Mill Valley Film Festival Announces Complete Lineup
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF) is proud to present the third year of our gender equity Initiative Mind The Gap: Women | Film | Tech, a festival-wide celebration and call to action, focused on the intersection of film and tech, culminating in an all-day Mind The Gap Summit at the Outdoor Art Club (OAC) on Saturday, October 7th, 2017.
In anticipation of MVFF’s 40th anniversary, the Festival committed to the goal of 40% female directors and female-driven storytelling across the whole spectrum of the Festival—World, US, Docs, Shorts. MVFF programmers tracked three things: women directors, women creatives (directors, writers, producers) and story: Are the stories female forward? Do the female characters have agency? What we confirmed: There is no shortage of amazing women making terrific films, and there is incredible female-forward storytelling to be found. This year, we exceeded our goal—with 44% women directors at MVFF40!
Mind the Gap at MVFF40 launches with our first ever Mind the Gap Summit on Saturday, October 7th at the Outdoor Art Club from 10am to 6pm with an amazing line-up of female talent.
This full-day intensive of presentations, discussions, master classes and networking opportunities will be led by an extraordinary line-up of key thought leaders and creatives in the film and tech industries. The program includes a deep dive into the creative process with director Catherine Hardwicke, a panel with the incredible team behind the film Mudbound, and presentations by the filmmakers of recent top female-driven movies. Examining the intersections between film and tech and what each can learn from the other, this is an amazing opportunity to engage, connect—and be inspired.
Bill Frisell, A Portrait (US, documentary feature, dir. Emma Franz) Emma Frantz’s portrait of the unassuming Grammy winning guitarist and composer is an insightful glimpse into an eclectic musical mind of genius caliber.
Ciao Ciao (France, narrative feature, dir. Song Chuan) Twentysomething city dweller Ciao Ciao is killing time in her backwater birthplace. Bored, she begins flirting with both a screw-up and a kindly hairdresser.
City of Joy (US, documentary feature, dir. Madeleine Gavin) This enthralling documentary follows Jane, a Congolese woman who lives at a sanctuary for female victims of sexualized violence in a country long devastated by war.
The Desert Bride (Argentina, narrative feature, dirs. Cecilia Atan and Valeria Pivato)
Teresa is a reserved woman who journeys across rural western Argentina towards a new job in this warm and delicate film.
The Divine Order (Switzerland, narrative feature, dir. Petra Volpe) A bucolic alpine village becomes a battleground for social change in 1970 Switzerland in writer/director Petra Volpe’s feel-good drama.
Faces, Places (France, documentary feature, dir. Agnès Varda) Film auteur Agnès Varda and street photographer JR are creators of images from different generations.
I Still Hide to Smoke (France, narrative feature, dir. Rayhana Obermeyer) This tight, tense, and riveting drama, is set in an Algerian women’s bathhouse that serves as both warm sanctuary and steamy political crucible for a group of culturally and religiously diverse women over the course one momentous day.
Just One Drop (US, documentary feature, dir. Laurel Chiten) This timely examination of legitimacy and access to holistic healthcare proves the best medicine is open curiosity and more scientific research.
Kim Swims (US, documentary feature, dir. Kate Webber) Despite the danger, swimmer Kim Chambers is determined to become the first woman to cross the 30 treacherous miles from the shark-infested Farallon Islands to the Golden Gate Bridge in the frigid San Francisco Bay.
The Light of the Moon (US, narrative drama, dir. Jessica M. Thompson) While walking home alone from a party late one night, the life of a confident and successful young Brooklyn-based architect is tragically changed when a stranger sexually assaults her.
Liyana (Swaziland, narrative animated feature, dirs. Aaron Kopp and Amanda Kopp) Creative sparks fly when young Swazi orphans are invited to tell their own story, inspired by harsh life experience and rich imagination.
The Long Shadow (US, documentary feature, dir. Frances Causey) In this powerful documentary, journalist and activist Frances Causey seeks the roots of our current racial conflicts.
Metamorphosis: Junior Year (US, narrative feature, dir. Elysium Bandini Studios) Created by Palo Alto High School students in collaboration with James Franco and based on a Young Adult novel by Betsy Franco, this coming-of-age tale takes on the themes that define youth: identity, sex, purpose, drugs, self-image.
Moana (US, narrative animated feature, dirs. John Musker and Ron Clements) Oscar®-nominated for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, this dashing adventure set in long-ago Polynesia follows a brave teen’s quest to save her island and restore ecological balance to the planet.
Mr. Roosevelt (US, narrative feature, dir. Noel Wells) After escaping the velvet rut of Austin to pursue a comedy career in LA, Emily returns to deal with a cat and life crisis.
Mudbound (US, narrative feature, dir. Dee Rees) Two families, one white, one black, warily share space on a sodden Mississippi farm in Jim Crow south.
My Happy Family (Germany, narrative feature, dirs. Nana Ekvtimishvli and Simon Gross) Frustrated by the needs of her raucous intergenerational family, middle-aged teacher Manana yearns for a life of her own.
Not Alone (US, narrative feature, dir. Jacqueline Monetta and Kiki Goshay) Conceived and created by, for and about teens, Not Alone is an inspiriting testament to the power of love and compassion.
Nothingwood (France, documentary feature, dir. Sonia Kronlund) Meet Salim Shaheen, iconic Afghan actor, prodigiously prolific filmmaker, producer, and all-around raconteur.
On the Beach at Night Alone (South Korea, narrative feature, dir. Hong Sangsoo) An actress licks her wounds after an affair with a married man falls apart.
Radiance (Japan, narrative feature, dir. Naomi Kawase) A woman who creates audio description for movies for the sight-impaired meets a photographer who’s lost his vision.
The Relationtrip (US, narrative feature, dirs. Renée Felice Smith and C.A. Gabriel) Apathetic towards relationships, loners Beck and Liam escape on a “friendship friend-trip,”
Snowy Bing Bongs Across the North Star Combat Zone (US, experimental feature, dirs. Rachel Wolther and Alex H. Fischer) This candy-colored intergalactic adventure is a dance routine, improv show, and performance-art installation all rolled into one outlandish joyride.
Spoor (Poland, narrative feature, dir. Agnieszka Holland) A mountainous Polish village provides the setting for thrice Academy Award®-nominated director Agnieszka Holland’s unusual murder mystery.
Strange Birds (France, narrative feature, dir. Elise Girard) Intoxication is in the air, literally, in this charmingly offbeat love story.
Summer 1993 (Spain, narrative feature, dir. Carla Simón) In Carla Simón’s sun-brushed autobiographical drama, six-year-old Frida is brought to live with her uncle and his family in the countryside after her parents’ death from AIDS.
Vazante (Brazil, narrative feature, dir. Daniela Thomas) Masterfully photographed in silvery black and white and directed at a mesmerizing pace by longtime Walter Salles collaborator Daniela Thomas, Vazante spins the tale of a middle-aged slaveholder in colonial Brazil who marries his young niece.
Wendy (Germany, narrative feature, dir. Dagmar Seume) This picturesque film about a resilient young equestrian is a moving story punctuated with humor about friendship, compassion and courage.
Western (Germany, narrative feature, dir. Valeska Grisebach) German filmmaker Valeska Grisebach returns with a tale of a German laborer (Meinhard Neumann) caught between his boorish co-workers and the Bulgarian locals they’re “helping” by bringing progress to a small village. It’s a cutting allegory for Europe’s identity crisis, as well as a refashioning of the titular genre as a backwards fight between the frontier and encroaching civilization.
Worst Case We Get Married (Canada, narrative feature, dir. Léa Pool) Montreal’s gritty Central-South neighborhood doesn’t offer much for teenage Aïcha until she meets dreamy Baz, a handsome neighbor twice her age.
Yeva (Armenia, narrative feature, dir. Anahid Abad) A single mother and her daughter arrive in a small Armenian village seeking protection from vengeful in-laws in this compelling dramatic portrait of a border town struggling with personal secrets and the aftereffects of war.
Sponsors for Mind The Gap include Glassdoor, Andalou Naturals, Lunafest, Tanji, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and Marin Community Foundation.
About the Mill Valley Film Festival
Presented by the California Film Institute, the 40th Festival runs October 5-15, 2017. Locations this year include: CinéArts@Sequoia (Mill Valley), Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center (San Rafael), Lark Theatre (Larkspur), Cinema Corte Madera and other theatres throughout the Bay Area. With a reputation for launching new films and creating awards season buzz, MVFF has earned a reputation as a “filmmakers’ festival” by celebrating the best in American independent and world cinema alongside high profile and prestigious award contenders.
About the California Film Institute
The non-profit California Film Institute (CFI) celebrates and promotes film by presenting the annual Mill Valley Film Festival and DocLands Documentary Film Festival, exhibiting film year-round at the Christopher B. Smith Rafael Film Center, and building the next generation of filmmakers and audiences through CFI Education. CFI relies on the generosity of its community to sustain these core programs. The invaluable support of our sponsors, foundations, and individual donors ensures our continued success as we celebrate our 40th year. For more information please visit www.cafilm.org.
The Emmy Award-Winning Logo Documentary Films and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today announced a partnership to promote the broadcast premiere of Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America. The documentary, which follows Moises Serrano, an undocumented immigrant and gay man born in Mexico and raised in North Carolina, fighting for the American dream, will premiere Friday, Sept. 1 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
The goal of the partnership is to inform the public of the struggles and stigmas placed upon individuals facing similar challenges as Serrano, while highlighting the civil rights and liberties that constitutionally apply to every individual living in the United States, regardless of their status.
“When we learned about Moises’ bravery and desire to fight for the 11 million other undocumented immigrants in America, we knew we had to give him and his story more visibility,” said Taj Paxton, vice president of Logo’s Documentary Films. “Working with the ACLU, we hope to inspire young people to take action so success stories like Moises’ become commonplace.”
“For Moises and nearly 800,000 other young people across the country, DACA is a lifeline. It has empowered Dreamers to live, work, and pursue their futures in the United States, their home. Young immigrants like Moises made DACA possible through their advocacy and bravery. We must follow in their footsteps and urge Congress to pass long overdue legislation that gives Dreamers the legal status that they deserve,” said Lorella Praeli, the director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union.
In addition to tuning in for the premiere of Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America, viewers can participate in the campaign by:
For more information on Forbidden, visit: http://logo.to/2uXtQwq or http://www.forbiddendoc.com/. For more information on the ACLU, visit https://www.aclu.org.
An official selection at both the 2016 Newfest Film Festival in NYC and the 2016 Outfest Film Festival where it received the Freedom Award, Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America is produced by Heather Mathews and Tiffany Rhynard and directed by Rhynard. Taj Paxton and Pamela Post are overseeing the project for Logo.
“We love comedy but we haven’t been to too many shows, because we don’t want to go all the way to the city, so this is perfect,” Ellison said.
“Because we’re so close to San Francisco, a lot of comics from the city will come up here,” said Casey Williams, 41, co-founder of Barrel Proof Comedy, which produces comedy shows all over Sonoma County and in Mendocino County.
With co-producer Steve Ausburne, who also performs at Laugh Cellar, Williams has hosted a Barrel Proof Comedy podcast for the past year and half. Now Barrel Proof brings nationally known headliners on a monthly basis to Sally Tomatoes in Rohnert Park, including Comedy Central and Madtv impressionist Pablo Francisco, who will appear there Wednesday.
“We started by putting on bar shows with local talent, but the comedy community discovered you can get a consistently good audience up here,” Williams said.
“That’s the biggest difference between here and San Francisco. There are a lot of shows in the city but, at the ones that are outside the major venues like Cobbs and Punchline, you’ll go and do a show, but there are like seven people there,” he said. “Whereas here, at some of the winery and bar shows we’ve done, there’ll be 40, 50, even 100 people.”
At the Laugh Cellar, founder and producer Lisa Pidge estimated last Saturday’s crowd at 90 people. The comedy lineup that night featured headliner Emily Van Dyke from San Francisco, which she described as “a city of dorks who know how to make cell phones work.”
The opening acts were both from Los Angeles: Kazu Kusano — who acknowledged her Japanese accent by saying, “I can say some American words, like Toyota” — and her husband, hypnotist Allen Gittelson, clad in a three-piece brown suit, who demonstrated the power of suggestion with the help of audience volunteers.
Like the Barrel Proof team, Laugh Cellar founder Pidge, 48, started out gradually and built a following, producing Crushers of Comedy shows at wineries and other venues since 2014.
At Laugh Cellar, Pidge and her wife and business partner, Carlee Pidge, 35, divide the duties, with Lisa booking the talent and handling the comedy shows and Carlee running the bar and cafe, which features comedy-themed items like the $6 “Laugh Your Nachos Off.”
“We’re in Wine Country People come here from all over,” Lisa Pidge said. “There are a lot of locations for comedy. We’re trying to work together to build something in Wine Country.”
Showcasing local comedians is also part of the plan, she added. Sonoma County comedians Juan Carlos and Jill Maragos both have performed recently at the Laugh Cellar.
And the club is also building a regular audience, including Jim and Crista McKeith of Santa Rosa, who had seen Maragas perform at the Laugh Cellar, and returned for another show.
“We’re not bar-hoppers,” Crista McKeith said, “but I like to laugh. Who doesn’t like to laugh?”
Comedy nights:
AMF Boulevard Lanes: “The Above-Ground Underground Open Mic,” 7 p.m. Wednesdays. 1100 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 707-762-4581.
Bear Republic: Comedy showcase at 9 pm. the first Friday of every month. No cover charge. 345 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg. 707-433-2337
D’Argenzio Winery: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. third Friday of the month. $10 cover charge. 1301 Cleveland Ave., Suite A, Santa Rosa. 707-546-2466
Double Decker Lanes: Comedy showcase at 8:30 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month at 8:30 p.m. in the lounge. No cover charge. 300 Golf Course Drive, Rohnert Park, 707-585-0226
Fogbelt Brewery: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the first Sunday of the month. $5 cover charge. 1305 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa. 707-978-3400, fogbeltbrewing.com
HopMonk Tavern: Comedy open mic at 8 p.m. every third Sunday. 230 Petaluma Ave., Sebastopol. No cover charge. 829-7300, hopmonk.com
Rincon Valley Taproom: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the second Saturday of every month. No cover charge. 4927 Sonoma Hwy, Santa Rosa. 707-595-5516
Sally Tomatoes: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. No cover charge. 1100 Valley House Drive, Rohnert Park, 665-9472. Headline comedy shows once a month with national touring comedians. sallytomatoes.eventbrite.com
Spancky’s Bar: “Beatdown Open Mic,” at 9 p.m. every Monday. 8201 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati. No cover charge. 707-664-0169, spanckysbar.com
Thumbprint Cellars: Comedy showcase at 8 p.m. the third Friday of each month. $10 cover. 102 Matheson St, Healdsburg, 707-433-2393
For more information on comedy shows, visit the Sonoma & Mendocino Comedy Calendar at barrelproofcomedy.com
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC), whose mission is to create extraordinary musical experiences that inspire community, activism and compassion, will kick off its 40th season by embarking on the Lavender Pen Tour from Oct. 7-15. The tour will visit various cities and small towns in Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, while raising much-needed funds for local LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations.
With a divisive political climate in the United States, marked by an increase in dangerous and hostile rhetoric against the LGBTQ and other marginalized communities, SFGMC will take its message and music on the road to promote universal equality and inclusiveness, and the value in treating all individuals – irrespective of differences – with dignity. The Chorus will marshal its mosaic of powerful, positive voices to empower fellow Americans, especially LGBTQ+ youth, to come together, provoke conversations and action around civil liberties for all, while raising funds for local communities.
Joining SFGMC for the Lavender Pen Tour is the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC), a community of diverse races, cultures and faiths, inspiring joy and unity among all people through black gospel and spiritual music. Together, SFGMC and OIGC will perform five anchor concerts during the tour, with each show raising funds for local LGBTQ+ organizations. All funds raised during the tour will support the vital work these organizations are doing to dismantle bigotry and discrimination locally and nationally.
|
|
|
According to Professor Stacy L. Smith, author of a new study on inclusion in 900 top movies of the last decade, “Privilege still speaks, as white, straight, able-bodied men remain the norm on screen in film.”
The report “Inequality in 900 Popular Films,” released today, from Smith and the Media, Diversity & Social Change (MDSC) Initiative at USC Annenberg, reveals how little top movies have changed when it comes to the on-screen prevalence and portrayal of females, underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, the LGBT community and individuals with disabilities. The study is the largest and most comprehensive intersectional analysis of characters in motion picture content to date. The investigation examined the 900 top films from 2007 to 2016 (excluding 2011), analyzing 39,788 characters for gender, race/ethnicity, LGBT status and disability. The analysis included the 100 top movies of 2016. The results reveal that there has been little to no meaningful change in the representation of these diverse groups in popular movie content since 2015.
The top-line statistics show just how much progress has stalled in Hollywood. Across all 9 years examined, less than one-third of speaking characters on screen were girls/women, including just 31.4% of characters in the 100 top movies of 2016. Characters from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups were 29.2% of all characters in the top-grossing films of 2016, which is not different from 2015, but does reflect an increase from 2007. While there has been a decrease in the percentage of White characters from 2007, there has been no meaningful change in the percentage of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian/Asian American, or Mixed Race/other characters since that year.
LGBT-identified characters represented a mere 1.1% of all speaking characters, a percentage not different from 2015. The findings do reveal that there was an uptick in the portrayal of gay males from 2015. An LGBT lead or co-lead character appeared in only 3 films of the 300 studied between 2014 and 2016. Characters with disabilities filled only 2.7% of all speaking roles, which is not different from last year, when the researchers began studying this group. However, there was an increase in female speaking characters with disabilities from the prior year.
“These are sustained and systemic problems. It is impossible to look at this data without concluding that much of the advocacy surrounding on-screen representation over the past few years has not been successful,” said Smith, founding director of the MDSC Initiative. “Perhaps we will see more positive trends in the future, given the current level of conversation and success of certain movies this year. However, until solutions focus on changing the exclusionary hiring practices and countering explicit and implicit biases in Hollywood, it is difficult to expect real change anytime soon.”
The report’s “invisibility analysis” reveals that beyond the overall statistics, Hollywood fails to portray speaking characters from diverse groups altogether. Of the 100 top films of 2016, 25 films featured no Black/African-American characters, 44 included no Asian or Asian-American characters, and 54 depicted no Hispanic/Latino characters. Further, 38 films portrayed not a single character with a disability and 76 failed to include one lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender character. “Doesn’t everyone deserve to have their stories and voices reflected in one of our most popular forms of entertainment?” asked Smith. “These findings reveal that the erasure of different groups is still acceptable to some—we need look no further than film to see a vision of America that no longer exists. Film paints a distressing portrait of exclusion.”
Looking to leading or co leading roles, 34 of the 100 top films in 2016 featured a female at the center. Just three of these leading ladies were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups—identical to what the report found in 2015. Eight films had a female lead or co-lead 45 years of age or older, and only 1 was from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. Fourteen movies featured an underrepresented lead or co lead character, the same as 2015.
“The deficits we see on screen are worse behind the camera,” said Smith. Out of the 1,006 directors hired on the 900 films studied, just 4.1% were females. Only 5.6% of the directors were Black or African American and 3% were Asian or Asian American. Three Black or African-American women and two Asian women worked as directors across the 900 movies. “When we look intersectionally at directors, that’s where we see just how exclusionary Hollywood is when it comes to the hiring process,” said Smith. “The image of a female director seems to be that of a White woman.”
The portrayal of characters was also examined, focusing on stereotyping and sexualization. Female characters were far more likely than their male counterparts to be depicted in sexually revealing clothing, with some nudity, and to be referenced as attractive. Teenage female characters (age 13 to 20) were just as likely as young adult (age 21-39) female characters to be sexualized.
The report also offers solutions to what Smith has previously referred to as the “epidemic of invisibility” in film. These strategies are targeted at studios, production companies, film festivals, film schools, top talent, and even consumers who want to advocate for change in innovative and practical ways. Smith’s Initiative not only evaluates media content but works with individuals and companies to implement these strategies.
The study is the latest from the Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative, which produces an updated report annually. Read the full report here.
For his first feature film writer/director Mike Roma reunites with actor Patrick Reilly who starred in his successful TV series Danny the Manny about a cute gay out-of-work actor in Hollywood having to become a nanny to a surly 6 year old simply to survive. This time round Reilly plays Danny a rather obnoxious, aspiring but unemployed gay screenwriter, and even though his character is beyond annoying, Reilly the actor puts in such a winning performance that we cannot help but like him.
The story is a fresh take on the whole mother/son dynamic in what appears to be an unhealthy relationship with Joan (Kathryn Erbe) a single-parent indulging her spoilt teenage son to the point of letting him even share her bed. We should hasten to add that this is no oedipus complex just the case of a lazy youth who considers this part of the home comforts he wants to make life in New Jersey bearable whilst he waits to return to L.A. where he just graduated from college.
However the whole arrangement has to drastically alter when Joan is egged on by her best friend Lisa (the wonderful Kathy Najimy) to jump back into the dating pool again by creating an online profile. Danny, with more than a hint of jealously, is dismissive of his mother’s efforts particularly as he never manages to have any success on gay hook-up sites. He is then more than annoyed when she has possibly hit the jackpot on her very first attempt when she meets Chester (James Le Gros).
Now forced to move back into his own bedroom and take on a part time menial job at the Library, Danny seeks refuge with Kris (Michael Rosen) one of his old school pals who has a steady supply of pot to smoke. As the two of them start to bond more, Danny suggests they take a road trip to L.A. together as he is determined to get back there somehow. Kris is more than keen to go along with this, but then when Danny misreads all the friendliness and plants a kiss on the horrified straight-boy’s lips, this immediately blows all his chances of both the trip and his continued friendship.
He is not the only one who has to deal with some of the harsher elements of the real world as Lisa has just discovered that her husband of 30 years has been continually unfaithful and she throws him out of the house. Meanwhile Joan who had been the only one who seemed to have no future, is now radiant in her new found happiness with a boyfriend who looks like he is going to be around for a long time.
Roma however who had evidently used elements from his own life for the story does however ensure that before it all plays out Danny does in fact wake up and smell the roses giving this very entertaining and touching comedy the happy ending that it so deserved.
Probably the funny part of the piece is the way Roma portrays how the generations differ when it comes to ‘dating’ as Joan is all about billing and cooing on the phone for hours, whereas Danny is trying to swipe right on the endless array of dick pics that he is sorting through to find a ‘suitor’ online.
God’s Own Country a breakout hit at both Sundance and Berlinale Festivals (where it was nominated for a Teddy for Best Queer Feature) is a remarkable debut from openly gay Brit writer/director Frances Lee, and unquestionably one of best queer love stories for a very long time. Set in the wilds of Yorkshire (hence the title) with two young sheep farmers, the comparison with Brokeback Mountain is inevitable, but frankly Lee’s film offers entirely different perspectives on the unexpected relationship between these two rough country men, and most of all, it offers hope.
24 year old Johnny (Josh O’Connor) is a man of few words. Forced to take over the running of his family’s farm single-handedly since his rather gruff father (Ian Hart) became ill, and with his mother having walked out years ago, the only other person at home was his grandmother (Gemma Jones) who acted as the housekeeper. The farm nestled in the bleak Yorkshire moors offering Johnny little respite from all the pressures of physically managing all the endless daily chores in the most inhospitable of weathers. Added to the fact that his father was constantly complaining anytime he deviated from doing things the way that he wanted them done and told that his ideas were ‘daft’.
Each night he escaped to Bradford the nearest town and just binge drank until he could hardly stand, and would end up throwing up when he barely made it home. \Very occasionally like when he went to the Cattle Market, he would encounter a young lad who he would have a wordless sexual encounter in the back of his van, and then be totally horrified when the lad would try and kiss him afterwards.
When lambing season came around and he needed some manual help to cope, his father hired a migrant Romanian worker for the week. Johnny took an instant dislike to to the handsome swarthy Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) who he derogatory called ‘Gypsy’ and the two men barely communicated with each other, until that is they were forced to camp out together for a new nights to be closer to the flock. They were still acting rather sullenly towards each other, but somehow by the second night the two of them impulsively jumped on each other and started making.
Johnny who knew no better wanted his usual quick sexual release, but the older man took control and forced him into a making it all a much more emotional act of making love. The transformation the next day was remarkable because in that one brief encounter Gheorghe had shown him more affection than anyone else had done in his life time.
Developing any sort of relationship beyond this was pretty impossible with the need to keep it totally secret, but actually even when his grandmother came across a used condom in his bedroom and worked out what was going on, she kept her discovery to herself. Then with the father suffering another stroke and being totally incapacitated, Johnny seized on the opportunity to ask Gheorghe to stay on longer to help out on the farm . Even though the Romanian was more than happy to do so, it was inevitable that as Johnny had repressed his feelings for so long and had never ever been able to either verbalize or even accept them, then it wouldn’t be easy. It was fairly obvious that inexperienced as he was he would that he would make some errors of judgement that would jeopardize their potential relationship.
Lee’s excellent script is based partly on his own experiences growing up in a very similar farm in that same neck of the woods, and although he claims that the work is not autobiographical, it does at least reference his own difficult in forming any sort of loving relationship in a rural area like this. A lot of the credit for the movie’s success is due to the casting decisions he made for O’Connor and Secareanu had this intense chemistry that made the whole piece sing. The young British actor has been making a name for himself playing bit parts in big production movies (like Florence Foster Jenkins) but his understated performance as the awkward gangly Johnny proved he could play the lead too. He was a sheer joy to watch. The Romanian in his first English speaking playing the sultry and sensitive Geheorge became the man that most of us would happily fall in love with behind the sheep pen.
Kudos to for the actors who really had to get down and dirty with the animals themselves. How Lee persuaded to get them to be up close and way too personal with them, is beyond us. It certainly lent a real authenticity to the piece, but not one we would want to see too much off.
On a brighter note, there was a very casual naturalness to the nudity which was unusually explicit for a Brit movie, and the scenes of intimacy which developed from being rushed to being instinctive and tender and seemingly totally un-choreographed, making them so very sizzling hot.
Lee’s drama treads a refreshing path and with this enchanting romance shot in the stark beauty of the Yorkshire countryside, it’s a film that will resound so very well within the LGBT community that it is sure to become a new favorite cult gay classic.
Get ready for a magical evening of entertainment, activism and passionate guest speakers to raise awareness to LGBTQ persecution and build bridges to our brothers and sisters around the world.
6:00 pm: VIP Cocktail (no-host) Reception with invited guests, filmmaker Monet Allard-Wilcox and the Sisters.
7:00 pm: Pre-show guest speakers including Cleve Jones, Mark Leno, Tom Ammiano, Executive Director of the African Human Rights Coalition Melanie Nathan, San Francisco Drag Queen/Russian Refugee Natalie Ray, Seth Rosenberg (Rainbow Railroad SF), Rochelle Fortier Nwadibia (ORAM) and a special live performance by Honey Mahogany.
7:30 pm: Stilettos for Shanghai U.S. Film Premiere
8:40 pm: Q&A with the Shanghai Sisters & Monet-Allard Wilcox hosted by Sister Roma
Stilettos for Shanghai
In 2014 an international contingent of Sisters was invited to Shanghai, China for their sixth annual Pride Celebration. Traveling around the globe to a communist country where being openly gay is as foreign a concept as freedom of speech is a frightening prospect for the average traveler, let alone a crazy group of drag nuns, but these Sisters gleefully accepted. They packed their habits (good and bad), feather boas, and false eyelashes for ten amazing days hosting events including an LGBT film festival, conferences on LGBT history and HIV/AIDS, and even a gay trivia night. From the pounding nightclubs of Shanghai to the bustling garment district to the iconic Bund, the Sisters created a sensation everywhere they went. Their impact on the Chinese was undeniable but even more impactful was the impression left by the Chinese people on the the Sisters themselves. Don’t miss one minute of Stilettos for Shanghai!
#Chechnya100
In April shocking news broke that gay men were being rounded up and held in concentration camp-like prisons in Chechnya Russia. Reports claim that more than 100 men were detained, beaten, electrocuted, tortured, and at least three were killed. Russian “investigations” have turned up very little information as the conservative, Kremlin-backed government claims that thee allegations are false because no homosexuals exist in the region, adding, ““If such people existed in Chechnya, law enforcement would not have to worry about them since their own relatives would have sent them to where they could never return.”
Public outcry around the globe has called for an end to these atrocities but the fact is that many of us feel helpless as we hear stories of gay genocide happening in Russia, Uganda, the Middles East and more. While it is true that we cannot change the long-held beliefs of an entire culture, nor can we have a direct impact on their government or laws there is something we can do. We can help our LGBTQ brothers and sisters get out of those repressed and dangerous countries. That is why we are making our U.S. film premiere a fundraiser for ORAM and Rainbow Railroad, to amazing organizations that work directly with gay, lesbian, bi, and trans people seeking asylum. It’s up to us to help them get to safety. Please consider joining us for this amazing event and know that you’ve helped save lives with your generous donation.
A personal note from the filmmaker:
My name is Monet Allard-Wilcox and I am a first time documentary film maker and nearly twenty year employee of ABC7 News. Over the last 3 years I have documented the activities of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence including traveling with them, camera in hand, to Shanghai Pride in 2014. At the time Shanghai Pride was the only recurring Pride event in all of mainland China and only six years young. Footage of the Sisters in face and costume walking the streets of Shanghai is a visual and social delight.
The crux of my documentary, Stilettos for Shanghai, discusses the status of LGBTI communities world wide, and includes interviews with Tom Ammiano, Mark Leno, and Bisi Alimi, the first Nigerian man to come out publicly on Nigerian National TV, who was forced to flee his homeland after an attempt on his life. The film discusses the very serious issue of anti gay legislation and the impact on the people living under such repression.
In direct response to this social injustice, the always courageous drag nuns travel halfway around the world to offer support, inspire creativity and forge lasting connections with a fledgling movement.
As you will see, the Sisters made a huge impression on the LGBT community in Shanghai as well as building bridges with the organizers and participants, relationships that continue today.