Browsing Tag

film

Figures in the Shadows: Finding Queer Representation in Film Noir with Artist Jade Yumang

Posted on January 24, 2019
A photo of queer artist Jade Yumang.

Jade Yumang grew up as free a spirit as they come. Bouncing around his mother’s beauty salon in the Philippines while his father worked overseas, Yumang was allowed to be as openly himself as he wanted. The majority of his mother’s friends and salon coworkers were queer and, for a young boy and budding artist discovering himself, this environment was more than favorable for his personal growth.…

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‘Queerskins’ Virtual Reality Film Evokes Feels in 360 Degrees at Houston Cinema Arts Festival

Posted on November 8, 2018
A photo from the Queerskins installation as part of Houston Cinema Arts Festival.

The opening salvo of Queerskins: A Love Story plays out over the backdrop of AIDS Crisis America. Ed (Drew Moore) and Mary-Helen (Hadley Boyd) are driving down a country road filled with memories of their son, Sebastian (Michael DeBartolo), who has recently passed away—a victim of the crisis. Using photorealistic virtual reality (VR), the viewer is thrust into the middle of this scene, witnessing the couple’s heart-wrenching conversation firsthand from the back seat of their Cadillac. On the seat next…

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‘Boy Erased’: Powerful New Film Sheds Light on the Dangers of Conversion Therapy

Posted on August 24, 2018
A photo of the film Boy Erased.

Boy Erased is based on the book of the same name by author Garrard Conley. Like his onscreen character, Conley grew up in Arkansas. “My parents were always pretty religious,” he says in an interview with British TV program This Morning. As a child, he and his parents attended church three times a week. “When I was 16, my dad decided to become a preacher,” Conley tells the hosts. “My mom and I were sitting in church at the time…

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QFest 2018 Closing Night Presented by Spectrum South Photos

Posted on August 2, 2018
A photo of QFest Closing Night 2018.

The Closing Night of QFest Houston 2018, presented by Spectrum South, was held on Monday, July 30 at Rice Cinema. The evening included the festival’s official awards presentation (Freedom of Vision Award, Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Performance, Best Screenplay, and Best Short Film), a screening of Yen Tan’s gripping film 1985, and an after party of drinks, dancing, and mixing and mingling.…

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QFest 2018: Houston’s International LGBTQ Film Festival Hits Screens July 26-30

Posted on July 19, 2018
A photo of QFest film The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

We will never achieve real progress unless we move beyond our own, often limited, perspectives. It is only when we open our eyes and minds to identities, cultures, and relationships different than our own, that we can find true strength in our togetherness, both as a community and as a force to be reckoned with. On July 26-30, QFest, Houston’s annual international LGBTQ film festival, will bring those stories and experiences to audiences across the city as it celebrates its…

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Houston Premieres ‘Major!’ Film on Transgender Day of Remembrance

Posted on November 13, 2017
A photo of Miss Major for Transgender Day of Remembrance.

The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) on November 20 was created to honor the memories of those who have lost their lives due to violence based on gender identity. This year, Houston community members will come together to not only honor this significant day, but to show pride and respect for the trans women of color who started the LGBTQ rights movement. To mark the TDOR, Transform Houston—a grassroots campaign dedicated to improving the lives and legal protections for transgender,…

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Documentarian Fiona Dawson Headlines Houston Transgender Unity Banquet

Posted on November 3, 2017
A photo of Houston Transgender Unity Banquet speaker Fiona Dawson.

Last week, I had the pleasure of chatting with Fiona Dawson, a dynamic documentarian, bisexual advocate, and speaker at the 25th annual Houston Transgender Unity Banquet on November 4. Her recent work, which centers around trans military members, is especially near and dear to my heart as a child of veterans. The short documentary, 'Transgender, at War and in Love,' was nominated for "Outstanding Short Documentary" at the 37th Annual News & Documentary Emmy Awards, and is now used in…

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A Closer Walk with Aj: Southern Born Actor Chats Gay Exorcism Film

Posted on October 27, 2017
A photo of gay actor Aj Knight in a new exorcism film.

As a group of young, white evangelicals move into a predominantly Latino neighborhood to preach the gospel, one of the missionaries, Jordan, develops sexual feelings for the leader, Eli. But once Jordan is caught touching himself by the bathroom door while Eli showers, the group tries to exorcise his gay demons in a kind of conversion therapy. Thus is the premise of director John C. Clark’s new film A Closer Walk with Thee, starring Houston-raised out actor Aj Knight as…

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Don’t Let ‘It’ Get To You: Facing Your Childhood Fears with the King of Horror

Posted on October 13, 2017
An illustration of the horror movie It.

My childhood was texturized by horror films, particularly adaptations of King’s work. People still gasp when they hear I watched the original Carrie and It before age 10, The Shining by age 12, along with a host of other classics in between. In Kentucky, I would always spend a night at my Aunt Judy’s and we’d huddle under blankets while watching a horror movie on her wood-paneled TV. I say they left traces; my friend says, “more like craters in your…

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