

Then why now?

(1). Because...history is being white/cis-washed by white cis gay men...this reason has been gleaned from the 2 minute trailer...via Pat Cordova-Goff, originator of the 20,000 plus signed petition...and a rather cringing YouTube film calling for action.

(2). Because - this reason has been gleaned from a life-time of being gay - these knicker-twisted 'activists' (for want of a better word) are - in the great scheme of things - merely children who expect the world to revolve around them and them alone. Children throwing all their toys out of their cradles because...they can...they have no voice...they have no history.

They've tied themselves up - inextricably - with ridiculous, post-post modernist, branding labels...queer, cis, binary, non-binary, normative, non-normative, gender this, gender that, pomosexual, pansexual, womyn, myn, *...total flatulence!!!

What is that asterix (*) all about? And, this reclamation/reappropriation of the word 'queer'...for many [men] that word still hurts, little girls were never called 'queer' in the schoolyards of yesteryear, the little boys were...and, yes, it hurts. It will always hurt.

Queer - one day - may become an all-encompassing, inclusive term. But, until we - who remember the pain - all shrivel and die...it will always be exlusive.

So...how about sharing your self-centred sensitivities and recognising that others in this so-called [great] LGBT community of ours have sensitivities too! Surely you must recognise the harm you can do when you paint everyone with the same brush? Or, do you?

Recently, in Glasgow, a knicker-twisted activist (for want of a better word) group banned drag queens from appearing in their splinter Pride event - because (you can't make this up)...drag queens offend the trans*(there's that asterix again) community. Seriously?!?!?! After a well-deserved Twitter barrage...they relented, with egg collectively smeared - ungloriously - over their faces...saying, we made a mistake. Well, sometimes, mistakes cannot be so easily rectified. Think! Before...oh don't bother, you will always come out with something more ridiculous than before...boycott Stonewall!!!

Admittedly, being LGBT now is different from being LGBT then...most of the groundwork has been done. In some parts of the world, the struggles are becoming less - Europe, North America... It must be jolly frustrating for these young armchair activists...find your role. We were the architects...you can be the designers, the decorators...but, be credible. You can't have everything your own way...no-one can.

Alas, in other parts, Asia, Africa...the struggles are struggling and need constant help and support.

So...if you are going to boycott Stonewall...make it count - donate your entrance fee to a worthy cause. Or, less worthy, shut-up and make your own film...there are 20,000 plus producers waiting to put their money where their electronic signatures are...it's time - armchair activists - to emerge from your comfy cradles, to throw off your descriptive labels and be you.

In our day, we had to hide, you don't need to...behind your labels, those erroneous causes...wake up, smell the coffee...it's delicious. You've never had it so good.

Stonewall - the film - may turn out to be a load of Hollywood twaddle. It may turn out to be the greatest film ever made. It doesn't matter, it's Hollywood. What does matter is...it got made.

It's not a question of who threw the brick...it's the fact that the brick got thrown.

Anderson Cutler...not queer...not cis...just gay.

Sense8 renewed...

Sens8

Netflix has re-newed the somewhat underwhelming Sense8.

Hopefully, we will be overwhelmed next time around.

Looking...once more!

Looking(2014)

The boss of HBO - Michael Lombardo - has admitted that as a gay man he found it “very painful” to axe the channel’s flagship gay drama Looking earlier this year.

Lombardo told reporters at that the decision to end Looking at the conclusion of season two back in March was “very painful” for him on “a personal level”, DigitalSpy reports.

“I thought the show, creatively, was really doing something that I hadn’t seen on any other show, particularly dealing with gay lives,” he explained.

“As a gay man, in particular, I was very proud that there was a show that felt like it was dealing very honestly and openly with gay men and their lives, without putting them into a comedic mode.”

Lombardo added that ultimately, the show’s low ratings meant the channel couldn’t justify a third season.

Initially, over 60,000 fans signed a petition to save the Jonathan Groff and Russell Tovey-starring series from cancellation, but their disappointment was eventually allayed by the news of a feature-length movie continuation to provide the series with some closure.

The feature will appear in 2016...Looking had a weak start but gained momentum with the second series...alas, too late...the lesson: grab them from the beginning.

Zoolander 2 - why?!?!

Zoolander 2

The hideously untalented and over-paid Ben Stiller is at again...churning out more execrable junk.

Zoolander 2  is destined to hit cinemas in February of next year...if you can stomach it, here's the trailer...

Venice Film Festival...

DanishGirl

Tom Hooper's biopic of Lili Elbe: The Danish Girl will premiere @ Venice Film Festival.

Eddie Redmayne's first film after his Oscar win with The Theory of Everything...and he does it in a frock. A class act.

Alas, the film won't hit the cinemas until 1 January 2016.

Ab Fab Movie...

Abfab

It's confirmed...Ab Fab: The Movie starts shooting in October...not another excruciating resurrection!!!

Let us hope that Saunders has forgotten Viva Forever! Her Spice Girls musical that lost a staggering £5 million plus and received some of the worst notices in theatrical history.

You can't keep an old dog down...but, sometimes, you should just let sleeping dogs lie...

Muslim Drag Queens...

Muslim Drag Queens

UK pubcaster Channel 4 is set to explore Britain’s gay Asian community with Muslim Drag Queens (pictured) for its ‘First Cut’ doc strand.

Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, the Swan Films-produced film is to explore the British drag scene – which includes an estimated 100 to 150 Muslim drag queens – and the cultural and religious sensitivities surrounding homosexuality within the Islamic faith, as well as the fight for acceptance from their communities.

Directed and produced by Marcus Plowright, the documentary will revolve around the lives of three British Asian drag scene members: 33-year-old British Pakistani Asif Quraishi, Britain’s first “out and proud” Muslim drag queen who performs as Asifa Lahore; 28-year-old British Pakistani Imran, who is searching for love and receives more interest as his drag persona Zareena Khan; and the Mauritian-born Ibrahim, who recently came out and now seeks the mentorship of Quraishi to realize his plans to perform in drag.

David Brindley, commissioning editor of documentaries at C4, commissioned the film, with Joe Evans and Neil Crombie serving as executive producers.

“This is an incredibly important, surprising and moving film,” Brindley said in a statement. “Those who have chosen to tell their stories have done so with immense bravery and speak so eloquently about the struggles they have faced. With piercing honesty, Muslim Drag Queens gets right to the heart of a community that have, up until now, remained hidden from the wider British public.”

Quantico...

Quantico

The Flash star Rick Cosnett has signed for a recurring role on ABC’s new drama series Quantico. He’ll play Elias Harper, an openly gay, incredibly funny former defense attorney who used his rhetoric and savvy against FBI cases. Recruited by Miranda (Aunjanue Ellis) as an analyst for his brilliant mind, Elias is a debate-team type who loves to be right but also has a soft and kind-hearted side. Quantico revolves around a group of young FBI recruits, all with specific reasons for joining, who battle their way through training at the Quantico base in Virginia. One will launch a devastating terrorist attack on the U.S.

The Forever War...

The Forever War

Will it ever see the silver screen?!?!?

Well...

In a bidding war, Warner Bros kicked Sony where it hurts and Richard Edlund is laughing all the way to the bank - he has had the rights for a staggering 27 years!

Channing Tatum is all set to star...in this obvious franchise...there are 2 other books in the series: Forever Peace & Forever Free (and a short story).

If you haven't read the book - shame on you - homosexuality is encouraged, if not enforced - in a bid to save the planet from over-populating itself.

Guess who the lone heterosexual will be?

Rainbow Family...

China has a gay sitcom...

Rainbow Family

The first season of Rainbow Family, an Internet-exclusive sitcom, has had more than 24 million views since its release last year.

Outfest Winners...

Outfestbanner

And the winners are...

Audience Awards

Documentary Short
A Place in the Middle, Directed by Dean Hamer

Dramatic Short
The Letter, Directed by Angeles Cruz

Documentary Feature
The Glamour and the Squalor, Directed by Marq Evans

Dramatic Feature
Fourth Man Out, Directed by Andrew Nackman

First US Dramatic Feature
Those People, Directed by Joey Kuhn

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Grand Jury Awards

Documentary Feature Special Recognition
For Excellence in Filmmaking we award a Special Jury mention to Tchindas, a masterfully crafted intimate portrait of the courageous Cape Verdian trans community

Documentary Feature
We award Best Documentary Feature to A Sinner in Mecca for gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma’s daring iPhone journey of acceptance into the heart of Islam.

Actor in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
For a richly multi-dimensional portraits of young gay men, balancing their forbidden relationship with their Muslim faith in post 9-11 New York. The Best actor in a U.S. Feature goes to Curtis Cook Jr and Kerwin Johnson Jr in Naz and Maalik. 

Actress in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
For capturing with a quick-witted humor the sympathetic qualities of a difficult character, and humanizing the issue of sex addiction the Best Actress in a US Feature goes to Judy Greer in Addicted to Fresno. 

Screenwriting in a U.S. Dramatic Feature
For its remarkable depth of character history and its sincere and complicated exploration of family, home, sexuality, and parenthood, the Best Screenplay Award goes to Sebastian. 

U.S. Dramatic Feature Film
For it deft use of humor and its unexpected subversion of expectations, the award for Best U.S. Narrative feature goes to Nasty Baby, Directed by Sebastian Silva. 

International Dramatic Feature
For its eerie elegance, audacious storytelling and carnal depiction of love, the International Dramatic Feature goes to Everlasting Love, Directed by Marcal Fores.

Documentary Short Film
For its inspiring portrait of a beloved young activist and advocate for transgender rights, the Jury Prize for Documentary is given to Brockington, directed by Maggie Sloane, Mason Sklut, Sergio Ingato. 

Experimental Short Film
For its confounding and provocative reflection, we award the Jury Prize for Experimental Short Film to The Lamps, by Shelly Silver.  

Dramatic Short Film
For its evocative cinematography that captures desire between two young men who seize the night – one an apprentice barber and the other a young man leaving for the military service, we award the Jury Prize for Short Narrative to Tremulo, Directed by Roberto Fiesco

Special Jury Mention
We can’t Live Without Cosmos – For its innovative storytelling that transcends language and redefines companionship through the animated portrait of two astronauts whose commitment to each other is out of this world, we award a Special Jury Prize to We Can’t Life Without Cosmos, directed by Konstantin Bronzit.

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Special Programming Awards 

Emerging Talent
For crafting a funny and moving portrait of a young trans man living his truth in rural North Carolina, reminding us all that love can prevail even in the face of intense bigotry and ignorance, the 2015 Programming Award for Emerging Talent goes to Hillevi Loven for Deep Run.

Freedom
For risking incarceration by telling the story of LGBTQ Kenyans in a country where homosexuality itself is a criminal offense, and for its deft balance of documentary and narrative filmmaking technique in capturing subjects who are forced to keep their identities secret, the 2015 Programming Award for Artistic Freedom goes to Jim Chuchu and the NEST Collective for Stories Of Our Lives.

Artistic Achievement
For moving trans cinema forward by placing its heroine firmly into genre storytelling, and for its powerful evocation of the Muxe culture of small-town Mexico, the 2015 Programming Award for Artistic Achievement goes to Rigoberto Pérezcano for Carmin Tropical.

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