Set in Santiago’s vibrant Ñuñoa district, Phantom Project is a breezy, whimsical confection about an aspiring thirtysomething actor named Pablo (a magnetic Juan Cano). Tired of taking gigs role-playing ailments at the local medical school, Pablo longs for his big artistic break. When his roommate moves out without warning, a curious, mischievous presence appears to take up residence in Pablo’s flat, complicating his attempts to fill the empty bedroom.
Through bittersweet hang-outs with his semi-famous YouTuber ex, afternoon cocktails with the girls, and herbal cleansing sessions with the local botanical healer, Phantom Project paints a lively tapestry of young LGBTQ+ culture in Chile. Witnessing relationships—new and old, human or otherwise—deepen just as others drift away, Pablo inches closer toward a harmonious balance that his life seems to have lacked in the past. With warm humor and an inventive spirit, writer-director Roberto Doveris (Las plantas) captures a critical juncture in life of a sensitive millennial, that moment of dizzying rebirth after the dust from one’s Saturn return has settled.
Tickets
The film screens at the Castro Theatre JUNE 17, 2022 3:30 PM — 5:11 PM
Streams online JUNE 24, 2022 12:01 AM — JUNE 30, 2022 11:59 PM
With a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, writer-director-star Fábio Leal navigates the sometimes steamy, other times awkward tribulations of sexual connection amid a global pandemic. For his narrative feature debut, Leal returns to the neurotic comedy and uninhibited sex that made his shorts Renovation(Frameline43) and The Daytime Doorman so memorable and unique.
When his boyfriend announces he’s no longer bisexual and dumps him via Zoom at the height of lockdown, lonesome bear Francisco (Leal) is left with a lot to grapple with—including being nicknamed “the COVID police” by his friends after routinely canceling them on social media for not following health guidelines. But Francisco’s desperate forays into meditation, Jane Fonda’s workout tapes, indoor plants, and trashy movies from his youth don’t change the fact that he’s horny and desperately wants to have sex… but only if he finds someone as militant with all the safety protocol for COVID-19 as he is. But even then, can Francisco lower his guard (if not his mask) long enough to make a connection?
This film screens JUNE 16, 2022 9:30 PM — 10:49 PM at the Castro Theatre
Streams Online JUNE 24, 2022 12:01 AM — JUNE 30, 2022 11:59 PM
Lisa Lynne & Aryeh Frankfurter: Celtic Harp, Swedish Nyckelharpa and more! at Occidental Center for the Arts. Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter are an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist duo playing Celtic harps, Swedish nyckelharpa, Ukrainian bandura, bouzouki, cittern and more. They hail from Oregon and tour extensively, both having successful recording and performing careers built from years of street performing and a background as rock musicians.They have performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in folk and acoustic music, and have sold well over a million albums combined. Don’t miss this spellbinding concert! Tickets are $25 General/$20 for OCA Members @ www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. OCA follows current Sonoma County Public Health guidelines. Fine refreshments including wine and beer for sale. Art Gallery exhibit will be open for viewing. OCA is a non profit performing and fine arts center accessible to persons with disabilities. Become an OCA Member and get discounts/free admission. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental,CA. 95465. 707-874-9392.
Cristi’s out of town visitor Hadi is a German-Turkish flight attendant so handsome that he can’t wait to get him to his apartment. The elevator will do.
But when his sister drops by, she chides her brother for not taking Hadi out, showing him the Romanian sights. She echoes Hadi’s own hopes that they’d “take a drive” to “the mountains.” Nothing doing.
Cristi hasn’t even taken time off work. On the job, in this Eastern Orthodox, conservative and homophobic country, no one can know about his private life. Cristi (Conrad Mericoffer) is a cop and any public displays of his sexuality could be a career killer, at the very least.
“Poppy Field” is a Romanian drama about the state of gay life in that still-backward country, decades after the end of its totalitarian dictatorship. Eugen Jebeleanu’s brief, intimate film sees Cristi challenged at home — by Hadi (Radouan Leflahi), who frets over his closeted status, and by sister Catalina (Cendana Trifan), who berates him for not treating his lover with more respect, even if she’s sure this is just serial-dater Cristi’s “gay phase.” On the job, Cristi keeps as much to himself as his fellow Jandarmeria (police) allow. He talks of women he’s dated in the past tense, and stays silent when he’s jokingly asked if he “beats them,” perhaps a logical Romanian reason for relationships that never seem to last.
But things come to a head when he and his team are sent to break up a disturbance at the state cinema. A group of noisy, icon-wielding Orthodox protesters have disrupted a screening of a lesbian romance. In the film’s long middle act, Cristi must stand passively by as furious fanatics hurl slurs at the audience, get in the paying patrons’ and cops’ faces in a situation that isn’t helped by police presence.
Because when the cops start asking for IDs, it’s the folks who bought tickets to the movie that they seem to want to interrogate. And a guy in that audience may be discrete, but when nobody else is watching, he turns insistent.
“You’re really gonna pretend you don’t know me (in Romanian, with English subtitles)?”
Jebeleanu keeps his ambitions modest in his debut feature film. This is one man’s often-ignoble reaction to having to deny himself to half the people he knows — his colleagues. Cristi lashes out and “overcompensates,” and that only makes matters worse.
The script (by Ioana Moraru) is more concerned with introducing Cristi’s dilemma and putting him through this harrowing test than in resolving his situation — publicly or psychologically.
Mericoffer keeps this interior journey on simmer for most of the film, only exploding in his “protests too much” reaction to being confronted with some version of his true self. It’s a compact, tightly-wound performance, which suits the film beautifully.
By Western standards, “Poppy Field” may feel as dated as one protestor’s hurled insult — “Sexo-MARXIST!” But in showing Romania’s version of what the West went through decades ago in terms of simple tolerance, there’s an implied “Let’s not go back there” message to increasingly reactionary Europe and America’s reddest states that feels fraught, if not downright wearying. Maybe “It gets better,” but not without making hard, brave choices.
“Frameline—the world’s longest–running and largest showcase of queer cinema—announced Frameline46: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, taking place June 16–26, 2022.
“With this year’s theme, ‘The Coast is Queer,’ Frameline46 will expand its footprint with screenings taking place in-person at a record number of theaters and venues throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including the Castro Theatre, Roxie Theater, SFMOMA, and AMC Kabuki in San Francisco; the New Parkway Theater and Landmark’s Piedmont Theatre in Oakland; and more.
“Tickets for Frameline46 will go on sale to the general public beginning Wednesday, May 25, 2022. For more information, visit www.frameline.org.
“Highlights of Frameline46 include:
Over 90 films spanning narratives, documentaries, and shorts, and representing more than 30 countries, including Brazil, Norway, Georgia, Australia, Chile, and more!
A national Streaming Encore available to cinephiles anywhere in the United States from June 24–30, 2022.
Frameline Talks, a curated series of live panels and thought-provoking Q&As with filmmakers, celebrity guests, and community personalities.
A glittering Opening Night Gala featuring a silence auction and Centerpiece Party!
Frameline Awards, including First Feature Award and Audience Awards. This year, Frameline is adding awards for Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short, as well as presenting the inaugural Out of the Silence Award which will be given to a film that highlights brave acts of visibility.
A vibrant new website to improve the Frameline46 experience.
When it comes to LGBTQ history, there is a lot missing from the standard texts taught in school. The Book of Queer aims to fill in those gaps with colorful sketches about LGBTQ historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Bayard Rustin. For queer historian Eric Cervini, who executive produced the series, shining light on these monumental individuals is what it is all about.
“Above all, The Book of Queer is about representation and authenticity. In Hollywood, these things have been missing and so many of our stories that have been told have forgotten the real queer people behind the stories,” Cervini told LGBTQ Nation, adding that he expects audiences will be surprised. “These stories go back to the dawn of humanity, stories we’ve always been a part of.”
Cervini appears in The Book of Queer along with LGBTQ celebrities who lend their voices as narrators for the series, including Pose’s Dominique Jackson and legendary actor Leslie Jordan. They all have different reasons for wanting to be a part of this groundbreaking series.
For Jackson, “Any time there is anything about bringing visibility to the community, I want to be a part of it. Queer people believe that they’re not a part of history but they are.”
And she knows exactly why that is.
“So many people try to erase our history and I want our community and all the younger people a part of it to know that they do have a place in history and a history they can look up to,” she told LGBTQ Nation.
For Jordan, it was an incredible learning experience. And he wonders why it wasn’t made before. Cervini can answer that question.
“Most LGBTQ history that is taught is tragic, most people know that and they primarily focus on that history. But there’s a lot of joy in LGBTQ history. We wanted to show that and share these different stories. So, we finally decided it was time to tell our history and created a television series with the largest out LGBTQ cast in television history.”
And for Cervini, Jackson, and Jordan, The Book of Queer is a necessity for the media landscape. And a lot of that has to do with Cervini’s main purpose: representation.
“So often, non-LGBTQ creators have profited off our tragedy and now Hollywood has a moral obligation as creators to be a better example of how representation should work,” he said.
Jackson echoes those sentiments, adding, “When we search for anything these days, everything that pops up is nothing but negative things. Our community isn’t solely about tragedy and sex. We have a history that is filled with accomplishments and achievements.”
For Jordan, he sees the series as a necessary move forward when considering all of the anti-LGBTQ legislatures that are sweeping the country.
“We’ve been through so much and for the longest time, being who we are was against the law,” he told LGBTQ Nation. “And it’s so timely now with everything that is going on. I hope that this series is able to reach people within and outside our community to better understand us and work to protect us.”
TLC/Discovery
A lot of what Jordan says is what Cervini hopes is found in a viewing audience.
“If there’s one goal we had creating this series, then it’s that we make history fun. Most of the writers behind The Book of Queer are comedians. Regardless of the audience watching, we hope that what we portray is funny. That people will love what we have to show and care to make a difference.”
A lot of what Cervini speaks to is what he and both Jackson and Jordan hope audiences take away from The Book of Queer.
“I want audiences to feel hopeful while watching this series. I want them to find this series and learn about the history of their community. I’ve already received so many notes of praise from students and their parents who are grateful to have this resource,” he stated warmly.
Jackson and Jordan hope The Book of Queer becomes a great resource also.
“My hope is that anyone viewing this will know parts of our history. We shouldn’t be discriminated against and yet we’ve been fighting for years for visibility and now I hope people can feel visible,” Jackson said proudly.
Jordan wants this to be an education of sorts.
“It’s entertaining but there is an importance to learning so many things that aren’t a part of history that should be taught.”
But all three have a message for anyone at home watching:
“We have a duty to continue telling our history, especially in states that are trying to erase our history. We’re so passionate about this series because of the anti-Trans legislature and the Don’t Say Gay bill. By learning history, we are better equipped to go up against this legislature with strength and not shame.”
And that’s a call to action. The Book of Queer premieres 6/2 on Discovery+.
Love Jane Austen and Bridgerton? Then you have to see our season opener, Kate Hamill’s Pride and Prejudice.
Think “life is a cabaret”? Then you will fit right in at our first musical in the GK Hardt…Cabaret!
Then, take a trip to the Amazon on an epic journey full of love, beauty, and magical realism, in the Riverbride.Next, fall into the holidays with your favorite new musical, Scrooge in Love…Yes!
Are talking plants and underdogs who win your thing? Then don’t wait to see the cult classic hit musical Little Shop of Horrors.
Next up, A Raisin in the Sun will move you as this American-classic comes to life on the Monroe Stage!
Love country music & powerful women? You will LOVE Always Patsy Cline.
Smart People… aren’t always so smart. Find out why!
Finally, Shakespeare & musical theater find the perfect match in our season closer with the hit, Something Rotten!Season Packages On Sale Now. Buy early for the best seat selection.
DJ Dank invites you to COCKETTES: ETERNAL EMISSIONS. Take a trip back to the heyday of the Cockettes in this new & colorful multi-media musical revue featuring musical numbers made famous by the Cockettes with members of the original Cockettes in person! Video testimonies and archival footage round out the revue.
Musical Direction by original Cockette – Scrumbly Koldewyn.
Directed and choregraphed by Noah Haydon. Produced by Dan Karkoska.
COCKETTES: ETRNAL EMISSIONSwill be performed Thurs., June 2, Fri., June 3, Sat., June 4, 2022 – at 7:00 pm, at OASIS – 298 Eleventh St. (SOMA at Folsom St.), in SF 94103. Tix – $40 – $60 – Cabaret Seating, Front Cabaret Seating, Premium Runway Seating.
This is a limited engagement. – 3 Performances only!
For more information call OASIS at 415-795-3180 or Production at 415-350-3295 during business hours.
Performers scheduled to appear include: (as of 4-20-22 – Alphabetically)
Lisa Shepard Appleyard, Andy Arcade, Birdie-Bob Watt, Matt Bratko, Corey Go-go Pup, John Flaw, Noah Haydon, Kitten On The Keys, Scrumbly Koldewyn, Carl Linkhart, Steven Satyricon, Maya Songbird, Sunshine, Jef Valentine, Jason Wade, Will Power, Diogo Zavadzki. Orignial Cockettes scheduled to appear TBD.
Band: Scrumbly Koldewyn (piano / Music Director)
TECH CREDITS: Scrumbly Koldewyn (Writer); Dan Karkoska (Producer); Noah Haydon (Director and Choreographer); David Hawkins (Graphic Designer); Birdie-Bob Watt (Ass’t. Director); Sharon Boggs (Sound Designer); Tina Sogliuzzo (Wardrobe); Lawrence Helman (Publicity), Gareth Gooch (Photography), Jim Jeske (Artist).
SYNOPSIS – COCKETTES: ETERNAL EMISSIONS:
In 1969, The Cockettes debuted at the Palace Theater in San Francisco with their midnight sensation the Nocturnal Dream Show starring a genderbending, glitter-encrusted, drug-induced theater troupe who took drag and old Hollywood musicals and turned them inside out and upside down, attracting the attention of the American underground culture.
Fifty years later in 2020, they celebrated their golden anniversary with an epic, sold-out event featuring many of their classic numbers and a special appearance by cult film icon John Waters at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco. Additional shows were booked to continue the celebration, but COVID changed those plans.
Now, DJ Dank is bringing a colorful, multimedia, musical revue: Cockettes: Eternal Emissions,to OASIS, June 2, 3, 4, 2022, to continue that mission. Musical director and original Cockette, Scrumbly Koldewyn has reconceived the 2020 show to create a naughty, scintillating, debaucherously, dreamlike revue especially for OASIS.
The Cockette’s sprawling, kaleidoscopic pantheon of colorful personalities included icons including: Hibiscus and Sylvester, and was often augmented by special guests, most notably drag superstars Divine & Mink Stole. The Cockettes were ahead of their time, especially in the acceptance of gender fluidity and glittered beards, and they changed the face of drag forever.
Although the Cockettes disbanded in 1972, its many members kept the group’s spirit alive; in 2009, a theater troupe called the Thrillpeddlers helmed by Russell Blackwood revived a legendary Cockettes show called Pearls Over Shanghai to much acclaim and a long 22 month run. Playing on the interest already garnered by David Weissman & Bill Weber’s The Cockettes documentary released in 2002, interest in this troupe was reawakened and entertained an entirely new & appreciative audience. Over the next decade, The Thrillpeddlers continued recreating Cockette shows under the watchful eye of the original songwriter and Cockette Scrumbly Koldewyn.
Sunday May 22 at 4 pm. Nina Gerber and Chris Webster at Occidental Center for the Arts. Join us in our amphitheater for a special outdoor performance by Sonoma County favorites Nina Gerber and Chris Webster! Music fans know Nina GerberandChris Webster as two of the most skilled and artful musical talents. Webster’s voice is uniquely compelling while Gerber’s guitar is beautiful and powerful. Their musical partnership has spanned over 25 years. Don’t miss this magical afternoon concert of soulful originals, tasteful covers, jazzy songs and folk tunes in our outdoor amphitheater! $30 General/$25 OCA Members at www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org. Bring a cushion or low back seat for your comfort. Fine refreshments including wine and beer for sale. Art Gallery exhibit will be open for viewing. OCA is a non profit performing and fine arts center accessible to persons with disabilities. Become an OCA Member and get discounts/free admission. Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850Doris Murphy Ct. Occidental, CA. 95465.
A gay Bollywood’s director has blasted the Indian government’s decision to ban his film about a gay army officer.
Onir, born Anirban Dhar, is best known for Mr Brother…Nikhil, one of the first mainstream Hindi films to explore HIV and same-sex relationships.
Inspired by the real-life story of gay retired army officer Major J Suresh, who quit the forces over his sexuality, the filmmaker has proposed the film We Are.
But India’s Ministry of Defence has allegedly blocked his efforts over its “illegal” depiction of queer soldiers, given that LGBT+ personnel cannot serve openly in India’s armed forces, NDTV reported.
For Onir, the government has exploited a requirement introduced two years ago that demands filmmakers to be granted clearance from the defence ministry to produce films concerning the armed forces.
Indian filmmaker just wanted to tell story of a ‘gay soldier who falls in love’
He told The Independentthat the government did not award his script a No Objection Certificate, having applied in December.
“Which itself is problematic,” Onir told the British newspaper, “because India has a film-certification board that should be doing this work.”
Onir received a terse email from the government agency after sending the script for approval, he claimed.
“I wanted to do something which celebrated it while also highlighting the way forward in terms of securing civil rights and changing societal perceptions [of the queer community],” the 52-year-old said.
We Are, the forthcoming sequel to Onir’s 2010 movie, I Am, is to be an anthology film of our queer romances that commemorates the Supreme Court’s milestone 2018 verdict that, at long last, decriminalised homosexuality.
Onir speaks during a press conference for movie I Am. (PEDRO UGARTE/AFP via Getty Images)
Among the four stories was Suresh, who first wrote on his weblog, Personal Blog of an Out & Proud Indian Major, in 2020, about the struggles he faced when “reconciling the military/ex-military part and the gay part” of his life.
He had long felt that the two “can’t/don’t fit together”.
“But I have slowly realized that this was an absolutely unwarranted struggle that I had subjected myself to – probably driven by lower social acceptance levels in India,” he added.
Suresh’s story, Onir said, was “interesting” and inspired the “fictional” retelling.
“I wrote about a gay army man who falls in love,” Onir explained, “realises he can’t express his love openly while serving in the army, quits and finally reaches out to his lover.
“I don’t even get into any discourse of whether it’s right or wrong.”
PinkNews reached out to the Ministry of Defence for comment.
