Actress and activist, Shakina, made television history on NBC’s Connecting as the first trans person to play a series regular on a network comedy. She had a memorable role in Amazon's GLAAD Award-winning Transparent Musicale Finale, which she helped write and produce, as well as playing the scene-stealing trans truther Lola on Hulu’s Difficult People.... Continue Reading →
Outfest LA 2022 Opening Night Film Review: Anything’s Possible ★★★★
The 40th anniversary Outfest Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Film Festival kicked off tonight at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown LA with Billy Porter's enchanting directorial debut, Anything's Possible, produced by Christine Vachon's Killer Films. As the film opens, we meet the radiantly beautiful and stylish Kelsa (Eva Reign, making an impressive feature acting debut) on the... Continue Reading →
Sundance 2022 Film Review: Framing Agnes ★★★★
Chase Joynt's follow up to his exceptional No Ordinary Man (co-directed with Aisling Chin-Yee) about the life of jazz musician Billy Tipton, is the equally thrillingly and similarly genre-defying feature Framing Ages—expanding upon his own 2019 short—which just had its world premiere in the NEXT lineup at Sundance. It's a fitting section of the festival... Continue Reading →
Exclusive Interview: Glace Chase on her play Triple X “we’ve not seen a trans love story like this before”
Multi-hyphenate trans queen, drag performer, playwright, comedian, screenwriter, and New York City tour guide Glace Chase has been unexpectedly stuck in Australia during the pandemic and things have taken some unusual turns. “Oh my God, it’s been an ongoing trauma!" Glace tells The Queer Review's Chad Armstrong in Sydney. "I was only meant to be... Continue Reading →
Outfest’s 5th annual Trans & Non-binary summit sets a hopeful & determined tone for the future “we can create power together”
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: wrestler Mack Beggs “trans athletes have always been here, just like trans individuals”
Gifted wrestler Mack Beggs is one of the subjects of Michael Barnett’s compelling feature documentary about transgender teen athletes Changing the Game, which launches on Hulu on Tuesday June 1st 2021. Mack was Texas state champion twice while at high school, where he was forced to play in the female tournaments as depicted in the... Continue Reading →
Film Review: Changing The Game ★★★★★
Emmy-winner Michael Barnett's compelling feature documentary about transgender teen athletes Changing the Game, which launches on Hulu on Tuesday June 1st 2021, had its world premiere at Tribeca back in 2019, going on to be a hit at LGBTQ+ festivals across the US and internationally, winning audience awards at both Frameline and Outfest. The film... 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 →
BFI Flare 2021 Film Review: AIDS DIVA The Legend of Connie Norman ★★★1/2
With an overview of the ACT UP story having been told in compelling and detailed documentaries such as Jim Hubbard's United in Anger: A History of ACT UP and David France's How to Survive a Plague, it's pleasing to now see significant members being focused on individually, such as trans trailblazer Connie Norman, a broadcaster,... Continue Reading →
Athena Film Festival 2021 Review: Julia Scotti Funny That Way ★★★1/2
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 →