In theaters June 14...

New Line Cinema’s action comedy “Shaft” is the next chapter in the film franchise featuring the coolest private eye on any New York City block.

JJ, aka John Shaft Jr. (Usher), may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s youth, the legendary locked-and-loaded John Shaft (Jackson) agrees to help his progeny navigate Harlem’s heroin-infested underbelly. And while JJ’s own FBI analyst’s badge may clash with his dad’s trademark leather duster, there’s no denying family. Besides, Shaft’s got an agenda of his own, and a score to settle that’s professional and personal.

“Roma” and “The Favourite” lead the nominations for the 91st Oscars, scoring 10 nods each. Both films were nominated for best picture, alongside “Black Panther,” seriously!?! It really does show how ridiculous these awards have become!

The biggest snub has got to be "If Beale Street Could Talk", with only 3 [less major] nominations! "Roma" is destined to win big...this beautiful [but terminally boring] film has been over-hyped and over-praised and spends too much time on dog pooh! Why has it been nominated in 2 'Best Film' categories!?!

LGBT representation is all over the nominations...but, we're rooting for Richard E. Grant. And, of course, Rami Malek. Between Olivia Colman & Melissa McCarthy, we just can't decide...

Nominations were announced on Tuesday morning by Kumail Nanjiani and Tracee Ellis Ross. The Academy Awards will air live Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Here is the full list of 2019 Oscar nominations:

Best Picture:

“Black Panther”
“BlacKkKlansman”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“The Favourite”
“Green Book”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”
“Vice”

Lead Actor:

Christian Bale, “Vice”
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Viggo Mortensen, “Green Book”

Lead Actress:

Yalitza Aparicio, “Roma”
Glenn Close, “The Wife”
Olivia Colman, “The Favourite”
Lady Gaga, “A Star Is Born”
Melissa McCarthy, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”

Supporting Actor:

Mahershala Ali, “Green Book”
Adam Driver, “BlacKkKlansman”
Sam Elliott, “A Star Is Born”
Richard E. Grant, “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”
Sam Rockwell, “Vice”

Supporting Actress:
Amy Adams, “Vice”
Marina de Tavira, “Roma”
Regina King, “If Beale Street Could Talk”
Emma Stone, “The Favourite”
Rachel Weisz, “The Favourite”

Director:

Spike Lee, “BlacKkKlansman”
Pawel Pawlikowski, “Cold War”
Yorgos Lanthimos, “The Favourite”
Alfonso Cuarón, “Roma”
Adam McKay, “Vice”

Animated Feature:

“Incredibles 2,” Brad Bird
“Isle of Dogs,” Wes Anderson
“Mirai,” Mamoru Hosoda
“Ralph Breaks the Internet,” Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman

Animated Short:

“Animal Behaviour,” Alison Snowden, David Fine
“Bao,” Domee Shi
“Late Afternoon,” Louise Bagnall
“One Small Step,” Andrew Chesworth, Bobby Pontillas
“Weekends,” Trevor Jimenez

Adapted Screenplay:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Joel Coen , Ethan Coen
“BlacKkKlansman,” Charlie Wachtel, David Rabinowitz, Kevin Willmott, Spike Lee
“Can You Ever Forgive Me?,” Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Barry Jenkins
“A Star Is Born,” Eric Roth, Bradley Cooper, Will Fetters

Original Screenplay:

“The Favourite,” Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara
“First Reformed,” Paul Schrader
“Green Book,” Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“Vice,” Adam McKay

Cinematography:

“Cold War,” Lukasz Zal
“The Favourite,” Robbie Ryan
“Never Look Away,” Caleb Deschanel
“Roma,” Alfonso Cuarón
“A Star Is Born,” Matthew Libatique

Best Documentary Feature:

“Free Solo,” Jimmy Chin, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi
“Hale County This Morning, This Evening,” RaMell Ross
“Minding the Gap,” Bing Liu
“Of Fathers and Sons,” Talal Derki
“RBG,” Betsy West, Julie Cohen

Best Documentary Short Subject:

“Black Sheep,” Ed Perkins
“End Game,” Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
“Lifeboat,” Skye Fitzgerald
“A Night at the Garden,” Marshall Curry
“Period. End of Sentence.,” Rayka Zehtabchi

Best Live Action Short Film:
“Detainment,” Vincent Lambe
“Fauve,” Jeremy Comte
“Marguerite,” Marianne Farley
“Mother,” Rodrigo Sorogoyen
“Skin,” Guy Nattiv

Best Foreign Language Film:

“Capernaum” (Lebanon)
“Cold War” (Poland)
“Never Look Away” (Germany)
“Roma” (Mexico)
“Shoplifters” (Japan)

Film Editing:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Barry Alexander Brown
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Ottman
“Green Book,” Patrick J. Don Vito
“The Favourite,” Yorgos Mavropsaridis
“Vice,” Hank Corwin

Sound Editing:

“Black Panther,” Benjamin A. Burtt, Steve Boeddeker
“Bohemian Rhapsody,” John Warhurst
“First Man,” Ai-Ling Lee, Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“A Quiet Place,” Ethan Van der Ryn, Erik Aadahl
“Roma,” Sergio Diaz, Skip Lievsay

Sound Mixing:

“Black Panther”
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“First Man”
“Roma”
“A Star Is Born”

Production Design:

“Black Panther,” Hannah Beachler
“First Man,” Nathan Crowley, Kathy Lucas
“The Favourite,” Fiona Crombie, Alice Felton
“Mary Poppins Returns,” John Myhre, Gordon Sim
“Roma,” Eugenio Caballero, Bárbara Enrı́quez

Original Score:

“BlacKkKlansman,” Terence Blanchard
“Black Panther,” Ludwig Goransson
“If Beale Street Could Talk,” Nicholas Britell
“Isle of Dogs,” Alexandre Desplat
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman

Original Song:

“All The Stars” from “Black Panther” by Kendrick Lamar, SZA
“I’ll Fight” from “RBG” by Diane Warren, Jennifer Hudson
“The Place Where Lost Things Go” from “Mary Poppins Returns” by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman
“Shallow” from “A Star Is Born” by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt and Benjamin Rice
“When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings” from “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” by David Rawlings and Gillian Welch

Makeup and Hair:

“Border”
“Mary Queen of Scots”
“Vice”

Costume Design:

“The Ballad of Buster Scruggs,” Mary Zophres
“Black Panther,” Ruth E. Carter
“The Favourite,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Poppins Returns,” Sandy Powell
“Mary Queen of Scots,” Alexandra Byrne

Visual Effects:

“Avengers: Infinity War”
“Christopher Robin”
“First Man”
“Ready Player One”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”

It's that time of the year...when we all head North, anticipating what the weather will throw at us! Seemingly, there's going to be a heatwave...in Scotland, in February...that will be a first!

No matter what Mother Nature has in store, the Glasgow Film Festival will keep us cosy and entertained for the next 12 days...with a scrumptious selection of films.

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Here are all the films on our menu:

Day 1...

Mid90s
Directed by Jonah Hill

Didn't love it, didn't hate it, didn't believe a word of it!

Jonah Hill's directorial debut is a watered-down version of Larry Clarke's Kids and, presumably, an homage to skateboarding culture. Yes, there are heaps of drugs, buckets of alcohol and too many words beginning with 'N' and 'F' - it really does become more of a critique on toxic [youthful] masculinity than an homage to a vibrant counter-culture.

If you can by-pass the chronic miscasting, the unnecessary [let's-do-it-for-authenticity] 4:3 aspect and strange song choices...Mid90s offers little more than a tissue of a story, delivered via episodic vignettes...they range from the plausible de-railing of a likeable kid to the totally implausible de-railing of this unlikeable kid. The seduction scene is nothing but absolute baloney. As for the mother, she 'cares' for one scene - shouting the odds - then, releasing her son back into the grips of extreme hedonism. A tiny, pre-pubescent body could not take this amount of abuse! 

In truth, if Jonah Hill had not been the [famed] director...this film would have appeared briefly and disappeared quickly...without trace.

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Day 2...

The Hole in the Ground
Directed by Lee Cronin

Many a fine film falls and fails in the final third...this is a classic example.

WTF happened!?! Everything was skipping around rather spookily...a good build of atmosphere, replete with madness and mystery...and, a massive hole in the ground [aka: A crater]. Fine performances, good writing...then, boom...WTF happened!?! Imagination malfunction and/or budget over-spend!?! Whatever it was...[film festival] audiences are far too sophisticated to accept this kind of belief suspension...

In the blink of an eye, an inescapable predicament goes all-out Houdini...and, the film - quite literally - goes tits up! Such a shame...this really could have been a wholly chilling tale...if only the ending had been re-thought...then, re-written...and, optimally, re-worked for the desired/best effect...the potential was there!

The Sisters Brothers
Directed by Jacques Audiard

Hooray...for a French take on an old, worn-out Hollywood staple: The Western.

Not a trace of the John-Homophobic-Wayne-Big-Ham-Style-of-Acting, no designer-damsels in distress, none of that 'there'll be injuns in dem hills' nonsense...instead, a story of brotherly love, idealism, greed and duty. Most definitely, not your usual kind of Western...this has intelligence, blooming bromances and a golden stream of rich subtext.

The 'Goodie' [there really is only one, although there is a convert to the good-side] is - perhaps - too good to be true...and, the 'Baddies' [there are many] are as savage and uncouth as you would expect...with the odd twist...with the oddest couples. John C. Reilly & Joaquin Phoenix - seriously - do do odd [assassin] brothers well...unlike [yet, like] oil and water, they mix their psychopathies with humour and violence towards a mesmerising conclusion. Simply, one of the best double acts of recent memory...and, most definitely, one of the best Westerns ever made!

Good to see Rebecca Root in a small but significant role...although the armchair activists will probably wail & moan about her on-screen treatment!

The Man Who Surprised Everyone [Chelovek, kotoryy udivil vsekh]
Directed by Aleksey Chupov & Natalya Merkulova

Here's a film that will challenge those who like to be challenged!

The message this film delivers is loud...but, not so clear! From the off...violence. Incomprehensible violence...in the opening minutes, two men are killed for poaching a deer. There are consequences...when you don't follow the rules, when you step out of line, when you dare to be who you are! At times, you would be forgiven into thinking that this is a Russian propaganda film...warning the radicals, the free thinkers, the individual against any kind of reaction against the machine! Putin's Russia is synonymous with homophobia...Putin, himself, is the poster-boy for toxic masculinity. Here, in this film, that toxicity is play-out in full...for all the world to see. It is not pleasant.

This is a trans*film like no other...the acquiescence of the character is as startling as it is muted. She does not say a word, accepts her lot without indignation...but, with a steadfast resilience. Complex characters do not come more complex than this...this transition is - for the audience - sensory. Perhaps, quite possibly...the best cinematic explanation of the force behind transition...breath-taking.

A bewildering, bleak, bizarrely beautiful film.

Papi Chulo
Directed by John Butler

Casting is everything...and, John Butler got it spot on with Matt Bomer & Alejandro Patiño...the unlikeliest of [lovable] duos!

Kudos to a writer/director who can lull their audience into a false sense of [comfortable albeit oddball] security...Mr Butler does just that. Messieurs Bomer & Patiño are the quintessential odd couple...the comedy is mostly derived from the reaction to a given line, to a given situation...it is a delicious thing to witness, actors reacting to each other and a director who is able to capture it all. Crowd-pleasing, heart-warming stuff.

And then, just when you least expect it...one short line changes absolutely everything. There's an audible gasp...as the reality sinks in. From where it starts to where it ends up, Papi Chulo is a finely crafted travelogue of the human coping mechanism. It veers [seamlessly] from the downright ridiculous to a heartfelt humanity...again, one line changes the perspective...empathy...and all that that remarkable word encompasses. Another audible gasp!

It really is just a beautiful, enriching and rewarding film...laugh, cry, empathise.

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Day 3...

Mothers’ Instinct [Duelles]
Directed by Olivier Masset-Depasse

Oooh there's nothing quite like a psychological suburban thriller to get the brain-cells a-sparking.

Sweet domesticity, the perfect life...is shattered by a tragic accident. Mothers’ Instinct is all about style and substance. True to its obvious influence, this Hitchcockian homage will keep you guessing from the moment the [parental] paranoia set in. Even more...there's a little boy who could challenge the most patient of Saints. He is the angel and demon combined! And that's the power of the film, you never quite know what you're dealing with...until it becomes [perhaps, a little too prematurely] apparent.

No faulting the production values, the period is captured with a stylised eye and the cinematography is a joy to behold. Performance wise, everyone delivers...our only quibble is, the neatly-packaged ending...not every story needs to be tied up with string and bows...keep them guessing, that's the thrill of the thriller! But...a damn decent thriller nonetheless.

The Third Wife
Directed by Ash Mayfair

If ever a film had the potential to be something special...this was it.

Great premise, a young bride brought into a polygamous marriage, set in the breath-taking scenery of a distant Vietnam...the romance of it all...but, alas, there was absolutley no romance...and, despite the on-screen beauty, the constant battle with sleep was near-overwhelming and uncomfortably tortuous throughout. Why, oh why, did this happen!?! All the ingredients for a great film were there...except for a fully fleshed-out script!

It would seem that Ash Mayfair's cinematic punctuation is...when in doubt, film [interminably] a leaf, or a silk worm, or water...or, anything that fills the gap. Stick with the story!!! Yes, indeed, the sensitive souls will argue in favour of the mood, atmosphere and tone creation...but, when the effect is as soporific as this, a gross misjudgment has been made. Wake up!!! Why? For the lesbian scene...it comes out of nowhere, ends in a flash and is forgotten! Yes...all this film needed was a fully fleshed-out script and a brutal editor who has a particular distaste for leaves, silk worms and water. And then...it could have been a marvel.

Border [Gräns]
Directed by Ali Abbasi

The less you know about this film...the better!

Watch with an open mind...as a tale of incredible cruelty, depravity and love-in-the-unlikeliest-of-places between an unlikely couple uniquely unfolds. They are not what they seem!

Ali Abbasi - basically - draws a very fuzzy line between man and monster. He mulls it over and presents a jaw-dropping treatise on humanity and plays with the whole concept that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and real beauty is within!

This is bold, challenging and daring cinema...in the wrong hands it could have disintegrated right before your very eyes...but, Eva Melander and Eero Milonoff deliver remarkable, grizzly performances.

It does have moments of extreme tenderness...but, on the whole, it's as unpleasant as can be...human depravity is an assault to the senses.

Here's a film that will touch all of your senses and make you think long and hard!

An un-missable achievement!

Tell It to the Bees
Directed by Annabel Jankel

Pre-sexual revolution of the 60s, setting: small-town Scotland...and, some Sapphic stirrings in the undergrowth. Oooh the scandal of it all!!!

Tell it to the Bees is a mixed bag of youthful loveliness and domestic trauma...with one major [and inexplicable] problem: The ending! Why change the perfectly good ending [of the book] into something so unsatisfactory and implausible?!? Or, perhaps, this man's mind is completely at a loss when it comes to the woman's psyche...and, the swarming instinct of bees!

Seriously, this is a lovely film that [sadly] asks [just a little] too much from its audience...when belief flies out of the window [and bees, literally, fly in]. Up until this point, the gentleness of the story is a delight, young Gregor Selkirk is a joy to watch as he confronts and computes the harsh realities of life. Anna Paquin and Holliday Grainger, they do the story proud. There is so much to commend this film...however, when the 'fantasy' hits the fan...aaargh! It's so frustrating, tripping before the last hurdle...it all boils down to...the bees had one scene too many!

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Day 4...

Yuli
Directed by Icíar Bollaín

Quite unlike the usual bio-pic...thank the lord-of-the-dance...and, Paul Laverty's script!

The film is punctuated [beautifully] with dance [the male pas-de-deux is a sensation not to be missed], reflection and invention. Having the man himself in his own film was a blatant and questionable risk...and, even Señor Acosta said he didn't want to ruin his own film. Well, he didn't and it was a risk that paid out dividends by the score. Sharing his story, on such a personal level, took guts...the lengthy applause he received...well-deserved.

Those lucky enough to have seen Señor Acosta dance...those who have not, well you are just denying yourself of something truly special...and, after watching this film...inspirational. Talent is given...but, success has to be earned...well-earned.

Yuli is a credit to the collaboration between subject, writer and director. This is a film that has been choreographed with precision and finesse...infused with reluctance and politics...and, a tough love between father and son. If that love had not been so tough, the world may not have gotten the intense pleasure [and release] of experiencing Carlos Acosta dance.

A bio-pic quite like no other. Thank you.

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Day 5...

Coincoin and the Extra-Humans [Coincoin et les z'inhumains]
Directed by Bruno Dumont

200 minutes of WTF!!! Is this a case of 'absurdism' being taken too far? Definitely, 100 minutes too far!

Because...the first 50 minutes are an explosion to the senses. This is mayhem...with some of the best visual gags in recent memory. The next 50 minutes, the gags start to repeat, over and over again. As for the final 100 minutes...well, let's just say they were unnecessary. Talk about stretching something out until the breaking point is well and truly reached...Bruno Dumont certainly reached that point and went over it. He even writes how repetition becomes monotonous...pity he didn't take his own words and applied them to this sprawling project.

It is actually a shame...because, Coincoin could have been something truly special...casting people with learning disabilities is something that more directors should do...but, everyone on-screen [still] needs to be directed. And, every director should know when they have taken it [all] too far!

Let Me Fall [Lof mér að falla]
Directed by Baldvin Zophoníasson

This is the bleakest of the bleak.

Well, drug addiction is no laughing matter...unless you're off your face and don't give a month-of-sundays about those around you. Those unfortunates, the family, those friends, the collateral...caught in the cross-fire...until they have no choice other than to walk away.

From the opening scene, these lethal lesbians [together with their toxic love] care for absolutely no-one but themselves and their habit...and, only for each other, when it suits! It would be crazy to say Let Me Fall is an enjoyable film, it's almost unimaginable to even 'like' this film...not because it's a bad film - it most certainly is not bad...it's just so unflinchingly desolate.

Baldvin Zophoníasson takes no prisoners and pulls no punches whatsoever...the critique he delivers upon State and Church and Rehab and addicts and their chain of supply are damning and absolute. This is 'sensational' filmmaking...and, as sure as Hell, it is not pretty.

Her Smell
Directed by Alex Ross Perry

10 minutes in the company of Becky Something is quite enough thank you.

She is exhausting, unpalatable and really rather talentless. Ironically, Elizabeth Moss is a damn fine actor and this may sound like an [unintended] insult...but, she does do 'talentlessness' very well indeed! It's just a shame that she is so damned irritating to watch...what's more is Alex Ross Perry's decision to have a perpetual [background] drone-like noise playing throughout the entire film...it just adds insult to injury.

As for the songs...of which there are [thankfully] few...it's difficult to find the appropriate word...but, 'dreadful' will do for now.

With a runtime of [an agonising] 134 minutes, this is - indeed - an unrelenting torture. This ain't Rock'n'Roll, this was as authentic as a Courtney Love tribute act.

Girl
Directed by Lukas Dhont

Be still my breaking heart...

There has been a recent uproar - by [those] anonymous, gobby, armchair activists [who scream and shout at everything streaming on Netflix] - demanding a boycot of this film. Listen to them not! A trans*character does not need to be played by a trans*actor...the best 'actor' for the job should play the role. And, Lukas Dhont found the perfect actor in Victor Polster to play Lara.

Breathtaking is not a word we use regulary...but, breathtaking is what Victor Polster is! Lara says little throughout the film, she has so much on her young mind...the transition, the secret...and, the ballet. All punishing on the body, the mind and soul Can she keep it all together? Or, will she break? The entire film leads up to that question...the answer is...well, you will have to watch it to find out.

At times, there's a real sense of this being a fly-on-the-wall documentary...Lukas Dhont observes...and, it so immersive that at no time do you disbelieve anything that is shown. Gleaned from his short film, Girl is one mighty fine debut feature. Let us hope he has more [quality] projects up his sleeve!

To be overwhelmed by a film is a remarkable achievement...be overwhelmed!

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Day 6...

Everybody Knows [Todos lo saben]
Directed by Asghar Farhadi

Secrets don't have much mileage in small towns...and, with Asghar Farhadi in the driver's seat, low mileage is the least of his concerns - especially when his script runs out of fuel before he gets to the final destination!

Everybody Knows oozes quality - how can it not with Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem...they bring Farhadi's script alive. But, alas, despite their best efforts, it all leads to what only can be described as anticlimactic as a good film should not be.

The whole film is geared towards an unavoidable and obvious [but, with whom] confrontation...the only problem is...that confrontation never takes place! What a disappointment...it's akin to sitting in an Aston Martin that has two flat tyres and an empty tank!

The Merger
Directed by Mark Grentell

Played almost entirely for laughs...with the odd dollop of cheesy sentimentality thrown in to crowd-please the crowd. What The Merger needed was a bit more gravitas...considering, at its core, this is a film about racism!

When the writer is the star of the film, the director has to take the bull by the horns and claim control over his film. Well, that just didn't happen. This is Damian Callinan's film...his writing needed a bite and a punch and a kick to the...well, you know where. It's all just too lightweight [and, weirdly, polite]. When tackling big, important issues [racism and immigration] a certain aggression is needed [with some killer put-downs] rather than what's on offer here, the spoonful-of-sugar approach accompanied by some gentle preaching!

Small-town, Australian-football-loving Australians will - no doubt - love it. It's not a film that travels particularly well.

Maria By Callas
Directed by Tom Volf

There was Maria and there was La Callas...two people in one person. And then there was the voice. Tom Volf's film is a celebration of that voice...accompanied by some previously unseen footage of the woman herself. For a fan, it is an utter joy.

Much has been written and said about Maria Callas...here, she speaks for herself...mostly as La Callas...but, snippets of Maria do creep in. Feminists will cringe as she talks about love and marriage and the Prince Charming who never materialised. It is amazing to [think and] hear this remarkable talent would have given it all up...for love. It seems to be true what they say: It's lonely at the top!

Seriously, you have to admire the staggering amount of work that went into the making of this fine film. Finding the 'lost' footage is an unenviable and admirable task. Maria by Callas is a labour-of-love...thank you Mr Volf for your labour. Sublime.

Benjamin
Directed by Simon Amstell

Well, well, well...Benjamin turned out to be an unexpected, awkward delight...with some surprisingly scathing swipes at 'creatives' and their [often questionable] 'produce' - performance artists and [read: experimental] filmmakers get it in the neck - all done in the best possible way...with wit.

Add to the mix a [frustrating] love-story: Boy woos boy, boy gets boy, boy dumps boy [TBC]...boy oh boy does this boy need a stiff glass of Red...and - quite possibly - a big juicy steak!

Yes, Benjamin is a duff filmmaker, a tea-totalitarian, an over-thinking meditating vegan. The archetypal fun-guy [ha ha]...yet [amazingly], he meets his 'yang' and he's adorable! Together, they are adorable. Due credit must go to Colin Morgan and Phénix Brossard [and, Mr Amstell's writing] for bringing alive - what would seem - two of the - quite possibly - most boring characters ever to appear on a page! On-screen...oooh you just want to tweak their cheeks...and then - gently, of course - smack them about their other cheeks!

And...the goodness doesn't stop there...there are some seriously immersive, original songs...to boot! The opening 'gag' is - really - rather brilliant. The audience member battling against sleep is - hysterically - familiar. The ending...well, no spoilers here!. But...the film does leave you asking one question...and, perhaps, it's a question that no-one should ask...especially in polite company, to Hell with it, we'll [royally] ask it anyway: Do gay [male, since everyone is-and-are calling themselves 'gay' nowadays] vegans spit or swallow!?! How uncouth! But...glad we got that one off our collective chests!

A damn fine wee film.

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Day 7...

The White Crow
Directed by Ralph Fiennes

Rudolph Nureyev was given 45 minutes alone in a room...to contemplate his future - to defect or not to defect. The enormity of that decision is completely lost in this mismanaged film. And, it all boils down to the writing...which is all over the place with a scrambled timeline that simply confuses...one minute Nureyev has a broken leg in plaster, the next...he's bouncing around like a March bunny! Apart from the black & white flashbacks, there is no visible differentiation between the different stages of Nureyev's [earlier] life.

His homosexuality is [increduously] down-played, there's a brief bedroom scene with him in bed with a naked male 'friend' - however, the emphasis seems to be misplaced upon a clandestine relationship he had with his mentor's wife - the dynamics of this relationship are not explored, it was a very complex situation - the couple moved him into their home...alas, Mr Hare's writing only shows the surface of the story without digging deeper...rather than using Julie Kavanagh's biography, perhaps he ought to have spoken to more people [outwith the Ballet] who knew Mr Nureyev personally. A whole different story would have emerged.

If only Paul Laverty had written the script, if only Icíar Bollaín had directed it...if only Carlos Acosta had been the choreographer...too many 'if onlys'.

Prophecy
Directed by Charlie Paul

Utterly fascinating...to see an artist-at-work...still, breaking the rules. Peter Howson may have put his wild days behind him...thankfully, his art is still as striking [and recognisable] as ever...perhaps, even more so! If Prophecy is anything to go by!

This is a gentle film. There are no great revelations [regarding the art world], no artistic tantrams or traumas...just a portrait of a down-to-earth artist at the top of his game. It really is a rather spellbinding experience...especially with the animations of Mr Howson's art...from where they start to where they end up.

There is a great sadness to this film...Prophecy - quite possibly - will never be seen by the public-at-large. It is destined to remain hidden in a corporate collection, lost in an executive boardroom...where executives may glance and nod and say: Ah, a Howson...but, ultimately, pay-it-no-mind. The true tragedy of Art: Ownership!

The Aftermath
Directed by James Kent

A film that will force you to question your national pride! Not what you would expect from a quintessential, period love story.

Martin Compston - who is rapidly becoming one of the best character actors we have - dishes it out...without reserve. His Burnham is a skin-crawling savage, devoid of compassion...and, a total stranger to the dignity of humility-in-victory. He is not alone...wars create deep-rooted and long-lasting hate. When such characters are pitted against humility-in-defeat and those unable to accept that defeat...tempers explode and tensions snap. And, with the hindsight that we all pocess, James Kent's film makes us squirm against something we hold dear: Pride.

Love and loss, guilt and grief are additional characters that play their part in the clean-up after war. Here, in this aftermath, souls are bared, straws are grasped, realities are confronted. Indeed, the emotion displayed is touching to the core. The actors with their set monologues...deliver some noteworthy and impeccable performances. Ms Knightly - wow - does she deliver!

Stunningly photographed, The Aftermath is a romance with a twist and a sting...and, perhaps, a happy ending. It's about perspective and hindsight. A clever, rewarding and beautiful film.

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Day 8...

Out of Blue
Directed by Carol Morley

When Schrödinger's cat pops up in a murder investigation, you take notice! Indeed, mesmerising stuff!

David Lynch also pops into mind...in this subtext-laden, not-your-average whodunit. That subtext is shattered with one killer line...involving a bar with some exotic dancers! With as many red herrings you could squash into a tin, Out of Blue doesn't take itself as seriously as you would expect...and, does become a little fantastical and - dare we say - fanciful in places. But, that's it's joy...Patricia Clarkson plays her defective detective [almost] tongue-in-cheek. And, when a film kills off Mamie Gummer in the first few minutes, expect the unexpected. Because, that's what Carol Morely delivers...a labyrinth of ideas with some philosophical existentialism thrown in just to bamboozle and bewilder. It's right up there with all the other bamboozlers and bewilderers! How we love those off-the-dial filmmakers!

José
Directed by Li Cheng

Winner of the Queer Lion award [@ Venice, beating The Favourite] and one of our most anticipated films in the festival...the word 'disappointing' doesn't even come close to describing it!

Nothing much happens...and, when something does happen [e.g. the earthquake] it's over in a flash with absolutely no dramatic consequences whatsoever...why bother!?! Li Cheng seems to favour filming [his actor] from behind...too too many shots of the back of José's head.

José is a closeted, duty-bound young man who likes to get his kit off whenever he can...yes, there is [needless] abundant nudity [& sex scenes]. However, the crux of the story is the relationship between mother and son...she, a God-fearing, emotional blackmailer...he, a closeted Lothario who can't see a gift-horse even when it smacks him across the face. Everything is ripe and set for the expected [coming out] showdown...the only problem is...it doesn't happen! What?!?

José is screaming out for conflict and confrontation...and, resolution. Nada. We get it, the conflict was inward, with himself...but, it all makes for some very dull viewing and duller story-telling. As for that ridiculous ending...Li Cheng obviously got bored with the telling of his dull story and - out-of-the-blue - just when you least expect it...ended it! Talk about an anti-climax! What a [frustrating] disappointment.

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Day 9...

Under the Silver Lake
Directed by David Robert Mitchell

A prime example of throwing just about everything at the screen...hoping that something will stick! Ooops...what a mess of a film! Nothing stuck!

Andrew Garfield is - practically - never off-screen...and, he does a decent job at being the hapless layabout with too much time on his hands. And that's the problem...this writer/director - unwisely - decided to fill in the gaping gaps with 'classic' film references [they are - literally - all over the place]. So, if you love playing name-that-film...this film is for you!

It's not all bad...the suicidal squirrel is inspired stupidity, What's the Frequency Kenneth? - makes you want to dance in your seat...but, once it goes all 'cult' the derailing is terminal. Shame...because, it is a mighty fine looking [and sounding] film. Think: Hitchock on magic mushrooms. Many will probably think it's genius...those who do not partake in 'Shrooms' will not.

Are You Proud?
Directed by Ashley Joiner

The question is: Does this film answer its own question? Not quite.

This is a documentary for milennials...made by a milennial. Apart from the [fantastic] opening scene, where an elderly gentleman recounts his life led within a lie...Are You Proud? descends into a rather sweeping précis of LGBT history [with one glaring omission: The Age of Consent debacle] done via archive footage [most, if not all, all available on YouTube]...and, the obligatory, talking heads. Nowadays...everyone is seems to be an activist and Ashley Joiner reels them out, the old and the new. There are the usual suspects: Peter Tatchell, Michael Cashman & Co. Then, there are the new...moaning about how Pride has become overly commercial and underly political. Bless their cotton socks...they know not what they are fighting for! Commerce made Pride what it is today! Politics...well, it certainly looks like politics has bent to the will of the [LGBT] people. Boom Boom!

Are You Proud? is not a bad film...it's just a little under-researched and one-sided. Not everyone is [or was] a card-carrying activist...and, not everyone wants to hear from the activists alone. Give the non-activists a voice! It's called balance.

Once upon a time, many years ago...there lived a wicked witch, Margaret was her name. She ruled her land with tyranny...Y'know, the 80s were not as glum as many make out...yes, many of us [gay men] were 'illegal' [being under 21 years of age]...but, we danced and partied like there was no tomorrow. Bars, like The Bell in Kings Cross was a hub for the more politically-savvy...yet when the 'gay-unwashed' [as they were rather offensively known as then] came a-rattling their buckets for donations to this cause or that cause, most would run in the opposite direction...usually to the dance-floor, where we danced until tomorrow came! Pride is what Pride is now because...we just wanna f*&king dance!

Are You Proud? Yes...because I danced until the cows came home and was dragged - by the police - from the steps of Parliament...because, my boyfriend - at the time - was committing a crime for loving me. He was 22 and I was 18. Then, the age of consent was 21...Proud? Damn bet I am...we, all of us, helped to change that. Pride? I remember when it was free...I remember when it was cancelled because of the idiots running it. Pride, now...should be free, paid for by the corporates. Pride has evolved from being a political statement into a cause-for-celebration...stop the moaning...and...dance! That's what we call: A Party Protest!

Real Love [C'est ça l'amour]
Directed by Claire Burger

A slow burner...but, definitely worth the wait!

Teenagers...difficult things at the best of times...but, when you are in the middle of a mid-life meltdown...they [can and usually do] become unbearable and exasperating. Not the case for this malfunctioning father. Despite his wife upping sticks and buggering off, he hunkers down and deals with the situation the best way he can.

All dads can [and usually do] do the most embarrassing things...Claire Burger gives her 'dad' a free reign...as he travails the perilous slopes of his teenage daughter's sexuality. After all, what does he know about being a woman? Yet, his tenderness and care [and his shoulder] are never far away...no matter how flummoxed he gets. He might be boring...but, when it comes to his kids, he's rock solid.

This is a deft wee film, its simplicity belies its complexity...all families are complex, we just learn [as a family, as a team] to work around all the follies and foibles...and, how to ignite and extinguish the flames of fury.

The last scene manages to encapsulate everything that a family should be...it's beautiful, full of warmth and deep paternal love.

Quite simply...lovely. 

Wild Rose
Directed by Tom Harper

If it's a crowd-pleaser you're after...then, this is just about as good as it gets. A homegrown tale about a lass who was born on the wrong side of...the Atlantic!

She's 'Country' [not Western] through-and-through with flaws and fringes aplenty...recently released fae tha Big Hoose, she sets out to follow her dream. Nashville beckons...but, the lack of money and her wee daughter are hurdles...will they or won't they get in her way?

This is grit and spit with strong accents...and, Jessie Buckley grabs the bull by the horns and delivers a powerhouse performance. This ain't no rags-to-riches, dream-like drivel. This is the hard slog of playing the cut-throat, teeth-cutting dives and dens that [may] pave the way to fame and fortune...or, at least, pay a living wage! Some get lucky, some fail, some persist...and, some just accept that the dives and dens is exactly where they should be!

This is all about when ambition clashes with the reality...as Rose is so often reminded...courtesy of her [semi-supportive, sure-footed] mother [Julie Walters doing what she does best...character]. The humour is brash, the sentiments are lush and the whole thing will make you want to enroll in your local line-dancing class. Kerchiefs at the ready!

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Day 10...

Happy as Lazzaro [Lazzaro felice]
Directed by Alice Rohrwacher

Every now and then a film comes around that will affect you deeply. This is one such film. And, quite possibly, the best film in the festival.

Alice Rohrwacher's scathing parody is a remarkable, deeply moving, cerebral achievement. This is a film of two halves: The ordinary and the extraordinary. The less said about it, the better. Because...in places, it simply takes your breath away as you realise and think...what the Hell is going on? Once you get your head around it all, it all starts to make perfect, brutal sense...in the most gentle way imaginable...so surprising, since this is a tale about greed pitted against innocence, criminal exploitation by mean-spirited manipulation.

Adriano Tardiolo is prefect as Lazzaro, beautiful, innocent and adorable - he carries the film from the humble beginning to the bewildering end. If ever a character could bring out the 'protector' in all who bears witness to this tale...then, Lazzaro is it! You would - without hesitation - take a bullet for this young man.

This is nothing short of a masterwork. Alice Rohrwacher should be extremely proud. Do whatever you can to experience this film...you will not - by no stretch of the imagination although your imagination will be stretched - be disappointed. It really is that good!

Making Montgomery Clift
Directed by Robert Anderson Clift & Hillary Demmon

This will definitely ruffle the feathers of all Monty's [many] biographers...charlatans, each and all. Newsflash: He was not a self-hating, miserable homo...with his finger permanently hovering over the self-destruct button!

According to this film: The 'longest suicide' of the 'beautiful loser' was a fiction...created by those [parasites] who wanted to sell their books. Let's face it...who wants to read about a happy, handsome homo?!? Tragedy sells!

This is a rather loving portrait of the Uncle by his nephew, although they never met. Still, the affection is clear to see...and, hear. Montgomery and his brother, taped everything...telephone conversations, you name...they taped it. That's just plain old weird. The other weird thing is...there's not a mention of Ethel Clift McGinnis, Monty's twin sister...she died in 2014, aged 94. If anyone ever 'knew' Monty, it was her. Not even mentioned...such a screaming omission as this...well, it kind of throws a whole lot of shade on this entire project.

Robert Anderson Clift has done exactly what Monty's biographers did...re-invented the man to suit his audience. And, what a pleasant re-invention it is...but, is it true?

Who knows what is hidden in all those tapes? Well, Robert Anderson Clift knows...and he has chosen what to release and what not to release. Perhaps, Ethel would have something to say about that!?! We'll never know.

Still, a refreshingly, positive portrait...perhaps, not as authentic as it purports to be!

The Third Marriage [Troisièmes noces]
Directed by David Lambert

The plight of economic émigrés is a difficult subject at the best of times. Add duplicity and deceit...with these two [extra] ingredients, every case instantly becomes a minefield for heated debate and furious argument...and, a terrifying resurgence of a right-wing politic! The question that the 'angry' never ask themselves is: What would you do for a better life? If they answer truthfully...all that rage should evaporate.

Indeed, a massive and contentious subject...not exactly the required material for a comedy!

These oh-so disparate lives - they don't come any more disparate - gay/straight, white/black, man/woman, European/African, oil/water...nor do they come any more desperate. Money matters, money talks...money can make [some of the] problems go away. Money and desperation make people do crazy things...like marrying your complete opposite...not out of love...but, for a little bit of security.

This is a film that shifts form in the blink of an eye...from being an endearing, gentle comedy [of manners] to scorching social comment to something that cannot be mentioned...as it will ruin the film! Expect a few surprises...the biggest one being how perfectly matched this oddest of odd couples actually are!

It's a wee delight...and, the chemistry is electric! 

Buy Me A Gun [Cómprame un revolver]
Directed by Julio Hernández Cordón

Buy Me a Gun is a little bit too much of everything and not enough being itself. Being littered with so many literary and cinematic references, it simply loses its own voice...which is a shame...because, Julio Hernández Cordón certainly has something to say about Mexico's current predicament [and its future] because of the drug cartels.

Take a slice of Mad Max, a bit of Peter Pan, a splash of Lord of the Flies...and, a great big dollop of Huckleberry Finn...and, hey presto, you have this Dystopian tale that - initially - revolves around the devastating cycle of drug addiction. 

A drug-addled father tries to protect his daughter [from those cartels] by disguising her as a boy and chaining her up. That's what's called tough love...her mother and sister fell prey and disappeared. Being a woman - in this place - comes with a very hefty price tag!

This is when the film works best, that interaction between father and daughter...unfortunately, the whole thing goes too far off-piste...with neither the budget nor the time to fully develop what the director had in his mind's eye. 

It's not a bad film in any shape or form...just - perhaps - a little too ambitious for the available resources. 

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Day 11...

Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Directed by Chantal Akerman

200 minutes of mind-numbing monotony? Or, a 200-minute [feminist] masterpiece?

Well, that all depends on which side of the academic fence you find yourself on. The bulk of Chantal Akerman's work is for an acquired taste, for those who like to wiggle their toes in the various pools of cinematic pretension...Jeanne Dielman is no exception.

Call it what you will...an art film, experimental, avant-garde, the original Dogme [that should ruffle a few feathers]...to some, it's all of these. To Joe Public, it's the quintessential film festival film...in other words, it's the one you want to avoid at all costs...because, time and money are precious!

Many have tied themselves in knots explaining why this is a masterpiece and, in so doing, have earned themselves a Masters Degree or even a PhD [in Film Studies or some feminist branch of Sociology]. C'mon, preaching to the converted isn't exactly an achievement...

Sitting through these 200 'masterful' minutes is an achievement...akin to torture. 

Genesis [Genèse]
Directed by Philippe Lesage

Special...very special indeed. And so very chilling.

Be warned...this is not an easy film to watch. Philippe Lesage challenges his audience by creating challenging characters and situations. This is the shambles that 'first loves' can create...the emotions herein range from sheer devastation to utter confusion...from happiness to incredulity.

Those giant steps we all must take from childhood into the big wide world, obeying those rules that bind us to conformity...but, when you are a gay kid, those rules blur.

This is a brother and a sister...he, the irrational...she, a voice of reason. Together they contrast and compare...until a defining events change absolutely everything. Then, they are separate, bound only by their bloodline. Their lives will - undoubtedly - veer off, far from where they started. But...that's life, it just such a painful thing to learn, that startling realisation of the reality: We ain't kids anymore!

And then...Philippe Lesage throws all caution to the wind and takes us to a place where life is sweet and love so gentle...it's a little bamboozling at first...this in-your-face comparison, this contradiction with what has already been shown before.

Is this optimism...or, plain old pessimism? Let's root for the optimistic...not all stories of first love end the same way! Or, do they?

A truly hypnotic and difficult film. 

Vox Lux
Directed by Brady Corbet

Here endeth the directorial [and writing] career[s] of Brady Corbet. What a load of absolute drivel!

Vox Lux is a cross between the Columbine shooting and the Eurovision Song Contest [yes, you read that correctly]...with a Madonna-cum-Gaga crossbreed...singing Sia-penned songs that [even] the record company rejected.

So...with Natalie Portman & Jude Law onboard, what went wrong? Well...this film is the cinematic equivalent of the Titanic [the ship, not the movie]...it's launched and everything seems to be well and dandy...then, it hits that creative ice-berg and sinks like a boulder. 

Call it a satire, a parody, allegorical...but, whatever Brady Corbet was trying to say he went about it in such a roundabout way and ended up being a bit of a laughing stock...selling your soul to the devil in return for fame and fortune...[that old dead-in-the-water chestnut] you have got to be joking Brady? Right? Please say you were joking!?! 

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Day 12...

Float Like a Butterfly
Directed by Carmel Winters

This wee film certainly packs a few impactful punches...with a knockout performance by Hazel Doupe.

Toxic masculinity, domestic abuse, tradition...and, putrid discrimination [that can also be read as: Racism]...it's all here...plus Mohammad Ali!

Now...you could be forgiven in thinking that this is an intense tale, it is and it isn't. There is a lightness of touch by the director and a mischievousness by the star...however, that lightness is sacrificed when it comes to the 'villain' [aka the police/guarda]...this is police corruption and brutality delivered with a sledgehammer. Carmel Winters captures the 'light' pretty well...as for the shade...more, a whole gamut of hues, darker, bluer, greyer...something to sink your teeth into, rather than just a one-dimensional caricature of bad.

What this Butterfly needed was a few more risks, a bit more danger, more surprises. It's all just a little too safe. The potential to raise more than just eyebrows was there...it really just needed that jab below the belt, right in the goolies...to be a memorable pain!

A Bread Factory, Part 1 & 2
Directed by Patrick Wang

Patrick Wang has a habit of letting his camera roll on and on...his previous film, In the Family has a runtime of 219 minutes.

A Bread Factory [parts 1 & 2] runs for 242 minutes...4 hours long...that really is a big ask! The big question is: Is it worth spending that amount of time [and money] in company of these characters?

Put it it this way...if Mr Wang had entered the editing suite, hellbent on cutting his film down to 2 [and, possibly, a wee bit] hours...then, there would be smiles all round. Because...there is so much goodness in these two films...but, unfortunately and infuriatingly, - the good bits are surrounded by too much dough!

Mr Wang certainly has something to say about all kinds of artistic endeavours, practitoners and institutions...with 'perfromance art' [seriously] getting it in the neck. Hey...everyone has the right to their opinion, everyone has the right to compliment or criticise [especially if they had to pay for the pleasure/displeasure]...and, let's be truthful here, the world would be a thoroughly drab place if everyone thought the same. So...let Mr Wang speak...even if he does so at length!

The 'absurd' and the 'mundane' are not usual bed partners, they are in this here tale. The little 'peculiarities' are [mostly] charming and serve as a foil to the financial crisis that has beset this arts centre...however, in part 2, they really become a little too much. And, with the overly-lengthy performance of Hecuba...this second instalment really does become a bit of a chore.

There is some much to like and there's too much that will [simply] drive you up the wall. No faulting the performances, Tyne Daly delivers a solid, stalwart character...hellbent against change...well, everything changes - especially art. The only thing that needed changing with A Bread Factory Parts 1 & 2 was...the runtime!

Beats
Directed by Brian Welsh

Yes…we will probably be accused of reading subtext into everything…but, this is loaded with the stuff, it whizzes off the screen and slaps you bang on the forehead.

Two lads…born, raised and living on different sides of the tracks are best mates…with subtext! Their love of music is equalled by their [mutually unrequited] love for each other…it’s both joyous and agonising to watch.

There are moments when you think that those [sexual] barriers will come crashing down…remember, this is 1994…coming out and expressing your feelings wasn’t as easy as it is now… the internet was still in its infancy…and, the only mobile phone were those great big, bulky boxes that weighed a ton, cost a fortune and [usually] died mid-call! Kids were isolated in their own communities…pirate radio stations [remember Kiss?], disparaging TV [rave] reports, word-of-mouth and [to a certain extent] Section 28 of the Local Government Act all helped whet the appetites…for change.

In 1988, rave culture was born [I was a member of Shoom…gloriously sweating in the fitness centre]…really, that second summer of love was a revolution, dancing on Clapham Common, finding yourself in the middle of nowhere, lost…until you heard the music, found the byre and threw yourself into those uplifting, high-as-a-kite beats. Glorious. It was l-o-v-e…fuelled by Ecstasy. And, it was.

Slowly [but surely]…rave spread up and down the land. The kids were having fun, the establishment didn’t like it one iota. They reacted…and then came: The Criminal Justice and the Public Order Act 1994…basically, banning raves. Whatever/whoever beats me…makes me grow stronger!

This is when Beats is set…in the dying days of the ‘illegal’ rave. Capturing all the madness, the music and camaraderie…of the time. The [mostly] inexperienced cast rise to the occasion, they give it absolutely everything. But…Lorn Macdonald and Cristian Ortega steal the show, they are polar opposites who bond-like-superglue…together, to the inevitability of the last days of rave and the last days of being together. This is the bitterest/sweetest sweet to swallow.

Brian Welsh has delivered a chiming story and a damn fine film. For those who attended those ‘illegal’ raves…let this wave of nostalgia wash over and submerge us back into the good old days.

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As usual a great big thank you to Galsgow Film Festival, to all the volunteers, to Ruth [Press office] and her team...simply, a great festival. Glasgow...you never let us down!

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From Joanna Hogg and starring Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, and Tilda Swinton

POMS is an uplifting comedy about a woman (played by Keaton) who moves into a retirement community and starts a cheerleading squad with her fellow residents, including Pam Grier and Jacki Weaver.

Zara Hayes directed the script by Shane Atkinson. Alisha Boe, Phyllis Somerville, Charlie Tahan, Bruce McGill, Rhea Perlman and Celia Weston also star. Producing are Kelly McCormick (Atomic Blonde); Alex Saks (Book Club); Mad as Birds Films’ Andy Evans, Ade Shannon, Celyn Jones, and Sean Marley; and Rose Pictures’ Rose Ganguzza. Keaton, Sierra/Affinity’s Nick Meyer and Marc Schaberg, and Will Greenfield are executive producing.

Taron Egerton and the team behind Rocketman discuss bringing the music of Elton John to the big screen.

Experience Rocketman in theatres May 31.

#Rocketman is an epic musical fantasy about the uncensored human story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years, starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden and Bryce Dallas Howard.

Best Feature Film

Breve historia del planeta verde (Brief Story from the Green Planet) by Santiago Loza

Best Documentary Film

Lemebel by Joanna Reposi Garibaldi

Best Short Film

Entropia by Flóra Anna Buda

TEDDY Jury Award

A Dog Barking at the Moon by Xiang Zi

TEDDY Readers’ Award Powered by Queer.de

Breve historia del planeta verde (Brief Story from the Green Planet) by Santiago Loza

Special TEDDY Award

The Sepcial TEDDY Award this year goes to Falk Richter. A strange award...considering he has very little to do with film. He's a theatre director and playwright.

 

Here's hoping that Synonymes is a a more deserving winner [and better film] than last year's nonsense - Touch Me Not - quite easily the worst film ever to have won any kind of award!

#KillingEve Season 2 premieres on BBC America April 7 at 8/7c.

From the Academy Award®-winning team—directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, and producer Peter Del Vecho—and featuring the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad, and the music of Oscar®-winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Frozen 2” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2019.

TOLKIEN explores the formative years of the renowned author’s life as he finds friendship, courage and inspiration among a fellow group of writers and artists at school. Their brotherhood strengthens as they grow up and weather love and loss together, including Tolkien’s tumultuous courtship of his beloved Edith Bratt, until the outbreak of the First World War which threatens to tear their fellowship apart. All of these experiences would later inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-earth novels.

Directed by: Dome Karukoski

Cast: Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Colm Meaney, Anthony Boyle, Patrick Gibson, Tom Glynn-Carney, Craig Roberts, Laura Donnelly, Genevieve O’Reilly, Pam Ferris and Derek Jacobi

A remake of the 1988 comedy, 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels', in which two down-and-out con artists engage in a "loser leaves town" contest.

Starring Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway.

Bulbul,a young girl living in a village in Assam - fighting her way through love and loss as she figures out who really she is!

Directed by: Rima Das

Beautiful...

Porcelain - Eyes on You (Official Video) from Adam Kiers on Vimeo.

The debut feature from the comedian, actor, writer and director Simon Amstell.

About to premiere his difficult second film 'No Self', Benjamin (Colin Morgan), a rising star filmmaker, has been too long in the edit. Unable to see the wood from the trees, he finds solace alone in his flat with tubs of ice cream and a cat for company.

On the eve of its premiere at the London Film Festival, encouraged by his friend Stephen (Joel Fry) and hard-partying publicist (Jessica Raine), Benjamin is introduced to a mesmeric French singer called Noah. As they journey through their version of the city, filled with vegan restaurants, comedy clubs and avant-garde dance performances, the pair slowly manoeuvre themselves and each other towards love. Boasting original music from James Righton (of the Klaxons), and great performances from its young cast, Simon Amstell's Benjamin is a bittersweet comedy about feeling isolated and struggling for connection.

In cinemas 15 March

Gabriel rents a room in Juan’s House. They work together in a Woodwork place. Gabriel is a very quiet guy and has a little daughter. Juan is a party boy who has a lots of girls around. Inadvertently the sexual tensión starts to grow between them. It opens a new hidden forbidden world they have to deal with.

Childhood best friends, Franky and Ballas, are now handsome high school royalty, living the perfect teenage life - until an unexpected event changes everything.

Starring Josh Wiggins, Kyle MacLachlan and Maria Bello.

The 34th Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is pleased to present the official competitive selection of the 8th edition of Premio Maguey, which recognizes the best of LGBTQ cinema in the world.

A renowned international jury will select the awards for Best Performance, Honorable Mention and Best Film, from 16 films representing 21 countries: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Estonia, France, Guatemala, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, United Kingdom and United States.

Title	Director	Year	Country
Até que o porno nos separe / Until Porn Do Us Part	Jorge Pelicano	2018	Portugal
Carmen & Lola	Arantxa Echevarria	2018	Spain
Der Boden unter den Füssen / The Ground Beneath My Feet	Marie Kreutzer	2019	Austria
Giant Little Ones	Keith Behrman	2018	Canada
Greta	Armando Praça	2019	Brazil
Kucumbu Tubuh Indahku / Memories of My Body	Garin Nugroho	2018	Indonesia
Lemebel	Joanna Reposi Garibaldi	2019	Chile/Colombia
Mamma + Mamma / Mom + Mom	Karole Di Tommaso	2018	Italy
Man Made	T Cooper	2018	United States
One Taxi Ride/ Un viaje en taxi	Mak CK	2019	Mexico/Singapore
Papi Chulo	John Butler	2018	Ireland
Posledice / Consequences	Darko Stante	2018	Slovenia/Austria
Tchelovek kotorij udivil vseh / The Man Who Surprised Everyone	Natasha Merkulova, Aleksey Chupov	2018	Russia/Estonia/France
Tell It To The Bees	Annabel Jankel	2018	United Kingdom
Temblores / Tremors	Jayro Bustamante	2019	Guatemala/France/Luxembourg
Un rubio / The Blonde One	Marco Berger	2019	Argentina

Songwriters: Saara Aalto, David Sneddon, Tom Fuller
Music Video Director: Adam Pitts / Pittstop Films
Video Commissioner: Kalvin Ryder
Styling: Team No Fear, white dress designed by Anne-Mari Pahkala
Hair & Make Up: Elin Reynis & Fai Archer

If you need to talk to somebody after watching this video please visit http://www.mermaidsuk.org.uk or call Mermaids Helpline 0808 801 0400

2019 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL JURY AWARDS:

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Chinonye Chukwu, for Clemency (Director & Screenwriter: Chinonye Chukwu, Producers: Bronwyn Cornelius, Julian Cautherley, Peter Wong, Timur Bekbosunov) — Years of carrying out death row executions have taken a toll on prison warden Bernadine Williams. As she prepares to execute another inmate, Bernadine must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill. Cast: Alfre Woodard, Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff, Wendell Pierce, Richard Gunn, Danielle Brooks.

The U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, for One Child Nation / China, U.S.A. (Directors: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Producers: Nanfu Wang, Jialing Zhang, Julie Goldman, Christoph Jörg, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn) — After becoming a mother, a filmmaker uncovers the untold history of China’s one-child policy and the generations of parents and children forever shaped by this social experiment.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic was presented to: Joanna Hogg, for The Souvenir / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Joanna Hogg, Producers: Luke Schiller, Joanna Hogg) — A shy film student begins finding her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man. She defies her protective mother and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship which comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams. Cast: Honor Swinton Byrne, Tom Burke, Tilda Swinton.

The World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Documentary was presented to: Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov, for Honeyland / Macedonia (Directors: Ljubomir Stefanov, Tamara Kotevska, Producer: Atanas Georgiev) — When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland's basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.

The Directing Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Joe Talbot, for The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Director: Joe Talbot, Screenwriters: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert, Producers: Khaliah Neal, Joe Talbot, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind.

The Directing Award: U.S. Documentary was presented to: Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, for American Factory (Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Producers: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert, Jeff Reichert, Julie Parker Benello) — In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand blue-collar Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Lucía Garibaldi, for The Sharks / Uruguay, Argentina, Spain (Director & Screenwriter: Lucía Garibaldi, Producers: Pancho Magnou Arnábal, Isabel García) — While a rumor about the presence of sharks in a small beach town distracts residents, 15-year-old Rosina begins to feel an instinct to shorten the distance between her body and Joselo's. Cast: Romina Bentancur, Federico Morosini, Fabián Arenillas, Valeria Lois, Antonella Aquistapache.

The Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Mads Brügger, for Cold Case Hammarskjöld / Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Belgium (Director: Mads Brügger, Producers: Peter Engel, Andreas Rocksén, Bjarte M. Tveit) — Danish director Mads Brügger and Swedish private investigator Göran Bjorkdahl are trying to solve the mysterious death of Dag Hammarskjold. As their investigation closes in, they discover a crime far worse than killing the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

The Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award: U.S. Dramatic was presented to: Pippa Bianco, for Share (Director and screenwriter: Pippa Bianco, Producers: Carly Hugo, Tyler Byrne, Matt Parker) — After discovering a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember, sixteen-year-old Mandy must try to figure out what happened and how to navigate the escalating fallout. Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, J.C. MacKenzie, Nick Galitzine, Lovie Simone.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Vision and Craft was presented to: Alma Har'el for her film Honey Boy (Director: Alma Har'el, Screenwriter: Shia LaBeouf, Producers: Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, Anita Gou, Christopher Leggett, Alma Har'el) — A child TV star and his ex-rodeo clown father face their stormy past through time and cinema. Cast: Shia LaBeouf, Lucas Hedges, Noah Jupe.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Creative Collaboration was presented to: Director Joe Talbot for his film The Last Black Man in San Francisco (Director: Joe Talbot, Screenwriters: Joe Talbot, Rob Richert, Producers: Khaliah Neal, Joe Talbot, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Christina Oh) — Jimmie Fails dreams of reclaiming the Victorian home his grandfather built in the heart of San Francisco. Joined on his quest by his best friend Mont, Jimmie searches for belonging in a rapidly changing city that seems to have left them behind. Cast: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Danny Glover.

A U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting was presented to: Rhianne Barreto, for Share (Director & Screenwriter: Pippa Bianco, Producers: Carly Hugo, Tyler Byrne, Matt Parker) — After discovering a disturbing video from a night she doesn’t remember, sixteen-year-old Mandy must try to figure out what happened and how to navigate the escalating fallout. Cast: Rhianne Barreto, Charlie Plummer, Poorna Jagannathan, J.C. MacKenzie, Nick Galitzine, Lovie Simone.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Moral Urgency was presented to: Jacqueline Olive, for the film Always in Season (Director: Jacqueline Olive, Producers: Jacqueline Olive, Jessica Devaney) — When 17-year-old Lennon Lacy is found hanging from a swing set in rural North Carolina in 2014, his mother’s search for justice and reconciliation begins as the trauma of more than a century of lynching African Americans bleeds into the present.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Emerging Filmmaker was presented to: Liza Mandelup, for the film Jawline (Director: Liza Mandelup, Producers: Bert Hamelinck, Sacha Ben Harroche, Hannah Reyer) — The film follows 16-year-old Austyn Tester, a rising star in the live-broadcast ecosystem who built his following on wide-eyed optimism and teen girl lust, as he tries to escape a dead-end life in rural Tennessee.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing was presented to: Todd Douglas Miller, for the film Apollo 11 (Director: Todd Douglas Miller, Producers: Todd Douglas Miller, Thomas Petersen, Evan Krauss) — A purely archival reconstruction of humanity’s first trip to another world, featuring never-before-seen 70mm footage and never-before-heard audio from the mission.

A U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematography was presented to: Luke Lorentzen, for the film Midnight Family (Director: Luke Lorentzen, Producers: Kellen Quinn, Daniela Alatorre, Elena Fortes, Luke Lorentzen) — In Mexico City’s wealthiest neighborhoods, the Ochoa family runs a private ambulance, competing with other for-profit EMTs for patients in need of urgent help. As they try to make a living in this cutthroat industry, they struggle to keep their financial needs from compromising the people in their care.

The NEXT Innovator Prize was presented to: Alex Rivera and Cristina Ibarra, for The Infiltrators (Directors: Alex Rivera, Cristina Ibarra, Screenwriters: Alex Rivera, Aldo Velasco, Producers: Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera, Darren Dean) — A rag-tag group of undocumented youth – Dreamers – deliberately get detained by Border Patrol in order to infiltrate a shadowy, for-profit detention center. Cast: Maynor Alvarado, Manuel Uriza, Chelsea Rendon, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Vik Sahay.

2019 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL AUDIENCE AWARDS:

The Audience Award: U.S. Dramatic, Presented by Acura was presented to: Brittany Runs a Marathon (Director & Screenwriter: Paul Downs Colaizzo, Producers: Matthew Plouffe, Tobey Maguire, Margot Hand) — A woman living in New York takes control of her life – one city block at a time. Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock, Alice Lee.

The Audience Award: U.S. Documentary, Presented by Acura was presented to: Knock Down the House (Director: Rachel Lears, Producers: Sarah Olson, Robin Blotnick, Rachel Lears) — A young bartender in the Bronx, a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia, a grieving mother in Nevada and a registered nurse in Missouri build a movement of insurgent candidates challenging powerful incumbents in Congress. One of their races will become the most shocking political upset in recent American history. Cast: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Dramatic was presented to: Queen of Hearts / Denmark (Director: May el-Toukhy, Screenwriters: Maren Louise Käehne, May el-Toukhy, Producers: Caroline Blanco, René Ezra) — A woman jeopardizes both her career and her family when she seduces her teenage stepson and is forced to make an irreversible decision with fatal consequences. Cast: Trine Dyrholm, Gustav Lindh, Magnus Krepper.

The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Sea of Shadows / Austria (Director: Richard Ladkani, Producers: Walter Koehler, Wolfgang Knoepfler) —The vaquita, the world’s smallest whale, is near extinction as its habitat is destroyed by Mexican cartels and Chinese mafia, who harvest the swim bladder of the totoaba fish, the "cocaine of the sea." Environmental activists, Mexican navy and undercover investigators are fighting back against this illegal multimillion-dollar business.

The Audience Award: NEXT, Presented by Adobe was presented to: The Infiltrators (Directors: Alex Rivera, Cristina Ibarra, Screenwriters: Alex Rivera, Aldo Velasco, Producers: Cristina Ibarra, Alex Rivera, Darren Dean) — A rag-tag group of undocumented youth – Dreamers – deliberately get detained by Border Patrol in order to infiltrate a shadowy, for-profit detention center. Cast: Maynor Alvarado, Manuel Uriza, Chelsea Rendon, Juan Gabriel Pareja, Vik Sahay.

by Armando Praça
Brazil 2019, 97'

Stirred up by the loss of his friend and a new relationship, an elderly gay man finally starts to embrace who he is.

Pedro, a 70-year-old gay nurse is taking care of Daniela, his ailing transgender friend. In order to find her a vacant hospital bed, he decides to help an arrested and wounded criminal to escape. While he is hiding Jean from the police, they find themselves in a power struggle that turns into affection. Their relationship does not only help Pedro to overcome his solitude, but also leads him to accept his true self.

In the psychodrama, a film director looks back on the choices he’s made in life as his past catches up with him to upend the present.

Antonio Banderas leads a cast that includes Asier Etxeandía, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Nora Navas, Julieta Serrano, César Vicente, and Asier Flores, with a special appearance by Penélope Cruz.

In cinemas: March 22

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE

A Star Is Born
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
Crazy Rich Asians

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns
Glenn Close, The Wife
Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Christian Bale, Vice
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
John David Washington, BlacKkKlansman

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES

The Americans
Better Call Saul
The Handmaid’s Tale
Ozark
This Is Us

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Julia Garner, Ozark
Laura Linney, Ozark
Elisabeth Moss, The Handmaid’s Tale
Sandra Oh, Killing Eve
Robin Wright, House of Cards

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

Jason Bateman, Ozark
Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us
Joseph Fiennes, The Handmaid’s Tale
John Krasinski, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Amy Adams, Sharp Objects
Patricia Arquette, Escape at Dannemora
Patricia Clarkson, Sharp Objects
Penelope Cruz, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Emma Stone, Maniac

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES

Antonio Banderas, Genius: Picasso
Darren Criss, The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story
Hugh Grant, A Very English Scandal
Anthony Hopkins, King Lear
Bill Pullman, The Sinner

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Timothee Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott, A Star Is Born
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Amy Adams, Vice
Emily Blunt, A Quiet Place
Margot Robbie, Mary Queen of Scots
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES

Atlanta
Barry
GLOW
The Kominsky Method
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alex Borstein, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Alison Brie, GLOW
Rachel Brosnahan, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Jane Fonda, Grace and Frankie
Lily Tomlin, Grace and Frankie

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

Alan Arkin, The Kominsky Method
Michael Douglas, The Kominsky Method
Bill Hader, Barry
Tony Shalhoub, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Henry Winkler, Barry

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES

Glow
Marvel’s Daredevil
Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan
The Walking Dead
Westworld

OUTSTANDING ACTION PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE

Ant-Man and the Wasp
Avengers: Infinity War
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
Mission: Impossible – Fallout

1969. Ted (Zac Efron) is crazy-handsome, smart, charismatic, affectionate. And cautious single mother Liz Kloepfer (Lily Collins) ultimately cannot resist his charms. For her, Ted is a match made in heaven, and she soon falls head over heels in love with the dashing young man. A picture of domestic bliss, the happy couple seems to have it all figured out … until, out of nowhere, their perfect life is shattered. Ted is arrested and charged with a series of increasingly grisly murders. Concern soon turns to paranoia—and, as evidence piles up, Liz is forced to consider that the man with whom she shares her life could actually be a psychopath.

This is the story of Ted Bundy, one of the most notorious serial killers of all time. Collins shines as Liz, while Zac Efron gives a performance that could redefine his career. Renowned filmmaker Joe Berlinger, best known for his true-crime documentaries, proves to be the perfect match to bring this Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile true story to the screen.

Director: Joe Berlinger
Stars: Zac Efron, Lily Collins, Kaya Scodelario, John Malkovich

Maiden is the story of how Tracy Edwards, a 24-year-old cook in charter boats, became the skipper of the first ever all-female crew to enter the Whitbread Round the World in 1989. Tracy’s inspirational dream was opposed on all sides: her male competitors thought an all-women crew would never make it, the chauvinistic yachting press took bets on her failure, and potential sponsors rejected her, fearing they would die at sea and generate bad publicity.

But Tracy refused to give up: she remortgaged her home and bought a secondhand boat, putting everything on the line to ensure the team made it to the start line. Although blessed with tremendous self-belief Tracy was also beset by crippling doubts and was only able to make it through with the support of her remarkable crew. With their help she went on to shock the sport world and prove that women are very much the equal of men.

In a statement to Variety, the organization said it had dropped Bohemian Rhapsody from the Best Picture category.

‘In light of the latest allegations against director Bryan Singer, GLAAD has made the difficult decision to remove ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ from contention for a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Film – Wide Release category this year.

‘This week’s story in The Atlantic documenting unspeakable harms endured by young men and teenage boys brought to light a reality that cannot be ignored or even tacitly rewarded.

‘Singer’s response to The Atlantic story wrongfully used ‘homophobia’ to deflect from sexual assault allegations and GLAAD urges the media and the industry at large to not gloss over the fact that survivors of sexual assault should be put first.’

Whatever happened to INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT or GUILTY?!?

You [GLAAD] cannot make these decisions!

We're not big fans of this self-serving, incredibly ineffective, totally redundant organisation...but adding 'Judge' and 'Jury' to their list of activities is certainly a step too far...they may be considered a force to be reckoned with [as lobbyists] but they should not be deluded into thinking that they can take the law into their own hands. No organisation is above the law.

From its admirable and necessary beginnings, it has evolved into this monster of self-importance. Vito Russo must be reeling and spinning!

Their annual LGBT-inclusive audit of Hollywood movies [the Studio Responsibility Index] is a nonsense in itself...

The 'GLAAD Media Awards' is more ridiculous than the Oscars [and that's saying something]...in 2017, they [GLAAD] only nominated two films for Best Picture [wide-release]: Moonlight & Star Trek! Guess which one won?

Bohemian Rhapsody should be honoured out of respect for Freddie Mercury and not denigrated because of ALLEGATIONS against one of its directors. Bohemian Rhapsody has become the biggest grossing 'GAY' film of all-time...earning in excess of [a staggering] $200,000,000 at the Box Office...and, in the process, earning itself a few Golden Globes and Oscar nominations. The public has spoken...alas, not good enough for GLAAD, grossly lacking and arrogantly divisive.

Sarah Kate Ellis and the rest of the board...it's time to step down. You are [all] out-of-touch, politically insane, malignantly mercenary...and, dangerously judgmental.

John F. Donovan (Kit Harington), heartthrob star of film and TV, died alone and unexpectedly following a series of scandals. One fan in particular, 11-year-old Rupert Turner (Room's Jacob Tremblay), has some singular insight into John's soul. For five years John and Rupert were secret pen pals. Fast-forward to the present. Rupert (Ben Schnetzer), now a successful actor in his own right, has written a memoir about his correspondence with John. In an interview with reporter Audrey Newhouse (Thandie Newton), Rupert will reveal all he knows about John's troubled life, what compromises John made for fame — and how John's tenderness and generosity inspired that little boy who was desperate to connect with the man he idolized (via TIFF). The Death and Life of John F. Donovan is directed by Quebecois filmmaker Quebecois filmmaker Xavier Dolan, of the films I Killed My Mother, Heartbeats, Laurence Anyways, Tom at the Farm, Mommy, and It's Only the End of the World previously. The screenplay is written by Xavier Dolan, with Jacob Tierney. This premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last fall. The film opens in France starting this March.

When homicide detective Mike Hoolihan (Patricia Clarkson) is called to investigate the murder of a leading astrophysicist in New Orleans, she is confronted by a mystery that begins to affect her in ways she had never expected.

As the investigation deepens, a darker world is slowly revealed and she must use all of her skills and experience to piece together fragments of a wider conspiracy that lies behind the murder.

Out of Blue is both written and directed by BAFTA nominated English filmmaker Carol Morley, director of the feature films Edge and The Falling previously, as well as two documentaries The Alcohol Years and Dreams of a Life. Adapted by Morley, the screenplay is based on the novel of the same name written by Martin Amis.

Official description (via Sundance): "Benedetta wants to disappear. An iconic fashion model in the 1960s, she became a muse to Warhol, Dali, Penn and Avedon. As a radical feminist in the 1970s, she fought for the rights and emancipation of women. But at the age of 75, she becomes fed up with all the roles that life has imposed upon her and decides to leave everything and everybody behind, to disappear to a place as far as possible from the world she knows. Hiding behind the camera, her son Beniamino witnesses her journey. Having filmed her since he was a child in spite of all her resistance, he now wants to make a film about her, to keep her close for as long as possible – or, at least, as long as his camera keeps running.The making of the film turns into a battle between mother and son, a stubborn fight to capture the ultimate image of Benedetta – the image of her liberation." The Disappearance of My Mother, also known as Storia di B. - La scomparsa di mia madre, is directed by Italian filmmaker Beniamino Barrese, making his first feature doc film after numerous short films. This doc is premiering at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival this month. A NANOF and RYOT Films production. The film is still seeking distribution for a US release.

In this modern epic, Kim Nguyen exposes the ruthless edge of our increasingly digital world. Cousins from New York, Vincent (Eisenberg) and Anton (Skarsgård) are players in the high-stakes game of High Frequency Trading, where winning is measured in milliseconds. Their dream? To build a fiber-optic cable straight between Kansas and New Jersey, making them millions. But nothing is straightforward for this flawed pair. Anton is the brains, Vincent is the hustler, and together they push each other and everyone around them to breaking point on their quixotic adventure. Constantly breathing down their necks is their old boss Eva Torres (Hayek) a powerful, intoxicating and manipulative trader who will stop at nothing to come between them and beat them at their own game. No matter what the cost, Vincent and Anton are determined to cut through America, only to find redemption at the end of their line, not through money, but through family and reconnecting to the land.

Director: Kim Nguyen

Sixteen-year-old Vivien is trapped in The Vestalis Academy, a prison-like boarding school, keeping to herself and sticking her neck out for no one. Until she is reunited with Sophia -- the former friend who betrayed her. Together the girls embark on a dangerous search to uncover the horrifying truth behind their imprisonment. Soon running for their lives, the girls must save themselves or die trying.

US Release Date: March 1, 2019

Starring: Katie Douglas, Celina Martin, Sara Canning

Directed By: Danishka Esterhazy

In the midst of a pro basketball lockout, sports agent Ray Burke (André Holland) finds himself caught in the face-off between the league and the players. His career is on the line, but Ray is playing for higher stakes. With only 72 hours to pull off a daring plan, he outmaneuvers all the power-players as he uncovers a loophole that could change the game forever. The outcome raises questions of who owns the game – and who ought to.

“Now Apocalypse” is a half-hour comedy series created and executive produced by Gregg Araki (Kaboom, Mysterious Skin). Steven Soderbergh (“The Girlfriend Experience,” Logan Lucky) and Gregory Jacobs (Magic Mike XXL, “Red Oaks”) also serve as executive producers. This surreal, coming-of-age comedy series centers on Ulysses (Avan Jogia, “Tut,” “Twisted”) and his friends Carly (Kelli Berglund, “Lab Rats,” Dolly Parton’s Christmas of Many Colors), Ford (Beau Mirchoff, “Awkward,” “The Fosters”) and Severine (Roxane Mesquida, Kaboom, “Gossip Girl”), who are on various quests pursuing love, sex and fame.

“Now Apocalypse” explores identity, sexuality and artistry while navigating the strange and oftentimes bewildering city of Los Angeles. Between sexual and romantic dating app adventures, Ulysses grows increasingly troubled as foreboding premonitory dreams make him wonder if some kind of dark and monstrous conspiracy is going on, or if he is just smoking too much weed. Araki co-wrote and directed all 10 half-hour episodes of the sexy, vibrant and fast-moving series that has a flipside of mythic, dreamlike creepiness. Karley Sciortino — author, Vogue.com sex columnist, and creator and host of “Slutever” on Viceland — co-wrote the series with Araki and serves as a consulting producer.

Now Apocalypse premieres Sunday, March 10 on STARZ.

DIRECTOR: Claire Denis

CAST: Robert Pattinson, Juliette Binoche, Andre Benjamin, and Mia Goth

Takes place beyond the solar system in a future that seems like the present. About a group of criminals who accept a mission in space to become the subjects of a human reproduction experiment. They find themselves in the most unimaginable situation after a storm of cosmic rays hit the ship.

"Mr. Leather" - Daniel Nolasco TRAILER from theopenreel on Vimeo.

In 2018 the second edition of the Mr. Leather Brazil competition happens. The title is being disputed by Dom PC, Kake, Deh Leather, Maoriguy. The winner receives the ribbon by the hands of Dom Barbudo, the first Mr. Leather in the country, and has as task to promote the culture of leather during the next year. The contest is stirring the spirits of the gay fetish community of São Paulo.

All art is dangerous. Watch #VelvetBuzzsaw on #Netflix 1 February, 2019.

Velvet Buzzsaw is a thriller set in the contemporary art world scene of Los Angeles where big money artists and mega-collectors pay a high price when art collides with commerce. Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene Russo, Toni Collette, Zawe Ashton, Tom Sturridge, Natalia Dyer, Daveed Diggs, Billy Magnussen, and John Malkovich star in the new mind-bending film written and directed by Dan Gilroy.

 

A gripping true story of humanity and heroism, HOTEL MUMBAI vividly recounts the 2008 siege of the famed Taj Hotel by a group of terrorists in Mumbai, India. Refusing to leave their guests, the renowned chef Hemant Oberoi (Anupam Kher) and a waiter (Academy Award-Nominee Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire) choose to risk their lives to keep everyone safe. As the world watches on, a desperate couple (Armie Hammer, Call Me By Your Name and Nazanin Boniadi, “Homeland") is forced to make unthinkable sacrifices to protect their newborn child.

Starring Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher, and Jason Isaacs.

GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics honors its picks for the year’s finest in film and television, from mainstream to LGBTQ-focused, via our Dorian Awards.

GALECA members vote on the Dorian Awards in a purely democratic fashion. All members are encouraged to name their top 3 choices per category in the nominating round, then their sole choice per category in the final round.

Announced each January, the Dorians are named with a nod to the great and gay wit Oscar Wilde, of course!

The winners were announced on 8 January...

Film of the Year
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
THE FAVOURITE
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
ROMA
A STAR IS BORN

Director of the Year
(Film or Television)
ALFONSO CUARON, ROMA
MARIELLE HELLER, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
BARRY JENKINS, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
YORGOS LANTHIMOS, THE FAVOURITE
SPIKE LEE, BLACKKKLANSMAN

Film Performance of the Year — Actress
YALITZA APARICIO, ROMA
TONI COLLETTE, HEREDITARY
OLIVIA COLMAN, THE FAVOURITE
LADY GAGA, A STAR IS BORN
MELISSA MCCARTHY, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?

Film Performance of the Year — Actor
CHRISTIAN BALE, VICE
BRADLEY COOPER, A STAR IS BORN
ETHAN HAWKE, FIRST REFORMED
RAMI MALEK, BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY
JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON, BLACKKKLANSMAN

Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actress
ELIZABETH DEBICKI, WIDOWS
REGINA KING, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
EMMA STONE, THE FAVOURITE
RACHEL WEISZ, THE FAVOURITE
MICHELLE YEOH, CRAZY RICH ASIANS

Film Performance of the Year — Supporting Actor
MAHERSHALA ALI, GREEN BOOK
TIMOTHEE CHALAMET, BEAUTIFUL BOY
SAM ELLIOTT, A STAR IS BORN
RICHARD E. GRANT, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
MICHAEL B. JORDAN, BLACK PANTHER

LGBTQ Film of the Year
BOY ERASED
CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
DISOBEDIENCE
THE FAVOURITE
LOVE SIMON

Foreign Language Film of the Year
BURNING
CAPERNAUM
COLD WAR
ROMA
SHOPLIFTERS

Screenplay of the Year
BO BURNHAM, EIGHTH GRADE
ALFONSO CUARON, ROMA
DEBORAH DAVIS AND TONY MCNAMARA, THE FAVOURITE
NICOLE HOLOFCENER AND JEFF WHITTY, CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?
BARRY JENKINS, IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK

Documentary of the Year
FREE SOLO
RBG
SHIRKERS
THREE IDENTICAL STRANGERS
WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?

LGBTQ Documentary of the Year
THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE
MCQUEEN
SCOTTY AND THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD
STUDIO 54
WHITNEY

Visually Striking Film of the Year
ANNIHILATION
BLACK PANTHER
THE FAVOURITE
IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK
ROMA

Unsung Film of the Year
COLETTE
DISOBEDIENCE
THE HAPPY PRINCE
TULLY
WE THE ANIMALS
WIDOWS

Campy Flick of the Year
AQUAMAN
BOOK CLUB
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN
A SIMPLE FAVOR
SUSPIRIA

TV Drama of the Year
AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE
THE HANDMAID’S TALE
HOMECOMING
KILLING EVE
POSE

TV Comedy of the Year
BARRY
GLOW
THE GOOD PLACE
THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
SCHITT’S CREEK

TV Performance of the Year — Actor
DARREN CRISS, THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE: AMERICAN CRIME STORY
HUGH GRANT, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL
BILLY PORTER, POSE
MATTHEW RHYS, THE AMERICANS
BEN WHISHAW, A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL

TV Performance of the Year — Actress
AMY ADAMS, SHARP OBJECTS
RACHEL BROSNAHAN, THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL
JODIE COMER, KILLING EVE
SANDRA OH, KILLING EVE
JULIA ROBERTS, HOMECOMING

LGBTQ TV Show of the Year
A VERY ENGLISH SCANDAL
AMERICAN CRIME STORY: THE ASSASSINATION OF GIANNI VERSACE
KILLING EVE
POSE
QUEER EYE

Unsung TV Show of the Year
THE BISEXUAL
DEAR WHITE PEOPLE
THE GOOD FIGHT
ONE DAY AT A TIME
SCHITT’S CREEK

TV Current Affairs Show of the Year
THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH
FULL FRONTAL WITH SAMANTHA BEE
LAST WEEK TONIGHT WITH JOHN OLIVER
THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT
THE RACHEL MADDOW SHOW

TV Musical Performance of the Year
ADAM LAMBERT, “BELIEVE”, 41ST KENNEDY CENTER HONORS
BILLY PORTER, MJ RODRIGUEZ AND OUR LADY J, “HOME”, POSE
NOAH REID, “SIMPLY THE BEST”, SCHITT’S CREEK
KEALA SETTLE, “THIS IS ME”, 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS
SUFJAN STEVENS, “MYSTERY OF LOVE”, 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS

Campy TV Show of the Year
AMERICAN HORROR STORY: APOCALYPSE
CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA
QUEER EYE
RIVERDALE
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE

The “We’re Wilde About You!” Rising Star Award
AWKWAFINA
ELSIE FISHER
HENRY GOLDING
INDYA MOORE
MJ RODRIGUEZ

Wilde Wit of the Year
(Honoring a performer, writer or commentator whose observations both challenge and amuse)
SAMANTHA BEE
HANNAH GADSBY
KATE MCKINNON
JOHN OLIVER
MICHELLE WOLF

Wilde Artist of the Year
(Honoring a truly groundbreaking force in film, stage and/or television)
BRADLEY COOPER
HANNAH GADSBY
LADY GAGA
NICOLE KIDMAN
RYAN MURPHY

Timeless Star (Given to an Actor or Performer Whose Exemplary Career Is Marked by Character, Wisdom and Wit)

Harvey Fierstein  

Fosse/Verdon premieres in April!!!

What a night!!! Britain did - extraordinarily - well! As did the LGBT content...!

All those critics who panned BoRhap must be feeling a little silly. Glenn Close must be surprised [as everyone else was] with her win. Alsonso Cuaron must be patting himself on the back for his beautiful but under-whelming and over-hyped Roma. Spiderman won best animated feature...did the voters not see Isle of Dogs!?! And...Richard Madden has just secured his chances of being the next James Bond!

Here are all the winners:

Best Actor in a TV Musical or Comedy

• Sacha Baron Cohen, "Who is America?"
• Jim Carrey, "Kidding"
• Michael Douglas, "The Kominsky Method" -- WINNER
• Donald Glover, "Atlanta"
• Bill Hader, "Barry"

Best Animated Feature Film

• "Incredibles 2"
• "Isle of Dogs"
• "Mirai"
• "Ralph Breaks the Internet"
• "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" -- WINNER

Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series, Drama

• Jason Bateman, "Ozark"
• Stephan James, "Homecoming"
• Richard Madden, "Bodyguard" - WINNER
• Billy Porter, "Pose"
• Matthew Rhys, "The Americans"

Best TV Series, Drama

• "Bodyguard"
• "Homecoming"
• "Killing Eve"
• "The Americans" - WINNER
• "Pose"

Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series

• Alan Arkin, "The Kominsky Method"
• Kieran Culkin, "Succession"
• Edgar Ramirez, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace"
• Ben Whishaw, "A Very English Scandal" -- WINNER
• Henry Winkler, "Barry"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television

• Amy Adams, "Sharp Objects"
• Patricia Arquette, "Escape at Dannemora" -- WINNER
• Connie Britton, "Dirty John"
• Laura Dern, "The Tale"
• Regina King, "Seven Seconds"

Best Original Score, Motion Picture

• "A Quiet Place"
• "Isle of Dogs"
• "Black Panther"
• "First Man" -- WINNER
• "Mary Poppins Returns"

Best Original Song, Motion Picture

• "All The Stars"
• "Girl in the Movies"
• "Requiem for a Private War"
• "Revelation"
• "Shallow" -- WINNER

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, Motion Picture

• Amy Adams, "Vice"
• Claire Foy, "First Man"
• Regina King, "If Beale Street Could Talk" -- WINNER
• Emma Stone, "The Favourite"
• Rachel Weisz, "The Favourite"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series, Drama

• Caitriona Balfe, "Outlander"
• Elisabeth Moss, "The Handmaid's Tale"
• Sandra Oh, "Killing Eve" -- WINNER
• Julia Roberts, "Homecoming"
• Keri Russell, "The Americans"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

• Mahershala Ali, "Green Book" -- WINNER
• Timothee Chalamet, "Beautiful Boy"
• Adam Driver, "BlacKkKlansman"
• Richard E. Grant, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
• Sam Rockwell, "Vice"

Best Screenplay, Motion Picture

• "Roma"
• "The Favourite"
• "If Beale Street Could Talk"
• "Vice"
• "Green Book" -- WINNER

Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series

• Alex Borstein, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel"
• Patricia Clarkson, "Sharp Objects" -- WINNER
• Penelope Cruz, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace"
• Thandie Newton, "Westworld"
• Yvonne Strahovski, "The Handmaid's Tale"

Best Actor in a Film, Comedy or Musical

• Christian Bale, "Vice" -- WINNER
• Lin Manuel Miranda, "Mary Poppins Returns"
• Viggo Mortensen, "Green Book"
• Robert Redford, "The Old Man and the Gun"
• John C Reilly, "Stan & Ollie"

Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language

• "Capernaum"
• "Girl"
• "Never Look Away"
• "Roma" -- WINNER
• "Shoplifters"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for TV

• Antonio Banderas, "Genius: Picasso"
• Daiel Bruhl, "Alienist"
• Darren Criss, "The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" -- WINNER
• Benedict Cumberbatch, "Patrick Melrose"
• Hugh Grant, "A Very English Scandal"

Best Director, Motion Picture

• Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"
• Alfonso Cuaron, "Roma" -- WINNER
• Peter Farrelly, "Green Book"
• Spike Lee, "BlacKkKlansman"
• Adam McKay, "Vice"

Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series

• Kristen Bell, "The Good Place"
• Candice Bergen, "Murphy Brown"
• Alison Brie, "GLOW"
• Rachel Brosnahan, "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" -- WINNER
• Debra Messing, "Will & Grace"

Best Television Series, Musical or Comedy

• "Barry"
• "Good Place"
• "Kidding"
• "The Kominsky Method" -- WINNER
• "Marvelous Mrs Maisel"

Best Limited Series or TV Movie

• "The Alienist"
• "The Assassination of Gianni Versace" -- WINNER
• "Escape from Dannemora"
• "Sharp Objects"
• "A Very English Scandal"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy

• Emily Blunt, "Mary Poppins Returns"
• Olivia Colman, "The Favourite" -- WINNER
• Charlize Theron, "Tully"
• Elsie Fisher, "Eighth Grade"
• Constance Wu, "Crazy Rich Asians"

Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical

• "Crazy Rich Asians"
• "The Favourite"
• "Green Book" -- WINNER
• "Mary Poppins Returns"
• "Vice"

Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Glenn Close, "The Wife" -- WINNER
• Lady Gaga, "A Star Is Born"
• Nicole Kidman, "Destroyer"
• Melissa McCarthy, "Can You Ever Forgive Me?"
• Rosamund Pike, "A Private War"

Best Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama

• Bradley Cooper, "A Star Is Born"
• Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity's Gate"
• Lucas Hedges, "Boy Erased"
• Rami Malek, "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- WINNER
• John David Washington, "BlacKkKlansman"

Motion Picture, Drama

• "Black Panther"
• "BlacKkKlansman"
• "A Star Is Born"
• "Bohemian Rhapsody" -- WINNER
• "If Beale Street Could Talk"