Friday, April 23 Online program Free | $5 suggested donation
In honor of National Poetry Month in April, poet James J. Siegel will read excerpts from his new poetry collection The God of San Francisco (Sibling Rivalry Press, 2020), a poetic exploration of San Francisco’s queer history from the North Beach drag scene to Twin Peaks Tavern in the Castro, from the triumphant election of Harvey Milk to the devastating HIV/AIDS epidemic. Siegel will be joined by queer poets Natasha Dennerstein, Dazié Grego-Sykes, Baruch Porras-Hernandez and Jacques J. Rancourt to read poems that explore our personal connections to LGBTQ history, our queer ancestors and the ongoing fight for equality. Register online here.
Even as other Hollywood bullies are being sidelined, the uber-producer behind ‘The Social Network’ and Broadway’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ has been given a pass for his volcanic temper. Now, former employees open up about a boss who left many traumatized: “It was a new level of unhinged.”
On a brisk Halloween day in 2012, the thin facade of normalcy at Scott Rudin Productions shattered. Literally.
At about 4:15 p.m. — more than 10 hours into a typical Rudin day that began at 6 and never wrapped before 8 — the Oscar-winning producer was enraged that one of his assistants failed to get him a seat on a sold-out flight. In a fit of fury, he allegedly smashed an Apple computer monitor on the assistant’s hand. The screen shattered, leaving the young man bleeding and in need of immediate medical attention. One person in the office at the time described the incident as sounding like a car crash: a cacophonous collision of metal, glass and limb. The wounded assistant headed to the emergency room, and Rudin called his lawyer, according to another staffer there that Halloween afternoon. Everyone else huddled in the conference room, shaken. No one stayed until 8 p.m., with most of the staff heading over to a Times Square bar for a therapeutic drink.
“We were all shocked because we didn’t know that that sort of thing could happen in that office,” says Andrew Coles, a then-development executive and now-manager and producer, whose credits include Queen & Slim. “We knew a lot could happen. There were the guys that were sleeping in the office, the guys whose hair was falling out and were developing ulcers. It was a very intense environment, but that just felt different. It was a new level of unhinged — a level of lack of control that I had never seen before in a workplace.” Through a spokesperson, Rudin declined to comment on any of the specific allegations mentioned in this story. The alleged victim declined to comment.
For some four decades, Rudin’s abusive behavior has been chronicled — even celebrated — by the press. In a 2010 profile, this publication dubbed him “The Most Feared Man in Town” and called him “dazzlingly charming” one paragraph after describing acts of cruelty and intimidation. In a 2005 Wall Street Journal profile with the headline “Boss-zilla!,” Rudin himself pegged the number of assistants he burned through in the previous five years at 119.
But in October 2017, Harvey Weinstein was toppled from power following twin investigative reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker detailing his sexual predation, ushering in the entertainment industry’s #MeToo era. That reckoning has expanded in scope to include toxic behavior encompassing everything from racism to milder microaggressions. Talent and executives, including Sharon Osbourne at The Talk and three executive producers at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, have been kicked to the curb for bullying antics. Likewise, America’s Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union received a settlement from NBC in September after filing an employment complaint that alleged a “toxic culture,” which included fellow judge Simon Cowell smoking cigarettes on set and guest judge Jay Leno making a racist joke.
Still, there has been no reckoning for Rudin, 62, one of the industry’s most decorated producers, whose films have earned 151 Oscar nominations and 23 wins, including best picture for the Coen brothers’ 2007 drama No Country for Old Men. He’s even more successful on the theater front, having nabbed 17 individual Tony Awards. His Aaron Sorkin stage collaboration, To Kill a Mockingbird, became the hottest ticket on Broadway in 2018. During a single week that year, the drama earned more than $1.5 million at the box office, breaking a 118-year-old record in the process.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagicFrom left: Rudin, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the Tony Awards in 2010 in NYC.
On May 14, Netflix will release Rudin’s latest production, The Woman in the Window. Like most of his efforts, the film features A-list talent, including star Amy Adams and director Joe Wright. As was the case with many things involving Rudin, it was fraught with drama, say sources, with the producer taking the reins from Wright after the Fox 2000 thriller tested poorly, then hiring Tony Gilroy to write for reshoots. In the end, sources say, it tested about the same.
Even as others have been canceled or have dialed back their aggression, Rudin’s behavior has continued unabated, leaving a trail of splintered objects and traumatized employees in his path.
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Caroline Rugo had expected a grueling environment when she joined Scott Rudin Productions as an executive coordinator in fall 2018. She accepted that her days began at 5 a.m., fielding emails before reporting to the New York office at 6. Given that she lives with Type 1 diabetes, Rugo needed to carve out 30 minutes a day for exercise and provided a doctor’s note signed off on by Rudin that allowed her to work out from 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Even with a narrow margin for an outside life, she was eager to work for the uber-producer behind The Social Network and Broadway’s The Book of Mormon. What she hadn’t anticipated was the onslaught of acts of intimidation.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesRudin (center) with the Golden Globe for best picture for ‘The Social Network’ in 2011.
“He threw a laptop at the window in the conference room and then went into the kitchen and we could hear him beating on the napkin dispenser,” says Rugo. “Then another time he threw a glass bowl at [a colleague]. It’s hard to say if he threw it in the general direction or specifically at [the colleague], but the glass bowl hit the wall and smashed everywhere. The HR person left in an ambulance due to a panic attack. That was the environment.”
Multiple people corroborated the incident involving the HR staffer, who never returned, as well as the laptop and napkin-dispenser episode, which took place in early March 2019 during a meeting with a publicist from SpotCo, a major Broadway ad agency. The following year, SpotCo sued Rudin for $6.3 million for unpaid pre-pandemic work on eight shows, becoming the latest legal action against him that spilled into public view. (The case is still active.) In 2018, the estate of Harper Lee sued Rudin, claiming that the Sorkin script altered characters, the setting and the legal proceeding at the heart of her novel. (The parties later reached a settlement, the details of which were not made public.)
Around the same time of the SpotCo complaint, red-hot writer Jeremy O. Harris called Rudin out on Twitter as “loudly racist,” in another public break. The Slave Play playwright and Zola screenwriter continued, “He called me on the phone and cussed me out once and said ‘you’re a baby playwright who has written one good play no one gives a FUCK what you have to say’ To which I responded, ‘Why did you just pay me to say something in TWO plays?’ “
Rudin tantrums have been well documented going back four decades and are said to have at least partly inspired the 1994 assistant revenge fantasy film Swimming With Sharks. Manchester by the Sea producer Kevin Walsh told THR in 2014 that Rudin demanded Walsh get out of his car and abandoned him on a highway. In the same article, producer Adam Goodman called the environment “really, really, really gnarly.” Others depict a cult-like atmosphere, where once-abused lieutenants take on their boss’ worst qualities (one former staffer says Rudin and a senior executive would throw every item off the desk of an office manager for “no reason at all”). In a 2010 THR profile, Rudin downplayed his high rate of turnover. “People who do fantastically tend to end up going on to very strong, illustrious careers,” he says, “and the people who wash out tend to not be heard from again.” (The Rudin diaspora includes such high-profile executives as producer Amy Pascal and Josh Greenstein, co-head of Sony’s Motion Picture Group.)
But with Hollywood reexamining its power structures and inequities, Rudin’s brand of aggro behavior is suddenly out of step in an industry championing egalitarianism. One recent Rudin assistant says the mercurial producer threw a baked potato at his head in 2018 for not knowing why someone from indie distributor A24 was in the lobby.
“I went into the kitchen, and I was like, ‘Hey, Scott, A24 is on the way up. I’m not sure what it’s concerning,’ ” he says. “And he flipped out, like, ‘Nobody told me A24 was on my schedule.’ He threw it at me, and I dodged a big potato. He was like, ‘Well, find out, and get me a new potato.’ “
Adding insult to injury, the assistant was fired by Rudin not long after dropping out of college to join his staff full-time.
Ryan Nelson, who was Rudin’s executive assistant in 2018-19, says he experienced and witnessed so much mistreatment, including the producer throwing a stapler at a theater assistant and calling him a “retard,” that he left the industry altogether.
“Every day was exhausting and horrific,” he says. “Not even the way he abused me, but watching the way he abused the people around me who started to become my very close friends. You’re spending 14 hours a day with the same people, enduring the same abuse. It became this collective bond with these people.”
Vince Bucci/Getty ImagesRudin in 2008 flanked by Ethan (left) and Joel Coen, best picture Oscar winners for ‘No Country for Old Men.’
Likewise, assistant Miguel Cortes became a bike mechanic for a year after leaving Scott Rudin Productions in 2019, feeling scarred by the experience and assuming that all offices operated this way.
“There was definitely a distance you wanted to maintain when you were talking to Scott at any time,” he recalls. “I’m a tall guy. Like 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, well, I’m not intimidated by him. He’s shorter than me.’ But every time I’d be sitting down is when he’d come over and lord over me. I remember thinking, ‘That’s almost a genius move, getting me when I’m at my smallest.’ He would be right over me and literally shouting at me.”https://d01452b876a6ed2c532a3dc781e6dd9b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
On Indeed.com, where Rudin posts ads for a constant stream of vacancies, one anonymous reviewer warned prospective applicants to “Please Run Far, Far Away” and claimed to have witnessed the producer “pulling a chair out from under an assistant’s seat to fire him so he could fall down,” among other transgressions carried out in front of the titan’s industry partners.
For Rugo, she was out in six months after enduring a series of so-called “soft firings” — a unique phenomenon at Rudin’s company that several sources detailed. An ousted employee would wait in the Starbucks in the lobby for Rudin to cool off and allow the groveling underling to return. Not this time. After Rudin became ensnared in a feud between Nathan Lane and director George C. Wolfe during previews of his Tony-nominated play Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Rugo says Rudin began to blame her for the situation. He demanded that she skip her 5:30 a.m. gym visit or work faster. She refused — and didn’t bother waiting in the Starbucks.
“I got fired for having Type 1 diabetes, which is a federally protected disability,” says Rugo, who now works in development at Netflix. “I one hundred percent could have sued him. But I didn’t because of the fear of being blacklisted. But I’ve worked at Netflix for a year and a half now. And it was such a shock to the system because it’s one of the most respectful and progressive workplaces in terms of employee relations. Now that I have established myself here and I am a part of a team where my opinions are respected and welcomed, I have no issue speaking out about Scott. Everyone just knows he’s an absolute monster.”
Another assistant, who asked not to be named because he fears career retaliation, detailed a kitchen encounter with Rudin in 2018 that devolved quickly.
“He asked me to clean the kitchen. I told him, ‘That’s really not my job.’ I had to do a bunch of other stuff that was urgent,” the former assistant says. “The kitchen was not urgent. And then he flipped out, and he took his teacup, threw it, and it shattered and left a hole in the wall. I was like, ‘I’m a human. This is a physical act of aggression.’ “
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Since its earliest days, Hollywood has been prone to abuses of power. Abusive behavior tends to be overlooked or accommodated when the power imbalance dynamic is at its most extreme. Nowhere is that more evident than at Scott Rudin Productions, where a conveyor belt of assistants — typically recent NYU grads who are hungry, vulnerable and willing to put up with maltreatment — rotates in and out, providing the backbone for the prolific producer behind There Will Be Blood and Doubt, the latter for both stage and screen, and TV’s What We Do in the Shadows and The Newsroom. None of them is over the age of 25.
One former Rudin assistant says the producer relished in the cruelty but was able to pivot from berating staff to turning on the charm as soon as talent walked in the door.
“When you feel his spit on your face as he’s screaming at you, saying, ‘You’re worth nothing,’ it obviously makes an impact, and we’re young,” the assistant says. “Over his long career, there are hundreds and hundreds of people who have suffered. And some have given up their dreams because he made them feel and believe that they can’t do whatever it is they’re trying to do.”
Another staffer says Rudin purposefully disrupted people’s careers with lies. Around the time that Rudin attained EGOT status in 2012 — becoming one of only 16 people living or dead ever to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — he became enraged when one of his female underlings left to work at The Weinstein Co. According to multiple sources, Rudin emailed Harvey Weinstein and insisted that she had stolen from him. (Weinstein didn’t listen and continued to employ her. She continues to work in the industry to this day.)
“That was a big, big moment,” says another staffer of the mistreatment of his colleague. “It literally changed everyone who was there at the time’s interest in having anything to do with him ever again. All of the employees realized that this is what we had to look forward to, after slaving away, being attacked so much, being maligned in really bizarre ways. There was a casual disregard for human rights.”
Rudin’s wrath wasn’t only aimed at employees. He privately clashed with director Sam Mendes and took out an ad in The New York Times to berate a Times theater writer. His emails — which became fodder for the general public following the Sony hack when he called Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented spoiled brat” and made racially insensitive jokes about President Barack Obama, saying he probably liked Kevin Hart — are often scathing, says an assistant who was privy to them. In one exchange with fellow EGOT Whoopi Goldberg, he lambasted her because she wanted to play a part in To Kill a Mockingbirdinstead of another Rudin-produced project, the film adaptation of Aleshea Harris’ acclaimed play Is God Is. He called her an idiot, said she’d never work again in anything important and wished her luck on The View. Goldberg declined to comment.
Rudin continues to work with the best in the film business. His next projects include Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, and Jennifer Lawrence’s Red, White and Water, both for A24. The New York-based distributor says it has no official first-look deal with Rudin even though it does frequent business with him.
Per a knowledgeable legal source, bullying claims against Rudin never see the light of day and are settled quietly. Fear of reprisals has kept many from speaking out. Employees typically sign a non-disparagement agreement. And several sources for this piece consulted with an attorney before proceeding, even off the record.
Rudin also has been known to change credits, both as incentive and punishment. Several sources say that the victim of the computer monitor incident received three associate producing credits in addition to a monetary settlement. Others have seen the flip side of Rudin’s leverage.
“When they ultimately quit — which they always do at some point — he vindictively goes on IMDb and takes away any credits they may have amassed while working for him,” says one producer who hired a traumatized assistant following a Rudin stint and saw the practice play out.
Coles hopes that fear of Rudin’s power will not stymie progress in the industry just at a time when Hollywood appears ready to confront abuses of power.
“Part of the change we want to see in the industry means starting to talk about these things openly, to name names, to talk about the things that actually happened. And you don’t get a free pass for abusing people,” he says. “I’m not afraid of Scott Rudin.”
Frameline—the world’s longest–running and largest showcase of queer cinema—is thrilled to announce Frameline45: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, running June 10–27, 2021. Slated to be the most attended and longest festival in Frameline history, this year’s offerings will include a mix of in–person and virtual offerings—with the first week presenting only outdoor and drive-in events, and the last 11 days bringing the biggest lineup of new and virtually-accessible LGBTQ+ films in the world directly to your home. A complete lineup of events, including a schedule of screenings, will be announced at a later date.
Frameline45 will present a number of firsts:
The first film festival programmed by Frameline’s new Director of Programming Allegra Madsen.
The first time virtual programming will be available to ticket buyers nationwide.
The first time Frameline will offer a Festival Streaming Pass, which gives ticket buyers the opportunity to unlock all virtual festival content, including over 50 film screenings, live and pre-recorded intros, thought-provoking Q&As and panels, “In Conversation” with community and celebrity personalities, and other unique programming.
Frameline45 and SF Pride present Movie Night at Oracle Park, a socially-distanced and ticketed event being held on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 at the home of the San Francisco Giants.
“Following our off-cycle festival last September, we are thrilled to return the festival to its rightful home during June’s Pride Month,” said James Woolley, Frameline Executive Director. “In the spirit of celebration, this homecoming will restore some of the magic of our in-person festival experience with a slate of outdoor and drive-in events, as well as the largest lineup of virtual LGBTQ+ programming ever! We look forward to sharing our complete lineup in the coming weeks.”
Tickets for Frameline45 will go on sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, May 25. For more information, visit www.frameline.org.
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ABOUT FRAMELINE Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 250 films distributed worldwide, inspires thousands of students in schools across the nation with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. For more information on Frameline, visit www.frameline.org.
Sunday, April 11th @4pm. Occidental Center for the Arts’ Virtual Book Launch Series presents Barbara Gonnella and Gaye le Baron in conversation on newly published Occidental, Images of America. Admission free, all donations gratefully accepted. Visit OCA website (occidentalcenterforthearts.org) for link to this event live-streaming on YouTube. Book sales through author or at the Union Hotel.
Revry celebrates Easter and Oscar season with an entire April calendar highlighting incredible Queer content made by and for the community including multi-award winning festival favorites God’s Own Countryand TransMilitary. Revry kicks off April Fools with it’s hysterically charming, absurdist, original game show, Versus, hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race icon, Deven Green, where instincts and fun override smarts and knowledge. As Jesus rises on Easter, step into conversations about religion and sexuality with films like Mercy’s Girl, Hell or High Water, Deviant…or the powerful documentary Call Me Troy, about the first gay Reverand who started the queer friendly Metropolitian Community Church, now, with over 200 congregations. Throughout the month, Revry will continue to celebrate special holidays including the World Premiere of the dark comedy series Pet Peeves on National Pet Day (4/11) about pet psychic and ex-con Milton Michaels; the mockumentary comedy series Dope State on 4/20; Denial, a documentary about electricity, identity, family on Earth Day (4/22); for Perfect Date Day the comedy Sweater on 4/25; and on Lesbian Visibility Day 4/26, the appropriate I Lesb You.
Also this month, a week before the Oscars is the annual star-studded Dorians Film Toast, the official GALECA (The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics) awards show highlights the best films and performances of the year. And starting on April 20th, Revry will launch its first weekly news show, Culture Q starting every Thursday. The full calendar of events is below, including hyperlinks on titles available to watch immediately.
APRIL HIGHLIGHTS CALENDAR ON REVRY
Thursday, April 1, 2021 (April Fool’s Day)Boys Town (s1) – BoysTown is a modern day gay episodic drama about friendship, sex and relationships, exploring the everyday lives of seven friends and lovers. In a cross between a gay Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City, the guys are always getting themselves into messes they can’t get out of. Versus (s1) – From Ru Paul’s Drag Race icon Deven Green and musician Ned Douglas, VERSUS pits contestants against each other in six rapid-fire challenges that will test their trivia skills, memory, and even knowledge of their own social media. Each episode features a new set of mini-games that no-one can prepare for! Chica Busca Chica(OML on Revry) – This hot and hilarious lesbian soap opera takes you on a wild ride through the mixed up love lives of a group of sexy Madrid lesbians including the unbelievably gorgeous Spanish TV star Celia Freijeiro. Think: The L Word meets Almodovar. Haunters – Iggy is a jerk who takes pleasure in other people’s pain and embarrassment. But when Iggy suddenly dies and is sent to her version of purgatory – she gets a taste of her own medicine.
Sunday, April 4, 2021 (Easter)Mercy’s Girl – Mercy lives a double life. In one she is dating a sexual and loving college student named Jesse. In the other she is living by her family’s religious standards. As her two world’s begin to collide she must find her identity in both. Chance – Trevor’s life has become a void, following the passing of his wife and long term companion, Doris. Days run into weeks, as Trevor slowly finds himself isolated and alone, and unconcernedly slipping towards death. A chance encounter in the park with a mysterious stranger equally troubled by his own dark past jarringly reawakens him, and forces both men to once again start to live. Call Me Troy – Call Me Troy is a truly inspirational story about a remarkable and dynamic individual whose activism was decades ahead of its time. Rev. Perry is perhaps best known as the founder of the Metropolitan Community Church – the first church to recognize the spiritual needs of the gay community – but his “firsts” don’t stop there. In 1969, Perry performed the first public same-sex wedding in the U.S. setting the stage for a lifetime of activism of behalf of the LGBT+ community. Deviant – In the early sixties, a sexually conflicted teenager finds faith and acceptance after escaping the tortures of electrotherapeutic conversion therapy. Room to Grow – Room to Grow is a Revry Original film which chronicles the lives of LGBTQ+ youth and their families across North America, offering a raw, intimate glimpse into their daily lives as they endeavor to find their identity and a place in their communities. Hell or High Water – Hell or High Water is a short film that tells the story of a young pastor loved and adored by the people around him. Things change for him when he must confront a hidden truth about himself, a truth that could make or break him psychologically. But, whatever decision he makes, he is still going to crash and burn, for life as he once knew it would never be the same again. The story explores the reality of sexuality amidst spirituality, exorcism, blackmail, and family life. ”Hell or High Water” challenges stereotypical narratives about sexuality.
Monday, April 5, 2021 (American Music Awards)Indiana Queen (Music Videos for “Walk with Strength”, “I Don’t Know What To Do”) – Fronted by Kevin James Thornton, Indiana Queen is a queer-folk band blazing a new path in a traditionally conservative genre. Faultlines – (Music Videos for Rain, Wooden Bridges, If You Only Knew, Starting at the Finish Line) – Faultlines, an acoustic folk-pop group known for their three-part harmonies that warm like the California sun and lyrics that speak to the gritty, universal interhuman experience. Seeking Dolly Parton – When Charlie (Kacey Barnfield) and her partner Cerina (Anya Monzikova) decide to have a baby, they go to Cerina’s estranged ex-boyfriend Josh (Michael Worth) to help fill in the “blanks”. But when old feelings return to the surface, the new feelings are not coming in without a fight. This unique threesome must each confront their own “closeted” emotions before allowing a new light to shine into all their lives. Queens & Cowboys – Roping and riding across North America, the International Gay Rodeo Association’s courageous cowboys and cowgirls brave challenges both in and out of the arena on their quest to qualify for the World Finals. Along the way, they’ll bust every stereotype in the book. Paisley Fields (Music Videos for “How Low”, “She’s No Angel”, “Not Gonna Be Friends”, “Windows Fogged Up In Your Pickup Truck”)
Tuesday, April 6, 2021Twenty (OML on Revry)– Twenty follows the story of Maya, her girlfriend Catalina, and her group of eclectic friends as they navigate careers, love, and life in their early twenties.
Wednesday, April 7, 2021 (National Beer Day)Beer, Beer – “Beer! Beer!” is an “anti-romantic comedy” set in the early morning following a wild party in Berlin. When Tao, a Chinese guy, meets Sebastian, a local German. As they seem to get more and more intimate with each other, suddenly a mattress changes everything…
Sunday, April 11, 2021 (National Pet Day)Pet Peeves – After spending 15-years behind bars in a Florida prison, Milton Michaels (Jonah Blechman from “Another Gay Movie”) moves in with his sister in California to restart his pet psychic career. While there Milton reconnects with his childhood dog, as he discovers the urn containing his ashes. But Milton is torn from the beloved ashes when his childhood tormentor, Candice, comes to visit. Candice tricks Milton into a dog-napping scheme that could jeopardize his freedom, just as he starts to connect the dots in his love life. Watch the trailer.
Sunday, April 18, 2021Dorian Film Awards – The Dorian Awards are film and television accolades given by GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics, founded in 2009 as the Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association.
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 (4/20)Dope State – Dope State is a mocku-comedy that chronicles a modern day gold rush, a civil rights movement and, potentially, the end of a prohibition. From stoner celebrities to politicians and corrupt cops, a marijuana journalist documents the daily life of producers, distributors, and consumers in the California weed industry.. From the mind of comedic tour-de-force Gabriel Sunday (who stars as all of the lead characters), Dope State is a dreamy, absurd love letter to pot culture. Twenty (OML on Revry) Culture Q – Culture Q is the world’s first weekly queer-centric news series brought to you by the leading global queer streaming network, Revry. This innovative, weekly news series creatively features entertainment, pop culture, lifestyle and political news with wit and insightfully nuanced perspectives. Emphasizing the queer millieu, Culture Q stands to be the penultimate, weekly forum for boundary-pushing discussions and commentary.
Thursday, April 22, 2021 (Earth Day)Denial– DENIAL is a documentary about electricity, identity, family, and the many ways we lie to ourselves when faced with overwhelming facts. It is the story of a family coming to terms with complex personal truths against the backdrop of a global crisis.
Friday, April 23, 2021TransMilitary – TransMilitary chronicles the lives of four individuals (Senior Airman Logan Ireland, Corporal Laila Villanueva, Captain Jennifer Peace and First Lieutenant El Cook) defending their country’s freedom while fighting for their own. They put their careers and their families’ livelihoods on the line by coming out as transgender to top brass officials in the Pentagon in hopes of attaining the equal right to serve. The ban was lifted in 2016, but with President Trump trying to reinstate it, their futures hang in the balance again.
Sunday, April 25, 2021 (Perfect Date Day)Sweater – Corey’s day couldn’t be worse. Then he gets a free coffee. God’s Own Country – In Yorkshire a young unhappy farmer is living with his grandmother and sickly father. He numbs his frustrations with drinking and casual sex until a Romanian migrant worker sets him on a new path.
Monday April 26, 2021 (Lesbian Visibility Day)I Lesb You – Alcohol, music, and one wild night take control of 4 parallel stories in a lesbian bar in Santiago de Chile. The Night Is Ours – Tomboy Morgan is shattered by the sudden death of her best friend Olivia. But when Olivia mysteriously comes back to life, the two go on a final road trip that takes them beyond friendship into a special place that Morgan learns can’t go on forever. Suicide Kale – While having lunch with another couple, new couple Jasmine and Penny stumble upon an anonymous suicide note and proceed to work to uncover the identity of the author.
Thursday, April 29, 2021 (Billboard Music Awards)Boy Untitled(Music Videos for “Skin”, “Spark”, “Sacrifice”) – Boy Untitled is a L.A-based queer artist exploring the boundaries of music, mixing vulnerability with world pop-inspired tracks that jump from ethereal to vibrant, dancey electronica. Music Artists: John Chandler, Keekai, Gabby B., Jack Rayner, Malou Beauvoir, Chelzzz and Yaeji
Friday, April 30, 2021 (Arbor Day)The Millennial Experience – The Millennial Experience is one part dance-for-film and one part documentary. The film explores cultural appropriation vs appreciation, LGBTQIA+ culture, feminism and how these topics impact the Millennial generation.
ABOUT REVRYWatch Queer TV 24/7 with the first LGBTQ+ digital cable TV network. Revry offers free live TV channels and on-demand viewing of its global library featuring LGBTQ+ movies, shows, music, podcasts, news, and exclusive originals all in one place! Revry is currently available globally in over 280+ million households and devices and on seven OTT, mobile, and Desktop platforms. Revry can also be viewed on nine live and on-demand channels and Connected TVs including: The Roku Channel, Samsung TV Plus, Comcast Xfinity X1, Cox, Distro TV, Plex, Galaxy TV, Local Now, VIZIO, Zapping TV, STIRR, TiVo, and as the first LGBTQ+ virtual reality channel on RAD (available on PlayStation devices). The company–an inaugural member of the Goldman Sachs Black and LatinX Cohort–is headquartered in Los Angeles and led by a diverse founding team who bring decades of experience in the fields of tech, digital media, and LGBTQ+ advocacy. Follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @revrytv, Revry.tv
Sonoma Film Institute Virtual Screenings Continue for Spring 2021
Sonoma Film Institute Virtual Screenings Continue for Spring 2021The link for watching the films will be posted on the SFI website by Friday at noon and will be good for 72 hours https://sfi.sonoma.edu
Acasa, My HomeFriday, April 02, 2021 – Sunday, April 04, 2021
IIn the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, an abandoned water reservoir just outside the bustling metropolis, the Enache family lived in perfect harmony with nature for two decades, sleeping in a hut on the lakeshore, catching fish barehanded, and following the rhythm of the seasons. When this area is transformed into a public national park, they are forced to leave behind their unconventional life and move to the city, where fishing rods are replaced by smartphones and idle afternoons are now spent in classrooms. As the family struggles to conform to modern civilization and maintain their connection to each other and themselves, they each begin to question their place in the world and what their future might be. With their roots in the wilderness, the nine children and their parents struggle to find a way to keep their family united in the concrete jungle. With an empathetic and cinematic eye, filmmaker Radu Ciorniciuc offers viewers, in his feature debut, a compelling tale of an impoverished family living on the fringes of society in Romania, fighting for acceptance and their own version of freedom. (in Romanian w/English subtitles) FREE for SSU Students (get code from your professor)$12 for 72-hour rental to the General Public (Correction from 03/17/21 email) Released: 2020Run time: 86 min.
Martin EdenFriday, March 16, 2021 – Sunday, March 18, 2021
Adapted from a 1909 novel by Jack London yet set in a provocatively unspecified moment in Italy’s history, MARTIN EDEN is a passionate and enthralling narrative fresco in the tradition of the great Italian classics. Martin (played by the marvelously committed Luca Marinelli) is a self-taught proletarian with artistic aspirations who hopes that his dreams of becoming a writer will help him rise above his station and marry a wealthy young university student (Jessica Cressy). The dissatisfactions of working-class toil and bourgeois success lead to political awakening and destructive anxiety in this enveloping, superbly mounted bildungsroman. Winner of the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival and the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Pietro Marcello. (in Italian w/English subtitles) FREE for SSU Students (get code from your professor)$12 for 72-hour rental to the General PublicReleased: 2019Run time: 129 min.
Reading International, Inc. announced its Reading Cinemas with TITAN XC in Rohnert Park, California location will be welcoming back movie lovers on Friday, March 19 with extensive sanitization and safety measures in place. In an environment carefully designed to address COVID-19 concerns, and to comply with the various governmental guidelines, guests can return to share the magic of movies again on the big screen.
Taylor Green, the theater’s general manager, said “Our audience has always enjoyed watching a wide variety of films on the big screen at Reading Cinemas, and we so look forward to seeing everyone again. For our reopening weekend, we are excited to continue to offer moviegoers with Sonoma County’s Best Movie Value – $8.50 tickets for all movies, all ages – to enjoy family-friendly films such as Raya and the Last Dragon, The Croods: A New Age and Tom & Jerry – alongside action-packed blockbusters and Oscar nominated hits.”
“Reading Cinemas has been working hard to enrich safety protocols and to train our team to abide by federal, state, local and industry guidelines,” said Division Manager Jennifer Deering.
“We are delighted to welcome back our guests and the community to enjoy movies in a safe and responsible way.” Reading Cinemas has implemented the following policies and procedures to help keep the community safe: • Masks are required to be worn by all guests and staff. Guest are permitted to remove masks when seated in their auditorium enjoying fresh popcorn and other refreshments.
• Guests will be encouraged to skip the box office and buy tickets in advance, either online or through the Reading Cinemas mobile app in order to decrease physical contact. • Only credit, debit, or gift cards will be accepted to limit monetary exchanges. A designated transactional space will be available on site at each location where cash amounts can be transferred onto a gift card. • Guests should arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before their showtimes in order to decrease building traffic and allow for increased sanitization. • To keep a safe distance from others, guests will be required to sit in their assigned seats, and ticket purchases for each party will automatically account for six feet of social distancing between parties, by blocking off the seats surrounding each group. Reading Cinemas further encourages parties to be made up of immediate household members where possible. • Increased cleaning and sanitation will take place regularly, with extra sanitation at high-touch point areas. Auditorium seating and armrests will be disinfected after each use. • To improve air quality, each cinema has upgraded all HVAC filters and increased maintenance frequency. • Floor decals and signage have been placed throughout the theaters to help guests maintain a safe distance from others. • Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the theaters. Guests will be encouraged to wash their hands before and after consuming food and drinks. Reading Cinemas Rohnert Park’s opening weekend lineup features something for everyone: for families, The Croods: A New Age, The War with Grandpa, Tom & Jerry and Raya and The Last Dragon; for action fans, Monster Hunter, Chaos Walking and Wonder Woman 1984; and for those looking to see the Oscar nominees on the big screen, Minari, Nomadland, and Promising Young Woman. Advance tickets are on sale now for Warner Bros. Godzilla vs. Kong, scheduled to open March 31. A complete list of all films and showtimes are available at readingcinemasus.com/rohnertpark. In addition to new releases, beginning in April, Reading Cinemas will offer a variety of private screening options for guests: • VIP screenings, allowing groups to enjoy a private screening, and select their movie from the list of over 60 options! Film categories include Family, Date Night, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi Hits and 80s Favorites. • Private Rental Events, in which groups can provide their own content via Blu-Ray, streaming device, or even gaming console, and make their own VIP Event. • Buyouts, in which guests can reserve all the seats in an auditorium to view any of the theater’s current releases to enjoy a private screening.
Reading Cinemas Rohnert Park with TITAN XC is located at 555 Rohnert Park Expressway West. For more information, please visit readingcinemasus.com/rohnertpark or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Reading International, Inc.Reading International Inc. (NASDAQ: RDI), an internationally diversified cinema and real estate company, is a leading entertainment and real estate company, engaged in the development, ownership and operation of cinemas and retail and commercial real estate in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The family of Reading brands includes cinema brands: Reading Cinemas, Angelika Film Centers, Consolidated Theatres, and the State Cinema in Tasmania; live theatres operated by Liberty Theatres in the United States; and signature property developments, including Newmarket Village, Auburn Redyard, Cannon Park, and The Belmont Common in Australia, Courtenay Central in New Zealand, and 44 Union Square in New York City. Additional information about Reading can be obtained from the Company’s website: http://www.readingrdi.com.
Nearly all of us in the LGBTQ community were raised in a very heteronormative family lacking in role models that as gay men and women we could actually relate too. That is rapidly changing and hopefully future generations of queers will benefit from those who a whole slew of LGBTQ ‘pioneers’ we can now take our leads from.
Queerguru would like to suggest an addition to the ranks. RYAN J HADDAD may be still in his late 20’s but after seeing him perform his autobiographical play about being gay and having cerebral palsy , he is definitely a very impressive role model.
Actually the play “HI ARE YOU SINGLE” is not just about Haddad being queer, it is about his lifetime search for a boyfriend. In the space of an hour he takes you from having phone sex literally on stage, through his exploratory years through College, to all the pitfalls and joys of gay bars and dating.
He has a very infectious sense of humor but it is his sheer honesty that warms you most to him. There is a point where he is zealously staking his claim for attention and tolerance, when he inadvertently fails to offer the same to a bald black man in a bar. It is totally understandable however. as Haddad has spent his entire adult life making his disability seemingly acceptable to the men he wants to bed.
Haddad milks the details of some awkward sexual encounters that most of us would have never revealed. But he does it with such joie de vivre that makes each story a sheer joy to share with him.
It’s through his sheer energy and wit that we start to question ourselves ….. possibly for the first time ….. about the reality of gay men and women with any disabilities and how we interact with them . Or not. Like Haddad we also admire RYAN O’CONNELL for his award winning TV series SPECIAL which showed gay man with cerebral palsy actually naked and going at it with another man.
It is way past time that we consider them not as disabled, but sexual beings, something that both Ryans are determined to drum into us.
Haddad’s ability to also intimately share the non-sexual intimate parts of his piece is very impactful. He fearless bares his soul that we cannot but fail to fall in love with just a little bit. And it’s not just because of those lips of his.
It leaves us wanting more, and also wanting to know what happens next. I’m sure he has a lot more to share with us.
Jen Silverman’s debut novel, We Play Ourselves, reads like the work of a more established novelist. Silverman is no novice though. She has a body of work as a playwright and staff writer for TV shows and her sense of pacing shows clearly in the book’s plot. The reader learns from the first two pages they’re in the assured hands of a writer who knows how to immediately captivate. The protagonist, a playwright named Cass, has fled the theatre world in New York, where she has become infamous, to hide out in relative anonymity in LA. She did something horrible in New York, this act is not initially disclosed, but it’s bad enough to destroy her professional life. And that’s just the first few pages. The richness doesn’t stop there.
Part of the engrossing tension of the book is waiting to find out what it is Cass did, but plenty happens before that startling reveal. The plot weaves between two time periods, one delves into Cass’s life as an up-and-coming playwright in New York City, and the other focuses on her post-NYC life in LA, where she seeks to escape from her past foibles. But of course, as the cliché goes, everywhere you go there you are.… Cass is forced to confront her demons in LA despite her desire to escape them. Silverman does a masterful job of creating a protagonist who does unlikeable things and has unlikeable thoughts but whom the reader still roots for her. Silverman imbues Cass with a fully-realized personality; she is funny, vulnerable, sardonic, and soft-hearted beneath the carapace she hides behind. To Cass, success equals happiness. She desperately wants to be famous, the star playwright, the woman of the moment. Despite her flaws, or maybe because of them, we want her to do well.
When we see her in NYC, Cass, the winner of a prestigious playwriting award, is having her first major play produced. It’s a high-profile production with a big-name director and a TV star in the lead. Cass falls in love with the director, Helene, and starts an affair with the TV star. Helene rejects Cass’s advances and offers sage advice about her career and putting her art first. The director tells Cass to never sabotage herself in order to punish someone else. The idea that Cass may wish others ill is central to this character exploration. When her play receives a spectacularly bad review, her worst fears are realized; her actions following this fallout force her to flee New York.
When she lands in LA, Cass is at an emotional low point. While seeking anonymity, Cass meets Caroline, her charismatic next-door neighbor who is directing a film about a group of teenage girls in a fight club. She becomes the director’s number two and grows increasingly appalled at the uber-manipulative way the girls in the film are treated. Cass grows to care for one of the girls, BB, and wants the best for her. Her compassion toward BB is in stark contrast to the wholly self-centered existence she’s been living. As Cass slowly realizes the extent of the artifice of the film and the exploitation of the girls, she becomes engaged in a furious campaign to free the young women from mistreatment.
Through these various plotlines, philosophical questions arise. Where does happiness come from? Is it the heady feeling that comes with great success or the peace of mind that comes with some humility? Cass’s story is about how our worst thoughts and impulses can diminish our world. How do we work our way back? Is success the only route to happiness?
Along with Cass’s personal journey to redeem herself is a narrative rich with details on both the Hollywood system and the New York theatre scene, details that don’t put either in a particularly good light. Silverman has inside knowledge of both, and she seamlessly guides the reader through these well-drawn worlds.
We Play Ourselves contains a page-turning plot, with a truly complex character at its core. Silverman is a talented writer and knows exactly how to pace the story so the reader remains suspended in the intense world of the novel. I had a hard time putting the book down, which is always one of the best compliments a writer can receive. Silverman deserves it.
We Play Ourselves
by Jen Silverman
Penguin Random House
Hardcover, 9780399591525, February 2021
Saturday, March 27 @ 8 pm.’Celebrating Women in Music’ . Occidental Center for the Arts proudly carries on it’s longstanding Women’s History Month tradition with a blockbuster lineup performing songs written by women .This virtual event showcases a rich variety of exceptionally talented musicians across multiple genres, including Elliott Peck • Jenny Kerr & Philbilly Milner • Essence • Lara Louise • Emily Lois & Dave Monterey • Ariel Marin • Mariah Parker • Kate Vargas • Rainbow Girls • Solid Air • Nina Gerber & Chris Webster • Tumbleweed Soul • Nagavalli • Lucy Kaplansky • The Musers. This most excellent program will premier at 8 pm March 27th on YouTube and Facebook; available thereafter to replay from the comfort of your home. Free; Donations appreciated. OCA looks forward to when we can all gather safely again for live music! Keeping the Arts in Our Hearts atwww.occidentalcenterforthearts.org.
