Big Gay Picture Show

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema and more

Taking a look at the world of film through gay eyes - news, reviews, trailers, gay film, queer cinema & more

Downriver (Iris Prize Screening/DVD Review)

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James (Reef Ireland) has just been released from a Youth Detention Centre, having been locked up when he was an adolescent for his involvement in the drowning death of another child. However, due to having an epileptic fit on that day, he doesn’t know what happened to the body, which disappeared and therefore left many open questions, not least from the kid’s mother.

Despite being told his probation is dependent on not returning to where the events took place, he heads there on a determined quest to discover what happened and where the body ended up. Most believe the dead child was washed down the river and cannot ever be found, but James thinks something else might have happened. [Read more…]

Downriver Trailer – Take a look at the LGBT-themed film from Iris Prize winning director Grant Scicluna

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downriver-slide2We’ve been following Downriver for a couple of years, ever since it was announced that filmmaker Grant Scicluna was planning to make it.

Scicluna’s The Wilding won the Iris Prize LGBT Short Film prize with its tale of two tough young men who find love in a young offenders institute. There’s a bit of a thematic link between the two films (and the same main actor – Reef Ireland), with Scicluna previous saying of The Wilding, ‘To a degree it precedes the story of Downriver’.

Now we can get a full taste of the Aussie movie, as the trailer has arrived. Here’s the synopsis: ‘James was convicted of drowning a boy even though the body was never found. Upon parole he meets the victim’s mother who prompts him to seek the truth. He risks his life to uncover the trail of sins that may lead to closure & redemption.’

Take a look at the promo for the very atmospheric, LGBT-themed movie below. And to find out more, read our interview with Scicluna and cinematographer Anthony Cox, which took place shortly after they’d filmed Downriver. [Read more…]

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Editor Anthony Cox & Director Grant Scicluna Go Downriver To Talk About Their Upcoming Film

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First look still from Downriver featuring Reef Ireland as James (by Michelle Leong)

First look still from Downriver featuring Reef Ireland as James (by Michelle Leong)

A couple of years ago the Aussie short The Wilding won the Iris Prize, the world’s largest LGBT short film prize. Even then there was talk of a feature film thematically inspired by that acclaimed short. Now that feature, Downriver, has completed principal photography and it’s in the hands of editor, Anthony Cox.

It’s been a bit of a bit of a change of pace for Anthony, who before heading into the editing suite for Downriver was working on the new Thunderbirds Are Go! TV series. So what exactly does an editor do, and does working within the LGBT arena make it more difficult to get a movie made? We caught up with Anthony and Downriver’s director, Grant Scicluna, to find out more about the movie and how they got it made. [Read more…]

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Boys On Film: Grant Scicluna Talks About His Award-Winning LGBT Short The Wilding

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Grant Scicluna’s short film, The Wilding, has been making a splash at film festivals around the world, including winning the Iris Prize, the world’s biggest LGBT short film award, which provides funding and support for filmmakers to make another movie. BGPS’ Adrian Naik adored The Wilding when he caught it at Iris in Cardiff, giving it a rare 10 out of 10 score!

However not everyone is able to get to film festivals to see great LGBT shorts like The Wilding, which is where the Boys On Film DVD series comes in. The latest release, Boys Of Film 9: Youth In Trouble, is released in the UK on April 29th. The disc features eight shorts, including The Wilding, allowing a wider audience to see its tale of love in the violent and difficult world of an Australian Youth Detention Centre.

We caught up with Grant to talk about The Wilding, how it felt to win the Iris Prize and the importance of gay film festivals. [Read more…]

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The Wilding – Iris Prize Best Short Film Winner Review

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A story of sacrifice for love, The Wilding follows Malcolm, a hardened borstal inmate, who’s in love with his cellmate Tye. As Malcolm faces an opportunity for parole, a feud with other inmates escalates, with Tye being targeted as Malcolm’s weak spot. Malcolm is forced to choose between his own freedom and protecting the one he loves.

Most short films are mini-movies in themselves. They often suffer having been crammed into such a short space. It is very difficult for filmmakers to convey enough in 15 minutes: something usually falls short, be it narrative or character development. [Read more…]