Described as a ‘colourful, hilarious and poignant feature film about love and redemption’, Shining Moon hopes to take us into Latino gay and drag culture, but to do that it needs your help as it’s launched an Indiegogo campaign with the hope of raising the $35,000 it needs to plug its funding gap and get it in the can.

There is also at least one rather unusual perk if you give enough money, and if you like ass and have $7,000 spare, the key actors will moon you in a personal video! It certainly makes a difference from just getting a copy of the film or having your name on a website.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘Renato and Ivan are two middle aged actors, living in a gay relationship that has become monotonous and unexciting over the years. Their precarious lives are stretched to the limit as they try to find ways to make quality theater in Chile, a country which cares less and less about art and culture.

‘Their daily routine suddenly changes when Anibal, a handsome young filmmaker who is not gay casts them in a film based on a famous drama about the lives of Lola and Ana, two poor, outcast, elderly drag queens who were once bright lights in the Latino LGBT firmament. The deeply human story of Lola and Ana will reveal their restrictions, dreams, fears and joy.

‘However, Renato and Ivan are also part of a society that segregates and discriminates and they must overcome their own prejudices to play such challenging characters – Lola and Ana, who likes to show up with their fantasy names Luna and Sol.

‘As Renato and Ivan confront their own demons and heal ancient sorrows they discover a new opportunity to defeat their fears, redeem themselves as talented actors and find new meaning to their own personal lives.’

You can take a look at the fundraising video below, and if you like the look of the movie, head over to Indiegogo to head out. [Read more…]

Back in July we reported that a new TV comedy was in development loosely based on openly gay soccer player Robbie Rogers. Now it’s been revealed that the show has got the greenlight from ABC, as well as the title Men In Shorts. It’s still a way from the screen though, as while ABC is backing it, there’s still no guarantee it will become a series, although having their support this early suggests they have huge confidence that it can work.

Rogers was the first openly gay athlete in any of the US top tier sports leagues. The show won’t exactly follow his story, but will be about a ‘young pro soccer player who takes one small step out of the closet and one giant leap into the spotlight’.

Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, who produced the last two Oscar telecasts and the likes of Smash and Hairspray, are behind the series, with Claudia Lonow set to write it. It’s not likely to go to pilot, before a final decision is made on whether it will become a series.

There’s no news yet on who will play the young sportsman.

Until very recently Burma (also known as Myanmar) was one of the most closed off and secretive nations in the world, with its military dictatorship known for its lack of respect for human rights or anyone who disagreed with what they said. However in recent years the country has undergone massive and largely peaceful democratic reform. While there are still major criticisms, especially over the treatment of certain ethnic groups and the power the military still exerts.

One thing that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago in Burma would have been an LGBT film festival, but now one is coming, running from 12th-14th November at the French Institute in Rangoon.

The &Proud LGBT Film Festival plans to show 30 films mainly from Southeast Asian Nations, including five from Burma itself.

Program officer Hia Myat Tun tells Irrawaddy magazine, “We hope that festival will help the public to change their views about the LGBT community, or at least give them ideas that those views can be changed. We want to make a point that members of the LGBT community should be proud, and we wish to correct wrong messages that are being spread throughout the community by popular media.”

Tun also suggest that before reforms in 2012 it was very difficult to talk about LGBT issues in Burma at all, but that it is slowly changing and confidence is growing. Even so, it is still a very difficult place to be gay, as laws remain on the book that punish gay sex with up to 10 years to life in jail and fines.

The activist adds, “Some people will say that this is a bad idea, but it’s better than not saying anything about LGBT rights.”