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 →
Exclusive Interview: Veneno star Lola Rodríguez “there were thorns still buried in me that doing this series helped pull out”
November saw the US premiere of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's stunning limited series Veneno which lovingly and masterfully weaves an epic tapestry based on the life of Spanish trans icon Cristina “La Veneno” Ortiz. At the heart of the series, alongside the figure of La Veneno herself, is a compelling, beautifully layered performance by... Continue Reading →
TV Review: Equal ★★★★★
Equal is an ambitious, fast-paced, dynamic, creatively told, often gripping and frequently moving four-part docu-series landing on HBO Max this LGBTQ History Month to remind us that queer history in the USA did not begin and end with the Stonewall riots in June 1969. The final episode though, Stonewall: From Rebellion to Liberation, directed by... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: cinematographer Ava Benjamin Shorr on HBO Max’s LGBTQ+ rights docu-series Equal “it’s a deeply emotional experience to recreate these people from the past”
Following her work as director of photography on Sam Feder's groundbreaking documentary Disclosure, Ava Benjamin Shorr has now lensed the dynamic and stirring four-part LGBTQ+ civil rights docu-series Equal, which premieres on HBO on Thursday October 22nd. Her work on the series saw her collaborate with directors Stephen Kijak and Kimberly Reed to create visually... Continue Reading →
Out on Film Atlanta’s LGBTQ Film Festival goes virtual for 11-day event
Established in 1987, Atlanta's Out On Film LGBTQ Film Festival is in the midst of its 11-day 2020 virtual edition, which ends on Sunday October 4th. The 33rd Out on Film offers a diverse selection of LGBTQIA+ narrative features, documentaries and shorts, with 82 films from 20 countries. The festival opened on September 24th with... Continue Reading →
64th BFI London Film Festival LGBTQ+ highlights
The 64th BFI London Film Festival (LFF) runs from October 7th-18th, and like many other festivals, Covid-19 restrictions mean that it's taking a different form this year. Given current circumstances the 2020 programme offers a reduced number of feature films, just 58, plus collections of short films and experimenta, but with an expanded reach across... Continue Reading →
Outfest 2020 Closing Night Film Review: Two Eyes ★★★★★
This year’s Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival came to a close tonight with the world premiere of writer-director Travis Fine’s exceptional Two Eyes. Fine, who also serves as editor, effortlessly weaves an ambitious, rich cinematic tapestry with a triptych of narratives that explore and celebrate the spectrum of queerness and gender identity over more than... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: trans non-binary trailblazer Kate Bornstein on her new film Two Eyes “doing this role taught me a lot about how I want to act in the world”
The world premiere of writer-director Travis Fine's stunning queer cinematic tapestry Two Eyes will close this year's Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ Film Festival tonight, Sunday August 30th, with both drive-in and virtual screenings. Set over three time periods - 1860s, 1970s and present day - we're introduced to a diverse range of characters at different... Continue Reading →
Outfest 2020 Film Review: Gossamer Folds ★★★★
Director Lisa Donato’s Gossamer Folds focuses on the heartwarming friendship between two Kansas City suburban neighbours in 1986. When his parents decide to move the family away from the city in an attempt to salvage their marriage, ten year-old Tate (Jackson Robert Scott) is ordered by his prejudiced father Billy (a suitably menacing Shane West)... Continue Reading →