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

Transparent: Season 3 Trailer – Jeffrey Tambor returns as Maura Pfefferman

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transparent-s3-trailer-slideFollowing its incredibly successful first two seasons, which included millions of viewers (via Amazon Prime Instant Video), winning two Golden Globes, five Emmys and plenty more awards, Transparent is coming back for Season 3, and we’ve got the first trailer trailer to prove it.

Take a look at it below.

Jeffrey Tambor’s Maura Pfefferman is back, with Amazon stating that, ‘the Pfefferman family splinters into disparate journeys on their continued path of self-discovery. After a jarring reality check, Maura seeks to become the woman she envisions through gender confirmation surgery. All paths converge on a family cruise to Mexico, affirming that though their family history is murky, each Pfefferman is their truest self when they come together.’

Transparent – Season 3 will be available from September 23rd. [Read more…]

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Iris Prize Announces Its LGBT Short Film Prize Shortlist

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iris-prize-10-years-slideIt’s only a couple of months until the annual Iris Prize Festival in Cardiff, which includes the £30,000 International LGBT Short Film Prize, supported by The Michael Bishop Foundation, which continues to be the world’s largest international LGBT short film prize. The 35 shorts competing this year have now been announced, which includes the largest number of international films competing in the prize’s 10-year history, with 17 countries represented, including for the first time Taiwan

25 have been nominated by a number of partner festivals, with 10 chosen by a pre-selection jury from a record number of over 300 films entered through open submissions.

Filmmakers from Russia, UK and Australia create darkly compelling stories rooted in the horror genre, reflecting the wider interest in fantasy enjoyed by the LGBT community. Equally, a sobering number of this year’s entries address concerns about growing old and the emotional dilemmas that we face with ageing.  This year’s selection explores LGBT stories from all corners of the globe including Sweden, Italy, Ireland, Spain, India, US, Canada, and Taiwan.

The highest number of entries come from US, with 8 films represented, followed by Australia with 6 films and Canada with 3 films. The UK is one of six countries with two films in competition (although Iris Prize does have a separate UK LGBT Short Film Prize) alongside Germany, Sweden, Ireland, Italy and Brazil.

Fittingly in this 10th anniversary year, there are a number of Iris alumni who have been nominees in previous years and are now returning with their latest project.

Andrew Pierce, Iris Prize Chair, comments, “With the shortlist for this year’s Iris Prize now announced, I am thrilled by the high standard of entries for this 10th anniversary year. Having been involved in the festival since its inception, I have been delighted to see not only the number of films being submitted increasing year on year but also the quality of the filmmaking itself. We get to see wide world view of the LGBT community with submissions from countries as diverse as USA, Australia, Sweden, Italy and India.

“Furthermore”, he continues, “I am delighted that the number of partner festivals continues to expand, with five more now nominating a film for the shortlist. This is a testament to the growing reputation of the festival on the global stage and how prestigious the Iris Prize has now become”.

The films will screen during this year’s Iris Prize Festival which takes place from October 12th-16th in Cardiff, Wales. The winner of the Iris Prize will be announced on Sunday October 16th, 2016 during the Iris Awards hosted by Amy Lamé.

This year’s shortlisted films in alphabetical order are:

  • 09:55 – 11:05, Ingrid Ekman, Bergsgatan 4B –    Dir: Cristine Berglund & Sophie Vukovic   Country: Sweden
  • A Doll’s Eyes –   Dir: Jonathan Wysocki   Country: USA
  • – Dir: Kai Stänicke     Country: Germany
  • Balcony –   Dir: Toby Fell-Holden   Country: UK
  • Between Us –   Dir: Daithí Ó Cinnéide   Country: Ireland
  • Buddy –   Dir: Niels Bourgonje   Country: The Netherlands
  • Cecil + Carl –  Dir: Elvis León & Gaston Yvorra    Country: USA
  • Choke Hold –  Dir: Robert Gray    Country: Canada
  • Dawn –  Dir: Jake Graf   Country: UK
  • Great Escape –    Dir: Sal Bardo    Country: USA
  • How To be Alone   –   Dir: Erez Eisenstein   Country: Israel
  • I Don’t Believe in That –   Dir: Neil Fennell   Country: USA
  • Il Manichino –   Dir: Renato Muro    Country: Italy
  • Kaspar X: If I Had a Soul –  Dir: Kaspar Wan   Country: Hong Kong
  • Last Vestiges –  Dir: Seth Poulin    Country: Canada
  • Letargo Dir: Xavier Miralles   Country: Spain
  • Like a Butterfly (Wie Ein Schmetterling) –    Dir: Sabrina Maria Roessel   Country: Germany
  • Little Boy Blue –  Dir: Nathan Keene   Country: Australia
  • Little Doll –   Dir: Kate Dolan     Country: Ireland
  • Nineteen –    Dir: Madeline Kelly    Country: Australia
  • Pink Boy –   Dir: Eric Rockey    Country: USA
  • Push Me –    Dir: Tove Pils   Country: Sweden
  • Pytor495 –     Dir: Blake Mawson   Country: Canada
  • Sign –   Dir: Andrew Keenan-Bolger  Country: USA
  • Submarine (Submarino) –   Dir: Rafael Aidar   Country: Brasil
  • Sunday Lunch (Le Repas Dominical) –  Dir: Céline Devaux   Country: France
  • Thanks for Dancing (Takk for Turen) –   Dir: Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken    Country: Norway
  • The Den (La Tana) –   Dir: Lorenzo Caproni    Country: Italy
  • The Last Day Before Zanzibar (O Ultimo Dia Antes de Zanzibar)   –  Dir: Filipe Matzembacher & Mario Reolon   Country: Brazil
  • The Summer of ABC Burns –   Dir: Dannika Horvat    Country: Australia
  • Tonight It’s You –   Dir: Dominic Haxton    Country: USA
  • The Threshold –   Dir: Nishant Roy Bombarde    Country: India
  • Vamonos –   Dir: Marvin Lemus   Country: USA
  • You Deserve Everything –   Dir: Goran Stolevski   Country: Australia
  • Yu and Rachel (《他好吗?) –   Dir: Wu Ji’en    Country: Taiwan
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Thank You (Gay Adult Short Film Review)

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Most of the time the term ‘art-porn’ isn’t quite correct. It refers to explicit sexuality in films that are otherwise ‘normal’ movies, with the ‘porn’ term used because erections and real sex are normally the preserve of that genre. However, the likes of Shortbus, Intimacy, Romance and others can’t really be considered porn. Indeed, many of these movies seem absolutely determined that despite how explicit they are, what they’re showing must not be considered erotic in any way, as if admitting that would diminish their legitimacy (Shortbus being an exception, which isn’t afraid to suggest sex can be fun).

However, Noel Alejandro’s short film Thank You, legitimately is ‘art porn’, joining the likes of Travis Mathews’ I Want Your Love and TheBlackSpark Project as something that is unabashedly erotic but aspires to be more than solely about getting people off. The setup is classic porn – two men come together and have very explicit sex, with the majority of the running time taken up with foreplay, BJs and screwing. In other ways though it’s something a little more. It has a simple but effective plot, decent acting and a genuine filmmaker’s interest in lighting, shot composition and editing. [Read more…]

Win The Anthology Horror Southbound On Blu-ray!

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Southbound-bd-coverTo celebrate the release of the twisted and shocking anthology horror Southbound – on DVD, Blu-ray & Digital 8th August – we have teamed up with StudioCanal UK to giveaway a copy on Blu-ray!

From the minds behind the V/H/S trilogy, Southbound keeps you on the edge of your seat with a chilling blend of overarching dread and big frights.

With interwoven chapters that tell tales of misadventure along the same stretch of lonely highway, the film has evoked comparisons with some of the truly great anthology titles of the past such as The Twilight Zone thanks to its creepy premise, otherworldly sense of dread and its neat, twisted conceit.

Watch the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skNeUjtjD6Y

“Straight-up nightmarish” ★★★★ SciFiNow

★★★★ HeyUGuys

Order today: http://scnl.co/Southbound

To be in with a chance of winning Southbound on Blu-ray that we’ve got to give away, answer the question below and fill in your details, then press submit! The competition closes on August 21st, 2016, so get answering and good luck. [Read more…]

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Front Cover (US Cinema Review)

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Asian-American Ryan (Jake Choi) is a stylist, struggling to make it up the ranks. He gets an unexpected assignment dressing a top Chinese film star who’s coming to the US for a photoshoot and to raise his US profile. The star, Ning (james Chen), only wants a ‘Chinese’ stylist, which is why Ryan gets the job, even though he’s lived in the US all his life and has somewhat been running from his Asian heritage.

The connection between the two is initially fractious. Ning is spoiled, difficult and entitled, while Ryan is more interested in what the assignment might mean for his career than his client. Things get even worse when Ning realises that Ryan is gay, which causes the star to fire the stylist. Ning is unprepared to deal with someone who doesn’t hide their sexuality or express any shame about it, but it soon becomes clear that his reaction isn’t pure homophobia, as he might have a few secrets of his own. [Read more…]

Sing Street (Blu-ray Review)

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John Carney had great success with the Oscar-winning Once, but his follow-up, Begin Again, wasn’t so well received. However, he’s back on top with Sing Street, a great, Irish coming-of-age flick, which like his earlier movies is infused throughout with music.

Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) is surprised when he’s pulled out of his private school and sent to a local Catholic school, which he soon discovers is more like a containment zone for out of control kids than an educational establishment, not helped by the fact it’s run by an overgrown bully. After the culture shock settles, Conor decides to do what many before him have done to attempt to impress a girl he’s met – start a band. [Read more…]

Eddie The Eagle (Blu-ray Review)

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Anyone British who was around in the 80s will probably remember Michael ‘Eddie’ Edwards, the unlikely figure who became an international sensation at the 1988 Winter Olympics, not due to the fact he was so good, but because he defied what you would normally think an Olympian would be when he took to the semi-suicidal slopes of the ski jump. Eddie The Eagle gives us a fictionalised take on that story.

Eddie (Taron Egerton) has long wanted to be an Olympian, but coming from a humble background he doesn’t have some of the advantages of others, and nor does the British Olympic Committee thinks he’s Olympic material – or at least that he’s not posh enough. His father (Keith Allen) thinks he should just give up and become a plasterer like him, but then Eddie has an idea – to become a ski jumper. Britain hasn’t sent a ski jumper to the Olympics since the 1920s, and under the rules in the 1980s, that means he should get an automatic place if he signs up to compete. [Read more…]

New Queer Visions: Lust In Translation (VoD Review)

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The Boys On Film DVD releases have been a great showcase for gay male-themed short films (indeed, it’s the most successful short film series in the world). While there has been one Girls On Film release, it’s generally not been as easy for the general viewer to find the best in lesbian-themed shorts. Thankfully though New Queer Visions: Lust In Translation – a collaboration between UK short film festival New Queer Visions and VoD platform, Filmdoo.com – has stepped forward with a variety of well-made and stimulating lesbian shorts.

Take a look at what we thought of each of the short films: [Read more…]

Apropos Of Nothing: Andrew Christian Guys Get Almost Naked On The Ranch In A New Vid

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andrew-christian-ranch-handsI think whoever owns the ranch the Andrew Christian guys have gone to in this vid needs to go on a few business courses. While there are some obvious benefits to having a bunch of guys only wearing their underwear running around, they don’t seem to do an awful lot of work and in the long run they’d probably bankrupt the place if they were actual ranch hands.

However, it looks like everyone would have a lot of fun until the whole thing went under!

The video does exactly what we’d hope for from Andrew Christian – hot young men wearing very little, with their bits jiggling. Add in a bit of nudity nudity, a very homoerotic vibe and general sexiness and it’s a vid worth a few minutes of anyone’s time. Plus, it’s nice to see the fur brought into the normally totally-shaved AC line-up with the addition of Austin Watie. [Read more…]

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The Internet Goes Into Metdown Over Full Frontal Orlando Bloom & Justin Bieber

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Orlando-BloomIt’s been a big week for celebrity penis spotters, with the internet going into total meltdown after Orlando Bloom decided to get out his bits out while relaxing paddleboarding in Italy. That was followed shortly by new (and better quality than previous) images of Justin Bieber’s peen. Indeed the fact they came in such quick succession, made some wonder whether Bieber had done it on purpose to compete with Bloom in some sort of bizarre famous willy competition.

Some even wondered whether both had been in collusion with the photographers, due to the fact we’re used to such pictures being taken from a great distance and being pretty blurry and grainy, but these images are clear, hi-res and everything’s pretty, er, in your face.

Fact is though, neither of the guys has anything they should feel the need to hide, and they can also help the uninitiated discover the difference between a cut and an uncut penis. That said, we couldn’t help but notice that Bloom seems to be more of a fan of manscaping than Bieber is.

Unfortunately we are too prudish to post the uncensored pics here, but take a look at a couple of the pics with strategic black bars below. And if you want to see the full thing(s) surprisingly clearly, you can find Orlando Bloom here and Justin Bieber here. [Read more…]

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Delta Airlines Criticised For Cutting Lesbian Kissing Scenes From Carol

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carol-cate-blanchett-rooney-maraIt’s not unusual for special versions of films to be made for airlines, removing excessive violence, sex and other potentially problematic scenes (unsurprisingly that includes the depiction of air crashes). However, Delta Airlines has found itself facing criticising for cutting the lesbian kissing from the Oscar-nominated Carol from its in-flight movies.

It’s difficult to believe they would have done the same if it was a man and woman kissing, something that frustrated gay comedian Cameron Esposito when she noticed what they’d done. She took to Twitter, saying, ‘Watched CAROL on a plane & they edited it so the main characters never even kiss. Booooooo. Two women kissing is fine for planes.’

Esposito was also keen to note that the same plane was showing a film starring Paul Giamatti, in which he was practicing BDSM.

After a furore began to rise, the film’s screenwriter Phyllis Nagy noted that not all airlines had done this, and that the likes of American Airlines and United Airlines had shown unedited versions of Carol.

Delta has attempted to justify their decision to AfterEllen, releasing a statement saying,  “There were two versions of this film that the studio makes available-one that is edited and one that is not edited. The edited version removes two explicit scenes that do not meet our guidelines. The edited version also removes all kissing. The other version is fully non-edited and includes the kissing, but it also includes the explicit scenes. Unfortunately, Delta doesn’t have the rights to edit the movie, or to make the decision to keep some of that content (e.g. kissing). Because of the explicit scenes included in the non-edited version, we chose the edited version. This is consistent with what is available to all airlines.”

Although that sort of sounds logical, it does make you wonder why other airlines allowed the unedited version on their flights. [Read more…]

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Meryl Streep Reflects On The LGBT People In Her Youth Who Taught Her Acceptance

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florence-foster-jenkins-poster-slideIt is no secret that Meryl Streep has long been a supporter of LGBT rights and acceptance, and recently she’s been discussing the formative experiences that made her that way. At an LA press event for her latest film, Florence Foster Jenkins, she spoke of gay and trans teachers that gave her a different view on life.

As reported by The Advocate, she said, “My piano teacher and his lover lived in a little house in Berkeley Heights, N.J. And I would go once a week to have my piano lesson.”

She thought their house was a “magical… entry into exotica.” However, their sexuality was never discussed, even if it wasn’t particularly hidden either.

Streep said, “My mother, who was born in 1915, never said — ‘the boys,’ she called them — she never said ‘the boys are gay,’ or that there was anything that she disapproved of. But it was just that this is a different life, and … they were living under the cover of the love of the people who loved them. They were not acknowledged, and not free to be themselves (publicly)”.

She also had another experience as a child that taught her a lot, saying, “My music teacher in sixth grade in Basking Ridge, N.J., was named Paul Grossman. And… the next year he came back, and he was Paula. Who really did that then? “It was very, very unusual. And he came back to school. He had three kids and stayed married, but he was himself, and he led the chorus.”

Florence Foster Jenkins tells the true story of a woman who became renowned for singing off-key, but her indomitable spirit ensured she gained legions of fans. In the film her accompanist, Cosmé McMoon (Simon Helberg), is portrayed as a closeted man, but Streep doesn’t think Jenkins would have minded if he’d come out.

She says, “Greenwich Village, which was this place of complete freedom for people… filtered out into the enlightened suburbs. And the people who were disapproving of that lifestyle, as it was called then, would not associate. And the people who didn’t give a shit were in that world and loved it. So that’s the way I think Florence thought about Cosmé. I think she loved the art world. The art world has always embraced people of every kind and every manner of expression. The arts was where people could thrive. I mean, every other part of society, I don’t think was friendly. So I don’t know. I think Florence is someone who embraced that world so thoroughly; I can’t imagine that she would have disapproved of Cosmé or in any way not loved him as much as she did.”

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