On the last full day of programming at Outfest LA 2021 on Saturday August 21st, the world's largest LGBTQ+ film festival centered trans, non-binary, intersex, and gender-nonconforming storytellers with its fifth annual Trans and Non-Binary Summit with a rich and exciting lineup of events at the Directors Guild of America. The event opened with Kieran... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: “I wanted to break as many rules as possible” Isabel Sandoval on her early films Señorita & Apparition now playing on Criterion Channel
Filipina filmmaker and actress Isabel Sandoval caught the attention of international critics when her stunning third feature film—which she wrote, directed, produced, edited, and starred in—Lingua Franca premiered at Venice in 2019, making her the first publicly identifying trans woman of colour to screen work in competition at the festival. The acclaimed film, which immerses... Continue Reading →
Film Review: Together Together ★★★★
Writer-director Nikole Beckwith's Together Together, which world premiered at Sundance where it was in the running for the festival's Grand Jury Prize, refreshes the rom-com genre by placing a mellow and touching odd couple platonic friendship at its centre (a plat-com). As the film opens we meet twenty-something Anna (Patti Harrison), a coffee shop barista... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: HBO Max’s Genera+ion star Nava Mau “it’s important for queer & trans people to see that we are lovable & we have a lot of wisdom to offer”
Currently starring in HBO Max's LGBTQ+ darkly comic drama series Genera+ion, created by Daniel and Zelda Barnz, Nava Mau is a mixed-race trans Latina filmmaker, actress, and cultural worker. She wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the compelling and moving short film Waking Hour, that premiered at LA's Outfest Fusion in 2019 before playing at... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Ryan Cassata on his new single I Met Jesus at the Gay Pride Parade “Jesus would have welcomed all at his table. That includes his trans & queer siblings”
Award-winning singer-songwriter, actor, writer, LGBTQ+ activist, and motivational speaker, Ryan Cassata began his musical career aged just 13 and has since released seven critically-acclaimed albums. His video for Daughter, a powerful and moving song about his transition and his transformed relationship with his father, has racked up over 1.4 million views on YouTube, and over... Continue Reading →
BFI Flare 2021 Film Review: Cowboys ★★★★
Anna Kerrigan’s contemporary western Cowboys, which won two jury awards at last year's Tribeca, with Steve Zahn taking best actor and Kerrigan winning for her screenplay and went on to win the Grand Jury Prize at Outfest for newcomer Sasha Knight, is part of the virtual 35th BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival March 17-28th... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Tribeca & Outfest award-winning trans movie Cowboys filmmaker Anna Kerrigan & stars Jillian Bell, Steve Zahn & Sasha Knight
"There's a father and a son on a horse, they're running from something and they're outlaws". That was the first image that came to filmmaker Anna Kerrigan when she began writing the screenplay for her Tribeca and Outfest award-winning feature Cowboys. Joe, beautifully played by newcomer Sasha Knight, is a young trans boy whose gender... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Nomi Ruiz on her new movie Haymaker “we were passionate about pushing the needle forward, not only with the trans narrative, but also with cis men who are trans amorous”
Born and raised in Brooklyn, singer-songwriter, actress, and essayist Nomi Ruiz has blazed a trail as the first Latinx trans woman to perform at major international music events like the Montreax Jazz Festival, Glastonbury, and Lovebox. In 2005 she released her debut album, Lost In Lust, a gritty blend of 90s hip-hop, R&B and soul,... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: 9-1-1 Lone Star’s Brian Michael Smith “there are all different kinds of trans people in the world & we should see all different kinds of trans people on screen”
Brian Michael Smith is not only living his dream as a successful actor, but he's also creating the mainstream trans masculine representation he didn't see growing up in the 80s and 90s in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Having already landed recurring spots on high profile dramas like Ava DuVernay’s Queen Sugar and The L Word: Generation... Continue Reading →
NewFest 2020 Film Review: Alice Júnior ★★★★
Gil Baroni's Alice Júnior is a neon pink filled delight that stylishly puts the T in teen movie. The dynamic, fast-paced opening sequence, with some great aerial shots by cinematographer Renato Ogata, immediately takes us into the coastal city of Recife in North Eastern Brazil and into the bedroom of the charismatic and self-assured titular... Continue Reading →