Can a prison romance exist in the outside world? That’s the central question filmmaker Jon Garcia asks with Luz, the story of Ruben (Ernesto Reyes) and Carlos (Jesse Tayeh) who struggle to translate their secretive relationship into an open one when released. The dynamic between the men changes and evolves from reluctant cellmates, to mentor/mentee,... Continue Reading →
Thanks to the programmers of Sundance's New Frontiers section for giving me the best night out I've had since last March (without having to leave my apartment or get out of my pyjamas) with creator-writer-star Jibz Cameron and director Mariah Garnett's Weirdo Night. Acknowledging, but not dwelling on, the lack of audience in the room... Continue Reading →
Part of Sundance 2021's Spotlight program, director Mona Fastvold's Queer Lion-winning The World to Come, adapted from a short story by Jim Shepard, immerses us in the bleak daily life of a contemplative mid-nineteenth century woman, Abigail (Katherine Waterston), living on the stark, unforgiving Northeastern frontier with her husband Dyer (Casey Affleck). The film opens... Continue Reading →
As writer-director Harry Macqueen's Supernova opens we're invited into the old, now seldom used camper van of pianist Sam (Colin Firth) and writer Tusker (Stanley Tucci), who've been together as a couple for decades, as they head to the Lake District. The rich history of their years together is immediately apparent in their rapport and... Continue Reading →
This year's week-long Sundance Film Festival, which opens on Thursday January 28th, will run digitally via a custom-designed online platform (festival.sundance.org) alongside drive-ins, screenings at independent arthouses, and a network of local community partnerships. All films in the program will be available online in the United States, with certain titles opting for global availability. The... Continue Reading →
Breaking up is hard to do as Swedish filmmaker David Färdmar explores in his brooding bittersweet debut feature Are We Lost Forever premiering in the UK and Ireland via Peccadillo Pictures on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital on Monday January 18th. When we first meet protagonists Adrian (Björn Elgerd) and Hampus (Jonathan Andersson) they're sitting up... Continue Reading →
This Friday December 18th sees the global Netflix release of the hotly awards-tipped Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, adapted from Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson's 1984 play, starring Viola Davis as the trailblazing “Mother of the Blues”. The film, which marks Chadwick Boseman's final powerhouse screen performance, takes place during a recording session with Ma and... Continue Reading →
This weekend sees the Tom of Finland Foundation's (ToFF) annual celebration of queer art and artists go digital with their 25th Art & Culture Festival: Plugged In. As the centennial year of the groundbreaking and much-loved Finnish artist's birthday draws to a close, ToFF, which was founded in his honour 36 years ago by his... Continue Reading →
The Sundance Institute has just unveiled its plans for the seven-day Sundance Film Festival, which will take place January 28th through February 3rd 2021. It will run digitally via a custom-designed online platform (festival.sundance.org) alongside drive-ins, independent arthouses, and a network of local community partnerships. The online expression of the Sundance Film Festival will provide... Continue Reading →
Actress Lois Smith, who turned 90 earlier this month, received her third Tony nomination in October for her deeply moving performance in Matthew Lopez's epic gay play The Inheritance. Born in Kansas, Smith moved to New York City in 1951, making her Broadway debut the following year in Time Out for Ginger and her auspicious... Continue Reading →
