North America’s largest documentary festival, Hot Docs, will present its 28th annual edition online at hotdocs.ca from April 29th to May 9th 2021, available for audiences across Canada to stream. With over 200 films from 66 countries in 12 programs, 50 per cent of the directors in the festival lineup are women. “Documentaries are vitally... Continue Reading →
Golden Globe nominated screenwriter and playwright Susan Sandler makes her feature documentary directorial debut with Julia Scotti: Funny That Way—available to watch online until March 21st as part of this year's virtual Athena Film Festival at Barnard College—a tender and heartwarming portrait of the charismatic trans comedian. If you watch America's Got Talent you'll likely... Continue Reading →
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 →
Often films with a message are so busy driving that message home that they become one-note. Rūrangi, which plays this month's virtual 35th BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival, doesn’t fall into that trap. By placing this transgender homecoming tale into a broader, intersectional context of identity—gender, sexual, cultural—it rises above them to become a... Continue Reading →
Directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt take us on a thought-provoking and emotionally potent journey as they track the life and legacy of trans masculine icon American jazz musician Billy Tipton, who enjoyed a successful career in the 1940s and 50s. When he died in 1989 his story was co-opted and sensationalised by the media,... Continue Reading →
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 →
The life of transmasculine musician Billy Tipton gives directors Aisling Chin-Yee and Chase Joynt the perfect opening to explore the history of transmasculinity in culture in the excellent feature documentary, No Ordinary Man. Billy Tipton’s life is remarkable. Born in 1914, Tipton’s music career began as a radio band leader in 1936 establishing himself over... Continue Reading →
André Phillips and Charles Vuolo's LGBTQ+ drama Lupe follows a Cuban immigrant, Rafael (Rafael Albarrán), as she begins to embrace her identity as a transgender woman while searching for her missing sister in New York City's sex worker community. Trans artist Celia Harrison, who is a co-writer on the film, portrays the role of Lana,... Continue Reading →
The 11th annual Athena Film Festival (AFF) at Barnard College, a joint partnership between Barnard’s Athena Center for Leadership and the initiative Women and Hollywood, will take place virtually from March 1st through March 31st 2021. This year's virtual lineup includes film screenings, in-depth conversations with filmmakers and industry experts, a series of programs that... Continue Reading →
Chad Hahne’s undercover documentary, Transformistas, which had its Australian premiere at Queer Screen's Mardi Gras Film Festival earlier today, offers a heart-wrenching and eye-opening window into an unexplored chapter of LGBTQ+ history. The film shines a light on Cuba’s drag community, how the HIV/AIDS crisis was handled in the republic, and Cuba's oldest gay bar.... Continue Reading →
