GAY INTEREST TRAILERS

This one has a slightly odd title, as it’s bound to remind many people of the 1978 movie The Boys From Brazil. However you couldn’t get two more different movies, as while the 70s flick was about evil Nazis trying to restart the Third Reich, the new one is a rom-com about gay guys who are in the closet.

I haven’t seen the film yet, but I’m willing to bet none of them has any Nazi sympathies.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘The film follows the story of two teenagers who decide to go to the São Paulo Gay Pride Parade, encouraged by the uncle of one of them, a successful executive who lives a double life. After witnessing a scene of homophobic aggression, they decide to make a pact: everyone in the group must come out of the closet until the following year’s event. But reality is not so simple…’

TLA will be release the movie on DVD in the UK on Jun 29th. [Read more…]

Every year millions of Muslims from around the world travel to Saudi Arabia to complete the Hajj in Mecca, a pligrimage seen as a religious duty which every follower of Islam should complete at least once (if they are capable). However, what if you are gay and wish to go on the Hajj, even though the fact homosexuality is illegal in Saudi, and many Muslims believe being gay is one of the worst sins there is?

It’s something Parvez Sharma had to face, and he decided to film his journey, something made far more difficult not just because you can still be executed for homosexuality in Saudi Arabia, but also because filming in Mecca is banned. While he filmed on iPhones and other small cameras to try to go under the radar, he still had equipment seized and footage deleted, although thankfully the fact he was gay did manage to slip by the authorities.

The documentary he made, A Sinner in Mecca, premiered last week as the Hot Docs Festival in Toronto, and a trailer for the film has been released too.

The Indian-born director told CBS News, “The Hajj is the highest calling for any Muslim. For years I felt I really needed to go, so this film is about me coming out as a Muslim. I’m done coming out as a gay man.”

A Sinner In Mecca has already met with condemnation in some places, including Iranian state media denouncing the documentary as a ‘Western conspiracy’, which is designed to legitimise the ‘despicable sin of homosexuality’.

Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

One of the big hits of this year’s Sundance was Tangerine, which initially ignited interest due to the fact the whole thing was shot in iPhones, but then had people gushing with praise for its actual content.

It’ll arrive in US cinemas on July 10th, and ahead of that comes a red-band trailer.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone, STARLET, “Generation Kill”) hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity. Director Sean Baker’s prior films (STARLET, PRINCE OF BROADWAY) brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. TANGERINE follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., TANGERINE defies expectation at every turn.’

Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

In Glee Max Adler played Dave Karosky, the homophobic bully who tormented Kurt but then turned out to be hiding the fact he was gay himself.

Now Max is back in gay-themed territory for Saugatuck Cures.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Saugatuck Cures, a family-friendly comedy, about a widowed bed and breakfast owner, Maggie Callaghan (played by Judith Chapman), living in Saugatuck, Michigan dealing with a second round of cancer. When she can’t afford treatment, Maggie’s gay son Drew (played by Glee’s Max Adler) becomes determined to raise money for her treatment, yet doesn’t have the slightest idea of how to do it. After a falling out with his affluent sister, Penelope, a religious conservative, Drew is convinced by his eccentric, best friend Brett (played by Danny Mooney), who is straight, to pose as ex-gay ministers in order to raise the money by “converting” homosexuals into heterosexuals! The two friends set forth on a crazy adventure, getting into a lot of trouble with the law, family conflicts and not knowing if they will have enough time to save mom.’

The film will be released on DVD and VOD in the US on June 30th, 2015. [Read more…]

San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair is one of those things that many of us have heard of, but the closest most of us are likely to have gotten were the scenes in the first season of Looking, or certain naughty videos that pop up online from the goings on there.

Even those who’ve attended probably know little about the history – and that’s where Folsom Forever comes along. It’s take a look at the annual event and where it came from, which has its roots in the AIDS epidemic and the need some in the gay S&M community had to say it wasn’t their fault, and that they should be able to be proud too.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘In 1984, a scrappy little neighborhood in San Francisco – home to many low-income tenants and the heart of the gay male leather scene – faced destruction from the bulldozers of redevelopment and the AIDS crisis. The Folsom Street Fair was started to call attention to gentrification and raise money for AIDS charities. Folsom Forever tells the story of how this small street fair grew into the biggest outdoor kink and fetish event in the world, and managed to do a lot of good along the way. Coming to DVD and VOD June 9, 2015.’ [Read more…]

The trans-themed 52 Tuesdays gained huge amounts of acclaim on the festival circuit, and now ahead of it UK cinemas release in August comes a trailer which suggest this will be one that’s really going to be worth looking out for..

Here’s the synopsis: ’16-year-old Billie’s journey to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans to gender transition, asks her to move out, and limits their time together to Tuesday afternoons.

‘Winning Best Director at Sundance and the Crystal Bear at Berlin International Film Festival and shot in real time – exposing both characters’ transformations – 52 Tuesdays is a remarkable and enthralling experiment in storytelling.’

Take a look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

Now this looks like it might be an interesting and unusual one, which could be well worth a look. While not Thailand’s first gay-themed movie it would appear this one goes further than any of them have before.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Science fiction about a future Thailand. Futuristic, experimental, homo-erotic and with elements of a political essay. With a richness of themes and impressions that wouldn’t get past the censor in Thailand. The maker doesn’t mince his words and isn’t afraid to look reality in the eye.

‘In a futurist world, the Thai kingdom has been transformed by ‘The Leader’ into ‘the Realm of people who have done good deeds and earned merits’. It’s a nice place to be, even though the inhabitants are plagued by an indefinable nostalgia. In the old days, people could at least touch each other. Although the Realm has reached version 2.0, technical possibilities remain limited. This wondrous story of the future is interwoven with stories set in the present and past. According to Pansittivorakul, known for his independently-produced and taboo-breaking documentaries on homosexuality and politics, his first feature is science fiction, yet it is about today’s Thailand. For instance he criticizes the need for religion and superstition. But in the end, this very idiosyncratic, homo-erotically charged essay is above all about time: ‘Time influences everything. The past has to do with the present, and the present is linked to the future.’’

TLA plans to release the movie later this year. It’s currently screening at festivals. [Read more…]