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

The London Short Film Festival Announces Its LGBTQ Strand

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Although there are lots of truly brilliant short films made every year all around the world, they don’t tend to get love they deserve. One fest out to help give them some kudos is the London Short Film Festival, which will be running its 15th edition from January 12th-21st. Amongst the many short screening there will be an LGBTQ strand, led by long time LSFF collaborators New Queer Visions.

The first film programme, New Queer Visions: Don’t Look Back In Anger on January 13th at 6pm at Moth Club, is a selection of tales that looks at the nature of hate and positivity, with touching stories about queer characters dealing with ups, downs, and everything in between. This is accompanied by, New Queer Visions: Medium Rare on January 21st at 4:50pm at ICA, another film programme of medium length shorts exploring the mixed-up minds of impressionable young men.

Also programmed is Radical Softness Through A Haptic Lens: Barbara Hammer & Chick Strand, a retrospective of the works of Barbara Hammer, a feminist filmmaker and one of the pioneers of lesbian film, as well as the avant-garde documentary filmmaker, Chick Strand. The films examine the idea of ‘radical softness’, the power that can be found in being both abrasively feminine and openly vulnerable, through a soft and kinesthetic style of filmmaking. Following rare screenings of Superdyke and Soft Fictions, there will be a Skype Q&A with the legendary Barbara Hammer. That takes place on Saturday January 13th at 4pm at ICA,

In association with MUBI there will be Cruelty and Crime: Chris Kraus on Thurs 18 Jan, 8:30pm at ICA, a showcase of the key works of American writer Chris Kraus; from feminist readings of Antonin Artaud to Cold War sleeper agents, via dominatrices and New York City crime scenes. Another LGBTQ highlight will be 2007’s Tearoom, a reworked and re-presented collection of 1962 police footage documenting men cruising in a public toilet by William E Jones. Prior to the screening London Short Film Festival will also be showcasing Robert Yang’s game The Tearoom, a cruising simulation made in direct response to the film. This will take place on January 21st at 1pm at ICA.

You can find out more about the full London Short Film Festival programme on the official website. [Read more…]

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Saturday Church Trailer – A gay, genderqueer African-American teen finds escape in the new musical

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After getting great reviews at film festivals – including Tribeca, the BFI London Film Festival and Outfest – Saturday Church is getting ready for a wider release. It’s a good time then to take a look at the movie.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘SATURDAY CHURCH tells the story of 14-year-old Ulysses, a shy and effeminate boy, who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as “man of the house” after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses’ journey takes a turn for the better when he encounters a vibrant transgender community, who take him to “Saturday Church,” a program for LGBTQ youth.

‘Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart; appeasing his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene, and voguing, until his double life is revealed. Ulysses must find the courage to be who he truly is, all while risking losing those he cares about most.’

Saturday Church is out in US cinemas, on demand and via digital platforms from January 12th, 2018. Take a look at the trailer for the movie below. [Read more…]

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Ryan Murphy’s Record-Setting LGBT Drama, Pose, Gets A Series Order From FX

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Back at the end of October, Ryan Murphy’s planned TV series, Pose, caused a lot of interest due to the news that it was set to feature five major trans roles in the show, all of them to be played by trans actors – that’s more than any mainstream US series before it. However, at that point the American Horror Story, Feud and Scream Queens producer had only got the go-ahead to make a pilot show. Now it’s been announced that the FX network has given the show a full-series order.

Murphy has also revealed that the series isn’t done setting records, as he’s revealed, “Along with being a dance musical and an affirming look at American life in the 1980s, I’m so proud that Pose and FX has made history right from the beginning by featuring the most trans series regular actors ever in an American television production. Additionally, the first season Pose will feature 50-plus LGBTQ characters – a record in American television history. I can’t wait for people to see this incredibly talented, passionate cast.”

The show itself has been described as a period piece set in the mid-’80s in New York City, examining the juxtaposition of several segments of life and society in Manhattan: the emergence of the luxury Trump-era universe, the ball culture world, and downtown social and literary scene. The trans and other LGBTQ characters will mainly feature the the ball culture section of the show, which will focus on the the LGBT subculture that emerged in the 1980s, and sees different ‘houses’ and people competing against one another in balls.

MJ Rodriguez (Blanca); Indya Moore (Angel); Dominique Jackson (Elektra); Hailie Sahar (Lulu) and Angelica Ross (Candy) are playing the major trans roles, with James Van Der Beek, Kate Mara, Evan Peters, Ryan Jamaal Swain, Billy Porter, and Dyllon Burnside also set to star (however, Tatiana Maslany (Orphan Black) won’t be in the show, despite starring in the pilot). Pose will start shooting in February, with plans to have it on TV by the summer.

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Excusive: Jesus Meets The Gay Man Trailer – Get your first look at the comic doc about where religion meets LGBT

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If you just look at the headlines, you’d think that Christianity and everthing gay were implacable enemies. However the reality is far more complex than that, with million of Christians being supportive of gay rights, and many gay people have rich religious sides.

The documentary Jesus Meets The Gay Man takes a comic look at all this.

Here’s the synopsis: ‘A story of reconciliation, forgiveness and renewal wrapped in Monty Python-like sketches and a jazzy dance number, JESUS MEETS THE GAY MAN is a fun documentary that will have you see Jesus in a new light, while at the same time convincing you to work on your abs! Developed by looking at the questions of what Jesus would have said or done if He had met a gay person, the film aims to bridge the gap between Christians and the homosexual community, who have been at odds on this issue, with critical thinking and humor. In this age of so much information on the Bible and on the topic of homosexuality, can the LGBTQIA and the Christians find forgiveness?’

Breaking Glass Pictures is set to release the documentary on DVD and VoD in the UK on January 9th, 2018. Take an exclusive look at the trailer below. [Read more…]

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Call Me By Your Name Picks Up Three Golden Globe Nominations – See The Full List

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It still seems wrong that it’s not even the end of the year – with multiple major movies still to be released – but critics groups and awards ceremonies are already announcing their nominations and winners for the best films of the year. It’s largely due to the fact that a few years ago the Oscars decided to move closer to the start of the year, so all the other ceremonies and announcements also moved their dates up, many into early/mid-December.

Today one of the main bellweathers for the Oscar race was announced, the Golden Globe nominations. They were led by The Shape Of Water, which picked up seven nominations. It was a stronger showing than many expected, especially as it was competing in the Drama section (rather than the usually less competitive Musical or Comedy categories), and will help ensure that eyes are on it as we enter Oscar season.

Spielberg’s timely journalistic drama, The Post, was next with six nominations, the same number as Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – a film few had heard of until recently, but which is now shaping up to be a major Oscar contender. However, it just goes to show what an open race it is, as Call Me By Your Name, which has picked up several of the earliest Best Film awards, got just three nominations. It even missed out on a Best Director nomination of Luca Guadagnino, which many think it has a good shot of winning the Oscar for. However, all its noms were in major drama categories – Best Film, Best Actor for Timothee Chalamet and Best Supporting Actor for Armie Hammer.

Other than Call Me By Your Name and a couple of nominations for the loosely LGBT-themed Battle Of The Sexes (Best Actor and Best Actress for Steve Carrell and Emma Stone), there wasn’t much gay love in the film nominations, although Will & Grace picked up two nominations in the TV awards. There was also a love for female drama (of a rather camp-nature, it must be said) in the TV nominations, as they were led by six nomination for Big Little Lies and four for Feud: Bette and Joan. Both of those came out ahead of what many thought would be the leader – The Handmaid’s Tale, which only scored three nominations.

However, the biggest surprise for gay film fans was BPM missing out on a Best Foreign Language Film nomination. Many Critics Groups are expected to choose it as their best non-English Language movie (the The New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association have already done so), so the fact it’s not even on the noms list for the Globes is a big surprise.

Take a look at the full list of nominees below. [Read more…]

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Gay-Themed God’s Own Country Wins Big At The British Independent Film Awards

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It may not have won the most awards, but the gay-themed Brit flick God’s Own Country picked up the big gong at the British Independent Film Awards. It picked up four awards, including the top prize, Best British Independent Film, along with Best Actor for Josh O’Connor, Best Debut Screenwriter for Francis Lee, and Best Sound.

The movie tells the story of the growing relationship between in isolated, young Yorkshire farmer, and the Romanian worker brought in to help him during the lambing season.

Lady MacBeth picked up the most awards overall though, with five, including Best Screenplay for Alice Birch, Best Actress for Florence Pugh and Most Promising Newcomer for Naomie Ackie. Armando Iannucci’s The Death of Stalin meanwhile picked up four awards. The only category of the night open to non-UK films, Best International Independent Film, was won by Get Out.

Although God’s Own Country is seen as an outsider for nominations in the major international film awards, it’s got a brace of gongs on the film festival circuit, including at Sundance and Berlin. It will also hopefully get some love at the BAFTA FIlm Awards.

For a full list of winners head to bifa.film/awards/winners

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Bryan Singer Accused Of Raping A 17-Year-Old Shortly After Being Fired From Freddie Mercury Biopic

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A few days ago Bryan SInger was fired as the director of the Queen/Freddie Mercury biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody. At the time, some wondered whether there was more to it than just Singer failing to return to the set after Thanksgiving, and whether 20th Century Fox was aware that something else was on its way, and so moved to head it off. That looks like less of a conspiracy theory now, as a man called Cesar Sanchez-Guzman has stepped forward to accused Singer of rape, and has launched lawsuit for compensation.

This follows a firestorm of accusations of innapropriate behaviour with minors that swirled around Singer three years ago, but which the helmer managed to recover from after major questions about his accuser’s legitimacy emerged.

Cesar Sanchez-Guzman says that in 2003, when he was 17-year-old, he was at a party with SInger and others on a yacht in Seattle. During the evening Singer managed to get him into a room alone and wanted oral sex, when Sanchez-Guzman refused, he says Singer persisted and the director then forcibly performed oral sex on him, before penetrating him anally against his will. The lawsuit says Singer, ‘then told Cesar that no one would believe him if he ever reported the incident, and that he could hire people who are capable of ruining someone’s reputation.’

A representative of Singer has issued a swift denial, reading, “Bryan categorically denies these allegations and will vehemently defend this lawsuit to the very end. Cesar Sanchez-Guzman apparently claims that he did not remember this alleged incident from 2003 until now. Significantly, when Sanchez-Guzman filed for bankruptcy only a few years ago, he failed to disclose this alleged claim when he was supposed to identify all of his assets, but conveniently, now that the bankruptcy court discharged all of his debts, he is able to recall the alleged events. The attorney behind this lawsuit is the same lawyer who represented Michael Egan, the convicted felon who sued Bryan Singer in 2014. In the end, Egan was forced to dismiss that case once the facts came out and his story completely fell apart. Egan and his attorneys then found themselves as defendants in a malicious prosecution action brought by some of the individuals who Egan previously sued. In an apology to those individuals, Egan’s attorney acknowledged the claims that had been filed were ‘untrue and provably false.’ Notwithstanding his track record, this same lawyer is coming after Bryan again. We are confident that this case will turn out the same way the Egan case did. And once Bryan prevails, he will pursue his own claims for malicious prosecution.”

While Singer managed to recover from previous accusations (and longstanding rumours of a liking for being surrounded by very young men), in the current climate of #metoo, he may find it far more difficult to stop it affecting his career.

Since being fired from Bohemian Rhapsody, Fox has quickly moved to replace him, bringing in Dexter Fletcher (Eddie The Eagle) to finish the film, which will start shooting again soon. Rami Malek is playing Freddie Mercury, with the movie set for a Christmas 2018 release.

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Hidden Kisses (Baisers cachés) Trailer – Two gay teens face trouble after a secret kiss becomes public

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Exploring teen love and the dangers of social media, Hidden Kisses looks like it could be a pretty good movie. It’s certainly one that’s worth keeping an eye out for, and is more than just another coming out story.

The film arrives on DVD and VoD in the US today, so it’s a good opportunity to take a look at the trailer for the French drama.

Synopsis: ‘A sensitive, coming-of-age drama from director Didier Bivel. Patrick Timsit, Barbara Schultz, and Bruno Putzulu star in HIDDEN KISSES (Baisers cachés). Sixteen-year-old Nathan is the new kid in high school. One night, while attending a party, he falls in love with Louis, a boy in his class. Able to sneak away from the crowd, they find themselves out of sight, and eventually work up the courage to kiss each other…but someone takes notice. Soon, a picture is published on Facebook, and a storm of bullying and rejection overtakes their lives.’

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

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Will & Grace Reboot Will Finally Arrive In The UK In Early January

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Since September, British fans of Will & Grace having been looking across the pond enviously, as American viewers have been treated to new episodes of the show. However, there’s been no news on when – or even if – it would arrive in the UK.

That’s changed though, as Will himself, Eric McCormack, has confirmed that Channel 5 has picked up the rights and will begin airing the show in January. Deadline adds that the first episode of the rebooted show will screen in Britain on January 5th, in between episodes of Celebrity Big Brother.

The reboot has proven a success in the US, as before the first new episode aired, TV network NBC had already expanded the original order from 12 to 16 new episodes, as well as commissioning a second season with 10 more new instalments. Once it did make it to screen, it’s proved a ratings winner.

Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally have all returned to the show following a 10-year break. It once more follows the adventures of gay lawyer Will and his straight best friend Grace, as well as their flamboyant friend Jack, and the snobby, rich Karen. [Read more…]

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Bryan Singer Fired From Queen Biopic Bohemian Rhapsody Following On-Set Disruption

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There was surprising news last week when it was revealed that filming on the upcoming biopic of the band Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, had been put on hold after director Bryan Singer failed to return from a Thanksgiving hiatus. 20th Century Fox said it was due to Singer’s ‘unexpected availability’, while the director said it was due to unspecified health issues.

Now things have taken a further turn, as Fox has fired Singer from the movie, and also closed the offices of his production company on their LA studio lot. He has had a long relationship with the studio, having directed four X-Men movies for them.

The firing comes amidst reports that the post-Thanksgiving absence wasn’t the first time he’d been absent from the Bohemian Rhapsody set, with director of photography Newton Thomas Sigel stepping in to cover for him. Singer’s behaviour and constant lateness also allegedly caused major friction with the cast, resulting in a major bust-up (and later reconciliation) with lead actor Rami Malek, who’s playing Freddie Mercury. It’s been suggested Malek and his representatives went as far as to officially approach the studio about what they felt was Singer’s lack of professionalism. That resulted in representatives from the Directors Guild of America and the studio heading to the set to monitor the situation. There are also reports that the fellow actor Tom Hollander walked from the film due to Singer, but was then convinced to return to the set.

It’s said this isn’t the first time Fox has had issues with Singer and his time-keeping, with suggestions that the studio even had a specific meeting with the director before he headed to London to film Bohemian Rhapsody to tell him they wouldn’t tolerate any erratic behaviour.

The director has hit back saying that his firing was unreasonable as he’d failed to return from the Thansgiving break as he needed to help look after a seriously ill parent, and that the studio had refused. He’s released a statement, via THR, saying, “Bohemian Rhapsody is a passion project of mine. With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the U.S. to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents. This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services. This was not my decision and it was beyond my control.

“Rumors that my unexpected departure from the film was sparked by a dispute I had with Rami Malek are not true. While, at times, we did have creative differences on set, Rami and I successfully put those differences behind us and continued to work on the film together until just prior to Thanksgiving.”

Fox has said they hope to hire a new director shortly and complete filming on the movie as soon as possible. The plan is still to release the film around Christmas 2018.

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