A team of LGBTQ student filmmakers at the University of Southern California’s prestigious School of Cinematic Arts (SCA) have decided to produce what might have been their senior film project independently in the aftermath of the school’s transition to online instruction and lack of access to school’s resources. Back in April, the team of filmmakers was chosen by faculty to create one of four senior thesis films this fall. Along with SCA’s professional-grade equipment, editing labs, and soundstages, the school also provides the team with $7,500 in funds to help complete the project. But now, without the school’s resources, the students have launched a crowdfunding campaign at Seed & Spark to raise the necessary funds to achieve their educational and creative goals. The students explain their project, titled Anti-Venom for a Snake, will explore “queer love and loss at the height of the AIDS epidemic, within the context of the COVID pandemic.” “The story follows Marcos, the voyeuristic drag artist by the name Evita Envy, as he copes with the loss of his soulmate and his own weakening body,” adds the creative team.
The budding filmmakers aim to use COVID-19 as “a time to pay tribute to the tragedies and experiences of the AIDS epidemic, to sympathize with characters once alienated as ‘sinful’ or ‘other,’ and to connect audiences to the power of queer love in the midst of a global pandemic.” The description for the project reads, “1993, New York. When an upcoming drag queen’s power is shut off, she is forced to deal with the unbearable silence of an empty apartment.” “With Anti-Venom for a Snake, I want to use my own experience with homophobia to connect audiences of all demographics with the power of gay love,” says the film’s director, Cameron Kostopoulos. “Most importantly, I hope to give voice to stories and characters that have long been ignored, in hopes of a more inclusive tomorrow.” Film director Cameron Kostopoulos (screen capture) It’s notable that the students, while not blaming SCA for the situation, are stuck in an unenviable position. Ranked as number one among the top American film schools, students attend SCA not only for the prestige of the institution’s pedigree but for the access to expensive production resources. According to The Hollywood Reporter, that includes 10 working soundstages, industry-standard postproduction editing lab, sound mixing stages, a color correction suite, as well as a small armada of cameras, lighting and sound equipment that is used to outfit each student production.” All of that allows the students – who pay undergraduate tuition of $59,260 per academic year – to enter the workforce with finished short films in hand to act as a calling card. Many of the senior films go on to screen at film festivals giving the students the chance to catch the eye of Hollywood players. “Part of the film school and the SCA experience is that you’re promised that when you enter the school you’re going to graduate with tangible films that you can send to potential employers,” Kostopoulos told THR. “Being in a school like SCA is, in a sense, an equalizer,” says Kostopoulos. “We all have the same resources and a support system, and when you lose that, you lose the whole reason you go to film school.” USC’s School of Cinematic Arts (photo: Joe Mabel – CC license) Faculty has reportedly suggested to students that don’t own professional-grade equipment to shoot projects using smartphone cameras. Also – even though most classes are now only available online, SCA has not scaled back the cost of tuition. Said one junior, “We are essentially being asked to pay full tuition to make a home movie.” Some students considered taking a leave of absence for the semester hoping to skip the challenges or disadvantages of not having a full ‘hands-on’ experience. But the school warned students that a leave of absence could mean they might not “be guaranteed placement in these courses in future semesters.” And, those courses are necessary in order to graduate from SCA. It’s a tough position for the students and the school, but you have to give it to Kostopoulos and his team who have decided to forge ahead on their own to create the queer love story they want to tell. Their project, which will explore grief and healing as well as serving as a tribute to the AIDS epidemic, has raised $10,195 of the $12,000 goal they’ve budgeted with just under a week to go in the crowdfunding campaign. For more info about Anti-Venom for a Snake – or to make a donation large or small – head over to Seed & Spark.
Based on the Tony Award-winning play that changed a generation, The Boys in the Band follows a group of nine gay men who gather for a birthday party in 1968 New York City – only to find the drinks and laughs interrupted when a visitor from the host’s past turns the evening upside down.
Starring Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer, Andrew Rannells, Charlie Carver, Robin de Jesús, Brian Hutchison, Michael Benjamin Washington, and Tuc Watkins. Produced by Ryan Murphy. Directed by Joe Mantello. Based on the groundbreaking work of Mart Crowley.
Broadway star Ramin Karimloo (screen capture) Some news stories you might have missed: • Pink News: Dr. Allen Bergin, an influential Mormon therapist who advocated for conversion therapy for decades, has reversed his position and apologized for his harmful views after learning that his two sons and grandson are gay. • Edge Media: A candidate for the Washington State House of Representatives may face charges after ripping down a rainbow Pride flag flown by a church and then threatening witnesses to the act, telling them that “If it gets put back up, I will take it down.” • YouTube: How I haven’t done a full post about the oh-so-talented Ramin Karimloo (above) is beyond me. Please enjoy the perfection that is Ramin singing “Being Alive” from Stephen Sondheim’s Company. The performance was part of the KINGS OF BROADWAY 2020: A Celebration Of The Music Of Jule Styne, Jerry Herman & Stephen Sondheim charity event.
• Instinct Magazine: Poland’s President Andrzej Duda was sworn into his second term last week after his campaign described the LGBT rights movement as a dangerous “ideology,” and declared that LGBT folks “not people.” And so, LGBT people are now leaving the country. • Gay Star News: More from Poland as thousands of LGBT people and allies protested in Warsaw, Poland on Friday and Saturday – resulting in police brutality. Commentators say the events are a possible ‘Stonewall moment’ for Poland as people stood up to two years of mounting LGBT+ hate. • Cox Media: According to a report by the American Academy of Pediatrics, 97,078 children tested positive for the novel coronavirus between July 16 and July 30. As of July 30, 338,982 children tested positive for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic. • Instagram: Academy Award-winner Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) has been announced to star in a film about the life of famed counter-culture artist Andy Warhol. Leto broke the news on his Instagram account.
In this week’s podcast: • A gay Instagram & TikTok influencer in Russia was found murdered in a possible hate crime • The world’s first openly gay prince denounces so-called ‘conversion therapy’ and calls for banning it in his native India • The European Union denied funding to six Polish towns that say they are “LGBT free” • Lifetime Channel has announced a gay romantic movie for the holidays and Hulu’s Love, Victor gets the green light for a second season • What to watch now? How about four short films exploring the intersection of coming out and soccer? Find The Male Gaze: Strikers & Defenders on Amazon here. • NYC-based singer/songwriter Kyle Motsinger releases his new disco-themed single, “No Shame,” that drops the beat on body shame. All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report podcast.
Sgt. Keith Wildhaber (image via Wildhaber) Some news items you might have missed: • St. Louis Today: Openly gay St. Louis County police lieutenant Keith Wildhaber (above), who in February settled a workplace discrimination lawsuit against the police department for $10.25 million, said Friday that he is stepping down from command of its Diversity and Inclusion unit. In a Facebook post he wrote, “The dog whispers of a gay, white guy being unable to lead Diversity and Inclusion were loud and clear. Systemic racism is alive and well.” • Cosmopolitan: James Corden, currently the host of The Late Late Show, might be in talks to replace Ellen DeGeneres on her daytime talk show. The possible shake-up comes shortly after toxic work environment claims were made against Ellen’s longtime show. • Vimeo: Snowflake, a new film that depicts the fear of a nation when a dictatorial politician is suddenly thrust into the White House, will begin streaming on Vimeo on August 4. While most of the characters in the film are gay, Snowflake shows how their other identities – age, race, and their economic status – shape their individual views. Check out the trailer below.
• The Advocate: Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who’s faced criticism for anti-transgender comments over the past year, signed a letter supporting Idaho’s law barring trans females from competing in women’s and girls’ interscholastic sports. The NCAA, which has already announced its opposition to the law, is considering potentially moving the March Madness men’s basketball tournament from Boise. • Deadline: Pose star Angelica Ross has inked a development & production deal with Pigeon, the production company behind OWN’s Iyanla: Fix My Life. The transgender actress and activist will work with Pigeon to develop and co-produce scripted and non-scripted content. • AFP Fact Check: Donald Trump went on a voter fraud Twitter rant after the Nevada legislature approved mail-in-voting for all registered voters. But AFP’s fact-checking showed actual voter fraud is minuscule to non-existent.
In an illegal late night coup, Nevada’s clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court! https://t.co/cNSPINgCY7
(screen capture from Frame of Mind)Guest post by director/photographer Braden Summers When it comes to commercial media and the imagery we consume, representation matters so much more than most people realize. The more we see of one subject matter, the more normalized it becomes for us. In a dramatic example, imagine Barack Obama saying any of the obscene things that come out of our current President’s mouth – it would be shocking! But we have become used to Trump’s racist language, offensive comments, and self-serving ideology – it no longer shocks us. With regard to commercial media, advertisers have an immense amount of power to feed the public ideas that become normalized. It is possible to use this concept for good, as opposed to growing numb to hateful perspectives. The more we see images of gay romance reflected in the commercial landscape, the quicker the public’s acceptance of LGBTQ romance grows. As we see Laverne Cox grace our screens in “Orange Is The New Black” and on the cover of magazines, the more we as the public come to accept her – opening up the idea (for some people anyway) that transgender people deserve our love and respect.
It is important for people who belong to a majority to see the faces and humanity of those in a minority – representation begets empathy, which begets acceptance. Of course, this is likely an oversimplification, but the root of the idea holds true. As an artist, I have witnessed the power of this concept and am always working to harness that power for the greater good. It is my job, as an ally, to create work that not only benefits my own rights but the rights of those that I respect and love. I approach sensitive subject matter by viewing them through a beauty lens – ultimately creating political imagery that is meant to challenge my audience to expand their scope of acceptance. I inspire people to look, not look away, because it is beautiful. As adults, I find that we are less open to new ideas or concepts than we were in our youth. Discussions around trans acceptance were not as common five years ago, 10 years ago, 30 years ago, as they are today. If you are in your adulthood and have never met a transgender man or woman, it may be difficult to understand how or why they live such a different life than your own. Their existence could make you uncomfortable and it may be easiest for your emotional state to avoid confronting the question as to why it is they make you uncomfortable or how your discomfort, in turn, makes them feel.
My work, and in particular the film Frame of Mind, is meant to draw you in with its rich sound, fashion, gorgeous characters, and elegant setting and, as a result of the interactions, challenge you to face a potentially uncomfortable question: ‘Am I transphobic?’ I created Frame of Mind to be a film that showcases the humanity of our transgender brothers and sisters. This film is shot in a four-minute, single-take, single-perspective, as one trans actress navigates the emotional and physical responses to her existence from fellow passengers in an elevator. The goal is for the viewer of the film to associate with one or more of the characters and reflect for themselves how they might act in that same scenario. Do you identify with those strangers that act kindly to the protagonist? Do you identify with those that are indifferent? Or do you recognize yourself in the actions of the characters that are more negative towards the trans woman? How does associating with one of the characters make you feel? One of the reasons that I wanted to create the film Frame Of Mind was a direct result of witnessing my own transformation. In my late teens, early twenties I came out as a gay man. I participated in parades, I danced in bars, I was proud to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community; and yet, I don’t think I fully embraced gender non-conforming members of this community until my late twenties.
Seeing Laverne Cox was a big catalyst for eye-opening transformation for me, as well as photographing some incredible transgender men and women like Aydian Dowling and Geena Rocero. The more people from this demographic I met and saw on TV, the more I realized that perhaps I previously had not truly accepted them as part of the same group – despite being lumped together in the same acronym. I made a conscious effort to learn more about trans lives and empathize with the fact that they are who they are; I cannot change my sexuality in the same way that transgender men and women cannot accept that the physical gender they were born with does not match their identity. Who am I to pass judgment? I want to use my work to help others realize that acceptance is a learned trait, by addressing bigotry through color, fashion, and beauty. I hope that I am able to reach a wider audience and ultimately, affect greater change.
Braden Summers is a director and photographer, whose work alerts the viewer to the beauty in people and their environment. The undertones of his portraits are appreciative of diversity and acceptance, ideas that are fundamentally supportive of a more positive lifestyle. His work has been featured in Marie Claire UK, on the sites of French Elle, French Glamour, Advocate and The Huffington Post. Marriott International worked with Summers on their latest campaign #LoveTravels, depicting love and family in the LGBT community and beyond. For more information, visit: www.bradensummers.com
(all images via the official Steelers documentary website) A feature-length documentary about the world’s first gay rugby club – Steelers: World’s First Gay Rugby Club – had its world premiere at the New Zealand International Film Festival this past weekend. In 1995, a group of six men met in a Kings Cross London pub and began the world’s first gay rugby club. Today, there is a global community of thousands making up more than 60 gay clubs around the world. As the club prepares to compete against 60 other gay rugby clubs in the 2018 Bingham Cup in Amsterdam – the World Cup of gay rugby – the film focuses on the stories of three members of the club. (from Steelers: The World’s First Gay Rugby Club) Nic Evans, the Steelers’ gay female coach and former international player for Wales, who is struggling to overcome misogyny in the vastly male-dominated sport. Birmingham rugby fanatic Simon Jones, who shares his battle with depression. Jones had recently come out to a childhood friend he’d developed feelings for, and the friend apparently didn’t take the news well. Andrew McDowell, a monster on the field who also has another life as a drag queen. “I will be tough and brutal and kick your ass on the pitch,” says McDowell in the film’s trailer. “When I’m off the pitch I will be as flagrant and flamboyant as I want.”
The film is written, directed, and narrated by Australian journalist Eammon Ashton-Atkinson who is a member of the club. He was scheduled to play in the 2018 tournament but suffered concussion weeks before the event. He decided to travel with his team anyway and shot the film over three weeks. “I’m a reporter so I tell stories for a living, but I’ve never told one this personal,” says Ashton-Atkinson. “It’s the kind of story that I would have loved to have seen in my darker days. My wish is for this film to give hope to others who may need it, not just those struggling with their sexuality, but anyone doubting themselves.” Ashton-Atkinson’s own story is included in the film as well going back to the bullying he experienced as a child including being outed at school when a classmate secretly recorded them being intimate and then shared the video at school. “I hated sport growing up as a kid,” shares the veteran journalist. “But my Dad encouraged me to play rugby and without that, I never would have joined the Steelers, met my husband, and found a place where I felt like I belonged.” L-R Ashton-Atkinson with his husband, John (via official website) Like many gay men who have felt as though they didn’t ‘fit in,’ Ashton-Atkinson says, “When I joined the club and I was surrounded by so many people who were just like me, I finally felt happy in my own skin.” And speaking of fitting in, the filmmaker was thrilled when New Zealand’s premier rugby team, the All Blacks, shared a link about the film’s world premiere this weekend. It was especially meaningful considering the press anti-LGBTQ rugby player Israel Folau has received regarding his homophobic “Hell Awaits” remarks on social media over the past year. The filmmakers shared with me today that Steelerswill have its U.S. debut at Southern Florida’s OUTshine Film Festival in August 2020. Until then, the film will continue with online and in-person screenings via the New Zealand Film Festival through August 2 and hope to release the film worldwide in 2021.
L-R Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli (image via Netflix) LGBTQ comic book fans have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting) to see actual queer superheroes on the silver screen for what feels like an eternity. So imagine my surprise when guy-on-guy lip-lock action between two immortal superheroes occurred halfway through Netflix’s new big-budget action flick, The Old Guard, which premiered this past weekend. The film stars Charlize Theron as the leader of a group of 6,000-year-old badass mercenary warriors. These immortals can feel pain but never die. As one says early in the movie, “Just because we keep living doesn’t mean we stop hurting.” In the first half of the film, there are flickers of something going on between two of the heroes, Joe (Marwan Kenzari, best known for his turn as Jafar in the live-action Aladdin)) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli, honored at the Venice International Film Festival last year for Martin Eden). A smile here, a glance there, but queer audiences have been teased before, so… But near the mid-way point of the movie the two are kidnapped by a squad of military-types. Tied up in the back of a van, Joe checks on Nicky. “I need to know he’s okay,” he tells one of his captors. Military guy mocks Joe saying, “What is he, your boyfriend?” “You’re a child,” says Joe as he launches into a deep declaration of love. “He’s not my boyfriend. This man is more to me than you can dream. He’s the moon when I’m lost in darkness, and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium.” Swoon….but wait – there’s more! “His heart overflows with a kindness of which this world is not worthy,” continues the immortal. “I love this man beyond measure and reason. He’s not my boyfriend…he is all, and he is more.” Ignoring their kidnappers, Nicky tells Joe with a smile, “You’re an incurable romantic,” as he leans in for a deeply intimate kiss.
According to Vulture, Greg Rucka – who penned the acclaimed graphic novel and is credited with the movie’s screenplay – stipulated in his contract that if and when a movie of The Old Guard was made, that scene would have to be included. While we’ve certainly seen same-sex kisses in movies before, we can’t recall a smooch like this in a $70 million action film led by star power the likes of Charlize Theron. This is some big-deal exposure. To underscore how big a deal this is, Forbes reports the superhero flick was Netflix’s most-watched movie this weekend and posits there very well could be a sequel ‘in development’ announced after the boffo debut. The Old Guard is currently streaming on Netflix, and you can check out the full trailer below.
Earlier this week,the director of the acclaimed 2017 film, God’s Own Country, took to Twitter asking viewers to refrain from watching his gay love story on Amazon saying the intimate sex scenes had been deleted. The film, which depicts a sensitive love story between a UK sheep farmer (Josh O’Connor) and a Romanian migrant worker (Alec Secăreanu), was praised by critics for “combining gritty realism with poignancy” resulting in a film that is “exceptionally moving.” The film scored the World Cinema Directing Award at Sundance 2017 in addition to awards at such prestigious film festivals like the Chicago International Film Festival and the Berlin International Film Festival. At the British Independent Film Awards in December 2017, the film took home honors for Best British independent film, Best Actor for Josh O’Connor, and Best Debut Screenwriter for Francis Lee, who also directed. Additionally, God’s Own Country also scored a nod for Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards in January 2019. On the film site Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a rating of “98% Fresh.” But on Tuesday, Lee was understandably upset at learning his efforts had been censored. “Dear Friends in USA,” tweeted director Francis Lee on Tuesday. “God’s Own Country appears to have been censored on Amazon Prime. Until this is investigated please do not rent or buy on Amazon Prime. It is not the film I intended or made. I will report back.”
Dear friends in USA, God’s Own Country appears to have been censored on @PrimeVideo (Amazon Prime). Until this is investigated please do not rent or buy on Amazon Prime. It is not the film I intended or made. I will report back ❤️
But the next day, Lee returned to Twitter having discovered the edited version of his film was the work of the U.S. distributor Goldwyn Films. Apparently, due to the film’s graphic sex scenes, the distributor had excised those without consulting its creator for viewers on Amazon Prime Video Direct. Lee noted the full, uncensored version was still available for rent on Amazon. “Dear USA friends, after investigation God’s Own Country was not censored by Prime Video but by the US distributor Goldwyn Films, who butchered the streaming version without consultation to get more ‘revenue.’ Prime Video were incredibly supportive in rectifying.”
The rental version of God’s Own Country on @PrimeVideo is the correct version of my film. I would like to thank Amazon Prime for being supportive and I would caution any film maker of working with the aforementioned ‘distributor’. Thank you EVERYONE for all your support ❤️
The popular thinking seems to be the graphic sex scenes might have led Amazon to raise the age rating of viewers, which would have reduced the viewership of the movie. Fans of the film noted on social media two scenes had been cut. In one, the two lead characters Johnny and Gheorghe engage in oral sex after wrestling on the ground; and in the second, the duo has sex in a cattle trailer. The censored version on Prime Video Direct is no longer available. “The rental version of God’s Own Country on Prime Video is the correct version of my film,” added Lee in a subsequent tweet. “I would like to thank Amazon Prime for being supportive and I would caution any filmmaker of working with the aforementioned ‘distributor’. Thank you EVERYONE for all your support.” In 2018, I named God’s Own Country the Top LGBTQ Movie of the 2010s. And in December 2019, The Advocate celebrated the film as one of the Top 30 LGBTQ Films of the Decade. “The film is a beautiful, visceral, and at times violent depiction of how self-hate, societal stigma, and prejudice can complicate queer love,” wrote the editors. “Its themes resonate profoundly in a world where fear is threatening to close borders and reject outsiders.” If you haven’t seen God’s Own Country, you should. The official synopsis for the film reads:
Johnny Saxby works long hours in brutal isolation on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. When a handsome Romanian migrant worker arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself having to deal with emotions he has never felt before. An intense relationship forms between the two which could change Johnny’s life forever.
Daniel Newman (via Instagram) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Walking Dead star Daniel Newman (above) asks that you please forgive his “messy room.” • NPR: Despite pleas from cities across the state, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) has held out on issuing a statewide stay-at-home order to slow the spread of the coronavirus. But an outbreak of COVID-19 at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, S.D., has infected nearly 450 workers and caused the number of cases in the city to grow so quickly that the mayor, Paul TenHaken, calls it an explosion. • KIT212: Kenneth’s ‘Wrestle Wednesdays’ (below) certainly help brighten Hump Day. Find all of his WW posts here. (via kenneth-in-the-212) • Axios: Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York said Wednesday he will be issuing an executive order requiring all New Yorkers to wear masks or face coverings in public situations in which social distancing is not possible. • Vox: Kentucky’s heavily Republican legislature voted Tuesday to require voters to show a government-issued photo ID, overriding Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear’s veto in the process. Meanwhile, all of the state’s offices that issue such IDs are….wait for it…closed. • NewNowNext: In the new film, Sublet, Michael (played John Benjamin Hickey), a New York Times travel writer, journeys to Tel Aviv after suffering a tragedy. The energy of the city, and his relationship with a younger man (played by Niv Nissim) who becomes his tour guide, brings him back to life. Director Eytan Fox shares a scene from the movie where Michael and Tomer meet on the beach in Tel Aviv after spending a few days together. “This sensual setting sparks real intimacy between them for the first time,” says Fox. “As these two men sit there, they open up to each other about matters of the heart—and soul.” The film was to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival this year which, clearly, was canceled. No word on when the movie will be officially released but the scene below certainly sparks my interest.
