Out on Film
Georgia’s gay film festival in Atlanta was established in 1987 and is one of the oldest gay film festivals in the United States devoted to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. It is also one of Queerguru’s favorites. With Jim Farmer at the helm as Executive Director since 2008, the Festival always has the most mouth-watering program of such tempting movies ….. both features and shorts …. that go right across the entire queer spectrum. We’ve been through the schedule to come up with our own list of MUST SEE FILMS …. however, this is still a work in progress as we still have a few more to view
All Man: The International Male Story, is a compelling feature documentary debut of Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed that highlights a crucial part of queer history. It may not be as serious as events like the Stonewell Riots but it most certainly plays its own role in the evolution of the queer community.
Founded by the very charismatic ex AirForceman Gene Burkard in the 1970s, when the bulk of men’s clothes were brought by wives or mothers. In those days they were very limited choices which were both boring and totally inspiring ensuring that no men were interested in shopping at all Except for a few of course, and when Burkard focused his catalog on all flamboyant clothes, from wild-patterned shirts and mesh tank tops to the bikini-est of bikini underwear, he hit upon the jackpot.
Chrissy Judy takes a poignant dive into what our friendships do for us – in particular those that involve our queer chosen families. Chrissy (Wyatt Fenner) and Judy (Todd Flaherty) are best friends and have been performing drag together for a while, mostly to rather disinterested audiences in New York City and Fire Island. They’ve both recently turned thirty years old and this milestone has triggered Chrissy into reevaluating his life and priorities. He decides to quit performing drag and to move in with his boyfriend Shawn (Kiyon Spencer) who lives in Philadelphia, and transfer his day job there too.
Todd Flaherty has written, directed, and stars in this film, which is beautifully shot in black and white. Strong art direction, cinematography, and good casting with some handsome men complement an often witty script. The overall message here is that our chosen families, although very important, alone usually won’t give us the full life we want. We need to search out and create relationships, careers, housing opportunities, and all the other elements that make up a nourishing life ourselves.
FRAMING AGNES. Canadian trans filmmaker Chase Joynt confidently left the recent Sundance Film Festival clutching two awards, knowing he has been successful in a rare achievement. His sophomore feature-length documentary Framing Agnes is even better than his remarkable debut No Ordinary Man which he had co-directed with Aisling Chin-Yee.
In this new movie, Joynt gently chips away on how being transgender is so widely misunderstood mainly by our sheer ignorance. His film continues an important message to dispel so many long help myths as it gives such dignity and grace as part of a continuing dialogue about the transgender community. RWD.
PS You may want to check out Queerguru’s interview with the filmmakers https://queerguru.com/filmmakers-chase-joynt-and-morgan-m-page-talk-about-framing-agnes-one-of-the-very-best-queer-films-at-sundance-2022/
We got hooked on Matt Carter’s debut feature ‘In From The Side”. the moment we discovered that the film explores life on and off the pitch at a gay rugby club. When Mark (Alexander Lincoln), a new and inexperienced rugby club member, finds himself drawn to Warren (Alexander King), a seasoned first-team player there is simply no turning back despite the alpha masculinity of all the other players.
Jimmy in Saigon. is a real standout film for me. This is a feature documentary by Los Angeles-based filmmaker Peter McDowell and executive producer Dan Savage. Peter chronicles the story of Jim, his eldest brother, a Vietnam War veteran. Jim was quite an alternative thinker and didn’t play by society’s rules. In early 1970 he dropped out of college even though that meant he was likely to be called up for the US army draft. This happened and he spent six months in Vietnam with the US army. Then, once back in the US for a few months, he surprises everyone by deciding to move back to Vietnam as a civilian, even though there is still a full-on war going on. He doesn’t give any reasons for his return to the war-torn country. What could be drawing him back to Saigon? Back in Vietnam, a year later, in 1972, when Jim was 24, he suddenly dies under mysterious circumstances whilst living in a poor part of Saigon. The family learns about Jim’s death by telegram but are not given many details re the cause of death. RF.
The opening scene of Lonesome resembles a Hollywood Western as our protagonist Casey (Josh Lavery) keeps pace with the sun while running away from his reality. He dons a cowboy hat and the classic blue jeans and white T-shirt combo that immediately endow him with an eye-candy-cum-rebellious persona. His face has the sharpness as well as the vulnerability of youth. Staying true to his young age, he doesn’t miss a chance to sleep with men, even at his lowest moments. His story is that of a rural gay man making his way into the big city. However, what he lacks is hope. His only redeeming quality is his libido. Lonesome treads familiar territory but is boosted by the decadent charm of Josh Lavery and the director’s reluctance to hold back during the ‘depraved’ moments of the narrative. DL.
If you have ever teared up at the PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) contingent at a Pride march, bring out the handkerchiefs for this film. The Mama Bears are moms from a background of fundamentalist, conservative Christianity who face the dilemma of reconciling their profoundly anti-LGBT belief systems and communities with the reality that one of their own beloved children is gay or trans.
The film opens with a montage that includes fire and brimstone denunciations of homosexuality, a bible-reading lesbian who is struggling to “choose” heterosexuality, and a lovely little girl who is dancing in her yard, long dress and long hair flowing as she twirls. A discerning eye might spot that the little girl was born a boy, but if not, all is made clear as we are introduced to her family. Her mother, Kimberly Shappley, quotes from Ecclesiastes 3:
Manscaping : Having shaved his own head from the age of 13 this reviewer almost coughed up a furball when Queerguru’s Editor in Chief suggested that this documentary about hair was for me. Turns out this one-hour film, ostensibly about the barbershop, has more to say about the breadth of LGBTQ+ experience than you might expect. Manscaping succeeds because it introduces so many elements of the LGBTQ+ experience through a single vantage point. Racism, sexism, economic disadvantage, the struggle for self-love and acceptance are explored via hair without lecturing or condescension.
P.S. You may also want to check out Queerguru’s interview with filmmaker Broderick Fox https://queerguru.com/broderick-fox-talks-about-manscaping-his-doc-about-three-queer-men-who-are-reimagining-the-traditional-barbershop/
Nelly and Nadine is the unlikely love story between two women falling in love on Christmas Eve, 1944 The film captured me from the beginning; a sequence of a newsreel from April 28th, 1945 shot at Malmö Harbor, Sweden, in which a large group of women reaches freedom after German concentration camps. We see them smile and say hello to the camera, there is Nadine with her white scarf, striped uniform, and that mysterious gaze.
The film has been made with exquisite delicacy to tell a story of survival in the 20th Century. It is also a tale of profound love and intimacy that portrays moments in Nelly & Nadine´s apartment in Caracas, Venezuela, and Sylvie´s home, a place sweeter than home in the French countryside. Magnus Gertten, the director, invites us to a rendezvous as in a family talking about people we know and love deeply.
PAT ROCCO DARED In this colorful trip back in time, legendary queer filmmaker and trailblazing gay rights activist Pat Rocco shares his incredible life story as one of Hollywood’s original boundary-pushing pioneers. This really is a must-see film to fully understand the history of American queer culture and activism over the past 50 years. Rocco is the most famous gay person you might not have heard about before. Canadian documentary filmmaker Charlie David combines fantastic vintage footage, film clips, and interviews with Rocco and friends such as Phyllis Diller, to tell the story of Rocco, the activist, filmmaker, artist, and entertainer. RF
Atlanta’s OUT ON FILM LGBTQ+ Fest will begin on 9/22 and end on 10/2l To see the whole program and book tickets for person and online check out http://www.outonfilm.org
For the full reviews of these films and over 1500 other queer movies check out https://queerguru.com/ and whilst you are there be sure to subscribe to get all the latest raves and rants on queer cinema…..even better IT’s FREE
