The BFI Flare: London Lgbtqia+ Film Festival has revealed the line-up for its 38th edition which takes place March 13-24.
The programme comprises 57 features across the Hearts, Bodies and Mind strands, four of which are world premieres.
Scroll down for full line-up
World premiering is Karen Knox’s sophomore feature We Forgot To Break Up about a trans musician caught in a love triangle with his bandmates. The Canadian actress and filmmaker’s debut Adult Adoption premiered at Glasgow Film Festival in 2022.
Other world premieres are Kat Rohrer’s Austrian romantic comedy What A Feeling about two women who meet...
The programme comprises 57 features across the Hearts, Bodies and Mind strands, four of which are world premieres.
Scroll down for full line-up
World premiering is Karen Knox’s sophomore feature We Forgot To Break Up about a trans musician caught in a love triangle with his bandmates. The Canadian actress and filmmaker’s debut Adult Adoption premiered at Glasgow Film Festival in 2022.
Other world premieres are Kat Rohrer’s Austrian romantic comedy What A Feeling about two women who meet...
- 2/13/2024
- ScreenDaily
Mickey Cottrell, the beloved indie film publicist and producer who long championed independent cinema dating back to the early days of Sundance, has died at 79. He passed away Monday, January 1, 2024 at Motion Picture Hospital in Woodland Hills, Calif. The news was confirmed by his sister, Suzy Cottrell-Smith, who shared on Facebook, “My adorable, fun, critical, foodie, particular, brilliant, loving brother passed on to the next life early on New Year’s Day. He was smiling when he died. Mickey Cottrell will be missed by many.”
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
Many of Cottrell’s friends and colleagues shared memories of the veteran PR whiz — who also had many credits as an actor — on Facebook. Cottrell suffered a stroke in 2016, with friends and loved ones raising more than $57,000 to help with medical bills on GoFundMe. He relocated back to Los Angeles in 2019 after recovering from the stroke with his sister in Arkansas.
Cottrell was never afraid to pick up the phone,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
BayView Entertainment have released the documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story on Digital platforms including Amazon Prime Video.
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story will be available to view on AVOD from 1st January 2024.
“I think one of the main reasons why I’m such a hardcore follower of Viral Marketing is because it’s a gimmick that manages to involve audiences in the film they’re anticipating, and the internet has introduced many methods of interaction with audiences to films they’re looking forward to, and I think it’s a wonderful throwback to William Castle, whose own showmanship was such a form of P.T. Barnum marketing that he’s sorely missed in a world of spoon fed horror films and lethargic monster pictures.
Castle involved you in his movies, he convinced you that his films were horrifying and would perhaps scare you so much that you’d need a death certificate,...
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story will be available to view on AVOD from 1st January 2024.
“I think one of the main reasons why I’m such a hardcore follower of Viral Marketing is because it’s a gimmick that manages to involve audiences in the film they’re anticipating, and the internet has introduced many methods of interaction with audiences to films they’re looking forward to, and I think it’s a wonderful throwback to William Castle, whose own showmanship was such a form of P.T. Barnum marketing that he’s sorely missed in a world of spoon fed horror films and lethargic monster pictures.
Castle involved you in his movies, he convinced you that his films were horrifying and would perhaps scare you so much that you’d need a death certificate,...
- 12/1/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
BayView Entertainment will be releasing the documentary Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story on Est/VOD/SVOD Digital platforms such as Tubi, Hoopla, Flix Fling, Plex and Amazon Prime Video on 28th November 2023.
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story will also be available to view on AVOD from 1st January 2024.
“I think one of the main reasons why I’m such a hardcore follower of Viral Marketing is because it’s a gimmick that manages to involve audiences in the film they’re anticipating, and the internet has introduced many methods of interaction with audiences to films they’re looking forward to, and I think it’s a wonderful throwback to William Castle, whose own showmanship was such a form of P.T. Barnum marketing that he’s sorely missed in a world of spoon fed horror films and lethargic monster pictures.
Castle involved you in his movies, he convinced you...
Spine Tingler! The William Castle Story will also be available to view on AVOD from 1st January 2024.
“I think one of the main reasons why I’m such a hardcore follower of Viral Marketing is because it’s a gimmick that manages to involve audiences in the film they’re anticipating, and the internet has introduced many methods of interaction with audiences to films they’re looking forward to, and I think it’s a wonderful throwback to William Castle, whose own showmanship was such a form of P.T. Barnum marketing that he’s sorely missed in a world of spoon fed horror films and lethargic monster pictures.
Castle involved you in his movies, he convinced you...
- 11/23/2023
- by Peter 'Witchfinder' Hopkins
- Horror Asylum
Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon - Part One” Trailer Gets Debut
Netflix wrapped up this year’s virtual Geeked Week with the debut of the official trailer for Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire.”
The epic space opera is centered on Kora, a stranger with a mysterious past who crash lands on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe and begins a new life among the peaceful settlement of farmers. But soon, she becomes their only hope for survival against the tyrannical Regent Balisarius and the Imperium army.
Watch the trailer for “Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire” below:
Sofia Boutella leads the cast also made up of Djimon Hounsou, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman, Staz Nair, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Cleopatra Coleman, E. Duffy, Anthony Hopkins, Jena Malone, Ed Skrein, Fra Fee, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Stuart Martin, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes,...
Netflix wrapped up this year’s virtual Geeked Week with the debut of the official trailer for Zack Snyder’s “Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire.”
The epic space opera is centered on Kora, a stranger with a mysterious past who crash lands on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe and begins a new life among the peaceful settlement of farmers. But soon, she becomes their only hope for survival against the tyrannical Regent Balisarius and the Imperium army.
Watch the trailer for “Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire” below:
Sofia Boutella leads the cast also made up of Djimon Hounsou, Charlie Hunnam, Michiel Huisman, Staz Nair, Doona Bae, Ray Fisher, Cleopatra Coleman, E. Duffy, Anthony Hopkins, Jena Malone, Ed Skrein, Fra Fee, Ingvar Sigurdsson, Stuart Martin, Corey Stoll, Cary Elwes,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
NBCUniversal has acquired Commitment to Life, a documentary about the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The film from Emmy Award-winning documentarian Jeffrey Schwarz (Vito) will premiere on Peacock on Dec. 1, designated as World AIDS Day. Its cable network debut will be in early 2024 on MSNBC.
When AIDS first emerged in the United States in the early 1980s, Los Angeles became one of the cities immediately impacted. The documentary shows how L.A.’s gay community and allies mobilized to fight the disease despite a lack of funding, intense fear about AIDS, and an administration in Washington that would not confront the epidemic for political reasons.
The film had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Watch the trailer above.
Matt Carey contributed to this report.
When AIDS first emerged in the United States in the early 1980s, Los Angeles became one of the cities immediately impacted. The documentary shows how L.A.’s gay community and allies mobilized to fight the disease despite a lack of funding, intense fear about AIDS, and an administration in Washington that would not confront the epidemic for political reasons.
The film had its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Watch the trailer above.
Matt Carey contributed to this report.
- 11/11/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Jeffrey Schwarz’s “Commitment to Life” is a thorough and well-researched documentary that tells the true story of the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles and how a diverse group of people – doctors, movie stars, studio moguls, bar owners, activists – changed the course of the epidemic. This is inspiring and hopeful documentary is the
The post Cinema Diverse 2023: “Commitment to Life” Documentary on AIDS in Hollywood appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
The post Cinema Diverse 2023: “Commitment to Life” Documentary on AIDS in Hollywood appeared first on Manny the Movie Guy.
- 9/19/2023
- by manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
MGM+ has greenlit a docuseries titled “Hollywood Black” directed by Justin Simien, who executive produces alongside Forest Whitaker.
In four parts, “Hollywood Black” focuses on the history of Black actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place in the entertainment industry. The series is based on the book of the same name by historian Donald Bogle.
Simien is best known for writing and directing the 2014 film “Dear White People” and creating the Netflix series of the same name. He also directed and wrote 2020’s “Bad Hair,” and directed “Haunted Mansion,” the 2023 horror film based on the Disney theme park ride, which debuts later this year.
Whitaker’s prominent credits as an actor include “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “The Butler,” “Black Panther” and more. In TV, he has narrated the 2002-2003 revival of “The Twilight Zone,” led the “Criminal Minds” spinoff “Suspect Behavior” and appeared in 11 episodes of “Empire.
In four parts, “Hollywood Black” focuses on the history of Black actors, writers, directors and producers who fought for their place in the entertainment industry. The series is based on the book of the same name by historian Donald Bogle.
Simien is best known for writing and directing the 2014 film “Dear White People” and creating the Netflix series of the same name. He also directed and wrote 2020’s “Bad Hair,” and directed “Haunted Mansion,” the 2023 horror film based on the Disney theme park ride, which debuts later this year.
Whitaker’s prominent credits as an actor include “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “The Butler,” “Black Panther” and more. In TV, he has narrated the 2002-2003 revival of “The Twilight Zone,” led the “Criminal Minds” spinoff “Suspect Behavior” and appeared in 11 episodes of “Empire.
- 4/11/2023
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety Film + TV
MGM+ has given the green light to Hollywood Black, a documentary series from director Justin Simien that aims to serve as “a definitive chronicle of a century of the Black experience in Hollywood.”
The four-part series, based on the work of scholar Donald Bogle, is being produced by Simien’s Culture Machine, Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions, and the Academy Award-winning production company RadicalMedia.
“We are thrilled to work with Justin Simien, Jeffrey Schwarz, RadicalMedia, and to expand our prolific creative partnership with Forest and Nina,” Michael Wright, head of MGM+, said in a statement. “Hollywood Black, like other recent MGM+ docuseries, is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a vital part of American culture, examining the evolution of Black cinema and the talented artists who built it. It is a timely and relevant look at the Black experience in Hollywood.”
Simien’s credits include directing the 2014 film Dear White People,...
The four-part series, based on the work of scholar Donald Bogle, is being produced by Simien’s Culture Machine, Forest Whitaker and Nina Yang Bongiovi’s Significant Productions, and the Academy Award-winning production company RadicalMedia.
“We are thrilled to work with Justin Simien, Jeffrey Schwarz, RadicalMedia, and to expand our prolific creative partnership with Forest and Nina,” Michael Wright, head of MGM+, said in a statement. “Hollywood Black, like other recent MGM+ docuseries, is an entertaining and thoughtful look at a vital part of American culture, examining the evolution of Black cinema and the talented artists who built it. It is a timely and relevant look at the Black experience in Hollywood.”
Simien’s credits include directing the 2014 film Dear White People,...
- 4/11/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The top-to-bottom rebrand of Epix into MGM+ under Amazon’s ownership means an increase in not only scripted series but also documentary content.
R.J. Cutler’s “Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA” is the first of five docuseries that will stream on the new platform in 2023.
About Jack Roland Murphy, an infamous jewel thief turned murderer, “Murf the Surf” was commissioned by Epix three years ago after Imagine Documentaries’ president Sara Bernstein and her former co-president Justin Wilkes pitched the story to Michael Wright, former president of Epix and current head of MGM+. (Wilkes was recently promoted to president of Imagine Entertainment.) After reading a New York Times’ article with the headline “How a Band of Surfer Dudes Pulled Off the Biggest Jewel Heist in N.Y. History,” Bernstein and Wilkes were immediately intrigued.
“It read like an “Ocean’s Eleven” story,” Bernstein says. “So, we sought out Jack Murphy,...
R.J. Cutler’s “Murf the Surf: Jewels, Jesus and Mayhem in the USA” is the first of five docuseries that will stream on the new platform in 2023.
About Jack Roland Murphy, an infamous jewel thief turned murderer, “Murf the Surf” was commissioned by Epix three years ago after Imagine Documentaries’ president Sara Bernstein and her former co-president Justin Wilkes pitched the story to Michael Wright, former president of Epix and current head of MGM+. (Wilkes was recently promoted to president of Imagine Entertainment.) After reading a New York Times’ article with the headline “How a Band of Surfer Dudes Pulled Off the Biggest Jewel Heist in N.Y. History,” Bernstein and Wilkes were immediately intrigued.
“It read like an “Ocean’s Eleven” story,” Bernstein says. “So, we sought out Jack Murphy,...
- 2/6/2023
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
“Commitment to Life,” a new documentary about the early days of the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles, will have its world premiere next month at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Until then, Variety has the exclusive first look at the doc.
In the clip above, Elizabeth Taylor is featured speaking at the first Commitment to Life gala in 1985. It was the first major fundraiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles (Apla).
“All we can do at this point is help our friends who have AIDS and the only way can do that is by doing what you’re doing by giving — giving by support, money and love,” the late Hollywood legend said before a packed audience. The event also included appearances by Cher, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., Carol Burnett, Burt Reynolds, Cindy Lauper, Rod Stewart and Jane Seymour.
“That evening was amazing because all of these big...
In the clip above, Elizabeth Taylor is featured speaking at the first Commitment to Life gala in 1985. It was the first major fundraiser for AIDS Project Los Angeles (Apla).
“All we can do at this point is help our friends who have AIDS and the only way can do that is by doing what you’re doing by giving — giving by support, money and love,” the late Hollywood legend said before a packed audience. The event also included appearances by Cher, Stevie Wonder, Sammy Davis Jr., Carol Burnett, Burt Reynolds, Cindy Lauper, Rod Stewart and Jane Seymour.
“That evening was amazing because all of these big...
- 1/20/2023
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
The Santa Barbara International Film Festival announced plans Wednesday for 52 world premieres and 78 U.S. premieres spanning a total of 43 countries throughout the 11-day event.
“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling. “At Sbiff, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear, to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”
The festival starts Feb. 8 with the world premiere of “Miranda’s Victim” from director-producer Michelle Danner. The period piece is set in the year 1963 and documents the true story of Patricia “Trish” Weir (Abigal Breslin), who attempts to put her abuser behind bars after being kidnapped and sexually assaulted at 18 years old.
Director Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies” will...
“At a time where there’s a dwindling of movie theater attendance, the role of film festivals has never been more important,” said Sbiff executive director Roger Durling. “At Sbiff, with the 38th edition, our marching orders are clear, to celebrate movies and to nurture and exalt the film community, the artists as well as the cinephiles. It’s a great slate with 43 countries represented.”
The festival starts Feb. 8 with the world premiere of “Miranda’s Victim” from director-producer Michelle Danner. The period piece is set in the year 1963 and documents the true story of Patricia “Trish” Weir (Abigal Breslin), who attempts to put her abuser behind bars after being kidnapped and sexually assaulted at 18 years old.
Director Chandler Levack’s “I Like Movies” will...
- 1/18/2023
- by Katie Reul
- Variety Film + TV
The 38th edition of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which will run Feb. 8-18, will open with Miranda’s Victim, one of 52 world premieres in this year’s lineup, and will close with the U.S. premiere of I Like Movies, one of 78 U.S. premieres, the fest announced Wednesday.
These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.
The fest will also offer a variety of free educational programs, including Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies (for 4,000-plus fourth through sixth grade students from low-income schools throughout Santa Barbara County), which this year will feature a screening of Guillermo del Toro...
These are, of course, in addition to a slew of the career-retrospective tributes for which the fest is famous, which this year will celebrate the likes of Cate Blanchett, Brendan Fraser, Angela Bassett, Jamie Lee Curtis, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, as well as panels with breakthrough artists, artisans, directors, writers, producers, female creatives and international filmmakers.
The fest will also offer a variety of free educational programs, including Mike’s Field Trip to the Movies (for 4,000-plus fourth through sixth grade students from low-income schools throughout Santa Barbara County), which this year will feature a screening of Guillermo del Toro...
- 1/18/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Santa Barbara Film Festival To Open With Abigail Breslin Drama ‘Miranda’s Victim’ As Full Lineup Set
The Santa Barbara Film Festival has today unveiled the lineup for its 38th edition, taking place in-person from February 8-18.
The festival will open with the world premiere of the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, from director Michelle Danner. Pic tells the true story of Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos, Andy Garcia and more also star.
Closing out Sbiff 2023 is the Chandler Levack-directed I Like Movies, which makes its U.S. premiere. The film starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White follows the socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence (Lehtinen) as he gets a job at a video store, there forming a complicated...
The festival will open with the world premiere of the courtroom drama Miranda’s Victim, from director Michelle Danner. Pic tells the true story of Trish Weir (Abigail Breslin), who in 1963 was kidnapped and brutally raped by Ernesto Miranda. Committed to putting her assailant in prison, Trish’s life is destroyed by America’s legal system as she triggers a law that transforms the nation. Ryan Phillippe, Luke Wilson, Donald Sutherland, Mireille Enos, Andy Garcia and more also star.
Closing out Sbiff 2023 is the Chandler Levack-directed I Like Movies, which makes its U.S. premiere. The film starring Isaiah Lehtinen, Romina D’Ugo, Krista Bridges and Percy Hynes White follows the socially inept, 17-year-old cinephile Lawrence (Lehtinen) as he gets a job at a video store, there forming a complicated...
- 1/18/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A half-hour comedy about a Broadway has-been starring Kevin Kline is among MGM+’s new slate of series. “American Classic” is one of several other scripted shows and docuseries to be developed at the premium linear channel and streaming service, including one documenting the rise of underground disco.
Formerly known as Epix and rebranding to MGM+ on Jan. 15 (coinciding with the “Godfather of Harlem” Season 3 premiere), the platform unveiled a slew of upcoming programming, joining already announced series like limited show “A Spy Among Friends” with Guy Pearce (March 12), the second season of sci-fi “From” (April 23) and true-crime docuseries “Murf the Surf” (Feb. 5). There were also sophomore renewals for “Rogue Heroes” and “Billy the Kid.”
Below is a full lineup of the newly announced slate:
Also Read:
AMC Studios Head Says Network Is ‘Optimally Positioned’ Following Layoffs, Scrapped Shows “The Emperor of Ocean Park” (scripted)
From John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television,...
Formerly known as Epix and rebranding to MGM+ on Jan. 15 (coinciding with the “Godfather of Harlem” Season 3 premiere), the platform unveiled a slew of upcoming programming, joining already announced series like limited show “A Spy Among Friends” with Guy Pearce (March 12), the second season of sci-fi “From” (April 23) and true-crime docuseries “Murf the Surf” (Feb. 5). There were also sophomore renewals for “Rogue Heroes” and “Billy the Kid.”
Below is a full lineup of the newly announced slate:
Also Read:
AMC Studios Head Says Network Is ‘Optimally Positioned’ Following Layoffs, Scrapped Shows “The Emperor of Ocean Park” (scripted)
From John Wells Productions and Warner Bros. Television,...
- 1/10/2023
- by Natalie Oganesyan
- The Wrap
The sports agency Excel Sports Management, representing talent, brands and properties, has hired Ryan Holcomb as its first-ever Head of Content.
Holcomb will be LA-based as he join the agency’s media division, Excel Media, which has recently put out docuseries highlighting the careers of two Excel clients, Joe Montana (Peacock’s Cool Under Pressure) and Derek Jeter (ESPN’s The Captain). His brief at the company will be to drive the creation and development of original content and programming for Excel and its clients.
“Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge in the content space and an understanding of how to shape an idea to make it interesting to both platforms and viewers,” said Excel Sports Management’s Founder and President, Jeff Schwartz. “We are seeing exponential growth in the opportunities for athletes to connect with fans and the world beyond their sport through compelling stories and shared interests. With...
Holcomb will be LA-based as he join the agency’s media division, Excel Media, which has recently put out docuseries highlighting the careers of two Excel clients, Joe Montana (Peacock’s Cool Under Pressure) and Derek Jeter (ESPN’s The Captain). His brief at the company will be to drive the creation and development of original content and programming for Excel and its clients.
“Ryan brings a wealth of knowledge in the content space and an understanding of how to shape an idea to make it interesting to both platforms and viewers,” said Excel Sports Management’s Founder and President, Jeff Schwartz. “We are seeing exponential growth in the opportunities for athletes to connect with fans and the world beyond their sport through compelling stories and shared interests. With...
- 7/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Excel Sports Management has a new head of content: Ryan Holcomb.
The sports agency that reps talent, brands and properties has tapped Holcomb to join its media division, Excel Media, to spearhead development of original content and programming for the firm and its clients. He’ll be based in Los Angeles.
Holcomb segues to the newly-created post from the World Surf League where he served as executive vp of Wsl Studios. During his tenure, he led Wsl’s content division developing programming, concepts and running branded content. His credits there included ABC’s The Ultimate Surfer, and developing and setting up a seven-part series about the Wsl’s Championship Tour at Apple TV+, in partnership with Box to Box Productions. Holcomb is an executive producer of that series, Make or Break, which is currently available on the streamer with a second season on the horizon.
Excel Sports Management has a new head of content: Ryan Holcomb.
The sports agency that reps talent, brands and properties has tapped Holcomb to join its media division, Excel Media, to spearhead development of original content and programming for the firm and its clients. He’ll be based in Los Angeles.
Holcomb segues to the newly-created post from the World Surf League where he served as executive vp of Wsl Studios. During his tenure, he led Wsl’s content division developing programming, concepts and running branded content. His credits there included ABC’s The Ultimate Surfer, and developing and setting up a seven-part series about the Wsl’s Championship Tour at Apple TV+, in partnership with Box to Box Productions. Holcomb is an executive producer of that series, Make or Break, which is currently available on the streamer with a second season on the horizon.
- 7/28/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A new documentary will tell the story about the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles.
Apla Health announced on Wednesday, World AIDS Day, that production has begun on “Commitment to Life,” a feature-length doc about how AIDS activists, doctors, celebrities and studio executives changed the course of the epidemic. The film will feature stories about Rock Hudson, Eazy-e, Elizabeth Taylor, David Geffen, the making of “Philadelphia,” the creation of the red ribbon, the local Act Up chapter and Apla.
“As a filmmaker, I have told stories about the LGBTQ+ community through the lives of some of its trailblazers. But no story has the epic sweep, heart wrenching drama, and galvanizing emotion as that of the AIDS crisis in Los Angeles. It’s a story that has yet to be fully told, and it’s a film that demanded to be made. ‘Commitment to Life’ is that film,” director Jeffrey Schwarz said in statement.
Apla Health announced on Wednesday, World AIDS Day, that production has begun on “Commitment to Life,” a feature-length doc about how AIDS activists, doctors, celebrities and studio executives changed the course of the epidemic. The film will feature stories about Rock Hudson, Eazy-e, Elizabeth Taylor, David Geffen, the making of “Philadelphia,” the creation of the red ribbon, the local Act Up chapter and Apla.
“As a filmmaker, I have told stories about the LGBTQ+ community through the lives of some of its trailblazers. But no story has the epic sweep, heart wrenching drama, and galvanizing emotion as that of the AIDS crisis in Los Angeles. It’s a story that has yet to be fully told, and it’s a film that demanded to be made. ‘Commitment to Life’ is that film,” director Jeffrey Schwarz said in statement.
- 12/1/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
When Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard premiered in 1993, it became a major hit. But few people then, or even now, are aware of a much earlier attempt to bring the classic film to the stage—by Gloria Swanson herself.
Boulevard! A Hollywood Story, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, explores how Swanson, five years after her star turn as Norma Desmond in the 1950 Billy Wilder drama, threw herself into the adaptation project with a pair of unknowns. Her collaborators: handsome young composer Dickson Hughes and even more handsome young lyricist Richard Stapley.
“[Hughes and Stapley] were creative partners and also life partners,” Schwarz noted Tuesday night at the world premiere of his documentary at the Outfest film festival. The event took place—where else?—on Sunset Boulevard, at the DGA theater in West Hollywood.
The tale takes as many twists and turns as the celebrated road through Los Angeles. Swanson sought...
Boulevard! A Hollywood Story, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz, explores how Swanson, five years after her star turn as Norma Desmond in the 1950 Billy Wilder drama, threw herself into the adaptation project with a pair of unknowns. Her collaborators: handsome young composer Dickson Hughes and even more handsome young lyricist Richard Stapley.
“[Hughes and Stapley] were creative partners and also life partners,” Schwarz noted Tuesday night at the world premiere of his documentary at the Outfest film festival. The event took place—where else?—on Sunset Boulevard, at the DGA theater in West Hollywood.
The tale takes as many twists and turns as the celebrated road through Los Angeles. Swanson sought...
- 8/19/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
“Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” will open the 39th edition of Outfest, the Los Angeles LGBTQ film festival.
The big-screen adaptation of the West End musical of the same name will kick off the festival Aug. 13 with its first ever outdoor gala hosted by Cinespia at Hollywood Forever cemetery. Closing night on Aug. 22 will feature a screening of “Fanny: The Right to Rock,” a film about the first female rock band to release an album with a major label. The evening will include a reunion performance by Fanny.
Outfest returns to in-person screenings and events after having gone virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year’s lineup includes nearly 200 films with more than 50 international entries. There will be seven world premieres Charles Busch’s “The Sixth Reel”; “Homebody”; Outfest alum Jeffrey Schwarz’s true story of Gloria Swanson’s quest to star in a Sunset Boulevard musical, “Boulevard! A Hollywood Story”; “Gemmel and Tim,...
The big-screen adaptation of the West End musical of the same name will kick off the festival Aug. 13 with its first ever outdoor gala hosted by Cinespia at Hollywood Forever cemetery. Closing night on Aug. 22 will feature a screening of “Fanny: The Right to Rock,” a film about the first female rock band to release an album with a major label. The evening will include a reunion performance by Fanny.
Outfest returns to in-person screenings and events after having gone virtual in 2020 due to the pandemic. This year’s lineup includes nearly 200 films with more than 50 international entries. There will be seven world premieres Charles Busch’s “The Sixth Reel”; “Homebody”; Outfest alum Jeffrey Schwarz’s true story of Gloria Swanson’s quest to star in a Sunset Boulevard musical, “Boulevard! A Hollywood Story”; “Gemmel and Tim,...
- 7/26/2021
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita have come aboard to executive produce Stonewall Forever, a feature documentary centering on the famed Lgbtq institution while marking the 50th anniversary in the ongoing fight for gay rights.
The duo join producer-director Jeffrey Schwarz, who previously made Tab Hunter Confidential and The Fabulous Alan Carr, and exec producer Craig Gartner on the project, which is in the nascent stages but is expected to take advantage of New York City’s Gay Pride festivities that are connected to the famed Stonewall Inn and the June 1969 riots that are seen as kicking off the ...
The duo join producer-director Jeffrey Schwarz, who previously made Tab Hunter Confidential and The Fabulous Alan Carr, and exec producer Craig Gartner on the project, which is in the nascent stages but is expected to take advantage of New York City’s Gay Pride festivities that are connected to the famed Stonewall Inn and the June 1969 riots that are seen as kicking off the ...
Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson and husband Justin Mikita have come aboard to executive produce Stonewall Forever, a feature documentary centering on the famed Lgbtq institution while marking the 50th anniversary in the ongoing fight for gay rights.
The duo join producer-director Jeffrey Schwarz, who previously made Tab Hunter Confidential and The Fabulous Alan Carr, and exec producer Craig Gartner on the project, which is in the nascent stages but is expected to take advantage of New York City’s Gay Pride festivities that are connected to the famed Stonewall Inn and the June 1969 riots that are seen as kicking off the ...
The duo join producer-director Jeffrey Schwarz, who previously made Tab Hunter Confidential and The Fabulous Alan Carr, and exec producer Craig Gartner on the project, which is in the nascent stages but is expected to take advantage of New York City’s Gay Pride festivities that are connected to the famed Stonewall Inn and the June 1969 riots that are seen as kicking off the ...
“To ask ‘Whatever happened to Tab Hunter?'” a reporter for The New York Times once wrote, “is to ask ‘Whatever happened to America?'”
As we remember Hunter — the Hollywood heartthrob who died this week a few days shy of his 87th birthday — it’s clear that his own career and personal path follows America’s (and Hollywood’s) arc of understanding homosexuality in the post-wwii era. A performer who was once deeply closeted in the industry could, in his later years, make two outrageous comedies in which his romantic co-lead was played by legendary drag queen Divine.
Born Arthur Gelien, Tab Hunter was one of a stable of performers groomed for stardom by agent Henry Willson, who gave the neophyte performer his name and his first forays onto the big screen.
Hunter made his big-screen debut in 1950 and would become one of the decade’s biggest stars, both...
As we remember Hunter — the Hollywood heartthrob who died this week a few days shy of his 87th birthday — it’s clear that his own career and personal path follows America’s (and Hollywood’s) arc of understanding homosexuality in the post-wwii era. A performer who was once deeply closeted in the industry could, in his later years, make two outrageous comedies in which his romantic co-lead was played by legendary drag queen Divine.
Born Arthur Gelien, Tab Hunter was one of a stable of performers groomed for stardom by agent Henry Willson, who gave the neophyte performer his name and his first forays onto the big screen.
Hunter made his big-screen debut in 1950 and would become one of the decade’s biggest stars, both...
- 7/9/2018
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
With his blonde hair and all-American good looks, Tab Hunter was the picture of a 1950s heartthrob. At the height of his career, he made waves as a wholesome boy next door in films like “Battle Cry” (1955), “The Burning Hills” (1956) with Natalie Wood, and “Damn Yankees” (1958). He enjoyed a short career resurgence in the ’80s, after playing Divine’s love interest in John Waters’ “Polyester” (1981). On Monday, July 9, a Facebook post announced that Hunter had died. He was 86.
Hunter wrote candidly about his life as a closeted man in Hollywood in a 2005 memoir “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” including his relationships with Olympic figure skater Ronnie Roberston and “Psycho” star Anthony Perkins. Their romance is the subject of a film from J.J. Abrams and Zachary Quinto in the early stages of development at Paramount, tentatively titled “Tab & Tony.” Hunter’s memoir was adapted into a documentary in 2015, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz.
Hunter wrote candidly about his life as a closeted man in Hollywood in a 2005 memoir “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” including his relationships with Olympic figure skater Ronnie Roberston and “Psycho” star Anthony Perkins. Their romance is the subject of a film from J.J. Abrams and Zachary Quinto in the early stages of development at Paramount, tentatively titled “Tab & Tony.” Hunter’s memoir was adapted into a documentary in 2015, directed by Jeffrey Schwarz.
- 7/9/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Tab Hunter, the 1950s epitome of the blond Hollywood heartthrob and teen icon pin-up, whose career included early A-list fare like Damn Yankees! and Battle Cry to later (much later) cult classics Polyester, Lust in the Dust, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and authorship of a memoir in part describing his life as a closeted gay movie star, has died. He was 86.
Hunter came out as gay with his 2005 autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star – later the basis for Jeffrey Schwarz’ 2015 Netflix documentary Tab Hunter Confidential – clearing up longstanding Hollywood rumors that. Since his ’80s resurgence in the John Waters and Paul Bartel films costarring Divine, Hunter had relaxed into a more self-amused, even self-deprecating attitude about the vast chasm between the man born Arthur Gelien in 1931 and the teen idol manufactured and rechristened Tab Hunter by Henry Willson, the agent behind such creatively named Hollywood hunks as Rock Hudson,...
Hunter came out as gay with his 2005 autobiography Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star – later the basis for Jeffrey Schwarz’ 2015 Netflix documentary Tab Hunter Confidential – clearing up longstanding Hollywood rumors that. Since his ’80s resurgence in the John Waters and Paul Bartel films costarring Divine, Hunter had relaxed into a more self-amused, even self-deprecating attitude about the vast chasm between the man born Arthur Gelien in 1931 and the teen idol manufactured and rechristened Tab Hunter by Henry Willson, the agent behind such creatively named Hollywood hunks as Rock Hudson,...
- 7/9/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tab Hunter, a former on-screen heartthrob and gay icon, has died. He was 86.
Hunter died Sunday night in Santa Barbara after a blood clot in his leg caused cardiac arrest, Allan Glaser, Hunter’s partner for more than three decades, confirmed to Variety.
With his All-American good looks, wavy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and toothy smile, Hunter rose to the top ranks of Hollywood leading men in the 1950’s and early ’60’s. He appeared in the likes of “Damn Yankees” and “Battle Cry,” and had chart-topping records such as “Young Love.” But at the height of his popularity, he was dogged by rumors that he was gay, a potentially career-ending rumor during that culturally conservative era. At one point, he was “outed” by the gossip rag, Confidential.
Hunter fell out of favor as the 1960s continued and a new breed of stars such as Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino,...
Hunter died Sunday night in Santa Barbara after a blood clot in his leg caused cardiac arrest, Allan Glaser, Hunter’s partner for more than three decades, confirmed to Variety.
With his All-American good looks, wavy blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and toothy smile, Hunter rose to the top ranks of Hollywood leading men in the 1950’s and early ’60’s. He appeared in the likes of “Damn Yankees” and “Battle Cry,” and had chart-topping records such as “Young Love.” But at the height of his popularity, he was dogged by rumors that he was gay, a potentially career-ending rumor during that culturally conservative era. At one point, he was “outed” by the gossip rag, Confidential.
Hunter fell out of favor as the 1960s continued and a new breed of stars such as Dustin Hoffman and Al Pacino,...
- 7/9/2018
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Jj Abrams and Zachary Quinto are producing a movie for Paramount about the secret love affair between Tab Hunter and Anthony Perkins.
The project, titled “Tab & Tony,” is in early development without actors or a director attached. Playwright Doug Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “I am My Own Wife,” has been hired to write the screenplay.
Producers are Abrams through his Bad Robot company, his “Star Trek” collaborator Quinto, Hunter’s longtime partner Allan Glaser, and Neil Koenigsberg.
The movie is based on Hunter’s account of his struggle to come to terms with being gay in the 1950s. Hunter wrote the 2005 book “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” which became a New York Times bestseller and detailed his rise to Hollywood heartthrob status in the 1950s while he was being marketed as the ideal man, as well as his issues with revealing his sexuality...
The project, titled “Tab & Tony,” is in early development without actors or a director attached. Playwright Doug Wright, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “I am My Own Wife,” has been hired to write the screenplay.
Producers are Abrams through his Bad Robot company, his “Star Trek” collaborator Quinto, Hunter’s longtime partner Allan Glaser, and Neil Koenigsberg.
The movie is based on Hunter’s account of his struggle to come to terms with being gay in the 1950s. Hunter wrote the 2005 book “Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star,” which became a New York Times bestseller and detailed his rise to Hollywood heartthrob status in the 1950s while he was being marketed as the ideal man, as well as his issues with revealing his sexuality...
- 6/6/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Author: James Kleinmann
It’s rare that a producer’s name becomes as familiar to the public as the stars of the films he or she makes, but in the late 1970s and ’80s, Allan Carr was a regular talk show guest and caftan wearing celebrity in his own right. A new fast paced, fascinating documentary by Emmy winner Jeffrey Schwarz (‘I Am Divine’, ‘Tab Hunter Confidential’) follows the highs and lows of Carr’s colourful career featuring interviews with those who knew him best.
‘The Fabulous Allan Carr’
Starting out in the entertainment industry as a talent booker for Hugh Hefner’s television show, Carr soon became a talent manager representing the likes of Ann-Margaret, Peter Sellers, Tony Curtis and Mama Cass Elliot. Following Carr’s legendary New York subway station premiere party for ‘Tommy’, he gained a reputation for being able to launch a movie with a splash.
It’s rare that a producer’s name becomes as familiar to the public as the stars of the films he or she makes, but in the late 1970s and ’80s, Allan Carr was a regular talk show guest and caftan wearing celebrity in his own right. A new fast paced, fascinating documentary by Emmy winner Jeffrey Schwarz (‘I Am Divine’, ‘Tab Hunter Confidential’) follows the highs and lows of Carr’s colourful career featuring interviews with those who knew him best.
‘The Fabulous Allan Carr’
Starting out in the entertainment industry as a talent booker for Hugh Hefner’s television show, Carr soon became a talent manager representing the likes of Ann-Margaret, Peter Sellers, Tony Curtis and Mama Cass Elliot. Following Carr’s legendary New York subway station premiere party for ‘Tommy’, he gained a reputation for being able to launch a movie with a splash.
- 7/21/2017
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
With entourage in tow, Brett Ratner will attend Wednesday's Outfest premiere of The Fabulous Allan Carr — Jeffrey Schwarz's new documentary about the caftan-wearing Grease mastermind who was run out of Hollywood in 1989 after producing the Snow White Oscars debacle. (Snow White broke her decades-long silence to The Hollywood Reporter in 2013.)
A keen chronicler of some of Hollywood's greatest camp triumphs, Schwarz next tackles one of the most beloved "bad" movies of all time in Goddess: The Showgirls Chronicles. (Showgirls director Paul Verhoeven has given his blessing and already contributed a tell-all interview about the 1995...
A keen chronicler of some of Hollywood's greatest camp triumphs, Schwarz next tackles one of the most beloved "bad" movies of all time in Goddess: The Showgirls Chronicles. (Showgirls director Paul Verhoeven has given his blessing and already contributed a tell-all interview about the 1995...
- 7/12/2017
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jeffrey Schwarz, a specialist in light gay-showbiz documentaries like I Am Divine and Tab Hunter Confidential, looks behind the scenes in The Fabulous Allan Carr, profiling a producer-manager whose considerable achievements have probably been overshadowed by his role in the great Rob Lowe/Snow White Oscar debacle of 1989. Benefiting from ample interview footage of this colorful self-promoter, the entertaining doc lacks the broad appeal of the Divine film but will play well to fest auds with a strong interest in musical theater and 1970s/'80s Tinseltown lore.
Friends from high school and college remember Carr (born Alan Solomon) as uncommonly gregarious;...
Friends from high school and college remember Carr (born Alan Solomon) as uncommonly gregarious;...
- 6/30/2017
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On the day a U.S. appeals court lifted an injunction that blocked a Mississippi “religious freedom” law – i.e., giving Christian extremists the right to discriminate against gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people, etc. – not to mention the publication of a Republican-backed health care bill targeting the poor, the sick, the elderly, and those with “pre-existing conditions” – which would include HIV-infected people, a large chunk of whom are gay and bisexual men, so the wealthy in the U.S. can get a massive tax cut, Turner Classic Movies' 2017 Gay Pride or Lgbt Month celebration continues (into tomorrow morning, Thursday & Friday, June 22–23) with the presentation of movies by or featuring an eclectic – though seemingly all male – group: Montgomery Clift, Anthony Perkins, Tab Hunter, Dirk Bogarde, John Schlesinger, Tennessee Williams, Gore Vidal, Arthur Laurents, and Jerome Robbins. After all, one assumes that, rumors or no, the presence of Mercedes McCambridge in one...
- 6/23/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
It's impossible to keep up these days. So herewith a bunch of news we haven't covered and other enjoyable places to go on the web today...
News
Baz Lurhmann has written a letter to fans about the cancellation of The Get Down, his Netflix series. My favorite bit because I like having him on the big screen in 2 hour doses:
All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future... even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.) But the simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life. Since The Get Down stopped, I have actually been spending the last few months preparing my new cinematic work...
Variety IFC is on a buying spree at Cannes, including Lars Von Trier's latest, a...
News
Baz Lurhmann has written a letter to fans about the cancellation of The Get Down, his Netflix series. My favorite bit because I like having him on the big screen in 2 hour doses:
All sorts of things have been thrown around for the future... even a stage show (can you imagine that? I can, concert version anyone? Next summer? Just saying.) But the simple truth is, I make movies. And the thing with movies is, that when you direct them, there can be nothing else in your life. Since The Get Down stopped, I have actually been spending the last few months preparing my new cinematic work...
Variety IFC is on a buying spree at Cannes, including Lars Von Trier's latest, a...
- 5/25/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
What's the right thing to say about a closeted movie career in an industry that feeds on gossip? There's plenty to say, if you're Tab Hunter. The '50s heartthrob breaks his silence with a remarkably candid and positive account of his astonishing, unique Hollywood experience. Tab Hunter Confidential Blu-ray FilmRise 2015 / Color / 1:78 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date August 23, 2016 / 19.95 Starring Tab Hunter, Allan Glaser, Clint Eastwood, Connie Stevens, Portia de Rossi, Robert Wagner, Debbie Reynolds, Lainie Kazan, George Takei, Noah Wyle, John Waters, Liz Torres, Tab Hunter, Dolores Hart, Terry Moore, Don Murray, Robert Osborne, Darryl Hickman, William Wellman Jr., Rae Allen, Rona Barrett, Venetia Stevenson, Rex Reed, Etchika Choureau, Marilyn Erskine, Henry Willson, Shannon Bolin, Eddie Muller, Ronnie Robertson, Gary Giddins, Tamara Asseyev, Neal Noorlag, Marilyn Gevirtz, Jo-An Cox Bunton, Lou Simon, Evelyn Kramer. Cinematography Nancy Schreiber Film Editor Jeffrey Schwarz Original Music Michael Cudahy Produced by Allan Glaser, Neil Koenigsberg,...
- 8/26/2016
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Scott Feinberg talks to the legendary Tab Hunter about the Oscar long listed doc, Tab Hunter Confidential. “It really isn’t important,” Tab Hunter said of the fact that he...
- 10/29/2015
- by Sasha Stone
- AwardsDaily.com
Read More: Watch: Tab Hunter Reveals His Career-Spanning Secret in 'Tab Hunter Confidential' Trailer In this exclusive clip from director Jeffrey Schwarz's documentary "Tab Hunter Confidential," interviewees reveal why Tab was such a popular commodity back in the 1950s. The film features interviews from Tab Hunter himself, as well as Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, John Waters, George Takei, Clint Eastwood, and Portia De Rossi, among others. The official synopsis reads: "In the 1950s, Tab Hunter is America’s Boy Next Door. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing that is, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. Now, Tab Hunter’s secret is out. In 'Tab Hunter Confidential' we will meet, for the first time, the real Tab Hunter as he shares with us the whole story of a happy, healthy survivor of Hollywood’s roller coaster." The film opens...
- 10/29/2015
- by Sonya Saepoff
- Indiewire
Why did Tab Hunter, 1950s all-American adonis and Hollywood star, want to make a movie about his life? "I figured, 'Get it from the horse's mouth, not from some other horse's ass after I'm dead and gone." You might not know this blond-headed hunk (now 83) from the days of Tinseltown's yesteryear because he wasn't exactly a marquee idol. He enjoyed a mid-sized movie career, starring in war pictures in the 1950s before landing a plum contract at Warner Bros. — all the while keeping his private life off the record, on the Q.T. and very hush-hush. Well, almost. Director Jeffrey Schwarz un-closets this Fifties Golden Boy in "Tab Hunter Confidential," the documentary film version of Hunter's memoir, co-penned by noir czar Eddie Muller nearly a decade ago. Schwarz discovered Hunter's story while interviewing him and his longtime partner (and former Fox executive) Allan Glaser for Schwarz's "I Am Divine," a documentary portrait of none-other-than Divine,...
- 10/12/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
You might not know this blond-headed hunk (now 83) from the days of Tinseltown's yesteryear because he wasn't exactly a marquee idol. He enjoyed a mid-sized movie career, starring in war pictures in the 1950s before landing a plum contract at Warner Bros. — all the while keeping his private life off the record, on the Q.T. and very hush-hush. Well, almost. Director Jeffrey Schwarz un-closets this Fifties Golden Boy in "Tab Hunter Confidential," the documentary film version of Hunter's memoir, co-penned by noir czar Eddie Muller nearly a decade ago. Schwarz discovered Hunter's story while interviewing him and his longtime partner (and former Fox executive) Allan Glaser for Schwarz's "I Am Divine," a documentary portrait of none-other-than Divine, John Waters' muse and a close friend of Hunter's. Read More: Tab Hunter, Out of the Hollywood Closet and in His Own Words The Film Collaborative opens "Tab Hunter Confidential" October 16th.
- 8/17/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Read More: SXSW Review: Riveting And Insightful Documentary 'Tab Hunter Confidential' Reveals The True Story Of A Hollywood Star Tab Hunter was a Hollywood golden boy known for his roles in "Damn Yankees" and other hits during the 1950s, but despite being a teenage heartthrob, he kept a big secret -- which is now being revealed for the first time in Jeffrey Schwarz's documentary, "Tab Hunter Confidential." The documentary follows Hunter's growth as a star and his decision to hide his sexual identity. Now at a distance from his hectic 1950's fame, Hunter discusses his sexuality and everything that came with stardom. Through interviews with Hunter and his famous collaborators, including Debbie Reynolds, Robert Wagner, John Waters, George Takei, Clint Eastwood and Portia De Rossi, Schwartz explores dealing with fame and hiding sexuality as a celebrity. "Tab Hunter Confidential" will premiere in New York theaters on October 16 and in Los Angeles.
- 8/17/2015
- by Kaeli Van Cott
- Indiewire
Following a 10-day program of 180 Lgbtq films from 33 countries, Frameline's 39th edition came to an end Sunday night in San Francisco. Toh! reveals the exclusive list of festival winners, feted at the Oasis Nightclub & Cabaret. Big winners include Chilean coming-out drama "In the Grayscale" (well-reviewed on the circuit) and kidnapping documentary "The Amina Profile," which earned Sundance buzz. Earlier in the fest, the career-honoring Frameline Film Fest award went to doc-maker Jeffrey Schwarz, whose "Tab Hunter Confidential" screened for Frameline audiences (it will play Outfest in La this Summer). Juried Awards: Outstanding First Feature Award: "In the Grayscale," directed by Claudio Marcone. Honorable mention: "Stories of Our Lives," directed by Jim Chuchu. Outstanding Documentary: "Alex & Ali," directed by Malachi Leopold. Honorable mention: "The Amina Profile" directed by Sophie...
- 6/29/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Since 1986, San Francisco's Frameline Film Festival has given its Frameline Award to a person or entity who has made a major contribution to Lbgtq representation in film, television, or the media arts. Previous award recipients include film historian, author, and activate Vito Russo, "drag artiste extraordinaire" Divine, producer Christine Vachon, and producer/distributor Marcus Hu. On the opening weekend of Frameline 39, filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz, whose filmography includes documentaries about both Russo ("Vito," 2011) and Divine ("I Am Divine," 2013), joined their ranks. At an emotional ceremony in front of a standing-room-only crowd, the award was presented by noted Bay Area filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, who had employed Schwarz, fresh out of film school, as an intern on their film "The Celluloid Closet," based on Russo's groundbreaking book, in the early 90s. As Friedman noted, it was a grim time in the San...
- 6/23/2015
- by Meredith Brody
- Thompson on Hollywood
A water main break at a movie theater can wreak havoc on a film festival!
The Eighth Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, was supposed to start Sunday April 19th at the Tivoli Theatre. But the organizers had to reschedule when the Tivoli had to shut down because of the water disaster. The show will go on, but the schedule has been changed.
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of 23 films – 11 features (six narratives and five documentaries) and 12 short subjects. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
Highlights include the St. Louis premieres of two biographical documentaries on Olympic diver Greg Louganis...
The Eighth Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, was supposed to start Sunday April 19th at the Tivoli Theatre. But the organizers had to reschedule when the Tivoli had to shut down because of the water disaster. The show will go on, but the schedule has been changed.
The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of 23 films – 11 features (six narratives and five documentaries) and 12 short subjects. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
Highlights include the St. Louis premieres of two biographical documentaries on Olympic diver Greg Louganis...
- 4/20/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
London Lgbt film festival records biggest box office to date.
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival concluded on Sunday (March 29) with the European premiere of Malcolm Ingram’s new documentary, Out To Win, celebrating the battle for equality by Lgbt sports people. Special guests included director Malcolm Ingram and basketball star John Amaechi.
The closing night screening broke all box office records in the festival’s 29 years, with audiences of more than 23,500 recorded over the 11-day festival - up by 6.8% on the previous year.
This year’s festival also saw a step-change in industry attendance with a substantial increase in delegate accreditation, including 120 film-makers and more than 200 other industry attendees.
An expanded industry offering included a series of daily workshops on all aspects of film-making, fund-raising, marketing and the creative process.
Mentorship
The inaugural BFI Flare Mentorship programme in association with Creative Skillset was launched with five film-makers.
A partnership between BFI Flare and the British Council...
BFI Flare: London Lgbt Film Festival concluded on Sunday (March 29) with the European premiere of Malcolm Ingram’s new documentary, Out To Win, celebrating the battle for equality by Lgbt sports people. Special guests included director Malcolm Ingram and basketball star John Amaechi.
The closing night screening broke all box office records in the festival’s 29 years, with audiences of more than 23,500 recorded over the 11-day festival - up by 6.8% on the previous year.
This year’s festival also saw a step-change in industry attendance with a substantial increase in delegate accreditation, including 120 film-makers and more than 200 other industry attendees.
An expanded industry offering included a series of daily workshops on all aspects of film-making, fund-raising, marketing and the creative process.
Mentorship
The inaugural BFI Flare Mentorship programme in association with Creative Skillset was launched with five film-makers.
A partnership between BFI Flare and the British Council...
- 4/2/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
SXSW 2015 Film Review
complete coverage of the SXSW Film Festival 2015
7 Chinese Brothers
Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington
A man unaccustomed to telling the truth learns to at least describe it. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta, Olympia Dukakis, Stephen Root. (World Premiere) (film synopsis from sxsw.com)
Overall
The film is almost about nothing, just like the title of the film. Most of the time this doesn’t matter because we get to watch Schwartzman do many Schwartzman things, including acting opposite his real-life dog. There is a very sweet and surprisingly authentic death involving a key character. Besides that moment, when the film ends, you’ll quickly forget about it and move on.
Final Score: 6/10
Adult Beginners
Director: Ross Katz, Screenwriters: Jeff Cox, Elizabeth Flahive
Out of a job after a disastrous product launch, a big-city yuppie retreats to his suburban childhood home, in this heart-warming and hilarious film about crashing hard,...
complete coverage of the SXSW Film Festival 2015
7 Chinese Brothers
Director/Screenwriter: Bob Byington
A man unaccustomed to telling the truth learns to at least describe it. Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Tunde Adebimpe, Eleanore Pienta, Olympia Dukakis, Stephen Root. (World Premiere) (film synopsis from sxsw.com)
Overall
The film is almost about nothing, just like the title of the film. Most of the time this doesn’t matter because we get to watch Schwartzman do many Schwartzman things, including acting opposite his real-life dog. There is a very sweet and surprisingly authentic death involving a key character. Besides that moment, when the film ends, you’ll quickly forget about it and move on.
Final Score: 6/10
Adult Beginners
Director: Ross Katz, Screenwriters: Jeff Cox, Elizabeth Flahive
Out of a job after a disastrous product launch, a big-city yuppie retreats to his suburban childhood home, in this heart-warming and hilarious film about crashing hard,...
- 3/19/2015
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
It's a question that will never be answered. Even so, for decades, there have been rumors that James Dean was bisexual and maybe quite possibly gay. Tab Hunter, a former 1950s matinee idol and friend of the Rebel Without a Cause star who publicly came out of the closet in 2006, weighed in on the gossip when I sat down with him at South by Southwest to talk about his new Jeffrey Schwarz-directed documentary, Tab Hunter Confidential. Hunter, now 83, said he knew "Jimmy pretty well" because his friend Dick Clayton was his agent. "People always said that," Hunter said about Dean swinging both ways. "All I know is I saw him with Ursula Andrews a lot and with Pier Angeli."...
- 3/18/2015
- E! Online
Come get your Q on, St. Louis! The Eighth Annual QFest St. Louis, presented by Cinema St. Louis, runs April 19-23 at the Tivoli Theatre. The St. Louis-based Lgbtq film festival, QFest will present an eclectic slate of 23 films – 11 features (six narratives and five documentaries) and 12 short subjects. The participating filmmakers represent a wide variety of voices in contemporary queer world cinema. The mission of the film festival is to use the art of contemporary gay cinema to illustrate the diversity of the Lgbtq community and to explore the complexities of living an alternative lifestyle.
Highlights include the St. Louis premieres of two biographical documentaries on Olympic diver Greg Louganis (“Back on Board”) and former Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter (“Tab Hunter Confidential”). Other prominent films include the latest from avant-garde queer filmmaker Bruce la Bruce (“Gerontophilia”) and lesbian-themed films starring Geraldine Chaplin (“Sand Dollars”) and the directorial debut from HBO...
Highlights include the St. Louis premieres of two biographical documentaries on Olympic diver Greg Louganis (“Back on Board”) and former Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter (“Tab Hunter Confidential”). Other prominent films include the latest from avant-garde queer filmmaker Bruce la Bruce (“Gerontophilia”) and lesbian-themed films starring Geraldine Chaplin (“Sand Dollars”) and the directorial debut from HBO...
- 3/13/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Now that the busy winter fest schedule of Sundance, Rotterdam and the Berlinale has concluded, we’ve now got our eyes on the likes of True/False and SXSW. While, True/False does not specialize in attention grabbing world premieres, it does provide a late winter haven for cream of the crop non-fiction fare from all the previously mentioned fests and a selection of overlooked genre blending films presented in a down home setting. This year will mark my first trip to the Columbia, Missouri based fest, where I hope to catch a little of everything, from their hush-hush secret screenings, to selections from their Neither/Nor series, this year featuring chimeric Polish cinema of decades past, to a spotlight of Adam Curtis’s incisive oeuvre. But truth be told, it is SXSW, with its slew of high profile world premieres being announced, such as Alex Gibney’s Steve Jobs...
- 2/27/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Lgbt festival to close with documentary Out To Win; Rocky Horror to screen at BFI Imax.
The full line-up of this year’s BFI Flare (March 19-29) has been unveiled in London this evening.
As previously announced, the 29th edition of the Lgbt film festival will open with Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael, starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto.
It was revealed this evening that the festival will close with the European premiere of documentary Out To Win on March 29.
Malcolm Ingram’s film examines of the lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes from all over the world, featuring contributions from Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, David Kopay and John Amaechi, among others.
It marks Ingram’s return to the festival having previously screened documentaries Small Town Gay Bar and Continental. Out To Win will world premiere at SXSW on March 15.
Gala screenings
The Accenture Gala will be the European Premiere...
The full line-up of this year’s BFI Flare (March 19-29) has been unveiled in London this evening.
As previously announced, the 29th edition of the Lgbt film festival will open with Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael, starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto.
It was revealed this evening that the festival will close with the European premiere of documentary Out To Win on March 29.
Malcolm Ingram’s film examines of the lives and careers of aspiring and professional gay and lesbian athletes from all over the world, featuring contributions from Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, David Kopay and John Amaechi, among others.
It marks Ingram’s return to the festival having previously screened documentaries Small Town Gay Bar and Continental. Out To Win will world premiere at SXSW on March 15.
Gala screenings
The Accenture Gala will be the European Premiere...
- 2/18/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
South by Southwest, the multi-faceted film, music and technology festival held annually in Austin, TX will feature such upcoming films as Paul Feig’s Spy, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, and Ondi Timoner’s Russell Brand profile Brand: A Second Coming as headliners in this year’s film festival lineup.
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
If you’re tired of the usual slicing and dicing serial killers or have gotten just plain bored with the oversaturation of the living dead, here’s a severed handful of quirky horror flicks to make for a wickedly entertaining Halloween.
This year, it’s time for your Halloween to be a little bit stranger than ever.
The Vampire’s Tomb, dir. Andre Perkowski. Nobody makes an Ed Wood movie better than Ed Wood … with possibly the exception of Andre Perkowski. It’s a dark and stormy night when a family gathers for the reading of their dearly departed aunt’s will. But has the deceased returned from the grave to exact a grim revenge? Actually, not much is “grim” in this spoofy realization by Perkowski of an abandoned Wood project. (Available on: Amazon)
Gut, dir. Elias. Why the hell do we watch horror movies, anyway? Single-named director Elias analyzes...
This year, it’s time for your Halloween to be a little bit stranger than ever.
The Vampire’s Tomb, dir. Andre Perkowski. Nobody makes an Ed Wood movie better than Ed Wood … with possibly the exception of Andre Perkowski. It’s a dark and stormy night when a family gathers for the reading of their dearly departed aunt’s will. But has the deceased returned from the grave to exact a grim revenge? Actually, not much is “grim” in this spoofy realization by Perkowski of an abandoned Wood project. (Available on: Amazon)
Gut, dir. Elias. Why the hell do we watch horror movies, anyway? Single-named director Elias analyzes...
- 10/27/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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