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Queer Screen Goes to Cannes in 2024

Queer Screen is thrilled to partner with Marché du Film for the Goes to Cannes program for the second consecutive year. As the sole LGBTIQ+ film festival participating, it is an incredible honour, and we are delighted to showcase some remarkable new queer works.

We have selected five narrative feature projects, three Australian and two international. From All Sides tells a culturally diverse story from Western Sydney. Heart of the Man, brought to you by a First Nations filmmaker, explores a father-son relationship. Experience the Australian landscape in the road trip movie Strange Creatures. Under the Influencer, an ambitious project from the USA, pushes boundaries, while Sabar Bonda (Arms Of A Man) from India offers a tender and personal narrative.

We are immensely proud to play a part in bringing these works to a global audience.

Please see the selection of works we’ll be showcasing in Palais K at 4pm Saturday May 18 below.

Download the Queer Screen Goes To Cannes 2024 Booklet for more info and film project contacts.

And read all about Queer Screen’s showcase for Goes to Cannes at Variety here.

 

From All Sides

 
Two men in bed together
 

A multiracial bisexual married couple and their teenage children find themselves beset from all sides as they navigate work, school, sex, friendships, romances and their colourful neighbours in the outer suburbs of Sydney.

Director: Bina Bhattacharya

Producers: Bina Bhattacharya and Alexander McGhee

Production Companies: Gemme de la Femme Pictures Pty Ltd

Follow the filmmakers on Instagram here:

 

Sabar Bonda (Arms Of A Man)

 
Two men in a field together
 

A thirty-year-old city-dweller compelled to spend ten-day mourning of his father in the rugged countryside of Western India tenderly bonds with a local farmer struggling to stay unmarried. As the mourning ends, forcing his return, he must decide the fate of his relationship born under duress.

Director: Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

Producers: Neeraj Churi

Production Companies: Lotus Visual Productions

Follow the filmmakers on Instagram here:

 

Strange Creatures

 
Two men sit against a painted mural
 

Two estranged brothers are forced back into each others’ lives when they’re tasked with scattering the ashes of their recently deceased mother in the country town where she grew up.

Director: Henry Boffin

Producers: Rachel Forbes & Riley Nottingham

Production Company: Strange Creatures Pty Ltd, Humdrum Comedy Pty Ltd, Sweetshop & Green

Follow the filmmakers on Instagram here:

 

Under the Influencer

 
A woman looks up inside
 

When a struggling digital artist has her work appropriated by a popular art curator, will she remain a victim, or become the perpetrator of an even more villainous crime?

Director: Bryn Woznicki (Director); Lauren Neal (Technical Director)

Producers: Jill Bennett, Katie Hall

Production Company: Lion & Lamb Studio, Team Stillwell, Fair Play Films

Follow the filmmakers on Instagram here:

 

Heart of the Man

 
A man silhouetted against the sun and lake
 

A young boxing prodigy coming to terms with his sexuality must battle between fulfilling his father’s dream and becoming his own man.

Director: David Cook

Producer: Blake Northfield

Production Company: Bronte Pictures

Follow the filmmakers on Instagram here:

Eurovision 2024

The Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place in the Malmö Arena on Saturday 11 May with Semi-Finals on Tuesday 7 and Thursday 9 May.

 Eurovision 2024

 

 

Albania

BESA

TITAN

Armenia

LADANIVA

Jako

Australia

Electric Fields

One Milkali (One Blood)

Austria

Kaleen

We Will Rave

Azerbaijan

FAHREE feat. Ilkin Dovlatov

Özünlə Apar

Belgium

Mustii

Before the Party's Over

Croatia

Baby Lasagna

Rim Tim Tagi Dim

Cyprus

Silia Kapsis

Liar

Czechia

Aiko

Pedestal

Denmark

SABA

SAND

Estonia

5MIINUST x Puuluup

(nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (küll) midagi

Finland

Windows95man

No Rules!

France

Slimane

Mon amour

Georgia

Nutsa Buzaladze

Firefighter

Germany

ISAAK

Always On The Run

Greece

Marina Satti

ZARI

Iceland

Hera Björk

Scared of Heights

Ireland

Bambie Thug

Doomsday Blue

Israel

Eden Golan

Hurricane

Italy

Angelina Mango

La noia

Latvia

Dons

Hollow

Lithuania

Silvester Belt

Luktelk

Luxembourg

TALI

Fighter

Malta

Sarah Bonnici

Loop

Moldova

Natalia Barbu

In The Middle

Netherlands

Joost Klein

Europapa

Norway

Gåte

Ulveham

Poland

LUNA

The Tower

Portugal

iolanda

Grito

San Marino

MEGARA

11:11

Serbia

TEYA DORA

RAMONDA

Slovenia

Raiven

Veronika

Spain

Nebulossa

ZORRA

Sweden

Marcus & Martinus

Unforgettable

Switzerland

Nemo

The Code

Ukraine

alyona alyona & Jerry Heil

Teresa & Maria

United Kingdom

Olly Alexander

Dizzy

 

Winners of the 38. TEDDY AWARD...

Ten days of Berlinale. Ten days full of spectacular and creative queer films and ten days of anxious waiting for the decision of this year’s jury. Once again, prizes will be awarded in the categories best feature film, best documentary/essay film, best short film and the TEDDY Jury Award, as well as the Special TEDDY AWARD for lifetime artistic achievement to outstanding personalities.

But the wait is now over. The jury of the 38th TEDDY AWARD has made its choice and selected the winners.

The TEDDY AWARDs go to…

Best Feature Film

All Shall Be Well

Director: Ray Yeung

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When her partner Pat unexpectedly dies, Angie is left to worry about the flat in which the couple lived together for over 30 years. Supported by her chosen family, Angie begins a later-life journey into emancipation.

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© Katy Otto
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© Katy Otto

Best documentary/ essay film

Teaches of Peaches

Directors: Judy Landkammer und Philipp Fussenegger

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Seamlessly weaving together exclusive archival gems with dynamic tour footage, this documentary captures the transformative journey of Canadian Merrill Nisker into the internationally acclaimed cultural powerhouse that is Peaches.

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© Katy Otto
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© Katy Otto

Best Short Film

Grandmamauntsistercat

Director: Zuza Banasińska

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Created from archival materials from communist Poland, the film tells the story of a multispecies matriarchal family through the eyes of a child grappling with the reproduction of ideological and representational systems.

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© Katy Otto

TEDDY Jury Award

Crossing

Director: Levan Akin

Crossing 1024x683

Lia, a retired teacher, has promised to find her long-lost niece, Tekla. Her search takes her to Istanbul where she meets Evrim, a lawyer fighting for trans rights, and Tekla starts to feel closer than ever.

Special TEDDY AWARD

Lothar Lambert

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© Jan Gymbel
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© Katy Otto

Oscars 2024

Actor in a Leading Role

Nominees

Bradley Cooper

Maestro
 

Colman Domingo

Rustin
 

Paul Giamatti

The Holdovers
 

Cillian Murphy

Oppenheimer
 

Jeffrey Wright

American Fiction
 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Sterling K. Brown

American Fiction
 

Robert De Niro

Killers of the Flower Moon
 

Robert Downey Jr.

Oppenheimer
 

Ryan Gosling

Barbie
 

Mark Ruffalo

Poor Things
 

Actress in a Leading Role

Nominees

Annette Bening

Nyad
 

Lily Gladstone

Killers of the Flower Moon
 

Sandra Hüller

Anatomy of a Fall
 

Carey Mulligan

Maestro
 

Emma Stone

Poor Things
 

Actress in a Supporting Role

Nominees

Emily Blunt

Oppenheimer
 

Danielle Brooks

The Color Purple
 

America Ferrera

Barbie
 

Jodie Foster

Nyad
 

Da'Vine Joy Randolph

The Holdovers
 

Animated Feature Film

Nominees

The Boy and the Heron

Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki
 

Elemental

Peter Sohn and Denise Ream
 

Nimona

Nick Bruno, Troy Quane, Karen Ryan and Julie Zackary
 

Robot Dreams

Pablo Berger, Ibon Cormenzana, Ignasi Estapé and Sandra Tapia Díaz
 

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Amy Pascal
 

Cinematography

Nominees

El Conde

Edward Lachman
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Rodrigo Prieto
 

Maestro

Matthew Libatique
 

Oppenheimer

Hoyte van Hoytema
 

Poor Things

Robbie Ryan
 

Costume Design

Nominees

Barbie

Jacqueline Durran
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Jacqueline West
 

Napoleon

Janty Yates and Dave Crossman
 

Oppenheimer

Ellen Mirojnick
 

Poor Things

Holly Waddington
 

Directing

Nominees

Anatomy of a Fall

Justine Triet
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese
 

Oppenheimer

Christopher Nolan
 

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos
 

The Zone of Interest

Jonathan Glazer
 

Documentary Feature Film

Nominees

Bobi Wine: The People's President

Moses Bwayo, Christopher Sharp and John Battsek
 

The Eternal Memory

Maite Alberdi
 

Four Daughters

Kaouther Ben Hania and Nadim Cheikhrouha
 

To Kill a Tiger

Nisha Pahuja, Cornelia Principe and David Oppenheim
 

20 Days in Mariupol

Mstyslav Chernov, Michelle Mizner and Raney Aronson-Rath
 

Documentary Short Film

Nominees

The ABCs of Book Banning

Sheila Nevins and Trish Adlesic
 

The Barber of Little Rock

John Hoffman and Christine Turner
 

Island in Between

S. Leo Chiang and Jean Tsien
 

The Last Repair Shop

Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers
 

Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó

Sean Wang and Sam Davis
 

Film Editing

Nominees

Anatomy of a Fall

Laurent Sénéchal
 

The Holdovers

Kevin Tent
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Thelma Schoonmaker
 

Oppenheimer

Jennifer Lame
 

Poor Things

Yorgos Mavropsaridis
 

International Feature Film

Nominees

Io Capitano

Italy
 

Perfect Days

Japan
 

Society of the Snow

Spain
 

The Teachers' Lounge

Germany
 

The Zone of Interest

United Kingdom
 

Makeup and Hairstyling

Nominees

Golda

Karen Hartley Thomas, Suzi Battersby and Ashra Kelly-Blue
 

Maestro

Kazu Hiro, Kay Georgiou and Lori McCoy-Bell
 

Oppenheimer

Luisa Abel
 

Poor Things

Nadia Stacey, Mark Coulier and Josh Weston
 

Society of the Snow

Ana López-Puigcerver, David Martí and Montse Ribé
 

Music (Original Score)

Nominees

American Fiction

Laura Karpman
 

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny

John Williams
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Robbie Robertson
 

Oppenheimer

Ludwig Göransson
 

Poor Things

Jerskin Fendrix
 

Music (Original Song)

Nominees

The Fire Inside

from Flamin' Hot; Music and Lyric by Diane Warren
 

I'm Just Ken

from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt
 

It Never Went Away

from American Symphony; Music and Lyric by Jon Batiste and Dan Wilson
 

Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)

from Killers of the Flower Moon; Music and Lyric by Scott George
 

What Was I Made For?

from Barbie; Music and Lyric by Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell
 

Best Picture

Nominees

American Fiction

Ben LeClair, Nikos Karamigios, Cord Jefferson and Jermaine Johnson, Producers
 

Anatomy of a Fall

Marie-Ange Luciani and David Thion, Producers
 

Barbie

David Heyman, Margot Robbie, Tom Ackerley and Robbie Brenner, Producers
 

The Holdovers

Mark Johnson, Producer
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas, Martin Scorsese and Daniel Lupi, Producers
 

Maestro

Bradley Cooper, Steven Spielberg, Fred Berner, Amy Durning and Kristie Macosko Krieger, Producers
 

Oppenheimer

Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan, Producers
 

Past Lives

David Hinojosa, Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, Producers
 

Poor Things

Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone, Producers
 

The Zone of Interest

James Wilson, Producer
 

Production Design

Nominees

Barbie

Production Design: Sarah Greenwood; Set Decoration: Katie Spencer
 

Killers of the Flower Moon

Production Design: Jack Fisk; Set Decoration: Adam Willis
 

Napoleon

Production Design: Arthur Max; Set Decoration: Elli Griff
 

Oppenheimer

Production Design: Ruth De Jong; Set Decoration: Claire Kaufman
 

Poor Things

Production Design: James Price and Shona Heath; Set Decoration: Zsuzsa Mihalek
 

Animated Short Film

Nominees

Letter to a Pig

Tal Kantor and Amit R. Gicelter
 

Ninety-Five Senses

Jerusha Hess and Jared Hess
 

Our Uniform

Yegane Moghaddam
 

Pachyderme

Stéphanie Clément and Marc Rius
 

WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko

Dave Mullins and Brad Booker
 

Live Action Short Film

Nominees

The After

Misan Harriman and Nicky Bentham
 

Invincible

Vincent René-Lortie and Samuel Caron
 

Knight of Fortune

Lasse Lyskjær Noer and Christian Norlyk
 

Red, White and Blue

Nazrin Choudhury and Sara McFarlane
 

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Wes Anderson and Steven Rales
 

Sound

Nominees

The Creator

Ian Voigt, Erik Aadahl, Ethan Van der Ryn, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
 

Maestro

Steven A. Morrow, Richard King, Jason Ruder, Tom Ozanich and Dean Zupancic
 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Chris Munro, James H. Mather, Chris Burdon and Mark Taylor
 

Oppenheimer

Willie Burton, Richard King, Gary A. Rizzo and Kevin O'Connell
 

The Zone of Interest

Tarn Willers and Johnnie Burn
 

Visual Effects

Nominees

The Creator

Jay Cooper, Ian Comley, Andrew Roberts and Neil Corbould
 

Godzilla Minus One

Takashi Yamazaki, Kiyoko Shibuya, Masaki Takahashi and Tatsuji Nojima
 

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Stephane Ceretti, Alexis Wajsbrot, Guy Williams and Theo Bialek
 

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One

Alex Wuttke, Simone Coco, Jeff Sutherland and Neil Corbould
 

Napoleon

Charley Henley, Luc-Ewen Martin-Fenouillet, Simone Coco and Neil Corbould
 

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

Nominees

American Fiction

Written for the screen by Cord Jefferson
 

Barbie

Written by Greta Gerwig & Noah Baumbach
 

Oppenheimer

Written for the screen by Christopher Nolan
 

Poor Things

Screenplay by Tony McNamara
 

The Zone of Interest

Written by Jonathan Glazer
 

Writing (Original Screenplay)

Nominees

Anatomy of a Fall

Screenplay - Justine Triet and Arthur Harari
 

The Holdovers

Written by David Hemingson
 

Maestro

Written by Bradley Cooper & Josh Singer
 

May December

Screenplay by Samy Burch; Story by Samy Burch & Alex Mechanik
 

Past Lives

Written by Celine Song

Longlists, 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards...

BaftaFriday 5 January 2024, 12.00 GMT: The following films will advance to the nominating stage of voting. This is the initial longlisting round.

The films are listed alphabetically by title, with the exception of the performance categories, listed alphabetically by the surname of the performer, followed by the film title.

Round Two voting, to determine the nominations, opens today at 18.00 GMT to BAFTA's voting members and will close on Friday 12 January 2024.

The nominations for the 2024 EE BAFTA Film Awards will be announced on Thursday 18 January and the ceremony will take place on Sunday 18 February.

BEST FILM

10 films will advance in the Best Film category. 234 eligible films were submitted for consideration. All film voting members of BAFTA vote to determine the longlist, nominations and overall winner.

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

15 films will advance in the Outstanding British Film category. All BAFTA film voting members were invited to join an opt-in chapter to determine the longlist (of which the top five are nominated).  A jury selects the remaining five nominations. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning film. 76 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

10 films will advance in the Outstanding Debut category.  A jury determines the longlist, nominations and overall winner in this category. 52 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

FILM NOT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

10 films will advance in the Film Not in the English Language category. All BAFTA film voting members were invited to join an opt-in chapter to determine the longlist. This chapter will vote to nominate five films and will vote for the overall winning film. 59 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

DOCUMENTARY

10 films will advance in the Documentary category. All BAFTA film voting members were invited to join an opt-in chapter to determine the longlist (of which the top two are nominated).  A jury selects the remaining three nominations, In the final round the Documentary opt-in chapter votes to determine the winning film. 60 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

ANIMATED FILM

Eight films will advance in the Animated Film category. All BAFTA film voting members were invited to join an opt-in chapter to determine the longlist. This chapter will vote to nominate four films and will vote for the winning film. 17 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

  • The Boy And The Heron
  • Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget
  • Elemental
  • Nimona
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • The Super Mario Bros. Movie
  • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem
  • Wish

DIRECTOR

16 films will advance in the Director category. Members of the Directing chapter vote for their top 16 to determine the longlist, of which the top female, male, and directors who identify as non-binary (within the voting results range of the top 10 female/male directors) will be longlisted to a max of 11, with female/male gender parity upheld, and of which the top two are nominated regardless of gender. A longlisting jury selects the final places from the next 8 placed female, male & non-binary directors (placed within this voting results range). A nominating jury selects four Directors from the longlist to make-up a nominee list of six Directors. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning film. 206 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

10 films will advance in the Original Screenplay category. Members of the Writers chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the winning film. 100 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

10 films will advance in the Adapted Screenplay category. Members of the Writers chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the winning film. 61 eligible films were submitted for consideration.

  • All of Us Strangers
  • American Fiction
  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.
  • Dumb Money
  • The Killer
  • Killers of The Flower Moon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Wonka
  • The Zone of Interest

LEADING ACTRESS

10 performances will advance in the Leading Actress category. Members of the Acting chapter vote to determine the longlist (of which the top three are nominated). A longlisting jury selects a further three performances to create a longlist of 10. A nominating jury then selects three performances from the longlist to make-up a nominee list of six performances. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning performance. 94 performances were submitted for consideration.

LEADING ACTOR

10 performances will advance in the Leading Actor category. Members of the Acting chapter vote to determine the longlist (of which the top three are nominated). A longlisting jury selects a further three performances to create a longlist of 10. A nominating jury then selects three performances from the longlist to make-up a nominee list of six performances. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning performance. 108 performances were submitted for consideration.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

10 performances will advance in the Supporting Actress category. Members of the Acting chapter vote to determine the longlist (of which the top three are nominated). A longlisting jury selects a further three performances to create a longlist of 10. A nominating jury then selects three performances from the longlist to make-up a nominee list of six performances. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning performance. 224 performances were submitted for consideration.

SUPPORTING ACTOR

10 performances will advance in the Supporting Actor category. Members of the Acting chapter vote to determine the longlist (of which the top three are nominated). A longlisting jury selects a further three performances to create a longlist of 10. A nominating jury then selects three performances from the longlist to make-up a nominee list of six performances. In the final round all film voting members vote to determine the winning performance. 338 performances were submitted for consideration.

CASTING

10 films will advance in the Casting category. Members of the Casting chapter vote to determine the longlist. A jury selects the five nominations and in the final round all film voting members select the winning film. 128 films were submitted for consideration.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

10 films will advance in the Cinematography category. Members of the Cinematography chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 186 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Barbie
  • The Creator
  • Ferrari
  • Killers of The Flower Moon
  • Maestro
  • Napoleon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Saltburn
  • The Zone of Interest

COSTUME DESIGN

10 films will advance in the Costume Design category. Members of the Costume and Makeup & Hair chapters vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 129 films were submitted for consideration.

EDITING

10 films will advance in the Editing category. Members of the Editing chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 197 films were submitted for consideration.

MAKE UP & HAIR

10 films will advance in the Make Up & Hair category. Members of the Costume Design and the Make Up & Hair chapters vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 124 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Barbie
  • Ferrari
  • Golda
  • Killers of The Flower Moon
  • Maestro
  • Napoleon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Priscilla
  • Wonka

ORIGINAL SCORE

10 films will advance in the Original Score category. Members of the Music chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 131 films were submitted for consideration. Music cue sheets are provided by the entrants and published on BAFTA View.

  • American Fiction
  • Barbie
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • Killers of The Flower Moon
  • Napoleon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Saltburn
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • Wonka

PRODUCTION DESIGN

10 films will advance in the Production Design category. Members of the Production Design chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 151 films were submitted for consideration.

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

10 films will advance in the Special Visual Effect category. Members of the SVFX chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 73 films were submitted for consideration. A supporting Statement and a show-reel of the SVFX work (up to five minutes in duration) can be submitted and are published on BAFTA View.

  • Barbie
  • The Creator
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
  • Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
  • Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
  • Napoleon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
  • Wonka

SOUND

10 films will advance in the Sound category Members of the Sound chapter vote to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members will vote for the overall winning film. 172 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Barbie
  • Ferrari
  • Killers of The Flower Moon
  • Maestro
  • Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One
  • Napoleon
  • Oppenheimer
  • Poor Things
  • Wonka
  • The Zone of Interest

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

Six films will advance in the British Short Animation category.  A jury votes to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members are invited to join an opt-in chapter to vote for the overall winning short animation.

  • Crab Day
  • Sweet Like Lemons
  • The Smeds and The Smoos
  • Visible Mending
  • Wild Summon
  • World to Roam

BRITISH SHORT FILM

Ten films will advance in the British Short Film category.  A jury votes to determine the longlist and the nominations. In the final round of voting, all film voting members are invited to join an opt-in chapter to vote for the overall winning short film.

  • Essex Girls
  • Festival of Slaps
  • Finding Alaa
  • Gorka
  • Jellyfish and Lobster
  • Jill, Uncredited
  • Mighty Penguins
  • The One Note Man
  • Such A Lovely Day
  • Yellow

 

John Waters' Best of 2023...

Haven't seen them all...but, as usual, a bizarre selection!

1. Beau Is Afraid (Ari Aster)

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Photo: A24

A superlong, super-crazy, super-funny movie about one man’s mental breakdown with a cast better than Around the World in 80 Days’: Joaquin Phoenix, Patti LuPone, Parker Posey, Nathan Lane, and Amy Ryan. It’s a laugh riot from hell you’ll never forget, even if you want to.

2. A Prince (Pierre Creton)

99b42bee2c0563646e9c26f2d6ab73d58f A Prince.rhorizontal.w700
Photo: Directors’ Fortnight/Directors’ Fortnight

You’ve never heard of this one, but I’d never heard of Super Mario Bros. when it came out either, so there. A most unlikely gay movie about a gerontophilic hot male farmer and his two old-man lovers who drop dead for no apparent reason other than being “embarrassed by youth and beauty.” It’s dirty in a soil-like way. Dicks turn into mythic creatures; men howl like dogs. Slow, spooky, and poetically fucked up. In other words, perfect.

3. Master Gardener (Paul Schrader)

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Photo: Curmudgeon Films

Another erotic movie featuring gardening, this time an S&M one with stud-muffin-Nazi overtones and Sigourney Weaver in the best performance of the year as a sugar mama with a heart for vengeance. Dig it. Dig it deep, sir.

4. Full Time (Éric Gravel)

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Photo: Music Box Films

An exhausting thriller, as exciting as The French Connection, about a normal single-mother hotel worker and whether she’ll get to work on time in Paris during a transit strike. Trust me—it’s brilliant.

5. Last Summer (Catherine Breillat)

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Photo: SBS Productions

A devastatingly pernicious tale of a French lawyer for abused minors who falls in lust with her own fawnish but nasty underage stepson, played by Samuel Kircher, who gives the lead kid in Death in Venice a run for his money. Not since Paul Morrissey and Joe Dallesandro has there been a director-star connection this hot and unconsummated. She gets it. He gets it raw.

6. Sparta (Ulrich Seidl)

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Photo: Damned Films

Are Romanian children better off with a closeted male pedophile who never acts overtly but shows them love or their real nasty hetero adult fathers who force them to act “mean” and “tough”? No wonder controversy rages about the making of the film. All I know is two things: The movie’s fantastic, and I’m glad I’m not a chicken queen.

7. Fallen Leaves (Aki Kaurismäki)

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Photo: Mubi/

Another deadpan Finnish kitchen-sink melodrama from one of the world’s greatest auteurs. An alcoholic factory worker and a lonely supermarket clerk meet by chance and struggle to fall in love. It’s drab, it’s short, it’s beautiful, and it lacks nothing. Just call it Unmagnificent Obsession. Shut up and love it.

8. Strange Way of Life (Pedro Almodóvar)

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Photo: Sony Pictures Classics

A refreshingly unironic new look at gay-cowboy memory, lust, family, and guilt that proves blood is thicker than semen.

9. Oppenheimer (Christopher Nolan)

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Photo: Universal Pictures

Deserves the Oscar for being a big-budget, star-studded, intelligent action movie about talking.

10. Do Not Expect Too Much of the End of the World (Radu Jude)

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Photo: 4 Proof Film

A maddeningly radical, tedious, shockingly repetitious, brilliant two-hour-and-43-minute Godard–meets–Harmony Korine Romanian masterpiece in which we spend way too much time locked in the car of a confident, trashy, gum-chewing workaholic PA for a movie company as she does her chores. When I finished watching the movie, I was pretty sure I didn’t like it, but when I woke up the next morning, I realized I loved it. Suffer for cinema! Sometimes it’s worth it!

Going Back Into The Care Closet

In the 1970's & 80's many people fought for equal rights for women, as well as decriminalising homosexuality. For the next two decades these people fought hard to not only decriminalise being Gay or Lesbian , but fought to criminalise discrimination on the grounds of gender, race ,sexuality and to give equal rights to marry for all, no matter what their sexuality.

Now in the 2020's, the first wave of these brave and passionate activists are reaching their 70's and 80's and instead of being cared for with compassion, they are finding themselves having to de-gay or go back into the closet because of the rampant homophobia in the care system.

Raga D'silva talks to Ted Brown, a veteran of the UKs 'Gay Liberation Front' about his experience with his long term partner being abused in a care home. Also, Eileen Chubb who Founded Compassion in Care an organisation that helps whistleblowers in the elder care sector and Stephanie Fuller, CEO of the LGBT Switchboard London who also shares insights on how elder Trans People are treated.

95th Academy Awards Nominations...

Oscars95

The 95th Academy Awards ceremony will be on Sunday, March 12th at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood - broadcast live by ABC. This year's ceremony will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

The nominations:

PICTURE:
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Banshees of Inisherin
Elvis
Everything Everywhere All at Once
The Fabelmans
Top Gun: Maverick
Triangle of Sadness
Women Talking

DIRECTOR:
Martin McDonagh - The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert - Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg - The Fabelmans
Todd Field - Tar
Ruben Östlund - Triangle of Sadness

ACTOR:
Austin Butler - Elvis
Colin Farrell - The Banshees of Inisherin
Brendan Fraser - The Whale
Paul Mescal - Aftersun
Bill Nighy - Living

ACTRESS:
Cate Blanchett - Tar
Ana de Armas - Blonde
Andrea Riseborough - To Leslie
Michelle Williams - The Fabelmans
Michelle Yeoh - Everything Everywhere All at Once

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Brendan Gleason - The Banshees of Inisherin
Brian Tyree Henry - Causeway
Judd Hirsch - The Fabelmans
Barry Keoghan - The Banshees of Inisherin
Ke Huy Quan - Everything Everywhere All at Once

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Angela Bassett - Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Hong Chau - The Whale
Kerry Condon - The Banshees of Inisherin
Jamie Lee Curtis - Everything Everywhere All at Once
Stephanie Hsu - Everything Everywhere All at Once

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
The Banshees of Inisherin - Martin McDonagh
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert
The Fabelmans - Steven Spielberg & Tony Kushner
Tar - Todd Field
Triangle of Sadness - Ruben Östlund

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
All Quiet on the Western Front - Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson & Ian Stokell
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - Rian Johnson
Living - Kazuo Ishiguro
Top Gun: Maverick - Ehren Kruger and Eric Warren Singer and Christopher McQuarrie
Women Talking - Sarah Polley

ANIMATED FEATURE:
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Puss in Boots
The Sea Beast
Turning Red

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Germany)
Argentina, 1985 (Argentina)
Close (Belgium)
EO (Poland)
The Quiet Girl (Ireland)

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
All Quiet on the Western Front - James Friend
Bardo - Darius Khondji
Elvis - Mandy Walker
Empire of Light - Roger Deakins
Tar - Florian Hoffmeister

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
All That Breathes
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed
Fire of Love
A House Made of Splinters
Navalny

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
The Elephant Whisperers - Kartiki Gonsalves and Guneet Monga
Haulout - Evgenia Arbugaeva and Maxim Arbugaev
How Do You Measure a Year? - Jay Rosenblatt
The Martha Mitchell Effect - Anne Alvergue and Beth Levison
Stranger at the Gate - Joshua Seftel and Conall Jones

ANIMATED SHORT:
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse - Charlie Mackesy and Matthew Freud
The Flying Sailor - Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby
Ice Merchants - João Gonzalez and Bruno Caetano
My Year of Dicks - Sara Gunnarsdóttir and Pamela Ribon
An Ostrich Told Me the World Is Fake and I Think I Believe It - Lachlan Pendragon

LIVE-ACTION SHORT:
An Irish Goodbye - Tom Berkeley and Ross White
Ivalu - Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan
Le Pupille - Alice Rohrwacher and Alfonso Cuarón
Night Ride - Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen
The Red Suitcase - Cyrus Neshvad

VISUAL EFFECTS:
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Top Gun: Maverick

PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Dune - PD: Patrice Vermette; Set: Zsuzsanna Sipos
All Quiet on the Western Front - PD: Christian M. Goldbeck; Set: Ernestine Hipper
Avatar: The Way of Water - PD: Dylan Cole & Ben Procter; Set: Vanessa Cole
Babylon - PD: Florencia Martin; Set: Anthony Carlino
Elvis - PD: Catherine Martin & Karen Murphy; Set: Bev Dunn
The Fabelmans - PD: Rick Carter; Set: Karen O'Hara

COSTUME DESIGN:
Babylon - Mary Zophres
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Ruth Carter
Elvis - Catherine Martin
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Shirley Kurata
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris - Jenny Beavan

MAKE-UP & HAIR:
All Quiet on the Western Front - Heike Merker & Linda Eisenhamerová
The Batman - Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, Mike Fontaine
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - Camille Friend & Joel Harlow
Elvis - Mark Coulier, Jason Baird, Aldo Signoretti
The Whale - Adrien Morot, Judy Chin, Anne Marie Bradley

FILM EDITING:
The Banshees of Inisherin - Mikkel E.G. Nielsen
Elvis - Matt Villa & Jonathan Redmond
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Paul Rogers
Tar - Monika Willi
Top Gun: Maverick - Eddie Hamilton

SOUND:
All Quiet on the Western Front
Avatar: The Way of Water
The Batman
Elvis
Top Gun: Maverick

ORIGINAL SCORE:
All Quiet on the Western Front - Volker Bertelmann
Babylon - Justin Hurwitz
The Banshees of Inisherin - Carter Burwell
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Son Lux
The Fabelmans - John Williams

ORIGINAL SONG:
"Applause" from Tell It Like a Woman
"Hold My Hand" from Top Gun: Maverick
"Lift Me Up" from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
"Naatu Naatu" from RRR
"This Is A Life" from Everything Everywhere All at Once


 

2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards: The Nominations...

BAFTAWinners will be announced at the EE BAFTA Film Awards on Sunday 19 February at 7pm on BBC1 and iPlayer, and @BAFTA

BAFTA announces the nominations for the 2023 EE BAFTA Film Awards, celebrating the very best in film over the past year. A total of 45 feature films received nominations today.

Highlights include:

  • 14 nominations for All Quiet on the Western Front
  • Ten nominations for The Banshees of Inisherin and Everything Everywhere All At Once
  • Nine nominations for Elvis
  • Five nominations for Tár
  • Four nominations for Aftersun; The Batman; Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; Top Gun: Maverick and The Whale
  • Three nominations for Babylon; Empire of Light; Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio; Living and Triangle of Sadness
  • Two nominations for Avatar: The Way of Water; Decision to Leave; The Quiet Girl; Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical; She Said and The Woman King
  • One nomination for each of the following: All That Breathes; All The Beauty and the Bloodshed; Amsterdam; Argentina, 1985; Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; Blonde; Blue Jean; Brian and Charles; Corsage; Electric Malady; The Fabelmans; Fire of Love; The Good Nurse; Marcel the Shell with Shoes On; Moonage Daydream; Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris; Navalny; Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; Rebellion; See How They Run; The Swimmers; Till; Turning Red and The Wonder

 

BEST FILM

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Malte Grunert

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin, Martin McDonagh

ELVIS Gail Berman, Baz Luhrmann, Catherine Martin, Patrick McCormick, Schuyler Weiss

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, Jonathan Wang

TÁR Todd Field, Scott Lambert, Alexandra Milchan


OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

AFTERSUN Charlotte Wells, Producer(s) TBC

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Martin McDonagh, Graham Broadbent, Pete Czernin

BRIAN AND CHARLES Jim Archer, Rupert Majendie, David Earl, Chris Hayward

EMPIRE OF LIGHT Sam Mendes, Pippa Harris

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE Sophie Hyde, Debbie Gray, Adrian Politowski, Katy Brand

LIVING Oliver Hermanus, Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley, Kazuo Ishiguro

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL Matthew Warchus, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jon Finn, Luke Kelly, Dennis Kelly

SEE HOW THEY RUN Tom George, Gina Carter, Damian Jones, Mark Chappell

THE SWIMMERS Sally El Hosaini, Producer(s) TBC, Jack Thorne

THE WONDER Sebastián Lelio, Ed Guiney, Juliette Howell, Andrew Lowe, Tessa Ross, Alice Birch, Emma Donoghue


OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

AFTERSUN Charlotte Wells (Writer/Director)

BLUE JEAN Georgia Oakley (Writer/Director), Hélène Sifre (Producer)

ELECTRIC MALADY Marie Lidén (Director)

GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE Katy Brand (Writer)

REBELLION Elena Sánchez Bellot (Director) Maia Kenworthy (Director) 


FILM NOT IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Edward Berger, Malte Grunert

ARGENTINA, 1985 Santiago Mitre, Producer(s) TBC

CORSAGE Marie Kreutzer

DECISION TO LEAVE Park Chan-wook, Ko Dae-seok

THE QUIET GIRL Colm Bairéad, Cleona Ní Chrualaoí


DOCUMENTARY

ALL THAT BREATHES Shaunak Sen, Teddy Leifer, Aman Mann

ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED Laura Poitras, Howard Gertler, Nan Goldin, Yoni Golijov, John Lyons

FIRE OF LOVE Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Ina Fichman

MOONAGE DAYDREAM Brett Morgen

NAVALNY Daniel Roher, Diane Becker, Shane Boris, Melanie Miller, Odessa Rae


ANIMATED FILM

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson, Gary Ungar, Alex Bulkley

MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON Dean Fleisher Camp, Andrew Goldman, Elisabeth Holm, Caroline Kaplan, Paul Mezey

PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH Joel Crawford, Mark Swift

TURNING RED Domee Shi, Lindsey Collins


DIRECTOR

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Edward Berger

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Martin McDonagh

DECISION TO LEAVE Park Chan-wook

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

TÁR Todd Field

THE WOMAN KING Gina Prince-Bythewood


ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Martin McDonagh

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert

THE FABELMANS Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg

TÁR Todd Field

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Ruben Östlund


ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, Ian Stokell

LIVING Kazuo Ishiguro

THE QUIET GIRL Colm Bairéad

SHE SAID Rebecca Lenkiewicz

THE WHALE Samuel D. Hunter


LEADING ACTRESS

CATE BLANCHETT Tár

VIOLA DAVIS The Woman King

DANIELLE DEADWYLER Till

ANA DE ARMAS Blonde

EMMA THOMPSON Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

MICHELLE YEOH Everything Everywhere All At Once


LEADING ACTOR

AUSTIN BUTLER Elvis

COLIN FARRELL The Banshees of Inisherin

BRENDAN FRASER The Whale

DARYL McCORMACK Good Luck to You, Leo Grande

PAUL MESCAL Aftersun

BILL NIGHY Living


SUPPORTING ACTRESS

ANGELA BASSETT Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

HONG CHAU The Whale

KERRY CONDON The Banshees of Inisherin

DOLLY DE LEON Triangle of Sadness

JAMIE LEE CURTIS Everything Everywhere All At Once

CAREY MULLIGAN She Said


SUPPORTING ACTOR

BRENDAN GLEESON The Banshees of Inisherin

BARRY KEOGHAN The Banshees of Inisherin

KE HUY QUAN Everything Everywhere All At Once

EDDIE REDMAYNE The Good Nurse

ALBRECHT SCHUCH All Quiet on the Western Front

MICHEAL WARD Empire of Light


ORIGINAL SCORE

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Volker Bertelmann

BABYLON Justin Hurwitz

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Carter Burwell

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Son Lux

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO Alexandre Desplat


CASTING

AFTERSUN Lucy Pardee

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Simone Bär

ELVIS Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Sarah Halley Finn

TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Pauline Hansson


CINEMATOGRAPHY

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT James Friend

THE BATMAN Greig Fraser

ELVIS Mandy Walker

EMPIRE OF LIGHT Roger Deakins

TOP GUN: MAVERICK Claudio Miranda


EDITING

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Sven Budelmann

THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN Mikkel E. G. Nielsen

ELVIS Jonathan Redmond, Matt Villa

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Paul Rogers

TOP GUN: MAVERICK Eddie Hamilton


PRODUCTION DESIGN

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Christian M. Goldbeck, Ernestine Hipper

BABYLON Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino

THE BATMAN James Chinlund, Lee Sandales

ELVIS Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Bev Dunn

GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO Curt Enderle, Guy Davis


COSTUME DESIGN

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Lisy Christl

AMSTERDAM J.R. Hawbaker, Albert Wolsky

BABYLON Mary Zophres

ELVIS Catherine Martin

MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS Jenny Beavan


MAKE UP & HAIR

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Heike Merker

THE BATMAN Naomi Donne, Mike Marino, Zoe Tahir

ELVIS Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas

ROALD DAHL’S MATILDA THE MUSICAL Naomi Donne, Barrie Gower, Sharon Martin

THE WHALE Anne Marie Bradley, Judy Chin, Adrien Morot


SOUND

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Lars Ginzel, Frank Kruse, Viktor Prášil, Markus Stemler

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Christopher Boyes, Michael Hedges, Julian Howarth, Gary Summers, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle

ELVIS Michael Keller, David Lee, Andy Nelson, Wayne Pashley

TÁR Deb Adair, Stephen Griffiths, Andy Shelley, Steve Single, Roland Winke 

TOP GUN: MAVERICK Chris Burdon, James H. Mather, Al Nelson, Mark Taylor, Mark Weingarten


SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT Markus Frank, Kamil Jafar, Viktor Müller, Frank Petzold

AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER Richard Baneham, Daniel Barrett, Joe Letteri, Eric Saindon

THE BATMAN Russell Earl, Dan Lemmon, Anders Langlands, Dominic Tuohy

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE Benjamin Brewer, Ethan Feldbau, Jonathan Kombrinck, Zak Stoltz

TOP GUN: MAVERICK Seth Hill, Scott R. Fisher, Bryan Litson, Ryan Tudhope


BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE Peter Baynton, Charlie Mackesy, Cara Speller, Hannah Minghella

MIDDLE WATCH John Stevenson, Aiesha Penwarden, Giles Healy

YOUR MOUNTAIN IS WAITING Hannah Jacobs, Zoe Muslim, Harriet Gillian


BRITISH SHORT FILM

THE BALLAD OF OLIVE MORRIS Alex Kayode-Kay

BAZIGAGA Jo Ingabire Moys, Stephanie Charmail

BUS GIRL Jessica Henwick, Louise Palmkvist Hansen

A DRIFTING UP Jacob Lee

AN IRISH GOODBYE Tom Berkeley, Ross White


EE RISING STAR AWARD

AIMEE LOU WOOD

DARYL McCORMACK

EMMA MACKEY

NAOMI ACKIE

SHEILA ATIM


 

JOHN WATERS’ BEST FILMS OF 2022...

Peter Von Kant1. PETER VON KANT (François Ozon)

By far the best movie of the year. Fassbinder’s classic lesbian melodrama is appropriated and remade as a gay Frenchman’s love letter to the original version. Hilariously stilted, often overwrought, but always highly entertaining, this cock-eyed tribute will make you swoon when Hanna Schygulla finally makes an appearance and Isabelle Adjani soon follows. My God, it’s just plain Douglas Sirk perfect.

2. EO (Jerzy Skolimowski)

Another tribute film, this time Bresson’s Au Hasard Balthazar meets Old Yeller. Can a donkey remember? Just ask Isabelle Huppert, who pops up in this movie for no apparent reason except that she’s the best actress in the world.

Everything Went Fine3. EVERYTHING WENT FINE (François Ozon—AGAIN!)

Assisted suicide for the elderly has never been so madcap. So I Love Lucy. So feel-so-bad-you’ll-feel-good. With a cast to die for—literally. Hanna Schygulla (AGAIN!), Jacques Nolot (my hero), and Charlotte Rampling as the nastiest ex-wife in the world.

4. SICK OF MYSELF (Kristoffer Borgli)

A pair of narcissistic Norwegian lovers can’t stop competing for the public’s attention. He’s a sculptor who uses furniture he steals as material, and she takes recalled poison medication on purpose to make her skin break out in rashes and boils so she can become a model with disabilities. No, it’s not Female Trouble, but it’s just as nuts. Pretty? Pretty? Pretty fucked up!


Bruno Reidal5. BRUNO REIDAL, CONFESSIONS OF A MURDERER (Vincent Le Port)


The boy can’t help it. Killing people. Jerking off. More jerking off. And the sight of meat made him do it! Yep, it’s true crime, Gallic style. One critic wrote, “If ever there was a movie tailor-made to appear on the annual list of the year’s best films that John Waters compiles for Artforum, it’s this one.” Boy, was he right.

6. DETAINEE 001 (Greg Barker)

John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban. This doc examines the hysteria of this case and asks the question I’ve been wondering about for years—was he an overhyped traitor or just a well-traveled kid caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? Oh, yeah, he’s really cute, in a grunge kind of way.

7. DINNER IN AMERICA (Adam Rehmeier)

A wonderfully nasty, politically incorrect punk-rock romantic comedy with great performances that somehow got canceled when it was screened at Sundance in 2020. Finally it was released this year, and nobody in the US seemed to notice except director Sean Baker, who sent me a screener, for which I’m eternally grateful.

Will O The Wisp8. WILL-O’-THE-WISP (João Pedro Rodrigues)

A racially risky, raunchy Portuguese musical about class and pyromania that will light you on fire. Facials! Fake dicks! A real arty head-scratcher of a film that makes Titane seem tame.

9. SMOKING CAUSES COUGHING (Quentin Dupieux)

Can a movie be both stupid and effete yet unironic? Only the French can pull that off, and this moronic auteur of ignoramuses does it again. Brilliant performances and dumbbell dialogue equal a superhero movie for idiots that surpasses all the tedium of Hollywood blockbusters.

Bones And All10. BONES AND ALL (Luca Guadagnino)

Is there such a thing as a butch twink? Yes, there is, and Timothée Chalamet goes all Larry Clark on us here, a soft-trade hetero cannibal who kills an evil closeted gay trick so he and his flesh-eating girlfriend can feed. Is that gay-bashing or cannibally correct love? Just asking. 

BFI London Film Festival 2022...

London 2022

Words by...
David Anderson Cutler 


It's that time of the year...

Sadly, I can't be there this year...but, we have been given access to quite a few films and screeners have been requested.

As per usual, there is a mighty selection of films with LGBT themes, stories and characters...watch and enjoy.

Just click on the film poster...


Day 1...

 


Day 2...

JoylandWinter BoyComa


Day 3...

The WonderFragments Of ParadiseHorseplay

A Spy Among Friends


Day 4...

Casa SusannaWhere Is This StreetBones And All


Day 5...

LivingBlue Jean
Peter Von KantAttachment


Day 6...

PiaffeClose
I Love My DadAll The Beauty And The Bloodshed


Day 7...

High SchoolThe Damned Dont Cry


Day 8...

The Passion Of RemembrancePacification

The Whale


Day 9...

Kamikaze HeartsCrows Are White

100 Ways to Cross the Border

Pretty Red Dress


Day 10...

The Blue CaftanCall Jane
BrosInland


Day 11...

BrainwashedThe Stranger
My PolicemanA Room Of My Own


Day 12...

The InspectionMini ZlatanThe Origin Of Evil


Shorts films...

An Avocado PitAribadaCzechoslovakia
GroomHoneyOutdoors
Nant
The Dependent VariablesThe Pass

I Have No Legs, and I Must Run

Mono No Aware

Staging Death


 

SPOILER ALERT - Official Trailer...

They wanted a rom-com. They got a love story.

Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, and Sally Field star in #SpoilerAlert, from the director of The Big Sick.

Only In theaters December 2.

Based on Michael Ausiello’s best-selling memoir “Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies,” the film is a heartwarming, funny and life-affirming story of how Michael and Kit’s relationship is transformed and deepened when one of them falls ill.

Let You Go...

Stunning...

 

Let You Go from Jodeb on Vimeo.

Diplo & TSHA - Let You Go (feat. Kareen Lomax)

Written and Directed by: Jodeb
Produced by PRETTYBIRD & COLOSSALE
Creative Director: Lola Son (Mad Decent)

Edinburgh Fringe 2022...

...by David Anderson Cutler

Fringe LogoWe've combed through the programme...here are the LGBT shows on offer! And...what a delicious menu it is!

Impossible to see them all...but, we'll give it a damn good try!

Just click on the title for the review...and, if there's anyone out there who wants to write a review...write it, send it in and we'll publish it with your name!


Jinkx Edfringe

Jinkx Monsoon: She’s Still Got It!

RuPaul’s Drag Race legend (fifth season and seventh season of All Stars, airing May 2022), actress, comedienne, and singer. Jinkx has toured all over the world, gaining a huge fanbase and superstar status. She’s bringing a show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year: She’s Still Got It! With Major Scales (her long-time musical collaborator) – a musical comedy cabaret show, packed full of Jinkx’s trademark improv and sensational musical ability. 

Venue: Assembly George Square – Spiegeltent Palais du Variété / Box Office: assemblyfestival.com

Ania Magliano

Ania Magliano: Absolutely No Worries If Not

Ania Magliano is bringing her debut show to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, combining storytelling, snappy observations, silliness and some surreal tangents she delves into her background as a half Polish, half Italian bisexual 24-year-old, who has spent her whole life in England. Touching on themes of family and her sexuality, she navigates the complicated interpersonal relationships with your parents, and wonders whether she’ll ever be good enough at communicating to confront her hairdresser about her terrible haircut, or get through her early 20s without ending every sentence with ‘absolutely no worries if not’.

Venue: Bunker Three, Pleasance Courtyard / Tickets: pleasance.co.uk

Camille O’Sullivan: DreamingCamille O Sullivan

The Queen of the Fringe – an established alternative/indie musician. Camille has been wowing audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for over 18 years, earning her worldwide acclaim for her magnetising stage presence and entrancing vocals. She is returning to the stage this August with her new show Dreaming, alongside long-time collaborator Fergal Murray. Dreaming is an honest, intimate response to the isolation of the pandemic, and the joy of being connected to the rest of the world again.

Box office: underbellyedinburgh.co.uk

James Barr

James Barr: Straight Jokes

The multi-award-winning comedian returns to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with his sophomore show Straight Jokes. People constantly tells James that he is “too gay” – Straight Jokes is his fabulous reply to this pool of haters. An out-of-control hour of jokes from the utterly hilarious, nearly national treasure. James exposes his previous employers and navigates the absolutely exhausting admin of pretending to be woke for “fame”. This is an exploration of James’ experience in the comedy industry, as well as a revolt against the elitist media industry, that constantly silence and shame people for their differences.

Venue: Daisy, Underbelly Bristo Square / Box office: underbellyedinburgh.co.uk

Sophie Duker: HagSophie Duker

Comedian and star of Taskmaster. Co-writer of Riot Girls on Channel 4. Previous credits include Frankie Boyle’s New World Order and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Sophie is bringing her new show Hag to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, a self-assured hour of comedy centred around Sophie’s personal metamorphosis into a more confident, spectacularly cantankerous person.

Tickets: pleasance.co.uk

Joseph ParsonsJoseph Parsons: Equaliser

Football fanatic and comedian. An advocate for LGBTQI+ issues in the sporting world. His new show Equaliser will be debuting at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August. Equaliser is about Joseph’s own experience growing up as gay and football mad in the West Country – a celebration of the beautiful game, as well as an examination of it’s issues.

Tickets: edinburgh.justthetonic.com 

Larry Dean: FudnutLarry Dean

Hot on the heels of his national tour Larry Dean returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his show ‘Fudnut’ at the Monkey Barrel. Fudnut is an hour of authentic storytelling at its funniest, touching on some recent events in Larry’s life, from accidentally importing illegal substances into a middle eastern country, to the prominent events that followed a little closer to home, and what his therapist has to say about it all.

Venue: Monkey Barrel Comedy – 3 / Box Office: monkeybarrelcomedy.com

Sam LakeSam Lake: Cake

A comedian, writer, presenter, and podcast host. He’s written for Mock the Week (BBC2), Breaking the News (BBC Radio Scotland), and Newsjack (BBC Radio 4 extra). Originally set to debut in 2020, Sam is unveiling his comedy hour in 2022, titled Cake. Sam’s wedding was also supposed to happen in 2020, but sadly it was also postponed due to the pandemic – Cake is about learning to get comfortable when things in life don’t go as originally planned.

Tickets: pleasance.co.uk

Sarah Keyworth: Lost BoySarah Keyworth

Award-winning comedian, podcast host and rising star in the UK and Australian comedy circuits. Her show Lil’ Keys: Big Jokes will be premiering at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August, touching on themes of loss and how to rediscover your silliness. 

Venue: Pleasance Courtyard – Cabaret / Tickets: pleasance.co.uk

SeayonceSéayoncé: Res-Erection

Cabaret drag star and a hysterical spiritual medium helmed by comedian Dan Wye. Check out their bewitching new show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, titled Res-ErectionStep into the unknown and experience a show unlike any other – complete with theatrics, musical numbers, audience interaction and innuendo.

Box Office: assemblyfestival.com

Shelf: HairShelf

The fresh-faced musical comedy duo of Rachel WD and Ruby Clyde. One musical, one tone-deaf. They’re bringing their debut hour to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August – an exploration of gender expression and identity, called Hair.

Tickets: pleasance.co.uk

The Tiger LilliesThe Tiger Lillies: One Penny Opera

The award-winning godfathers of alternative cabaret. Magical, steampunk-y, and Grammy-nominated. They’re returning to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year with their show One Penny Opera to celebrate their 30th anniversary.

Tickets: underbelly.co.uk

I Wish My Life Were Like A MusicalI Wish My Life Were Like A Musical

Composer and lyricist Alexander S. Bermange (he/him) is back with his award-winning musical revue I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical.  From voice-straining high notes to limb-spraining high kicks, via on-stage smooches and off-stage feuds, reveals everything that you could want to know about being a musical theatre performer… if only there were any who would dare to admit it. Booking

Le Pain(le) pain 

Jean-Daniel (JD) Broussé’s (he/him) first solo show offers a similar tantalising temptation.  A play on the French word for bread and the English word for suffering, in (le) pain JD is forced to choose between continuing the family legacy or pursuing his dreams as a performer. Booking

No Place Like HomeNo Place Like Home

Fusing spoken word, original music, dance and video art, No Place Like Home by Alex Roberts (he/him) & Co. (winner of Les Enfants Terribles Award 2022) is a tragic odyssey into gay club culture and the places we can call home.  This highly relevant production takes a nuanced look at the politics within gay communities exploring how victims of violence can also be perpetrators of violence.  Despite heavy themes, No Place Like Home offers an empowering call to look inward for the affirmation we all so desperately crave. Booking

Please Feel Free To SharePlease, Feel Free to Share 

Please, Feel Free to Shareis a dynamic, darkly comic, one-woman show by Rachel Causer (she/ her)  about our personal addictions and our growing desire to share all. Causer’s play looks at the blurring between lies and likes.  Please, Feel Free to Share explores what happens when the obsession with self-editing bleeds into real life. Booking

Something in the WaterSomething In The Water 

Stunning video projections, puppetry and physical comedy combine in this absurd exploration of identity, gender and growing up ‘normal’.  Inspired by performer/creator S.E. Grummett’s (they/ them) experience coming out as transgender, Something in the Water (main picture) parodies the masculine and feminine and shows how absurd our rigid gender binaries can be. Booking

Sticky DoorSticky Door

Sticky Door is a personal, honest and funny look at sex, stigma and cystitis, produced by Beccy D’Souza (she/ her/ they/ them). Katie Arnstein’s (she/ her) trademark ukulele-spun storytelling show examines sex, shame, struggles and isolation.The show asks why are women facing a series of sticky doors in work, sex and life and how do we overcome the challenges we are continually met with. Booking

A Gay and a NonGayA Gay And A NonGay

James Barr and Dan Hudson present the UK’s funniest LGBTQ+ podcast live, with iconic special guests. A Gay and A NonGay started when Dan's girlfriend friend Talia moved abroad leaving he and her gay friend James to fend for themselves. Expect audience interaction, a safe space for Dan to ask questions to the LGBTQ+ community in Things That Dan Cannot Say and a laugh-out-loud look at the differences between Gay and NonGay people. An absurdly simple but hilarious night out; one is gay, the other one isn't. Booking

The Gay TrainThe Gay Train

'They said it’s your fault. All of this happening to people like us. But it isn’t. It was happening already.' A dark comedy. When non-binary student Lin is attacked in a pub bathroom, they’re propelled to fame for all the wrong reasons. Chased between TV studios and Parliament, hounded by journalists and activists, everybody wants to know: will the gay agenda prevail? Or is it all just woke, virtue-signalling nonsense? Yellow Mug Theatre returns to the stage with a vicious love letter to the middle-class horror that is weekday morning TV. Booking

Let’s Try GayLets Try Gay

Two friends, Jack and Phil, meet in a hotel to shoot a gay adult movie between two straight guys: an “art project” to send to an independent movie festival, but they now feel uncomfortable. Their attempts to even just kiss or hug are clumsy and awkward. As time goes on, they prolong their problems. Jack is struggling with his life as an artist while Phil reveals his doubts about his sexual identity. Freely inspired by the independent movie Humpday, this unlikely comedy turns from a goofy, relaxed, funny situation into a deeper analysis of human nature. Booking

Simon David White GaySimon David: White Gay

Comedian Simon David belongs to the most toxic, self-destructive (and annoying!) demographic there is: the white gay. From racism to body image, porn addiction to gay Tories, Simon has a catchy song for just about everything wrong with the community he loves to hate! Booking

I just like you | a gay mythI Just Like You

An intimate two-hander about the messy complexities of the contemporary gay dating experience. When these two find themselves drawn to one another, they find that they are looking for different things. One, recently out of a LTR, just wants sex; the other, after a years-long string of hook ups, just wants a LTR again. So they decide to do that progressive thing that gay people do – you know, have a meaningful friendship while also having loads of sex, but without catching feelings. There’s no way that could go wrong, right? Booking

Oy GayOy Gay! The Queer Jewish Comedy Show

'Oy Gay! is hilarious, clever and filthy! These talented comedians charm and entertain whilst exploring faith, community and life, with some classic material that still makes me laugh. Booking

Andrew White (But Not in a Gay Way)Andrew White

Sex. Spreadsheets. Revolution. Andrew White promises it all in an uplifting, hilarious show about discovering, loving, and expressing yourself. Join the flamboyantly repressed young stand-up as he tells stories of accidental orgies, BLM protests, charity shops and how they all kickstarted his ambition to become a gay icon (but not in a gay way). Booking

Chris HallChris Hall and Mark Bittlestone: Two Sour Gay

Yuck! A stand-up comedy show about being gay! And about being vegan (Chris), getting piles (Mark), collecting crystals (Chris), getting piles (Mark), being in love (Chris) and getting piles (Mark). Join social media "sensations" (they have 300k followers, fewer than most cats) Chris Hall and Mark Bittlestone for an hour of jokes, then follow them @chrxstopher.hall and @poofsrus or find them selling their underwear for money on Grindr. Booking

Sex Tips for Straight Women From a Gay ManSex Tips

A Romantic Comedy. With Benefits. Direct from sell-out seasons Off-Broadway NYC and Las Vegas! Voted Best Comedy for Couples, @SexTipsPlay has been sharing its interactive, upbeat brand of comedy with audiences all across America for a decade, taking audiences on a hilarious ride where no topic is taboo and tips come straight from the source: a gay man. Booking

Russell ArathoonRussell Arathoon: The Curious Incidents of the Gay in the Night-Time

Russell's mum believes the whole pandemic is one huge elaborate excuse to get Bradley Walsh more airtime on British TV and Russell is just grateful for a chance to catch up on the Jurassic Park franchise on ITV2. Booking

The MP, Aunty Mandy and MeThe MP

A bittersweet tale of political campaigns, sexual consent and steam trains. Dom wants to be an #InstaGay and #Influencer but it’s hard in a small northern village five miles from the nearest gay. One day, a chance meeting with his MP turns his life upside down. Booking

GayboysGayboys

Two gay men are here to perform for your pleasure. They sigh, pout and flirt, caressing each other and objects from corporations that claim to adore them. Is this simply an intimate session for these boys and their fans, or is something more being consumed? Exhilarated and bewildered by what they are doing, the boys go through the motions, posing and selling themselves, trying to give you exactly what you want. But who's it all really for? Both the celebration and exploitation of queerness take centre stage in this cheeky exploration of contemporary gay male identity. Booking

Sam Morrison: Sugar DaddySam Morrison

US comedian Sam Morrison (The Drew Barrymore Show) grapples with the death of his partner. He makes grief hilarious through tales of love, diabetes and seagull attacks. Sugar Daddy is the highly anticipated follow up to his debut hour that met critical acclaim and was listed as part of the Best Jokes of the Fringe in The Independent. Booking

Why I Hate My PenisWhy I Hate My Penis

Because Grindr hookups never quite go to plan. Because your sister has the perfect boyfriend. Because nobody fucks harder than God. Why I Hate My Penis is a new monologue about the experience of growing up Black and gay from exciting young writer Sam Spencer. Jumping between past and present in a story of family tension, Grindr hook-ups, and closeted romance, Why I Hate My Penis spotlights the experience of growing up Black and gay in a refreshing take on the monologue form from exciting young writer Sam Spencer. Booking

Sam See: Government-Approved SexSam See

During the pandemic, the conservative Singapore government messed up and got a gay comic to run a series of sex and love panels in the National Library. Sam See (Comedy Central, MTV) returns to the Fringe to share what he's learnt in the politest show about sex that you can find. BDSM, men vs women and even stats and facts. Don't worry, it's all government approved. Booking

Soho BoySoho Boy

Young, trendy Spencer leaves home and hits Soho like a whirlwind in a journey of love, laughter, heartbreak and happiness. Working in a clothes store, partying at the weekend and busking on the streets. But all that glitter fades when Spencer finds love and stumbles into the darker side of the neon lights and tight white t-shirts. This modern tale of the gay scene which can be harsh and lonely surrounded by glamour, sex and songs. Booking

Ada Campe: Too Little, Too SoonAda Campe

Variety artiste Ada Campe decided to do some research into her family history during lockdown – and was delighted and intrigued by what she found! Join her for a show about wonderful women, surprising secrets and amphibian water ballets. Booking 

Avenue QAvenue Q

The cast are back and raring to bring this puppet extravaganza to life again. With songs including Fine Fine Line, If You Were Gay and My girlfriend Who lives in Canada! This is a foot-tapping, laugh-out-loud show performed with perfect timing and richness of performance. Booking

Becoming ChavelaBecoming Chavela

Iconic Mexican singer Chavela Vargas – a trailblazer who constantly broke the mold – was edgy in the 1990s and is totally relevant today because her story pushes so many hot topic buttons: gender issues, gay rights, immigration and Mexican culture. Songs of lust and longing and stories of her friendships with Diego Rivera, Frida Kahlo, Liz Taylor and Pedro Almodóvar will intrigue and entertain you. Definitely a woman of substance. Becoming Chavela is a docu-cabaret performance of Chavela’s life and music, set within the art world and social milieu of mid-century Mexico City. Booking

The Chosen HaramThe Chosen Haram

An award-winning queer circus show from an Edinburgh-born artist. The Chosen Haram tells the story of two gay men and the barriers they must overcome. Expect a heady mix of love, drugs and Islam in this unique and complex take on circus. Performed on two Chinese poles this show is emotionally candid with moments of humour and joy. There is no traditional dialogue here – It does not need it. Booking

CottageCottage

One man walks into a public bathroom. Another follows. The play deals with one of the most shameful yet thrilling parts of queer history, setting the dilemma of public sex against the intricacies of private connection. It rejects the modern trends of sanitised queer stories by returning to examine authentic relationships and characters in an unflinching gaze at aspects of gay culture the twenty-first century may prefer to ignore. Booking

Dan Tiernan: CherubDan Tiernan

Dan Tiernan is a gay, Mancunian, dinner lady with dyspraxia but he's also the sweetest little angel that ever lived. After a sell-out run in 2021 Dan has had a big year winning multiple comedy awards whilst constantly resisting the urge to spontaneously join the Royal Marines. Expect 45 minutes of daft, high energy, gag heavy stand-up comedy. Booking

Existential QueerExistential Queer

An hour of raucous queer comedy hosted by award-winning comedians Kate Martin and Daniel Foxx. Join two of the UK’s most exciting new acts as they cover topics from growing up gay to bravely embracing oat milk. And with special guests hand-picked from the best LGBTQ acts at the Fringe, this is a show not to be missed. Whether it’s being mistaken for a man (Kate) or an elderly woman (Daniel), they’re here, they’re queer and they’re doing their best to overcome a deep sense of existential fear. Booking

Fabulett 1933Fabulet

A queer one-person musical featuring music, ideas and lives classified as 'degenerate' by the Nazis as well as original songs. Written and performed by Michael Trauffer and set at the transition from one of the most liberal societies of its time to one of the biggest tragedies in human history, Fabulett 1933 deals with the fragility of society's achievements and the struggle of visibility. Booking

The LOL WordThe LOL Word

Love queer comedy? Bored of cis male comedians? Don't worry, the queer women, trans and non-binary stand-up sensation is back with another epically gay show featuring incredible LGBTQ+ line-ups, absolutely no cis male comics and plenty of punching the patriarchy! The LOL Word is Chloe Petts, Jodie Mitchell, Shelf with special guests every show. Booking

Menkind LIVEmenkind LIVE

There'll be chat about masculinity: what it is, what it does. Straight-vs-gay badinage. Queerness. Profundity. Occasional filth. Sometimes, all of this at once. There'll also be at least one bit where Mark has to explain some dated reference like Sesame Street to his friend. Booking

Nancy Clench: If Your Symptoms Aren’t Life-Threatening, Please Hold!Nancy Clench

She’s back, the 6'5" towering Scottish drag legend Nancy Clench, returns to the Edinburgh Fringe. Expect tales from the pandemic, including her recent sabbatical working as a receptionist at her local doctor’s surgery. She's putting the agony in agony aunt, with her own medical woes involving gout, and as usual, this diva is ready to bestow some wisdom on to you to solve your problems. Booking

Ode To JoyOde to Joy (How Gordon got to go to the nasty pig party)

Gordon is homonormative and fears he might be pathologically boring until he meets Cumpig and Manpussy at a sex party in Leith. When they tell him about Europe's biggest gay sex party in Berlin, Gordon obviously wants to go, but can he really transform into a sex pig? A new LGBTQ play about love, friendship and Schokoladenkuchen. Booking

This Is Not Swan Lake…This Is Not Swan Lake

There is a long way from the love story between Prince Siegfried and the swan princess Odette in Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, to the real-life marriage between Tchaikovsky and his beleaguered wife, Antonina. She was his devoted student at the Moscow Conservatory of Music and madly in love with him but Tchaikovsky was unable to confess that he was gay. In This Is Not Swan Lake..., we meet four dancers in a beautiful, touching and comic show. Dark, strange, unforgettable and with samples of the great score played live. We stand with Ukraine. Booking

Tom DeTrinisTom DeTrinis: I HATE NEW YORK

I HATE NEW YORK is a gay-tastic solo debut from self-professed rage-a-holic, Tom DeTrinis, that offers up a non-stop, hilarious litany of grievances. DeTrinis unmasks his singular views on everything from NYC to his huge family to cheese and finally, to himself. DeTrinis is angry and he wants you to know who, what, where, when and why! Booking

For Queen and CountryFor Queen And Country

Major Denis Rake MC was an actor recruited by Churchill's Special Operations Executive to spy on the Nazis in occupied Paris during WW2. Denis was told to be discreet, so he became a drag queen entertaining Nazi officers in a Parisian nightclub! Writer/director Paul Stone discovered Denis' story while making the BBC TV programme Secret Agent Selection and shines a light on the contribution of the LGBT+ community to WW2. Booking

Abby WambaughAbby Wambaugh and Bronwyn Sweeney

Funny Women finalist and runner-up share the hour in this split bill. Abby tells you all the truthful truth that Abby kind of understands about parenting, gender, fruit and furniture. ‘Tackles what could be a thorny, complex subject of identity with grace, underplayed charm and some great jokes’ (Chortle.co.uk). Bronwyn endeavours to be unforgettable and unskippable unlike the advertising she creates in her day job (everyone’s favourite thing to hate). 'Expect a set packed with natural charisma and full of gags… the finished package’ (Chortle.co.uk). Booking

Aidan Sadler: TropicanaAidan Sadler

Join queer cabaret icon Aidan Sadler as they take you on the award-winning journey to Tropicana! Nothing is safe from ridicule so be led on an exploration of body image, heteronormativity and sometimes wearing a dress round the house on a muggy day. Here, you'll experience belting 80's synth-pop nostalgia punctuated with world class stand-up comedy. Featuring electrifying 80's hits from Spandau Ballet to ABC, Tropicana returns to Fringe from its sell-out, extended run in 2021 to explore, bend and abuse the gender binary. Booking

AlokALOK

ALOK (they/them) is an internationally acclaimed writer, performer and public speaker. This is their new comedy and poetry show. A mixed-media artist, ALOK’s work explores themes of trauma, belonging and the human condition. Booking

And Then The Rodeo Burned DownAnd Then The Rodeo

The rodeo is the best place in the world. Why would someone burn it down? Anyone would be lucky to work there, especially Dale, who’s totally perfectly content with being a rodeo clown. He wouldn’t do a thing like that. Unfortunately, rodeos don’t burn down on their own. More unfortunately, everything is expensive: becoming a cowboy, finding the culprit, and even keeping the lights on. This alleged tale of arson fractures into the story of two clowns desperately trying to afford to put on a show. After all, we don’t have money to burn. Booking

Andrea SpistoAndrea Spisto: El Dizzy Beast

Are you just a teenage dirtbag, baby? Wanna watch weird vids and drink morning coffee with me, maybe? This is a show about a queer, autistic, Latinx, caterpillar on the edge. The edge of ultimate supertransmorphosis? Or the edge of the bed? Booking

Angela Bra: Life LessonsAngela Bra

Singer/songwriter, rising star on social media and part-time primary school music teacher, Miss Angela Bra invites you to share in her words of wisdom as an international online super sensation in the making. An hour of pop tunes, parodies and puns, it’s a shower of silliness in a world all too consumed with what other people think. Booking

Annie And AngelaAnnie and Angela’s Disco Divorce Party

Forty, single and ready to mingle; join lifelong friends, Annie Sup and Angela Bra, for a drag-infused comedy of musical mirth celebrating friendship and new beginnings on a bar crawl full of O-M-Gosh moments you’re unlikely to forget. With original tracks influenced by everything from hip hop to early nineties rave you’ll visit a cocktail bar, meet the local DJ and witness this try-hard party pair’s vision for the future. A new production from the creators of Andy Quirk and Anna J’s First World Problems. Booking

birthday girlBirthday Girl

This is a play about birthdays. It's also about growing up, the future and the inevitability of ageing – a prospect that you are finding increasingly unnerving. At its heart, birthday girl confronts fears of the future and how scary it can feel to grow older. Mixing together various anecdotes of birthdays past, it highlights how important these milestones are. For 45 minutes, we see inside the head of the otherwise unnamed birthday girl. We only know her age and that it is her birthday – other than that, this girl could be anyone, possibly even you. Booking


 

BEAUTY | Official Trailer...

A gifted young Black woman struggles to maintain her voice and identity after she’s offered a lucrative recording contract, setting off a fierce battle between her family, the label, and her closest friend to determine who will guide her as she makes the journey to become a star. Starring Niecy Nash, Giancarlo Esposito, Gracie Marie Bradley and Sharon Stone, BEAUTY is written by Lena Waithe and directed by Andrew Dosunmu.

Watch BEAUTY only on Netflix June 29

My Policeman - Teaser Trailer...

My Policeman, coming to select theaters on October 21 and Prime Video on November 4.

A beautifully crafted story of forbidden love and changing social conventions, My Policeman follows three young people – policeman Tom (Harry Styles), teacher Marion (Emma Corrin), and museum curator Patrick (David Dawson)– as they embark on an emotional journey in 1950s Britain. Flashing forward to the 1990s, Tom (Linus Roache), Marion (Gina McKee), and Patrick (Rupert Everett) are still reeling with longing and regret, but now they have one last chance to repair the damage of the past. Based on the book by Bethan Roberts, director Michael Grandage carves a visually transporting, heart-stopping portrait of three people caught up in the shifting tides of history, liberty, and forgiveness.

Cannes 2022 Awards...

2022_Cannes_Film_Festival

Here are all the winners, the jury were either divided or a bit confused...too many ties!

Palme d'Or (Golden Palm):
Triangle of Sadness directed by Ruben Östlund

Grand Prix (Runner Up):
Close directed by Lukas Dhont
(tied with) Stars as Noon directed by Claire Denis

Jury Prize:
The Eight Mountains (Le Otto Montagne) dir. by Felix van Groeningen & Charlotte Vandermeersch
(tied with) EO directed by Jerzy Skolimowski

Best Director:
Park Chan-wook for Decision to Leave (Heojil Kyolshim)

Best Screenplay:
Tarik Saleh for Boy From Heaven (Walad Min Al Janna)

75th Anniversary Prize:
Tori and Lokita directed by Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne

Camera d'Or (First-Time Filmmaker):
War Pony directed by Riley Keough & Gina Gammell

Best Leading Actress:
Zar Amir-Ebrahimi in Ali Abbasi's Holy Spider

Best Lead Actor:
Song Kang-ho in Hirokazu Koreeda's Broker

Un Certain Regard

Un Certain Regard Prize:
The Worst Ones (Les Pires) directed by Lise Akoka & Romane Gueret

Jury Prize:
Joyland directed by Saim Sadiq

Best Director:
Alexandru Belc for Metronom

Best Screenplay:
Maha Haj for Mediterranean Fever

Best Performance:
Vicky Krieps in Marie Kreutzer's Corsage
(tied with) Adam Bessa in Lotfy Nathan's Harka

«Coup de Cœur » Prize:
Rodeo directed by Lola Quivoron

MOONAGE DAYDREAM - Official Teaser Trailer...

A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie’s creative and musical journey.

From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.

Five years in the making and featuring never-before-seen footage, experience it in theaters and IMAX this Fall.

Bros | Official NSFW Trailer...

Only In Theaters September 30

This fall, Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They're both very busy.

From the ferocious comic mind of Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street, 2019's The Lion King, Difficult People, Impeachment: American Crime Story) and the hitmaking brilliance of filmmakers Nicholas Stoller (the Neighbors films, Forgetting Sarah Marshall) and Judd Apatow (The King of Staten Island, Trainwreck, The Big Sick), comes Bros, a smart, swoony and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with.

Queer Palm 2022 Nominees...

Queer Palm 2022Some very interesting film:

LONGS METRAGES / FEATURES

SELECTION OFFICIELLE / COMPETITION

LES AMANDIERS de Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

CLOSE de Lukas Dhont

ZHENA CHAILOVSKOGO de Kirill Serebrennikov

PACIFICTION de Albert Serra

 

SELECTION OFFICIELLE / UN CERTAIN REGARD

BURNING DAYS de Emin Alper

JOYLAND de Saim Sadiq

LE BLEU DU CAFTAN de Maryam Touzani

RODEO de Lola Quivoron

 

SELECTION OFFICIELLE / SEANCE SPECIALE

RIPOSTE FEMINISTE de Marie Perrenès et Simon Depardon

 

SELECTION OFFICIELLE / SEANCE DE MINUIT

MOONAGE DAYDREAM de Brett Morgen

 

SELECTION OFFICIELLE / CANNES PREMIERE

DODO de Panos H. Koutras

IRMA VEP de Olivier Assayas

CHRONIQUE D’UNE LIAISON PASSAGERE de Emmanuel Mouret

 

QUINZAINE DES REALISATEURS

FEU FOLLET de Joao Pedro Rodrigues

UN VARON de Fabian Hernandez

LES 5 DIABLES de Léa Mysius

LA DÉRIVE DES CONTINENTS (AU SUD) de Lionel Baier

 

COURTS METRAGES / SHORT MOVIES

Sélection officielle

LE FEU AU LAC de Pierre Menahem

GAKJIL de Sujin Moon

 

La Cinef (ex-Cinéfondation)

FENG ZHENG (The Silent Whistle) de LI Yingtong

THE PASS de Pepi Ginsberg

MUMLIFE de Ruby Challenger

 

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

ARIBADA de Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau et Natalia Escobar

Des Jeunes Filles Enterrent Leur Vie de Maïté Sonnet

 

Semaine de la Critique

LAS CRIATURAS QUE SE DERRITEN BAJO EL SOL (Les Créatures qui fondent au soleil) de Diego Céspedes

Will You Look at Me (Dang Wo Wang Xiang Ni De Shi Hou / Regarde-Moi) de Shuli Huang

On Xerxes’ Throne (Sur le trône de Xerxès) de Evi Kalogiropoulou

SWAN DANS LE CENTRE de Iris Chassaigne

HIDEOUS de Yann Gonzalez


 

Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund shortlist 2022...

IRIS PRIZE DOCUMENTARY FILM FUND

Organisers of Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival have today (Wednesday 4 May 2022) announced details of the five shortlisted projects through to the final stage to be the first film commissioned by the new Iris Prize Documentary Film Finance Fund.

The Film Fund is sponsored by FROOT and Aberystwyth University who have committed to invest £20,000 in the final film. The purpose of the fund is to support queer British documentary filmmakers – with a particular emphasis on those from underrepresented groups.

THE FIVE SHORTLISTED FILMS ARE:

The Urban Wolf
Cherish Oteka

Urban Wolf 510x600

Creative documentary that follows a Black and queer person as they challenge society’s and their family’s conditional tolerance of them.


A Chinese love story (working title)
Shanshan Chen

A Chinese Love Story - Iris Prize Documantary

Qiuyan, a Chinese LGBT+ activist in London, fights David’s battle against the goliath of bureaucracy to bring her girlfriend Bling from China while trying to reconcile with her estranged family.


The Cashmere Kids
Tin Vlainić and Brian Mullin

The Cashmere Kids

Long before Queer Eye, the ‘Cashmere Kids’ were a carefree cleaning company run by gay men in the 1970s, redoing London’s finest interiors whilst improvising new lives of sexual liberation.


Sibling
Jay Bedwani

Jay - Documentary Fund

A character led observational documentary following three LGBTQIA+ skate enthusiasts as they navigate male dominated skateparks in the UK.


Some Girls Hate Dresses!
Somina ‘Mena’ Fombo

Promo Facebook Facebook Marketplace 600x600

A nostalgic look into the black British tomboys from yesteryear told through the lens of queer black women who wore the label with pride throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s.


 

FIRE ISLAND | Official Trailer...

Streaming on Hulu June 3...

Set in the iconic Pines, Andrew Ahn's FIRE ISLAND is an unapologetic, modern day rom-com showcasing a diverse, multicultural examination of queerness and romance. Inspired by the timeless pursuits from Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice, the story centers around two best friends (Joel Kim Booster and Bowen Yang) who set out to have a legendary summer adventure with the help of cheap rosé and their cadre of eclectic friends.

Cast: Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora, and Margaret Cho

31st Annual GLAAD Media Awards...part 1...

Here are the first round winners:

Outstanding Film – Wide Release

Eternals (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures) (WINNER)
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Amazon Studios)
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix)
Tick, Tick … Boom! (Netflix)
West Side Story (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

Outstanding Film – Limited Release

Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics) (WINNER)
Breaking Fast 
(Vertical Entertainment)
Gossamer Folds (Indican Pictures)
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson (Wolfe Video)
Plan B (Hulu)
Port Authority (Momentum Pictures)
Shiva Baby (Utopia)
Swan Song (Magnolia Pictures)
Tu Me Manques (Dark Star Pictures)
Twilight’s Kiss (Strand Releasing)

Outstanding Documentary

Changing the Game (Hulu) (WINNER)
“Cured” Independent Lens (PBS)
Flee (NEON)
The Lady and the Dale (HBO)
The Legend of the Underground (HBO)
No Ordinary Man (Oscilloscope Laboratories)
Nuclear Family (HBO)
Pier Kids POV (PBS)
Pray Away (Netflix)
Pride (FX)

Outstanding Comedy Series

Saved by the Bell (Peacock) (WINNER)
Dickinson (Apple TV+)
Gentefied (Netflix)
Love, Victor (Hulu)
The Other Two (HBO Max)
Sex Education (Netflix)
Shrill (Hulu)
Special (Netflix)
Twenties (BET)
Work in Progress (Showtime)

Outstanding New TV Series

Hacks (HBO Max) (WINNER)
4400
 (The CW)
Chucky (Syfy/USA Network)
Harlem (Prime Video)
The Long Call (BritBox)
The Sex Lives of College Girls (HBO Max)
Sort Of (HBO Max)
With Love (Prime Video)
Y: The Last Man (FX)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)

Outstanding TV Movie

Single All the Way (Netflix) (WINNER)
The Christmas House 2: Deck Those Halls 
(Hallmark Channel)
The Fear Street Trilogy (Netflix)
Nash Bridges (USA Network)
Under the Christmas Tree (Lifetime)

Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series

It’s A Sin (HBO Max) (WINNER)
Dopesick 
(Hulu)
Halston (Netflix)
Little Birds (Starz)
Love Life (HBO Max)
Master of None Presents: Moments in Love (Netflix)
Rurangi (Hulu)
Station Eleven (HBO Max)
Vigil (Peacock)
The White Lotus (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1) (WINNER – TIE)
We’re Here (HBO) (WINNER – TIE)

12 Dates of Christmas 
(HBO Max)
Dancing With the Stars (ABC)
Family Karma (Bravo)
I Am Jazz (TLC)
Legendary (HBO Max)
MTV’s Following: Bretman Rock (MTV)
Queer Eye (Netflix)
The Voice (NBC)

Outstanding Breakthrough Music Artist

Lily Rose, Stronger Than I Am (Big Loud Records/Back Blocks Music/Republic Records) (WINNER)
Arlo Parks, Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive Records)
Asiahn, The Interlude (SinceThe80s/Motown Records)
girl in red, if i could make it go quiet (AWAL)
Jake Wesley Rogers, Pluto (Facet/Warner Records)
Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee (Dead Oceans)
Joy Oladokun, in defense of my own happiness (Amigo Records/Verve Forecast/Republic Records)
Lauren Jauregui, Prelude (Attunement Records/AWAL)
Lucy Dacus, Home Video (Matador Records)
VINCINT, There Will Be Tears (Vincint Cannady)

Outstanding Video Game

Life Is Strange: True Colors (Deck Nine Games/Square Enix) (WINNER)
Boyfriend Dungeon
 (Kitfox Games)
Far Cry 6 (Ubisoft)
The Gardener and the Wild Vines (Finite Reflection Studios)
Kena: Bridge of Spirits (Ember Lab)
Psychonauts 2 (Double Fine/Xbox Game Studios)
Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan (ManaVoid Entertainment/Skybound Games)
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege (Ubisoft)
Unpacking (Witch Beam /Humble Games)
UNSIGHTED (Studio Pixel Punk /Humble Games)

Outstanding Comic Book

Crush & Lobo, written by Mariko Tamaki (DC Comics) (WINNER)
Aquaman: The Becoming
, written by Brandon Thomas (DC Comics)
Barbalien: Red Planet, written by Tate Brombal, Jeff Lemire (Dark Horse Comics)
The Dreaming: Waking Hours, written by G. Willow Wilson (DC Comics)
Guardians of the Galaxy, written by Al Ewing (Marvel Comics)
Harley Quinn: The Animated Series – The Eat. Bang! Kill. Tour, written by Tee Franklin (DC Comics)
Killer Queens, written by David M. Booher (Dark Horse Comics)
Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, written by Alyssa Wong (Marvel Comics)
Superman: Son of Kal-El, written by Tom Taylor (DC Comics)
Wynd, written by James Tynion IV (BOOM! Studios) 

Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms, written by Crystal Frasier (Oni Press) (WINNER)
DC Pride [anthology] (DC Comics)
Eighty Days, written by A.C. Esguerra (Archaia/BOOM! Studios)
The Girl From the Sea, written by Molly Ostertag (Graphix/Scholastic)
Girl Haven, written by Lilah Sturges (Oni Press)
I Am Not Starfire, written by Mariko Tamaki (DC Comics)
Marvel’s Voices: Pride [anthology] (Marvel Comics)
Renegade Rule, written by Ben Kahn, Rachel Silverstein (Dark Horse Comics)
The Secret to Superhuman Strength, written by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books/HMH)
Shadow Life, written by Hiromi Goto (First Second/Macmillan)

Outstanding Magazine Overall Coverage

The Advocate (WINNER)
Entertainment Weekly
People
POZ
Variety

Special Recognition

All Boys Aren’t Blue by George M. Johnson [filmed reading + performance]
“Alok Vaid-Menon” 4D with Demi Lovato (Candence13/OBB Sound/SB Projects)
CODED: The Hidden Love of J.C. Leyendecker (Paramount+)
Jeopardy! Champion Amy Schneider
The Laverne Cox Show (Shondaland Audio/iHeartMedia)
Life Out Loud with LZ Granderson (ABC News)
Outsports’ Coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics

SPANISH-LANGUAGE CATEGORIES

Outstanding Spanish-Language Scripted Television Series

Maricón Perdido (HBO Max) (WINNER)
#Luimelia
 (Atresplayer Premium)
Manual Para Galanes (Pantaya)
Pequeñas Victorias (Prime Video)
Todo lo otro (HBO Max)

Outstanding Spanish-Language TV Journalism

“Orgullo LGBTQ: 52 Años de Lucha y Evolución” (Telemundo 47) (WINNER)
“Grupo Firme en Contra del Acoso” Despierta América (Univision)
“El Mes del Orgullo” (CNN en Español)
“Impacto Positivo: Bamby Salcedo” Primer Impacto (Univision)
“Preocupa Exclusión de Niñas Trans en Equipos Femeninos” Hoy Día (Telemundo)


 

BFI Flare 2022...

 BFI Flare 2022

It that fabulous time of the year...BFI Flare 2022, in-person and on-lie.

Unfortunately, we can't be there in-person...but Flare has provided us with a mountain of films to watch and review.

This is our schedule...subject to many changes. And, we aim to watch every short film programme...you should too...they're FREE! 


Day 1...

Boy CultureBoy Culture
by Q. Allan Brocka

We're not going to review this as a web series...because, that would do it a gross injustice.

We saw this as a feature film...and, a mighty fine one it is too!

It's been 15 years since the original production...'X' is older, probably not wiser, a bit jaded and much, much more cynical... those intervening years have certainly put the grit and the wit into the writers' pens.

The returning actors are less edgier...simply because, that's what time does to people. In walks Chayce [with a 'Y', played to-the-hilt by Jason Caceres], he's soc-med savvy, preposterously peppy...and, young, full of cum-and-get-it babies. Quite the he opposite of 'X' - yet, Chayce-with-a-Y becomes his pimp[le]-in-crime on-line. As unlikely as it sounds, this young leading the old, it works. And, in so doing, toppling that old cliché: You can't teach an old dog new tricks - on its head!

Derek Magyar's stone-faced X is deadpan perfect...when his tears well-up, ours do too...it just seems to be such a heartfelt performance.

We're not going to single out any of the 'tricks' - each one has its own merit. Laugh, cry, relate, celebrate, empathise...and, realise...that some people think entirely differently from you, yourself. Now, that's what we call writing!

Kudos to Q. Allan Brocka and Matthew Rettenmund...marvellously matured, mesmerizingly entertaining, madly emotional...brought to you with...with punch, paunch and power!

Roll on the next instalment.


Charli XCX  Alone TogetherCharli XCX: Alone Together
by Bradley Bell & Pablo Jones-Soler

Unlike Lady Gaga, apologies...but, never heard of her! This is - obviously - written by a luddite of contemporary music.

Lady G has her Little Monsters, Charli[e] has her Angels [get it!?!]...both artists are soc-med savvy and both have a massive LGBT fanbase...and, both these ladies understand the power and profit of those Pink pounds, dollars and euros...that really is where the similarities end.

Where Lady G identifies as bisexual, Charli[e] has kept schtum concerning her sexuality...but, it would be fair to say, according to this film, she is quite some way from being a Kinsey 6! 

Basically, this is one of those COVID films, made by and about herself. Mental health during lockdown is fleetingly mentioned...hey, it's always comforting to hear that a multi-millionaire can be just as miserable, cooped up in their luxury mansion...during lockdown!

Bradly & Pablo take credit for the direction, when, in fact, all they really did was compile a load of [mostly] badly-filmed footage...using scissor-and-cellotape methodology. 

All-in-all, this really is a film for Charli[e]'s [millions of] Angels...no-one else. As if she needed anyone else...she's raking it in. Well done to her.


A Distant PlaceA Distant Place
by Kun-Young Park

All is not as tranquil as it seems... 

One-by-one, secrets and lies, internalised and implied homophobia...all start to rear their ugly heads.

This is a slow beauty....gently, and with gentility, peeling back the layers. Park Kun-Young does not spoon-feed, working out the relationships is difficult...but, if you read the synopsis, it will help...our advice is: Don't.

Let this unravelling unravel in its own time...every question will not be answered, a happy ending is never guaranteed...but, it is an incredible and understated watch...at how love and kindness can profoundly change lives, hearts and minds.

Much is left to the imagination. Family is complex, love is complex, relationships are complex...run with these complexities, internalise them and let your imagination run free. And, by filling in the gaps, you will get the full story...in your mind's eye.

What a beautiful, mostly peaceful and complex film this is. This is life. 


 Shorts: Family Affairs - just click on the pic!

Pink & Blue Queer Parivaar How To Raise A Black Boy Baba Birthday Boy The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night


Day 2...

Death And BowlingDeath and Bowling
by Lyle Kash

Okay, here we go...Death and Bowling is undeniably experimental.

The problem with being experimental is - as is too often the case - the filmmaker is the only person who knows what's going on. And, indeed, if that is the case...then, the film really needs a mighty fine aesthetic to keep the audience engaged.

Death and Bowling has a mighty fine aesthetic...phew! The cinematography and composition are worthy of praise. And...the music is absolutely fantastic.

Here comes the tricky part...the narrative. Of course, being experimental, the narrative is never going to be straightforward. There is a story that - quite easily - could have been expanded [all the material and talent - needed - were standing in front and behind the camera]...lengthening the runtime from its measly 64 minutes - too long to be a short, too short to be a feature - an avoidable mistake that might put distributors off.

And, since this is a film about 'being seen' - the bitter irony is that after it completes its festival run, it probably won't be seen by very many people...which is a shame. Niche films are always vulnerable [and prone] to evanescence - streaming platforms have helped immeasurably in resolving this...but, when filmmakers do not use everything available to them...it's always going to be a battle...to be seen, to be heard...to be watched.

Again...more praise...to the trans visibility on show...however, it's just a little more tableau than the portmanteau it, possibly, aspired to be.

Lyle Kash has indisputable talent, it is a striking semi-feature debut. The aesthetic is art, the length problematic...the narrative, a little too contrived...perhaps, that was the point! And we missed!


Long Live My Happy HeadLong Live My Happy Head
by Austen McCowan & Will Hewitt

If there's one film that needs to be seen...it's this one.

Of course, it's emotional. How can it not be? Of course, it's sentimental. Again...how can it not be?

Gordon, an Edinburgh lad, has an inoperable brain tumour [aka Rick]...limiting his life expectancy. His coping mechanisms are not what you'd expect. He has morphed himself into being a voice-of-reason cartoon character in comic books...along with Rick, his nemesis. And, to a certain extent, this film...

And...no, this is not some kind of gloomy video diary of a man's decline. Far from it...it is the exact opposite. This a defiant affirmation of: What does not kill me makes me stronger - of course, he has some dark days, who wouldn't!?! And then, lockdown struck!

And...this goes out to all those who posted 'I'm so bored' videos on YouTube...only the boring get bored! Gordon created...and, he spent his 40th birthday on his own...in one of the most personal and emotionally charged scenes in the film.

Loneliness is a difficult kettle-of-fish altogether...imagine if your only companion through Lockdown was Rick?!? Doesn't that put everything into perspective? If it doesn't, it should!

Ultimately, Long Live My Happy Head is about care, creativity, support...and, love. Gordon loves and is loved...he calls himself lucky. Well, it's us, the audience, we're lucky to have made you acquaintance. Thank you for letting us in...for sharing and for showing us that glint in your eye. Cheeky :)


ManscapingManscaping
by Broderick Fox

Two barbers and an artist...discuss hair, above, below and beyond!

Not quite sure where Devan Shimoyama fits into the grand scheme of things...but, he does have hair and he - most definitely - has something to say...and, art to show.

Jesse Anderson has recognised a few gaps in the market and is exploiting those gaps to the best of his abilities and client's delight...where else could you get a haircut, bound and packed at the same time?

And, last but by no means least...there's Richard Savvy [Dick Savvy, is that really his real name!?! Hysterical], the naked barber! You can either sit in his chair or swing in his sling...all in the name of personal grooming!

It's an entertaining and enlightening wee film about something that most of us take for granted - an non-traumatic, something for the weekend trip to the barbers. 

These barbers are offering much more...a safe space. And, for that, they can only be congratulated and frequented...y'all now know where to go when your hair is in dire straits and you just happen to be in Sydney! 


Shorts: There Is No Place Like Home - just click on the pic!

All Those Sensations In My Belly Between Us Everyman Motherhood Odehimin Prayers For Sweet Waters Stories Keep Me Awake At Night


Day 3...

North By CurrentNorth by Current
by Angelo Madsen Minax

Why!?!

By the time all the facts are revealed and the credits roll, there are so many 'whys' - none of them are answered.

The biggest 'why' is...why would you want to trash your own family, your sister especially? Because, this is an absolute hatchet job. So much so...if Social Services were to see this, Jesse [the filmmaker's sister] will probably have her children taken from her. The evidence is all here - documented and exhibited by her sibling.

It is for this reason that no review of this film will be forthcoming. But...ethical filmmaking and the moral responsibilities of filmmakers are issues that need to be raised, be made aware of...and, adhered to.

One person's catharsis can be an other person's condemnation. Discuss.


BoulevardBoulevard! A Hollywood Story
by Jeffrey Schwarz

There's a great big elephant in this room that everyone seems to ignore...in fact, there are two! Gloria Swanson couldn't sing and the songs are absolutely atrocious. But, it would seem, her star shone so brightly...no-one dared tell her...or, they were too scared to tell her!

Which makes this story all the more entertaining...but, wait for it, the fun doesn't stop there. Gloria becomes Norma, falls for a closeted gay man who has written the lyrics to the tunes written by his soon-to-be dumped boyfriend.

Yes, the ill-fated Boulevard was destined to be ill-fated from the beginning. Jeffrey Schwarz has meticulously uncovered thought-to-be lost material that could quite easily become a madcap musical comedy...today! Go on...make it!

Sunset Boulevard is deemed to be one of the best films ever made. Norma Desmond, one of the best characters created...if you haven't seen the performance...well, you are missing out on one of the campest, most theatrical performances ever to have hit the silver screen. This unearthing of what happened next just adds to the allure of the film and its star.

Stuff that cinematic legends are made from!


Shorts: Paths to Love - just click on the pic!

Firsts Fisherman My Almost First Time Stockholm Tomorrow Then Virgin My Ass


Day 4...

InvisibleInvisible: Gay Women in Southern Music
by T.J. Parsell

Who would have thought that behind many a great country song there stood - in the shadow - a woman, a gay woman at that!?! Well, there a quite a few in this macho, male-dominated industry...and they have many a story to tell and many more great songs to sing.

So...sit back and prepare yourself for an onslaught of emotion...and, rage - at the talent lost.

It would be unfair to single anyone out...all have incredulous stories, all have momentous songs. The highlights are frequent...the women sitting around a table having a wee impromptu jam, Linda Ronstadt being serenaded and, that harmonica!

There are stories to make your jaw drop, songs that will cause your tears to fly rather than flow...T.J. Parsell has done these women and [their] country music a massive justice...by giving them this platform and, by gosh, do they all step up to the plate!

There are two commons threads that have excluded these women from their deserved place in the limelight...men and church. It's time these twisted threads are unravelled and permanently cut...

Screw Nashville, screw Country Radio, screw the church!

Rather than being called Invisible...this film should have been called 'Invincible' - because that is exactly what all these women are...it's time to take your rightful place...in the limelight. We'll be watching and listening and crying and rejoicing.

A fantastic film.


Fragrance Of The First FlowerFragrance of the First Flower
by Angel Han Teng

As many of you may know...we are not the greatest fans of the web series genre. There have been [and will be] a few exceptions...alas, this is not one of them!

But, since it has been presented at BFI: Flare - of course, we had to watch...the 1st episode showed promise, the 2nd episode killed it stone dead - at least, for us.

Dire dialogue, an obvious man-hating agenda...followed by, a coincidence that even Nostradamus couldn't dream up. The pace is slow, the production values are pretty high for a web series...it tries, and quite possibly succeeds, in having that day-time soap aesthetic [minus the camp]...with performances and script to match.

If daytime soaps are your thing...then, this will - most definitely - be your thing...minus the camp!


Jimmy In Saigon FlareJimmy in Saigon
by Peter McDowell

All families have secrets. Most families have a pain they never want to re-visit...even for the sake of closure.

Peter McDowell needed closure...for the big brother, he barely knew. For his family.

Imagine...being drafted into the military, sent to Vietnam, tour completed, sent back home...only to return as a civilian as the war roared on. Jimmy McDowell did all that...the tragedy is, he never came back home. He died, in Saigon, aged 24...leaving behind a slew of unanswered questions...and, for his family, an undiscussed and hidden shame.

Patience, perseverance and many a platitude later, Jimmy's story starts to unfold. There were letters, addresses, photographs and suspicions to help with Peter's investigation. All he had to do was piece them all together and fill in the gaps...easier said than done! There was a war raging then and time has a way of forgetting - trips to France and Vietnam yielded little, apart from walking the same streets, staring at the same walls as his brother had...all those years ago.

After a major breakthrough, a second trip to Saigon...brings about a connection, a confirmation...and, ultimately, for that elusive closure that was so needfully sought.

An animation provides a jolt...of what could have been and, hopefully, was. The power of photographs will astound, not only for the emotions they stir up...but, for the company, comfort and companionship they offer.

Peter McDowell persisted where many would have given up...there's an aching love that runs throughout this film...hopefully, that ache has dulled a little, now that Jimmy's story has been told. This is eulogy. This is investment. This is love.

To Jimmy and Dũng...rest now. 


Shorts: Strength in Vulnerability - just click on the pic!

Fever Shams The Floating World The Protector Trinity 2021


Day 5...

Being BeBeBeing Bebe
by Emily Branham

There's much more than just a face, behind the make-up of a drag Queen...

BeBe Zahara Benet is an exception, there's much, much more behind the make-up! Sit back, Gin-ax, loosen those belt buckles...because, this ain't the ride you're going to expect!

Way back then...no-one knew that RuPaul's Drag Race would become as big as it is now. Way back then, no-one knew if there was even going to be a second series! Well...there was...and, the rest, as the say, is herstory!

You can almost hear RuPaul say: Lookie here, My girl is all grown up! The tried and tested formula that is Drag Race now...was only being tried and tested then...and, BeBe  came out on top...winning $10,000, not the 100k it is today!

Just like the prize money, Drag - around the world - has grown exponentially...thanks to RuPaul. Drag, as an artform, started to be recognised. But, what happens to a Drag Queen after the show is over? Remember there were no Las Vegas shows nor spin-offs to rely on. BeBe had a title [that didn't pay the bills] and an ambition [that could, possibly, pay the bills]. Success [for BeBe] was more critical than it was financial. And, honey, criticism sure don't pay those bills!

And then came AllStars 2018...BeBe didn't win...but, it put her back on the international stage and a permanent seat on the Drag Race express. AllStars was seen, by some, as a money-making anomaly...to some...as Drag altruism!

Being BeBe glides from the past to the present, flies back and forth from the USA to Cameroon, goes from family and friends to stages and nightclubs and back again...with ease. BeBe's wit, warmth and intelligence shine through at every stage. There's no delusion, just the realism that this Drag Superstar is a giant...one whose shoulders the younger princesses will stand upon.


The SwimmerThe Swimmer
by Adam Kalderon

Something went slightly wrong on this swimmer's journey from page to screen.

What could have been a gritty insight into the world of elite sportsmen...isn't! This is more homo-erotic than homo-sport...look, if you are going to get to the top of your chosen sport, it's not only talent that will get you there...single-mindedness, psychological strength and a dog-eat-dog mentality are all the obligatory requirements needed. Without one, it's simply a house of cards.

Erez ain't gonna make it...it's startling clear from the moment his pre-occupation...with a certain part of his own body and certain parts of the other swimmers' bodies...starts to take over.

This is a handsome film...in more ways than one! The cinematography, music and colour palette are as vibrant as the closing scene. A fantastically stylistic scene which showed what Adam Kalderon is capable of...had he adopted more of this stylistic approach from the beginning, The Swimmer could have been less the pretty montage it is...rather than the cutthroat competition it could have been.

Still, it is very easy on the eye! 


Shorts: Out Here Livin’ - just click on the pic!

A Fox In The Night Dogfriend For Love Fuck Em Right Back Masquerade Taffeta


Day 6...

The End Of WonderlandThe End of Wonderland
by Laurence Turcotte-Fraser

Just let Tara get on and do it!

Whether it be sticking some kind of object into an orifice, replacing shingles, filming a [potential] cult-porn classic...or, restoring old classic cars...Tara is the woman to do it. Oh...and, she can draw!

There's no dust on Tara, she never remains still enough for any to settle...with so many projects on-the-go, she's a woman-in-demand, the most demanding being herself!

Realistically, she knows she's not getting any younger. Realistically, she's aware that her on-line porn cash-cow could be coming to an end. And, realistically, she's non-delusional about the [potential] success of her up-coming sci-fi feature, trans-porn extravaganza...or, its titanic flop!

So...her decision to end [her] wonderland was more a case of financial prudence than fanciful folly. She's a business woman who is well aware that - in the not too distant future - she will lose her USP! Make hay while the sun shines and line your pockets for your own security.

This is a portrait of Tara that Tara created. There are no lewd tales, nothing personal...which may sound a little ironic since she does expose every part of her anatomy...rather lewdly. Compartmentalise! That's her job...this is her...and, she doesn't, nor needs to, give too much away.

Eccentricity can be fun...growing up, no matter how late in life you do it...can be traumatic. As expected, Tara deals with it pragmatically...

Clutter gone, the woman remains. A fantastic [and entertaining] portrait of one of our world's 'uniques'. 


This Is Not MeThis is Not Me
by Saeed Gholipour

Roll on the day, when documentaries like this one, will cease to be made...

No matter where you are in the world, transition is a process...a process that is designed to safeguard the health and well-being of the person seeking to transition. Shervin and Samar have been served misinformation regarding the process as it is in the West.

By opening the film with a rather fractious lecture, sets the tone of the film from the off. Two people, seeking transition, divided by age and maturity, unified in nationality and Iran's - not as harsh as you would expect - trans policy and procedure - which really is a bit of a Catch 22, which, unfortunately, the filmmaker decides not to explore. An avenue that would have rendered this film far more interesting than it is.

Instead, two individuals demanding to transition - asap - without any regard or respect for the due process - that's really about it...oh, one practically bankrupts their family in doing so.

Let's just say...it is not a film you would want to watch again! 


Shorts: Sweet Melodies - just click on the pic!

Foxglove Little Sky Nasir Yaha Waha 


Day 7...

Camila Comes Out TonightCamila Comes Out Tonight
by Inés María Barrionuevo

This turns on so many pinheads...

Camila is no pushover, quite the opposite...cross her at your peril! This is neither a sexual awakening nor a coming-of-age, these kids - young adults - are all extremely mature, know what they want, know where they are going, know when they have f*&ked up!

Being a school drama, of course...there has to be the toxic bully. Here, he is more the privileged alpha male...and, has an immunity that will have you screaming at the screen! But...revenge is a dish best served cold...his comeuppance is not the expected smackdown. This is a statement...delivered with pride, power and committed defiance.

This is a beautifully composed film, the colour palette alone completes the aesthetic - but, seriously, the cinematography is art. Inés María Barrionuevo has steered her young cast through a story that never fails to surprise with its twists and turns. There are so many subdued highlights...but, Camila's conversation with her mother is a gem among gems.

A slow burner to begin with...then, when it starts to sizzle, it scorches! Damn fine filmmaking. 


Framing Agnes FlareFraming Agnes
by Chase Joynt

When a short film becomes a feature...there is only one question that needs to be answered: Did the short deserve to be developed into a feature?

The answer here is...clearly...yes. There is an archive full of material that needs to be heard and seen. That's the positive...however, the negatives are too numerous to ignore.

Contemporary transference is a major problem...the thrusting of personal interpretations [and opinions] onto those who went before is nothing but a form of revisionism...and, revisionism has the power to mislead, misguide and misinform. Of course, trans history is important, has to be heard, has to be researched, has to be taught...but, all under that giant banner academic called...objectivity. Otherwise, it all becomes a replica of Hollywood's historical bullshit.

There is one voice-of-reason...Jules Gill-Peterson provides a scholarly commentary to the fantasist's approach that dominates the screen...perhaps, the academic aspect to the film could have been spread across a few more academics!?! One academic's 'opinion' comes perilously close to being subjective!

Look...the difficulty with this film is balance. Too much academia, there goes the audience-at-large. Too little...there goes the academics and, quite possibly, the niche audience! Everything presented ends with an 'I think' - let the audience think for themselves...by presenting the facts...without unnecessary gimmicks, the chat-show format...just bizarre.

Transference and projection are not the ways to tell these histories...by doing so, they serve a disrespect and an injustice to the person, their memory...and, to their story.

Chase Joynt has done this before with No Ordinary Man - the here-and-now is not the then-and-there...it never will be. Think ahead...how would you like your story to be told? Fantastically or factually? 


UltravioletteUltraviolette and the Blood-Spitters Gang
by Robin Hunzinger

The title seems to suggest something quite different to what is presented. Thoughts of a BDSM extravaganza were soon put to right after a few seconds of viewing.

Instead...a fascinating tale of two young women, for one is was a fling, for the other...the real thing! Talk about high maintenance...Marcelle is unrelenting. By today's standards, she would be charged with stalking...via incessant remittance! Trolling old-style!

And...in return, Marcelle was 'ghosted' by Emma. There's no wonder as to why!

A few wee quibbles...the narration ought to have been split between two or more voices, the contemporary music sits oddly with the visuals...and, the bikini wasn't invented until 1946!

But...there's no denying the artistry and creative processes involved in getting this story onto the screen. It is totally one-side though...Marcelle's ever-increasing desires, conquests and tragedies are laid bare...leaving behind more questions than answers...the evidence for the prosecution and in her defence are given entirely over to the audience...to make their own mind's up.

Was she a strong woman? Or, an emotional blackmailer? Or, a manipulator? Or, a lovelorn woman grasping at straws? All, one, none?

A sad tale...beautifully, creatively and artistically told. 


Shorts: Now and Forever - just click on the pic!

And Then Do This For Me His Eyes Make Me A King Meet Me There Snuff 


Day 8...

NicoNico
by Eline Gehring

What a frustrating film this is!

Why? Because...it needed one thing to erase the two problems that stops it from being an absolute great film.

One extra [final] scene...it would have lengthened the measly 69 minute runtime [10 minutes of closing credits is ridiculous]...and, more importantly, delivered the sucker-punch that this film so desperately needed. It ends with a puny grunt, rather than an air-punching cheer! With this film...you really do want to cheer...all the ingredients are there, in place...it's just bamboozling how 3 writers cannot see what is so obvious...alas, it's a common problem, when short film writers make that giant leap into the world of feature length!

Sara Fazilat is fantastic...she wears her heart-of-gold on her sleeve and leaves - wherever she goes - a wake of joy behind her...that is, unless you are an impatient driver!

As a statement on xenophobia, the writers could have taken this much, much further - but, the statement it does deliver is [still] loud and clear...although, it should have been louder! Deafening even. There is no police involvement which is an odd omission by the writers...all incidents of Hate Crime have to be reported to the police - it's an obvious avenue to explore...whether they take it seriously or not.

When a director [and writers] manage to get the audience on their side, not as easy as it sounds...the difficulty is, delivering what they want...otherwise, they'll leave baying at the moon...as is the case here

Nico is a mighty fine wee film as it is...incomplete. It's like a fantastic 1000-piece jigsaw with two missing pieces!


Wet SandWet Sand
by Elene Naveriani

What an odd way to tell a story...via human puppets!

Everything is so staged and wooden - even the walking looks acted. You can see the [obvious] blocking and hear the direction...it's as if Elene Naveriani was summoning the ghost of Fassbinder...albeit with better production values!

Without a doubt, this is an overt mocking of small-town mentality - where tradition will always trump diversity. It could have worked if the two city-types weren't so animatronic and expressionless. Apart from the bleached hair and the police uniform, there really is no differentiation between these two vastly disparate worlds.

As a statement about Georgia's troubled past, present and future...and, this could be stretching the metaphor too far...to attain the country's asap aspiration [to accede into the EU]...it desperately needs to adapt and accept the modernity that comes with membership. Geographically speaking, Georgia is vulnerable and Russia still occupies 20% of the country...it's an interesting concept, how incoming people are perceived...as invaders, allies, occupiers or guests?

Wet Sand is all secrets and lies...an old love story is pitted against a blossoming one...the old was hidden, the new is brazen...it really does scream: Out with the old, in with the new.

It is a terrifically complex film...the puppetry is problematic...but, in the film's defence, you never know who actually is pulling the strings...here, it's the director. In real life, in Georgia...it's the State versus the Church versus the Occupiers!

An interesting and odd way to tell a story! 


Dawn, Her Dad & The TractorDawn, Her Dad & the Tractor
by Shelley Thompson

If you are not trans yourself, you are stepping into an uncharted minefield, when you decide to make a film about a trans experience!

Choose your words carefully...or, you might be cancelled. Justify why you are the right person for the job...or, you will be cancelled. In recent times, many productions have been cancelled...most notably, Scarlett Johansson's Rub & Tug - and then, there was the boycotting hoo-ha that Rhys Ernst’s Adam caused - and that was made by a transman! We could cite many more examples...but, it's fair to say, the trans film genre is as fickle as a petrified, politically correct chameleon!

So...this here film is Shelley Thompson's debut feature, about a transwoman returning back to her rural home...for the first time since her transition. Aaargh! Minefield! You can almost hear the toxicity spewing forth from the PC brigade!

Is Shelley Thompson trans? No. Cancel! Boycott! But...she does have a trans son. A precarious calm descends upon the brigade...this could go either way!

Dawn, Her Dad & the Tractor will - most definitely - surprise the brigade, because of what it's not. It's not a film about transitioning. There are no discussions about surgeries, hormones, hardships and all the palaver that usually comes with a trans film. This is a good old, wholesome, family drama...replete with the hateful bigot and the adorable buffoon! Hey, it's de rigeur...in every family drama - you've got to have conflict and comic relief...the brigade are wavering, teetering on the edges of their collective seating arrangement, readying themselves...to explode!

Whispers of...white, middle-class are rustling under breaths, how clean is that farm and his dungarees! The brigade are getting agitated...idealism is just not their thing...nor, are tractors!

Look...if Hallmark were to make a film about transition...this would be it. Innocuous and shamelessly sentimental...it's just a different way [and, from a different perspective] to tell a story...by an ally...and, we all need allies, whether you like tractors or not! 


Shorts: Where Do We Go From Here? - just click on the pic!

Come Fervor Private Photos ReFeel Successful Thawing Of Mr Moro Ants Flare


Day 9...

The First FallenThe First Fallen
by Rodrigo de Oliveira

There will be tears.

For some unknown reason, it is impossible to get a fairly accurate figure for global HIV/AIDS deaths - according to unaids.org, 36.3 million [27.2 million–47.8 million] people have died from AIDS-related illnesses since the start of the epidemic.

The First Fallen is the story of just three lives lost. Terrified, isolated and powerless, they each clung onto life with every fibre of their deteriorating being...they became their own doctors, their own nurses.

How many Declarations of Geneva were ignored? How many Hippocratic oaths were broken? As many, in the medical profession, refused to treat those who needed their help most...

Rodrigo de Oliveira's film doesn't shy away from the inhumanity. It's a tough, intense watch...especially for those who remember and those who lost. And...for those who helped, for those who turned their backs. Because, believe it or not, backs were turned in gay bars and clubs throughout the world.

The first to fall...think, what must have they gone through! This is a glimpse.

And...the resonance this film has today, rings out...many people have led their entire adult lives in a pandemic...36.3 million lost theirs.

Tears flow...still and always. 


WildhoodWildhood
by Bretten Hannam

From the mighty fine short film - Wildfire - comes a fine feature.

What this film desperately needed was a script editor to highlight the few inconsistencies and improbabilities...but, when the budget is this tight, a few links - invariably - become loose in the chain. Thankfully, not loose enough to break it!

There is much to admire...the cinematography, on this kind of a budget, is beyond impressive. The score...it just needed more!

The performances are all solid...with young Avery Winters-Anthony being the only actor to reprise his role. Chemistry, between the two leads, had to be vital...and, as understated as it is...it is. The beautifully lit [and edited] sex scene is testament to good taste and unharried filmmaking.

Mi'kmaq culture could have been shown more...with a powwow, which was sign-posted and expected...but, damn budget constraints, never appeared.

But...what Wildhood really needed was the defiant stand-off that Wildfire had...it really would have been that defining moment, the point when the boy becomes his own man...cutting and tying the ties that bound and bind.

Bretten Hannam has to be congratulated and applauded for what he has done with his short film. It really is fascinating to see how 12 minutes can be developed [rather than stretched] into something more worthwhile than ample. Wildhood is a fine feature...it could have done with a bit more fire! 


Shorts: Everything Changes - just click on the pic!

Borekas Dash Freed Makassar Is A City For Football Fans Sunday Warsha Coin Slot


Day 10...

I Am The TigressI am the Tigress
by Philipp Fussenegger & Dino Osmanoviç

Never judge a book by its cover...but, alas, many people do!

How are you perceived? As opposed to...how do you think you are perceived? 

Tischa Thomas has no doubt how she is perceived. She is verbally assaulted on - what sounds like - a daily basis...simply because of the way she looks and how she presents herself. Although...she is not trans, she is subjected to transphobic vitriol...and, that vitriol could easily spill into violence - that is, if she wasn't a mountain of hard-won muscle. The cruelty of cowards!

Tischa Thomas' self-perception is a different story entirely...a fighter, a survivor, a grandmother, an under-appreciated doyenne. She's heterosexual, fierce and realistic...born in 1970, she has to be, every athlete has a sell-by date!

I Am the Tigress is up close and personal, nothing seems to be off limits - although, some things undoubtedly are! Even her less salubrious proclivities are hung out for all to see...obviously staged...but, entertaining in a NSFW sort of way!

Positivity and pragmatism reign supreme in this portrait...even in the face of defeat and derision. Her message is clear, don't mess with this tigress, she'll either eat you or lick you...it all depends on how you present yourself to her!


It Runs In The FamilyIt Runs in the Family
by Victoria Linares Villegas

There's nothing quite like a bit of vicarious self-reflection...

Like all memories, they are subject to embellishment and/or deprecation as time marches on...Victoria Linares Villegas attempts to halt that deterioration, face the facts and present them as they now are...and, in doing so, she transfers herself into the story and it all becomes a bit of a vanity project.

Had the filmmaker not been distantly related to her subject...then, this is a film that would never have been made. This is a personal portrait, drawn rather sketchily with those vicarious overtones...there's too much waffle and not enough detail. Self-indulgence is never far away.

Bringing melodrama into a documentary is - quite frankly - bizarre and frustrating. “My memories of my childhood are disappearing,” states the director [and she's only in her 20s]...whoopie-do, that's what happens, memory is not infinite.

But...the drawing of parallels between herself and her [distant] relative [who died decades before she was born] is ludicrous. She has not been erased as - allegedly - her relative had been...there's a big difference between forgetting and erasure! Then [and, in many countries, still now] anti-governmental politics and homosexuality are two things that guarantee serious trouble...Oscar Torres probably fled for his life, for a better life. The director calls it familial erasure...we call it, wise flight [aka: emigration].

Less about the 'me' and more about the 'him' - may have yielded a far more interesting film.


Gateways GrindGateways Grind
by Jacquie Lawrence

Well...what a delight this turned out to be. Who would have thought that a documentary about a women-only, defunct bar could be this entertaining!?!

And, entertaining it is...due to Sandi Toksvig's jolly presentation and wry narration. The Gateways club may have been reduced into history...but, with a bevy of notable customers and immortalised by being featured in The Killing of Sister George...it's place in history is safe and secure.

So, what went on Behind the Green Door? [yes, that's what the song is about, seemingly]...

Maggie Hambling, with her eternal fag, makes an appearance and is hysterical...

The right height...could get you an orgasm...so says, the LGBT poet laureate!

Lesbian bars and club come and go, short-lived and forgotten...anyone remember The Candy Bar??? The Gateways will always be remembered. For over 40 years it was a haven, a sanctuary...ran by a 'couple' of matriarchs who both had a wealth of 'experiences' worth telling.

If those walls could talk, this could be a whole series. Aaaw, sadly, they can't...but, this film will certainly whet every nostalgic appetite out there.

Satisfaction guaranteed. 


Shorts: Drawn Together - just click on the pic!

Coded Frozen Out Ob Scena Prosopagnosia Saintmaking There Is A Paradise


Day 11...

The Sound Of Scars

The Sound of Scars
by Leigh Brooks

As they say...time is a great healer!

Knowing absolutely nothing about this kind of music, never even heard of Life of Agony - the name alone is a little off-putting...so, watching this is either fearless intrepidation or utter foolishness!

Well...the surprises come thick and fast. Firstly, this not about the music [phew]. Secondly, there are no massive egos floating around. This is hardcore humanity wrought from the wrong side of the track...young lads doing whatever they can to escape, to survive.

Not exactly a rags-to-riches tale, this is an emotional rollercoaster through three decades of highs and lows, friendships and feuds. How we all change in 30 years! Hopefully...for the better. Time gives all of us the opportunity to reflect, maturity affords us the ability to forgive.

From where they were...to where they are now is cast-iron proof of the indomitable human spirit. Inner happiness has been found and they are happier together than apart...

A formidable film about friendship.


 SedimentsSediments
by Adrian Silvestre

Feminism, sexism...egomania - not what was expected at all!

6 degrees of transition...take 6 trans women, their commonality is that they are trans and that is what they have in-common stops. With different ages, backgrounds and herstories, these women have their own voices and opinions and they are not afraid to speak out and be heard.

Part fly-on-the-wall, part docu-drama, part travelogue...Adrian Silvestre's film is an unexpected joy. It's not all plain sailing though, there are conflicts and controversies...especially between Yolanda and Cristina. But, ultimately, bonds are forged and friendships made. These similar but different walks of life come together for a brief moment in time and with differing wisdoms and rhythms, no doubt, each and all will return to their own path...possibly empowered, probably relieved...we're not so different after all.

An absolutely fascinating film that leaves its audience stronger together than apart. 


Shorts: Parallel Lives - just click on the pic!

Losing Joy Octopus Queer Rural Connections Bingo Queens 

The Meaning Of Daisey The Piss Witch Too Rough Still We Thrive


Day 12... 
The World To ComeThe World to Come
by Mona Fastvold

Period drama on a tight budget is always going to be an uphill struggle. But, when the story is overly familiar and overtly predictable, that struggle becomes even more arduous.

Obviously, comparisons are going to be made with Ammonite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire - but, that's not where the familiarity ends, Brokeback Mountain seems to have had a rather generous influence on Jim Shephard's short story. His [and Ron Hansen's] script has been overly stretched by the director...there's too much of nothing, scenes of unnecessary domesticity simply slow the film down to a snail's pace.

What this film desperately needed was a bit more grit, spit and grime...they are poor farmers in the back of beyond...with perfect coifs and perfectly polite manners! The many anachronisms are distracting, none more so than the soundtrack...call it Jazz, call it whatever you want, it's cacophonous and out of kilter with the film's mood.

Some short stories should remain short stories, preserving the subjective power of the mind's eye. Mona Fastvold's interpretation seems to contemporise rather than authenticate.


The Law Of LoveThe Law of Love
by Barbora Chalupová

The homophobic hate that is spewed throughout this film should be an urgent cause and case for concern and action...especially for the [impotent] powers of the European Union.

Newer members of the Union [i.e. Eastern Europe] have joined with absolutely no intention of following all the rules...namely the European Convention on Human Rights. This is NOT an optional membership perk. This is law. Yet, they flout it with little to no recrimination.

Each person who spewed their hate on-screen should be identified, charged and brought to trial...this hate has spread throughout Europe like a virus...freedom of movement = freedom to hate. The church has to be completely exorcised from the State...otherwise this venom will persist, spread and grow.

There are some who stand defiant for Equality...there are many who leave to find Equality elsewhere. Those who remain do so out of patriotic pride and duty...to help, to change, to improve...for themselves, for others and for the younger generations. And...they do so with dignity and intelligence...indeed, it's an uphill battle. But, if you keep on chipping away, there will be a level playing field someday, you just have to believe. Without belief...where would all we be? How ironical is that!?!

A good place to start is by dismantling those hate-fuelled religious institutions brick-by-brick...by disassociating them from the State and coercing them into facing the full might of European Law.

Respect to those who remain and for those who fight.


Shorts: Once More, With Feeling - just click on the pic!

Minutes Noor & Layla Silver And Gold The Beginning & The Middle This Is Katharine A Wild Patience Has Taken Me Here


The Tumbler Flare Blastogenese X Death Race Space Is Quite A Lot Of Things The Glorious Ones


These are the films we've watched and reviewed...just click on the picture.

Great Freedom Flee The Novice Walk With Me Flare

Benediction Bruno Reidal The Divide Cop Secret

Moneyboys Parallel Mothers Everything At Once Private Desert

 


And here are the films that we would love to watch...but, not available to us. So if you want your film reviewed, send us a screener!

Girl Picture Besties Esther Newton Made Me Gay Fanny

The Outlaws I Want To Talk About Duras Passion Sublime

The Perfect David Sirens In From The Side Tramps

And...the short films we weren't able to watch...

Coming Out With The Help Of A Time Machine Rosa Ferran Navarro Beltran It Is Not The Brazilian El Video Two Spirit

Beirut Dreams in Colour / Kabibi / Know the Grass


 

BAFTA Film Awards nominations 2022...and, Winners...

Oooh...gotta say...they missed out quite a few films and included some weird surprises...

Licorice Pizza is dreadful...

House of Gucci is pants...

And, please, someone explain The Power of the Dog...Benedict Cumber-knicker-sniffing-Batch walking like Charlie Chaplin with swollen balls!?!

Anyway...here are all the [mostly unremarkable] films...


Best Film

Belfast

Don’t Look Up

Dune

Licorice Pizza

The Power of the Dog

Outstanding British Film

After Love

Ali & Ava

Belfast

Boiling Point

Cyrano

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

House of Gucci

Last Night in Soho

No Time to Die

Passing

Leading Actress

Lady Gaga – House of Gucci

Alana Haim – Licorice Pizza

Emilia Jones – CODA

Renate Reinsve – The Worst Person in the World

Joanna Scanlan – After Love

Tessa Thompson – Passing

Leading Actor

Adeel Akhtar – Ali & Ava

Mahershala Ali – Swan Song

Benedict Cumberbatch – The Power of the Dog

Leonardo DiCaprio – Don’t Look Up

Stephen Graham – Boiling Point

Will Smith – King Richard

Supporting Actress

Caitríona Balfe – Belfast

Jessie Buckley – The Lost Daughter

Ariana DeBose – West Side Story

Ann Dowd – Mass

Aunjanue Ellis – King Richard

Ruth Negga – Passing

Supporting Actor

Mike Faist – West Side Story

Ciarán Hinds – Belfast

Troy Kotsur – CODA

Woody Norman – C’mon C’mon

Jesse Plemons – The Power of the Dog

Kodi Smitt-McPhee – The Power of the Dog

Best Director

Aleem Khan – After Love

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car

Audrey Diwan – Happening

Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza

Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog

Julia Ducournau – Titane 

EE Rising Star Award - voted for by the public

Lashana Lynch

Ariana DeBose

Millicent Simmonds

Harris Dickinson

Kodi Smit-McPhee

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer

After Love

Boiling Point

The Harder They Fall

Keyboard Fantasies

Passing

Film Not in the English Language

Drive My Car - Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Teruhisa Yamamoto

The Hand Of God - Paolo Sorrentino, Lorenzo Mieli

Parallel Mothers - Pedro Almodóvar, Agustín Almodóvar

Petite Maman - Céline Sciamma, Bénédicte Couvreur

The Worst Person In The World - Joachim Trier, Thomas Robsahm

Documentary

Becoming Cousteau - Liz Garbus, Dan Cogan

Cow - Andrea Arnold, Kat Mansoor

Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström

The Rescue - Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, Jimmy Chin, John Battsek, P. J. van Sandwijk

Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, David Dinerstein, Robert Fyvolent, Joseph Patel

Animated Film

Encanto - Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Yvett Merino, Clarke Spencer

Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen. Monica Hellström

Luca - Enrico Casarosa, Andrea Warren

The Mitchells Vs The Machines - Mike Rianda, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller

Original Screenplay

Aaron Sorkin – Being the Ricardos

Kenneth Branagh – Belfast

Adam McKay – Don’t Look Up

Zach Baylin – King Richard

Paul Thomas Anderson – Licorice Pizza

Adapted Screenplay

Siân Heder – CODA

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi – Drive My Car

Denis Villeneuve – Dune

Maggie Gyllenhaal – The Lost Daughter

Jane Campion – The Power of the Dog

Original Score

Being The Ricardos - Daniel Pemberton

Don't Look Up - Nicholas Britell

Dune - Hans Zimmer

The French Dispatch - Alexandre Desplat

The Power Of The Dog - Jonny Greenwood

Cinematography

Dune - Greig Fraser

Nightmare Alley - Dan Laustsen

No Time To Die - Linus Sandgren

The Power Of The Dog - Ari Wegner

The Tragedy Of Macbeth - Bruno Delbonnel

Costume Design

Cruella - Jenny Beavan

Cyrano - Massimo Cantini Parrini

Dune - Robert Morgan, Jacqueline West

The French Dispatch - Milena Canonero

Nightmare Alley - Luis Sequeira

Editing

Belfast - Úna Ní Dhonghaíle

Dune - Joe Walker

Licorice Pizza - Andy Jurgensen

No Time To Die - Tom Cross, Elliot Graham

Summer Of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) - Joshua L Pearson

Production Design

Cyrano - Sarah Greenwood, Katie Spencer

Dune - Patrice Vermette, Zsuzsanna Sipos

The French Dispatch - Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo

Nightmare Alley - Tamara Deverell, Shane Vieau

West Side Story - Adam Stockhausen, Rena DeAngelo

Make-up and Hair

Cruella - Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne

Cyrano - Alessandro Bertolazzi, Siân Miller

Dune - Love Larson, Donald Mowat

The Eyes Of Tammy Faye - Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, Justin Raleigh

House Of Gucci - Frederic Aspiras, Jane Carboni, Giuliano Mariana, Sarah Nicole Tanno

Best Sound

Dune - Mac Ruth, Mark Mangini, Doug Hemphill, Theo Green, Ron Bartlett

Last Night In Soho - Colin Nicolson, Julian Slater, Tim Cavagin, Dan Morgan

No Time To Die - James Harrison, Simon Hayes, Paul Massey, Oliver Tarney, Mark Taylor

A Quiet Place Part II - Erik Aadahl, Michael Barosky, Brandon Proctor, Ethan Van Der Ryn

West Side Story - Brian Chumney, Tod Maitland, Andy Nelson, Gary Rydstrom

Best Special Visual Effects

Dune - Brian Connor, Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Gerd Nefzer

Free Guy - Swen Gillberg, Brian Grill, Nikos Kalaitzidis, Daniel Sudick

Ghostbusters: Afterlife - Aharon Bourland, Sheena Duggal, Pier Lefebvre, Alessandro Ongaro

The Matrix Resurrections - Tom Debenham, Hew J Evans, Dan Glass, J. D. Schwaim

No Time To Die - Mark Bokowski, Chris Corbould, Joel Green, Charlie Noble

Best Casting

Boiling Point - Carolyn McLeod

Dune - Francine Maisler

The Hand Of God - Massimo Appolloni, Annamaria Sambucco

King Richard - Rich Delia, Avy Kaufman

West Side Story - Cindy Tolan

British Short Film

The Black Cop - Cherish Oteka

Femme - Sam H. Freeman, Ng Choon Ping, Sam Ritzenberg, Hayley Williams

The Palace - Jo Prichard

Stuffed - Theo Rhys, Joss Holden-Rea

Three Meetings Of The Extraordinary Committee - Michael Woodward, Max Barron, Daniel Wheldon

British Short Animation

Affairs Of The Art - Joanna Quinn, Les Mills

Do Not Feed The Pigeons - Jordi Morera

Night Of The Living Dread - Ida Melum, Danielle Goff, Laura Jayne Tunbridge, Hannah Kelso

Outstanding Contribution

TBC

 

Glasgow Film Festival 2022...

GFF22 Banner

by David Anderson Cuter

After 2 long years, Glasgow Film Festival is back in person!

Here are all the films we intend to watch...a few changes - invariably - will occur!


Day 1...

The OutfitThe Outfit
by Graham Moore

From where it starts off to where it ends up...is a path 'twistier' than Lomabard Street. So would say...too many twists, after the first few, you get the gist...it's all how to get out of a very awkward situation and saving your own skin [and those you care] for while doing so...alas, it doesn't take a genius to figure out the conclusion.

For the most part, this one-location, terribly theatrical production takes itself [way] too seriously. And, to be perfectly honest, it is difficult to take this dialogue-laden story seriously...and, some of the casting decisions may raise an eyebrow or two. Simon Russell Beale's gangland boss is a difficult pill to swallow...just a little camp when pitted against Mark Rylance's cool cucumber. Johnny Flynn and Dylan O'Brien play a dastardly duo, one better than the other...but, both taking it a little too far.

This is the Oscar-winning director's first feature, he won the Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay Oscar for The Imitation Game - it would seem that Mr Moore's ambition o're leapt itself. The Outfit could have worked [spectacularly] as a gangland spoof...because, it does come precariously close to being one...sadly, it's not! Ooops.


Day 2...

My Old SchoolGlasgow Film Festival 2022: My Old School premiereMy Old School
by Jono McLeod

Nowt as strange as folk and fact...for those who know the story, this is a partly animated dissection and explanation of the 'facts' - and, as time always does, those facts have become a little vague with the passing years. For those unfamiliar...sit back and feast upon a tale of blind, bold and bewildering ambition. The surprises come thick and fast.

Mr Cumming lip-synchs the story...and, as Mr Cumming said, he hasn't lip-synched since his drag days...as odd as this mechanism may sound, it works flawlessly and is executed perfectly...just like in the multi-Oscar nominated Flee, the animation ensures the protagonist's anonymity...with one major and revelatory exception...old footage and photographs emerge of the schoolman himself. Some of those 'facts' are [rather passionately and embarrassingly] turned on their heads. Some 'facts' are turned into fiction...but, one fact that is indisputable and unshakeable, Brandon Lee was a good, good friend.

Glasgow Film Festival 2022: My Old School premiereThe absolute joy of the film is simple...everyone [those who appear on-screen], teachers and classmates alike, take a step back and they laugh...at themselves...at how stupid they are all were to have fallen for the most bizarre, victimless con every perpetrated by a bogus schoolboy. The only 'victim' is/was Brandon Lee/Brian MacKinnon [the older one!]...and, there is a certain poignancy, a wee tinge of sadness and respect...for the dizzying lengths and breath-taking breaths some are capable of taking...to achieve their ambition. For that, kudos, Mr MacKinnon.

There is more to this story, not revealed in the film...and, it would seem his-story is not over yet! We all wait with bated breath...since, this wee film - genuinely -took our collective breaths away.


Ashgrove Jeremy LaLondeAshgrove
by Jeremy LaLonde

Two things this film is not...cheery [it is about the metaphorical end of humankind] nor is it a COVID film...this has to be said, because, it would seem, COVID films have one thing in common, they are [at least, the ones that we have seen thus far] all exactly the split-screen same, depressingly so. So...do not let the spectre of COVID put you off from watching this beguiling, potentially dystopian, metaphor unfold.

Jeremy Lalonde and Jonas Chernick have made quite a few films together...most notably [and joyously] James vs His Future Self which premiered at Glasgow Film Festival a couple of years back, in those good old pre-COVID times. James delivered science with a comedic twist, Ashgrove delivers science with a terrifying finality!Ashgrove world premiere at Glasgow Film Festival 2022

How can two consecutive films - from the same filmmakers - be so different? Simple, Messieurs LaLonde and Chernick wanted to do something completely different and, in so doing, approach that work differently...hey, let's face it [head on], if you can't teach old dogs new tricks, the old tricks become boring. Well...these Messieurs ain't boring...nor are they old dogs!

Ashgrove is tight, tense and intimate...filmed in only 10 days, there is always a sense of urgency, lurking around and looming in the future...at its core, this is all about survival...of a relationship, of self, of humankind...indeed, hefty subject matter...and, with such a weight upon their shoulders, all the actors deliver precise performances within, what only be called, an imprecise premise. Fight or flight? Not exactly an easy choice when [potentially, possibly and probably] either outcome will be [or, might be] exactly the same! Now that's what you call a curved curveball...and, it would seem, Jeremy LaLonde is rather good at throwing them...when you can keep your actors, characters and audience on their toes...you are doing something right!

Here's a dish of food [for thought] that Ashgrove serves up rather generously: How well do you really [and I mean really] know your partner? Oooh just about everything there is to know! Now...ask yourself that very same question when mortality is a-knocking at the door?

Indeed, Ashgrove is food for thought...


The Blind ManThe Blind Man Who Did Not Want to See Titanic
by Teemu Nikki

Up close and very personal. 

As immersive as a film can possibly be...it's beautiful, it's cruel, it's disturbing, it's joyous. This is disability from a physically disabled person's perspective...written specifically for Petri Poikolainen who has multiple sclerosis...sadly, due to his deteriorating health, this may possibly be his last screen performance...and what a performance it is. What a statement he makes...because, this is Mr Poikolainen's film...he's rarely off-screen. Shot mostly in close-up with an extremely shallow depth of field - every blink, every wince, every expression is captured. He is captivating.

The kindness of strangers is pitted against the cruelty of [some] strangers...some scenes will wallop you like an electric shock, they will make you want to scream at the screen...and then, also, marvel at Jaakko's resilience and intellect.

The journey he takes is [then] pitted against the journey he takes the audience on...undoubtedly, hearts and minds, attitudes and opinions will be changed...simply because of the power, realism and charm he exudes. Disability can befall any one of us...at any time - imagine the rug being pulled from under your feet and there is no safety net. We have to stop failing people with disabilities, it really is that simple...because, governments and councils, everywhere, are continually failing these people. Accessibility, appropriate support, suitable housing, a [real] inflation-linked living wage...these should not be policy issues, these should be inalienable and unshakeable rights. 

The opening credits establish this a sensory film, not only is it that, it is a lush soundscape, a work of art, a statement...it is - without any quibble whatsoever - a sensational film.


Day 3...

The Worst PersonThe Worst Person in the World
by Joachim Trier

She certainly is...a self-centred, manipulative heart-breaker...BTW, this brief description is wholly dependent upon how you perceive the 'he', who [unfortunately] is on her receiving end!

Nominated for 2 Oscars [!?!]...and, billed as a dramedy, there really is no comedy whatsoever. But, hey, comedy is subjective...and, this worst person just ain't [subjectively] funny...at all. In fact, she's just one [very] high-maintenance, annoying millennial...who doesn't settle for less than she demands...but, hey, maybe that's why this film has been lauded and applauded...by the award givers! We just didn't get it...at all.

What would have upped the stakes, if she was - in the slightest - a wee bit likeable, she's not. She manages to evoke more empathy for the poor f*&kers she tramples on and duly discards...perhaps, that was the point...what this woman wants, this woman [will make sure] she gets. Obviously, an admirable objective...but, literally, destroying people emotionally along the way is your thing...then, this is the film for you. We just didn't get it...at all.

Good luck with the Oscars! :(


HiveHive
by Blerta Basholli 

A pragmatic film...that will rally all hard-core Western feminists...and, undoubtedly, throw them [collectively] into a tizzy! But, this is not Western, comfy, touchy-feely feminism...this is a post-war, Eastern European tale of...survival. And, on that level, [and, only that level] it succeeds.

But...Ms Basholli had a political agenda which she shamelessly, unsubtly and effectively exploits. If you know nothing about the Kosovo War [yet one more catastrophic failing by the - ridiculously entitled - United Nations]...then, this film will scream empowerment, solidarity, vive la femme! Hooray!

But...if you do know a wee bit of the history [and, what happens when you ignore history?!?]...this pragmatic film [sadly] becomes an idealistic notion of that aftermath [of that war] that still hasn't been resolved, recompensed, reconciled...there are so many post-war words!

Too, too many 'issues' are simply ignored. The complexity was screaming to be heard...to be told...telling it the way it was and [still] is. As a film, it's okay [sorry to use that dreadfully bland word]...but, as a statement, it needs a bold revision!

Madeleine Collins

Madeleine Collins
by Antoine Barraud

It's one of those...if the penny drops too soon...then, it's over. Thankfully, for me, the penny dropped at the right time!

Fear not, there are no spoilers contained herein. Judith leads a double lie, two families, different countries. She's copes surprisingly well, juggling all her expected duties with an admirable composure. There's no judgment...Virginie Efira's elegance alone sees to that. You just cannot not dislike this character! In fact, admiration [for her] starts to creep in.

Her eldest son is gay, no big deal - he's banned from his boyfriend's car because he [the boyfriend] drives like a maniac - it's a sweet, understated scene - in fact, sweet domesticity seems to be the norm in both homes. This lady loves both men and all her kids...and, it's totally believable. Obviously, this idyll can't last forever...when it starts to unravel, it unravels in ways you won't expect. 

Antoine Barraud really is in control, carefully dropping hints, drip-by-drip...until it lands...and, what a landing it is! To say anymore really would spoil it.

A mightily clever film that will leave you breathless!


Day 4...
NitramNitram
by Justin Kurzel

Martin Bryant [Nitram, backward Martin] has learning and developmental disabilities - in 1996, he amassed a small arsenal of weapons, went out one day and killed 35 people, injuring many others.

Surely...accountability must be claimed by several people and organisations!?! None has and none will ever be.

This film does not point-the-condemning-fingers at the obvious...the parents, social workers, teachers, doctors or the Government...it simply shows how the 'system' failed Martin Bryant...and the 35 people he killed, the extended family and friends, those he injured. Yet...no accountability has been attributed, let's call it what it is...State and Institutional Negligence.

Caleb Landry Jones delivers a masterclass...Bryant, now, is perceived as being born evil, there is no suggestion of that in neither the performance nor the film. He was a troubled boy in a man's body...he's mischievous, challenging, demanding, awkward. Bryant should have been classed as a vulnerable person and received the support he so desperately needed. Instead, he was allowed to form a bizarre alliance, allowed to buy the guns that killed 35 people.

By no means is this review [or the film] trying to justify Bryant's crime...he is best served where he is, in a secure hospital. Perhaps, if he had been served with the professional care and support he needed when growing into adulthood, there would be no need for this Nitram.

A BanquetA Banquet
by Ruth Paxton

A film that really doesn't know what it is or where it's going...needless to say, where it ends up is way beyond the acceptable realm of plausibility. 

Billed as a horror...yes, an eating disorder can be a true horror for the victim, family and friends. But, here, she doesn't lose any weight...so, her life is not at risk. There goes the realistic horror. Moving on swiftly...into the world of existential horror...where possession, myth and nightmare reign supreme...only, they don't here...simply because, there are too many tropes being bandied around...and what do too many tropes do!?!

The only voice-of-reason comes from Lindsay Duncan's grandmother...who basically calls her granddaughter exactly what she is...an attention-seeking, sneaky wee brat. Now, if this banquet had gone down that road...with the interfering granny sticking her nose in where it was most definitely needed but not required...then, this could have been a real delicacy.

As a whole, it's a dish, visually, well-served...sadly, with way too many ingredients and missing the vital seasoning. Really...less is definitely more.


The Girl And The SpiderThe Girl and the Spider
by Ramon Zürcher & Silvan Zürcher

There really is no story to speak of...it's all lingering looks with multiple threads of subtext that are subtle as mosquito bites accompanied by a mountain of apathetic dialogue that will make your hair fall out rather than curl it! These Millennials have neither personality, wit nor joie-de-vivre.

If you manage to sit through the tedium of the first 30 minutes...rest assured, things do not improve whatsoever. Different apartment, same vile people, spouting nonsense...but, alas, with the same noxious leitmotifs and mid-shots that the Zürcher brothers have claimed to be their cinematic trademarks. Yawn...speaking of the film...yawn.

On a brighter note, hearing Desireless' classic 1986 tune Voyage, Voyage was not just a pleasant surprise but a confounding one too...would these lacklustre Millennials have such good musical taste? What a conundrum! Speaking of conundrum, this yawn-fest has won quite a few prestigious awards. What do we know!?! What do they know...that we don't know!?!

Lost IllusionsLost Illusions
by Xavier Giannoli

Hallelujah...the master storyteller has been served a masterful film...winning 7 Césars.

This has absolutely everything...from genteel rural naïveté to a scathing urban comment. No-one is safe from Balzac's poisonous pen...the Liberals get a kicking, The Royalists get slapped down at every opportunity...but, it is the [restored] aristocracy who get savaged.

This is French history with a bitter [and rather brilliant] twist of modernity - the corruption, the scheming, the exploitation and manipulation are all still in existence today. This is a scathing indictment of that ridiculous political promise: Social mobility. And...an all-out assault on those who will do absolutely anything to retain their privilege and wealth.

This is kaleidoscopic hedonism...imbued with a lush subtext. The pace never falters and the decadence never disappoints. Not many have pulled-off Balzac's great work...Xavier Giannoli has done just that...in a mesmerising 150 minutes, he proves himself to be a consummate and thrilling storyteller. Lost Illusions is social mobility's rollercoaster...once you're on it, you don't want to get off! It ended too soon!


Day 5...

Red RocketRed Rocket
by Sean Baker

Google the title...! I had no idea!

Simon Rex does the lovable rogue to perfection. Sean Baker delivers another slice of the American underclass...with comedic undertones and amoral overtones.

The porn industry is a massive global market...but, nowhere 'celebrates' it quite like America...but, what happens to porn stars after they shoot their final shot!?! There is much conjecture about the life expectancy of adult performers...but, what Red Rocket does so successfully...is to show the acts of desperation, the clutching at straws...that absolute reluctance to accept it's finally over. And...what have you got to show for it all? Some DVDs, bedpost notches, a few good stories, a multitude of anonymous 'likes' and no bloody money!

So...what do you do when you find yourself at the bottom of the porn-heap? You discard what little dignity you have left, eat humble pie, become a parasite, a predator [both] at the same time! And, if you can get away with it, no matter how reprehensible you are, you might even get that final stab, the last dance!

What a statement to make...that's Red Rocket for you...entertaining, grim and completely amoral...with a standout central performance.


Love Life And GoldfishLove, Life and Goldfish
by Yukinori Makabe

A musical about...wait for it...goldfish scooping!!!

When big-city egos collide with small-town mentalities things can get ugly. Alas, not here...this is all goldfish scooping [!] and song! And...it's gotta be said, some of the songs are really rather good...in a Eurovision sort-of-way. Although, there are a couple of horrors!

There's not much to say other than...it's a sweet, sentimental film that bamboozles [goldfish scooping!] as it entertains. There's nothing challenging here...apart from the goldfish scooping!

Apologies...but, goldfish scooping is - in Japan - an actual thing...with a National Goldfish Scooping Championship...who would have thunked it!?!


Her WayHer Way
by Cécile Ducrocq

Some mothers do have 'em...and, this mother has one you wouldn't wish upon your worst enemy.

Laure Calamy - without any quibble whatsoever - steals the show. What a performance. What a mother! What a mistake she made...and, we're not talking about her awful son!

Shamelessly, she's a sex worker. Selflessly, she does what she can for her ungrateful son...this is selflessness that will - quite literally - take your breath away.

This is Cécile Ducrocq's debut feature...and, hopefully, the first of many...she certainly gets under the skin, scratches around and delivers character arcs that are beautiful and intriguing to witness. The snowball scene is something to behold...a turning point in the maturity and mentality of the situation and characters. An absolute emotional spectacle. The intrigue...merely hinted at! So clever.

As for the ending, it needs to be commented upon...there was a definitive and perfect place to end. But...this director had a frame in mind...and, what a fantastic frame it turned out to be...a wee trans storyline, thought forgotten...but, beautifully remembered.

Her Way turned out to be the right way...what an utterly fantastic feature debut...and, Laure Calamy's performance is the cherry on top.


Day 6...

BenedettaBenedetta
by Paul Verhoeven

Take this seriously...at your peril.

The atrocious Showgirls gets a 17th century make-over...with bigger production values, more acting talent...in fact, more of everything.

Stigmata, a wooden dildo and lesbian nuns...what more could Paul Verhoeven throw at the screen? Plenty...the 'nunsense' just keeps on coming! There's never a dull moment in this religious romp...so much so, it bounces, back and forth, across that fine line between high camp and downright sexploitation...wonderfully so...and, with unabashed gay abandon!

But...is it anti-religious? What a stupid question...of course it is! Every horror-loving, devout catholic should watch this...they will squirm at this despicable depiction of their faith. As it is now, as it was then...the catholic church is a bigger business than it is an harbinger for the second coming!

Is it a feminist film? Well...that all depends on what kind of feminist you are! The man-hating fems will be in two minds...powerful women directed by a man!

Look, in all fairness, Benedetta is nothing but a rabble-rousing, fabulous farce...sure, it's heresy and blasphemy all rolled into one fact-based, semi-erotic, anti-religious fiction.

Just don't take it too seriously...and, if you do or don't, these frolicking nuns will certainly titillate...and/or, traumatise!


BenedictionBenediction
by Terence Davies

Our advice: Watch this film [at least] twice. Then, and only then, will you get the full emotional thrust that Terence Davies relentlessly and stylistically delivers.

When a bright young thing reaches the depth of their despair. A life led with so many anomalies can only be a life lived with regret. Peter Capaldi's elderly Sassoon spits venom...fuelled with a churlish frustration of being unappreciated, barely recognised...the last throes of narcissism! 

By stark contrast, Jack Lowden, as the young Sassoon, delights in the delights of privilege and connection. His war experience affords him a fragility that cracks but never shatters. He is an eloquent Lothario-in-training.

The affection that Terence Davies shows for the young Sassoon is spotlighted against his obvious and unbridled contempt for Ivor Novello...a conceited heart-breaker, so-much-so, it's difficult to see why Novello was even tolerated in this society. Still, money and fame always trump and thump the required family trees of aristocracy.

The conflicts are vast and complex, as is the timeline...but, with this honed director's experience, there's nothing ramshackle or random. This is a blessing...for the fallen, for the bright things...for love.

Siegfried Sassoon's despair came not from being under-appreciated, nor for being unflappably unforgiving...but, from remembering and being constantly reminded of his one true lost love.

“W’s death was an unhealed wound, & the ache of it has been with me ever since. I wanted him back—not his poems.”

An emotional wallop. 


Day 7...

Anas In LoveAnaïs in Love
by Charline Bourgeois-Tacquet

She's Vegemite. The film is Marmite.

Anaïs is always late. She runs everywhere. She gets what she wants. She cares for no-one but herself. Seemingly, she's 'charming' euphemistically speaking. She's irritating. She's annoying. She's overtly high-maintenance and she's an absolute bore! So...what's her discombobulating allure?

Frankly, who cares!?! She's exhausting.

This is the French [bisexual] equivalent to The Worst Person in the World [and, she was too]...both films have received an overwhelming amount of incredulous critical praise, the only problem is...both are labelled as being comedies and yet not one genuine laugh is to be had from either film.

Love it. Loathe it. Either way...it's a forgettable, unfunny comedy.


Day 8...

Bruno ReidaBruno Reidal
by Vincent Le Port

Bruno Reidal is the perfect confessor. He's eloquent, detailed and precise. He makes no assumptions and blames no-one but himself. He did the crime. He will take the punishment.

Once upon a time...if you murdered, you automatically received the death penalty, an eye for an eye. Thankfully, the law changed and 'Fitness to stand trial/fitness to plead' was introduced. The legal process was forever altered!

Was Bruno Reidal insane? That's the crux of the story.

Catch 22...and, Vincent Le Port starts playing with his audience. Is he mad or isn't he mad? He must be mad, look what he did! He can't be mad, he's educated, articulate...he knew what he was doing! Did he? Was it temporary insanity? He's sane now! Is he?

As complex as it sounds, Monsieur Le Port keeps it grounded...relatable even, apart from the heinous deed itself. There are moments of empathy for Bruno, in part due to the implosively subdued performance by Dimitri Doré - his first screen role.

France's last execution, by guillotine, took place in Marseille in 1977...decades before, Bruno Reidal beheaded a boy. Was he [temporarily] insane? He, according to this film, claimed to be...just himself.

Hamida Djandoubi was that last state-sanctioned victim of the guillotine...he, unsuccessfully, claimed temporary insanity!

As complex as it sounds...indeed, it is as complex as it needs to be.

An astonishing film...one that will leave you thinking...beyond your usual realm-of-thought.

[And, if you are a criminal lawyer, it will leave you thinking even more and wanting/needing to get your hands on the case notes!] 


Day 9...

Tigers

Tigers
by Ronnie Sandahl

Is it a brutal attack on the beautiful game? No, infuriatingly not.

Most professional footballers are under-educated and clueless. Their lives are owned, managed and exploited. Their reward is...money. Forget about the glory and adoration, it all boils down to money. Lots of it. Football is big business and nothing and no-one will stand in its way. There's too much at stake, too much too lose.

Many have travelled through the ever-decreasing doorways towards footballing wealth...this is just one tale of the many who failed to make it into the big time. Couldn't hack it, wasn't good enough...are the most popular opinions. The system is designed to weed out those haven't got 'it' or who can't cope. It's called investment.

Throw money at a clueless kid and what does he do? He buys a sportscar and isn't old enough to drive it. Football deals in well-being, not in mental health. A fact that Ronnie Sandhal and Martin Bengtsson have failed to acknowledge...making this fact-based fiction into something less scathing than it ought to have been.


Day 10...

Everything Went FineEverything Went Fine / Tout s'est bien passé
by François Ozon

First and foremost, there are major differences between euthanasia and assisted suicide...legally and morally.

Secondly, and what many people fail to understand or accept, the law is designed to protect life...regardless of personal autonomy. And, regardless of which side of the debate you are on, this debate that will rage on for infinity.

Your body. Your life. Your decision. It has to be your own decision, a decision made when you still had the capacity to make it. Time and timing are of the essence.

This is where this film sits, uncomfortably in time...with differences of opinion, moments of apathy, fits of passion...and, fancy flirtations.

This is the epitome of tragicomedy. The inevitability of death is paraded through its characters and stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. Each is represented, each is voiced...and, each is silenced.

Monsieur Ozon has interpreted Emmanuèle Bernheim's book with great care and dignity. A sombre subject indeed...but, with the lightness of touch, the mood never veers off into the maudlin.

Dignity...in life and death. Everything went fine - how polite. How beautifully polite. 

Moon 66 Questions

Moon, 66 Questions
by Jacqueline Lentzou

Any film that uses Tarot cards to announce 'meaning' needs to be something very special indeed. Otherwise, just like a house of cards, it will collapse.

Moon 66 collapses almost immediately. Why would an estranged daughter move back to Greece to care for her ailing father, a man she hardly knows? It doesn't make any sense...especially when he has support! Oooh...it's all about reconnection and re-bonding before the inevitable. Okay, got that, moving on...the only problem [apart from those damn Tarot cards] is Artemis [the daughter]...she is a complete and utter pain-in-the-ass. Gawd, if she's like this as an adult, she must have been an absolutely dreadful kid...no wonder they were estranged!

There is nothing to like about Artemis...that scene in the garage - which goes on for an eternity - sums her up perfectly. Instead of recognising her ineptitude for driving, she just starts crashing an SUV - again-and-again - against the wall. Frustrating for her. Frustrating to watch. Imagine her being your carer!

Stuffed full of symbolism and metaphor, Moon 66 has all the pretensions of being part of the Greek New Wave...but, falls short due to its lack of quirkiness. Moon, 66 Questions is hard, unenjoyable work...as for the secret, it could be spotted a mile off! 


Day 11...

The LedgeThe Ledge
by Howard J. Ford

It is what it is...not-so-low budget...but, oh-so-low on writing and acting talent. 

Tom Boyle's first feature writing credit, deemed to be his last...but, blame has to be shared with a director incapable of spotting dodgy dialogue from an acceptable distance.

Anyway...it's all toxic masculinity with a soupçon of subtext - that's the only surprise!

Fairly predictable and, if there's nothing at all worth watching, strangely entertaining!


Day 12...

Wake Up PunkWake Up Punk
by Nigel Askew

What is there to say about Punk that hasn't been said before? Absolutely nothing...unless you are Joe Corré [yawn].

If punk is not already dead [some will argue it died the day it started, others will swear that it has always been alive and kicking]...whatever, Joe Corré killed it stone dead...by burning a guestimated £5 million worth of punk memorabilia and masquerading that deleterious deed as an environmental protest. [yawn] You couldn't make this garbage up!

Malcolm, his father, will be reeling in his grave. And Vivienne, his mother...well, let's just say he's lucky to have her as his mum...only a mother could love a son like this!

An entertaining film...for all the wrong reasons. Watch it for the stupidity, for the idiocy, for the hypocrisy...and, for the mellowing of Punk.

Dreaming WallsDreaming Walls
by Maya Duverdier & Amélie van Elmbt

The building has spoken for itself...for decades. The Illuminati of yesteryear are well-documented.

Just let the last remaining residents do the talking!

That's exactly what the directors did...the effect is mesmerising, almost dream-like. As disparate, as eccentric as they are, this is their home within a building site, their physical histories are being renovated beyond recognition...but, their personal histories are being recorded for posterity.

As gentrification attacks the security of these few stalwart residents, they - quite literally - stand on their last defiant legs. They will take their last breaths at the Chelsea Hotel. To paraphrase a fine, fine song: You'll be remembered so well in the Chelsea Hotel.

Hotel Chelsea reopened in February 2022...with their cheapest and smallest room being $475/night - it's farewell to Bohemia, hello tourists!

Sad, isn't it?


A great big thank you...to everyone @glasgowfilmfest xxx

Dorian Film Awards 2022...Nominees...&, the Winners...

GALECA Dorian Awards LogoThe winners will be announced on March 17th 2022.

BEST FILM

Drive My Car (Janus)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

The Worst Person in the World (Neon) 

Tick, Tick. . .Boom! (Netflix)

West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

BEST LGBTQ FILM

Benedetta (IFC Films)

Flee (Neon, Participant)

Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Shiva Baby (Utopia)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

BEST NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE FILM

Drive My Car (Janus)

Flee (Neon, Participant)

Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics)

The Worst Person in the World (Neon)

Titane (Neon) 

BEST UNSUNG FILM

Mass (Bleecker Street) 

Passing (Netflix) 

Shiva Baby (Utopia)

The Green Knight (A24)

Zola (A24)

BEST DIRECTOR

Jane Campion, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Julia Ducournau, Titane (Neon) 

Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Drive My Car (Janus Films) (Janus)

Steven Spielberg, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Denis Villeneuve, Dune (Warner Bros.)

BEST SCREENPLAY

Drive My Car (Janus) – Ryusuke Hamaguchi and Takamasa Oe (adapted)

Passing (Netflix) – Rebecca Hall (adapted)

The Lost Daughter (Netflix) – Maggie Gyllenhaal (adapted) 

The Power of the Dog (Netflix) – Jane Campion (adapted) 

The Worst Person in the World (Neon) – Eskil Vogt and Joachim Trier (original) 

BEST FILM PERFORMANCE

Nicolas Cage, Pig (Neon)

Jessica Chastain, The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Searchlight) 

Olivia Colman, The Lost Daughter (Netflix)

Benedict Cumberbatch, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Penelope Cruz, Parallel Mothers (Sony Pictures Classics)

Andrew Garfield, Tick, Tick. . . Boom! (Netflix)

Renate Reinsve, The Worst Person in the World (Neon)

Simon Rex, Red Rocket (A24)

Kristen Stewart, Spencer (Neon)  

Tessa Thompson, Passing (Netflix)

BEST SUPPORTING FILM PERFORMANCE

Ariana DeBose, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Robin de Jesús, Tick, Tick. . . Boom! (Netflix)

Colman Domingo, Zola (A24)

Ann Dowd, Mass (Bleecker Street)

Kirsten Dunst, The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Mike Faist, West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Troy Kotsur, CODA (Apple)

Ruth Negga, Passing (Netflix)

Martha Plimpton, Mass (Bleecker Street)

Kodi Smit-McPhee, The Power of the Dog (Netflix) 

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Flee (Neon, Participant)

Procession (Netflix)

Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (Roadside Attractions)

Summer of Soul (Searchlight, Hulu)

The Rescue (Greenwich Entertainment, National Geographic) 

The Velvet Underground (Apple)

BEST LGBTQ DOCUMENTARY 

Ailey (Neon)

Flee (Neon, Participant)

My Name is Pauli Murray (Amazon Studios)

Pray Away (Netflix)

Wojnarowicz: F**k You F*ggot F***er (Kino Lorber, World of Wonder)

MOST VISUALLY STRIKING FILM

Dune (Warner Bros.)

Nightmare Alley (Searchlight)

Passing (Netflix)

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

West Side Story (20th Century Studios)

Titane (Neon)

BEST ANIMATED FILM

Belle (GKids)

Encanto (Disney)

Flee (Neon, Participant)

Luca (Disney) 

The Mitchells vs. the Machines (Netflix, Sony)

BEST FILM MUSIC 

Dune (Warner Bros.)

Encanto (Disney)

Spencer (Neon)  

The Power of the Dog (Netflix)

Tick, Tick. . .Boom! (Netflix)

“WE’RE WILDE ABOUT YOU!” RISING STAR 

Ariana DeBose

Alana Haim

Patti Harrison

Jasmin Savoy Brown

Rachel Zegler

WILDE ARTIST – to a truly groundbreaking force in film, theatre and/or television

Pedro Almodóvar

Jane Campion

Jennifer Coolidge

Lil Nas X

Lin-Manuel Miranda 

CAMPIEST FLICK 

Annette (Amazon Studios)

Cruella (Disney)

House of Gucci (United Artists) 

Malignant (Warner Bros.)

Old (Universal)


Too many lower budget films have been snubbed in favour of the 'big guns' - here are the films that we've seen that [we think] ought to have been honoured:

AIDS Diva: The Legend of Connie Norman
Benediction
Bitch Who Stole Christmas (The) - the campiest flick ever!
Compartment Number 6
Cop Secret
Great Freedom
Hating Peter Tatchell
Hill Where Lionesses Roar (The)
Man with the Answers (The)
Most Beautiful Boy in the World (The)
Novice (The)
Operation Hyacinth
Rebel Dykes
Swan Song
Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation


 

94th Academy Awards Nominations...

The 94th Academy Awards ceremony will be on Sunday, March 27th at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

Here are 2021's nominations:

PICTURE:
Belfast
CODA
Don't Look Up
Drive My Car
Dune
King Richard
Licorice Pizza
Nightmare Alley
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

DIRECTOR:
Kenneth Branagh - Belfast
Ryusuke Hamaguchi - Drive My Car
Paul Thomas Anderson - Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion - The Power of the Dog
Steven Spielberg - West Side Story

ACTOR:
Javier Bardem - Being the Ricardos
Benedict Cumberbatch - The Power of the Dog
Andrew Garfield - tick, tick…BOOM!
Will Smith - King Richard
Denzel Washington - The Tragedy of Macbeth

ACTRESS:
Jessica Chastain - The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman - The Lost Daughter
Penelope Cruz - Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman - Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart - Spencer

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Ciarán Hinds - Belfast
Troy Kotsur - CODA
Jesse Plemons - The Power of the Dog
J.K. Simmons - Being the Ricardos
Kodi Smit-McPhee - The Power of the Dog

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Jessie Buckley - The Lost Daughter
Ariana DeBose - West Side Story
Judi Dench - Belfast
Kirsten Dunst - The Power of the Dog
Aunjanue Ellis - King Richard

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
Belfast - Kenneth Branagh
Don't Look Up - Adam McKay; Story by Adam McKay & David Sirota
King Richard - Zach Baylin
Licorice Pizza - Paul Thomas Anderson
The Worst Person in the World - Eskil Vogt & Joachim Trier

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
CODA - Siân Heder
Drive My Car - Ryusuke Hamaguchi & Takamasa Oe
Dune - Jon Spaihts and Denis Villeneuve and Eric Roth
The Lost Daughter - Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Power of the Dog - Jane Campion

ANIMATED FEATURE:
Encanto
Flee
Luca
The Mitchells vs The Machines
Raya and the Last Dragon

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE:
Drive My Car (Japan)
Flee (Denmark)
The Hand of God (Italy)
Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Bhutan)
The Worst Person in the World (Norway)

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
Dune - Greig Fraser
Nightmare Alley - Dan Laustsen
The Power of the Dog - Ari Wegner
The Tragedy of Macbeth - Bruno Delbonnel
West Side Story - Janusz Kaminski

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
Ascension - Jessica Kingdon, Kira Simon-Kennedy, Nathan Truesdell
Attica - Stanley Nelson & Traci A. Curry
Flee - Jonas Poher Rasmussen, Monica Hellström, Signe Byrge Sørensen, Charlotte De La Gournerie
Summer of Soul - Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, Robert Fyvolent, David Dinerstein
Writing With Fire - Rintu Thomas & Sushmit Ghosh

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
Audible - Matt Ogens & Geoff McLean
Lead Me Home - Pedro Kos & Jon Shenk
The Queen of Basketball - Ben Proudfoot
Three Songs for Benazir - Elizabeth Mirzaei & Gulistan Mirzaei
When We Were Bullies - Jay Rosenblatt

ANIMATED SHORT:
Affairs of the Art - Joanna Quinn & Les Mills
Bestia - Hugo Covarrubias & Tevo Díaz
Boxballet - Anton Dyakov
Robin Robin - Dan Ojari & Mikey Please
The Windshield Wiper - Alberto Mielgo & Leo Sanchez

LIVE-ACTION SHORT:
Ala Kachuu - Take and Run - Maria Brendle & Nadine Lüchinger
The Dress - Tadeusz Łysiak & Maciej Ślesicki
The Long Goodbye - Aneil Karia & Riz Ahmed
On My Mind - Martin Strange-Hansen & Kim Magnusson
Please Hold - K.D. Dávila & Levin Menekse

VISUAL EFFECTS:
Dune
Free Guy
No Time to Die
Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings
Spider-Man: No Way Home

PRODUCTION DESIGN:
Dune - PD: Patrice Vermette; Set: Zsuzsanna Sipos
Nightmare Alley - PD: Tamara Deverell; Set: Shane Vieau
The Power of the Dog - PD: Grant Major; Set: Amber Richards
The Tragedy of Macbeth - PD: Stefan Dechant; Set: Nancy Haigh
West Side Story - PD: Adam Stockhausen; Set: Rena DeAngelo

COSTUME DESIGN:
Cruella
Cyrano
Dune
Nightmare Alley
West Side Story

MAKE-UP & HAIR:
Coming 2 Ameirca - Mike Marino, Stacey Morris, Carla Farmer
Cruella - Nadia Stacey, Naomi Donne, Julia Vernon
Dune - Donald Mowat, Love Larson, Eva von Bahr
The Eyes of Tammy Faye - Linda Dowds, Stephanie Ingram, Justin Raleigh
House of Gucci - Göran Lundström, Anna Carin Lock, Frederic Aspiras

FILM EDITING:
Don't Look Up - Hank Corwin
Dune - Joe Walker
King Richard - Pamela Martin
The Power of the Dog - Peter Sciberras
tick, tick…BOOM! - Myron Kerstein & Andrew Weisblum

SOUND:
Belfast
Dune
No Time to Die
The Power of the Dog
West Side Story

ORIGINAL SCORE:
Don't Look Up - Nicholas Britell
Dune - Hans Zimmer
Encanto - Germaine Franco
Parallel Mothers - Alberto Iglesias
The Power of the Dog - Jonny Greenwood

ORIGINAL SONG:
"Be Alive" from King Richard
"Dos Oruguitas" from Encanto
"Down to Joy" from Belfast
"No Time to Die" from No Time to Die
"Somehow You Do" from Four Good Days


 

TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE | Official Trailer...

After nearly 50 years of hiding, Leatherface returns to terrorize a group of idealistic young friends who accidentally disrupt his carefully shielded world in a remote Texas town.

Based on characters created by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper. Story by Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues. Screenplay by Chris Thomas Devlin. Directed by David Blue Garcia.

Let Me Be Me | Official Trailer...

When the Westphal family learned that their 6-year-old Kyle was on the Autism spectrum, they feared they might never develop a real connection to their child. Withdrawn and constantly wrapping himself in fabric and blankets, Kyle was retreating from the world around him. Determined to find a way to connect, his parents embarked on an intense and radical journey which involved compassionately joining Kyle in his unique behaviors. Twenty years later, the entire family looks back at Kyle's journey with candor and humor. Let Me Be Me reveals what happens when a boy who used fabric as his shield to hide himself grows up to become a fashion designer, forging connections with friends and family along the way.

Longlists, 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards...

Home page

 

The following films are longlisted for the 2022 EE British Academy Film Awards, listed alphabetically by title, with the exception of the performance categories, listed alphabetically by the surname of the performer, followed by the film title.

The nominations will be announced on Thursday 3 February 2022. The winners will be announced on Sunday 13 March.

Round Two voting, to determine the nominations in the member voted categories, will open between Friday 14 and Thursday 27 January 2022.

BEST FILM

15 films go through to the Round Two of voting, and five will be nominated. This is the only category voted for by all film voting members in all voting rounds. 217 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Being The Ricardos
  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • House of Gucci
  • King Richard
  • Licorice Pizza
  • No Time To Die
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Lost Daughter
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • tick tick...BOOM!
  • West Side Story

OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM

20 films will go through to Round Two of voting. The top five films from the opt-in chapter vote in Round One automatically receive a nomination. The next ranking 15 films will be considered by a jury, who will vote for five nominations. 10 films will be nominated in this category. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner in this category. 64 films were submitted for consideration, all of which passed the BFI Diversity Standards.

  • After Love
  • Ali & Ava
  • Belfast
  • Benediction
  • Boiling Point
  • The Colour Room
  • Cruella
  • Cyrano
  • The Duke
  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  • Everybody's Talking About Jamie
  • House of Gucci
  • The King's Man
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Mothering Sunday
  • Munich- The Edge of War
  • No Time To Die
  • Operation Mincemeat
  • Passing
  • Spencer

OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER

10 films have been longlisted, and five will be nominated. The longlist, nominees and winner in this category are voted on by a jury. 37 films were submitted for consideration.

  • After Love
  • Boiling Point
  • Censor
  • Dying to Divorce
  • The Harder They Fall
  • Hostile
  • Keyboard Fantasies
  • Passing
  • The Power
  • Sweetheart

FILM NOT IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

15 films will progress to Round Two of voting, and five will be nominated. This category is voted for in all three Rounds by an opt-in Chapter. 50 films were submitted for consideration.

  • A Hero
  • Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
  • Compartment No. 6
  • Drive My Car
  • Flee
  • The Hand of God
  • I'm Your Man
  • Lamb
  • The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
  • Parallel Mothers
  • Paris, 13th District
  • Petite Maman
  • Riders of Justice
  • Titane
  • The Worst Person in the World

DOCUMENTARY

15 films will progress to Round Two of voting. The top two films from the opt-in chapter vote in Round One automatically receive a nomination. The next ranking 13 films will be considered by a jury, who will vote for three nominations.  Five films will be nominated in this category. In Round three, the Documentary opt-in chapter will select the winner in this category.

  • 14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible
  • Becoming Cousteau
  • Billie Eilish: The World's A Little Blurry
  • Cow
  • Flee
  • JFK Revisited: Through The Looking Glass
  • Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story
  • The Lost Leonardo
  • The Most Beautiful Boy in the World
  • The Real Charlie Chaplin
  • The Rescue
  • The Sparks Brothers
  • Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  • Tina
  • The Velvet Underground

ANIMATED FILM

Seven films will progress to Round Two of voting, and four will be nominated. This category is voted for in all three Rounds by an opt-in Chapter. 14 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Encanto
  • Flee
  • Luca
  • The Mitchells vs the Machines
  • Raya and the Last Dragon
  • Ron's Gone Wrong
  • Sing 2

DIRECTOR

20 films will progress to Round Two of voting, and six will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is voted on by a jury (nominations) and Round Three is voted on by the general membership (winner). To determine this longlist, in Round One, the directing chapter voted; the top seven female and top seven male directed films were automatically longlisted. The remaining 3 female and 3 male directors were voted for by a Longlisting jury, who have considered the next 10 ranking female and male directed films. A nominating jury will vote for the six nominations. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 184 films were submitted for consideration.

  • After Love
  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • Don't Look Up
  • Drive My Car
  • Dune
  • First Cow
  • The Hand of God
  • Happening
  • King Richard
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Passing
  • Petite Maman
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Souvenir Part II
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Titane
  • West Side Story
  • Zola

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 78 films were submitted for consideration.

  • After Love
  • Being The Ricardos
  • Belfast
  • The Card Counter
  • C'mon C'mon
  • Don't Look Up
  • The Duke
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Hand of God
  • King Richard
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Parallel Mothers
  • Petite Maman
  • The Worst Person in the World

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 62 films were submitted for consideration.

  • CODA
  • Cyrano
  • Drive My Car
  • Dune
  • The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • The Green Knight
  • House of Gucci
  • The Last Duel
  • The Lost Daughter
  • No Time To Die
  • Passing
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • tick tick...BOOM!
  • West Side Story

LEADING ACTRESS

15 performances will progress to Round Two of voting, and six will be nominated. To determine this longlist, in Round One the acting chapter voted; the top 12 were automatically longlisted. The remaining three places have been voted on by the Longlisting jury, who have considered the next 10 placed performances from the chapter vote. Round Two is voted on by a jury who will vote for the six nominations. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner in this category. 82 performances were submitted for consideration.

  • Jessica Chastain The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • Olivia Colman The Lost Daughter
  • Lady Gaga House of Gucci
  • Alana Haim Licorice Pizza
  • Jennifer Hudson Respect
  • Emilia Jones CODA
  • Nicole Kidman Being The Ricardos
  • Jennifer Lawrence Don't Look Up
  • Frances McDormand The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Renate Reinsve The Worst Person in the World
  • Claire Rushbrook Ali & Ava
  • Joanna Scanlan After Love
  • Kristen Stewart Spencer
  • Tessa Thompson Passing
  • Rachel Zegler West Side Story

LEADING ACTOR

15 performances will progress to Round Two of voting, and six will be nominated. To determine this longlist, in Round One the acting chapter voted; the top 12 were automatically longlisted. The remaining three places have been voted on by the Longlisting jury, who have considered the next 10 placed performances from the chapter vote. Round Two is voted on by a jury who will vote for the six nominations. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner in this category. 102 performances were submitted for consideration.

  • Riz Ahmed Encounter
  • Adeel Akhtar Ali & Ava
  • Mahershala Ali Swan Song
  • Javier Bardem Being The Ricardos
  • Daniel Craig No Time To Die
  • Benedict Cumberbatch The Power of the Dog
  • Leonardo DiCaprio Don't Look Up
  • Peter Dinklage Cyrano
  • Adam Driver House of Gucci
  • Andrew Garfield tick tick...BOOM!
  • Stephen Graham Boiling Point
  • Cooper Hoffman Licorice Pizza
  • Joaquin Phoenix C'mon C'mon
  • Will Smith King Richard
  • Denzel Washington The Tragedy of Macbeth

SUPPORTING ACTRESS

15 performances will progress to Round Two of voting, and six will be nominated. To determine this longlist, in Round One the acting chapter voted; the top 12 were automatically longlisted. The remaining three places have been voted on by the Longlisting jury, who have considered the next 10 placed performances from the chapter vote. Round Two is voted on by a jury who will vote for the six nominations. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner in this category. 202 performances were submitted for consideration.

  • Caitríona Balfe Belfast
  • Cate Blanchett Don't Look Up
  • Jessie Buckley The Lost Daughter
  • Ana de Armas No Time To Die
  • Ariana DeBose West Side Story
  • Ann Dowd Mass
  • Judi Dench Belfast
  • Kirsten Dunst The Power of the Dog
  • Aunjanue Ellis King Richard
  • Kathryn Hunter The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • Rita Moreno West Side Story
  • Ruth Negga Passing
  • Vinette Robinson Boiling Point
  • Meryl Streep Don't Look Up
  • Anya Taylor-Joy Last Night in Soho

SUPPORTING ACTOR

15 performances will progress to Round Two of voting, and six will be nominated. To determine this longlist, in Round One the acting chapter voted; the top 12 were automatically longlisted. The remaining three places have been voted on by the Longlisting jury, who have considered the next 10 placed performances from the chapter vote. Round Two is voted on by a jury who will vote for the six nominations. In Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner in this category. 283 performances were submitted for consideration.

  • David Alvarez West Side Story
  • Bradley Cooper Licorice Pizza
  • Benicio del Toro The French Dispatch
  • Jamie Dornan Belfast
  • Ciarán Hinds Belfast
  • Mike Faist West Side Story
  • Andrew Garfield The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • Troy Kotsur CODA
  • Jared Leto House of Gucci
  • Woody Norman C’mon C’mon
  • Al Pacino House of Gucci
  • Jesse Plemons The Power of the Dog
  • Mark Rylance Don't Look Up
  • J.K. Simmons Being The Ricardos
  • Kodi Smit-McPhee The Power of the Dog

CASTING

15 films will progress to Round Two of voting, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is voted on by a jury (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 89 films were submitted in this category. Casting Statements, written by the Casting Directors about the casting process, are provided by the entrants and shared with the jury in Round Two and published on BAFTA View.

  • After Love
  • Belfast
  • Boiling Point
  • CODA
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The Hand of God
  • House of Gucci
  • King Richard
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Passing
  • The Power of the Dog
  • tick tick...BOOM!
  • West Side Story

CINEMATOGRAPHY

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 126 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Belfast
  • C'mon C'mon
  • Cyrano
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The French Dispatch
  • House of Gucci
  • The Last Duel
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Nightmare Alley
  • No Time To Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • West Side Story

COSTUME DESIGN

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 86 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Being The Ricardos
  • Belfast
  • Cruella
  • Cyrano
  • Dune
  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  • The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • The French Dispatch
  • House of Gucci
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Nightmare Alley
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Spencer
  • West Side Story

EDITING

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 154 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Belfast
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Hand of God
  • House of Gucci
  • Last Night in Soho
  • Licorice Pizza
  • The Lost Daughter
  • No Time To Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Summer of Soul (Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)
  • tick tick...BOOM!
  • Titane
  • West Side Story

MAKE UP & HAIR

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 77 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Being The Ricardos
  • Coming 2 America
  • Cruella
  • Cyrano
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  • The Eyes of Tammy Faye
  • The French Dispatch
  • House of Gucci
  • The King's Man
  • The Last Duel
  • Last Night in Soho
  • No Time To Die
  • West Side Story

ORIGINAL SCORE

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 101 films were submitted for consideration. Music cue sheets are provided by the entrants and published on BAFTA View for the music chapter in Rounds One and Two, and for all voting members in Round Three.

  • Being The Ricardos
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  • The French Dispatch
  • The Green Knight
  • The Harder They Fall
  • King Richard
  • The Last Duel
  • Last Night in Soho
  • The Lost Daughter
  • Nightmare Alley
  • No Time To Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • Spencer

PRODUCTION DESIGN

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 99 films were submitted for consideration.

  • Being The Ricardos
  • Belfast
  • Cruella
  • Cyrano
  • Dune
  • The Electrical Life of Louis Wain
  • The French Dispatch
  • House of Gucci
  • The Last Duel
  • Licorice Pizza
  • Nightmare Alley
  • No Time To Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • The Tragedy of Macbeth
  • West Side Story

SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 56 films were submitted for consideration. Entrants can submit a supporting Statement and a show-reel of the SVFX work (up to five minutes in duration); this will be published on BAFTA View for the general voting membership in Round Three.

  • Black Widow
  • Cruella
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • Eternals
  • Free Guy
  • The French Dispatch
  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • The King's Man
  • Last Night in Soho
  • The Matrix Resurrections
  • No Time To Die
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
  • The Suicide Squad
  • Venom: Let There Be Carnage

SOUND

15 films will progress to Round Two, and five will be nominated. Round One is a chapter vote, Round Two is a chapter vote (nominations) and in Round Three, the general voting membership will select the winner. 126 films were submitted for consideration.

  • A Quiet Place Part II
  • Belfast
  • CODA
  • Don't Look Up
  • Dune
  • The French Dispatch
  • Ghostbusters: Afterlife
  • The Harder They Fall
  • The Last Duel
  • Last Night in Soho
  • The Matrix Resurrections
  • No Time To Die
  • The Power of the Dog
  • tick tick...BOOM!
  • West Side Story

BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION

Six films have been longlisted, and three will be nominated. Rounds One and Two (longlist and nominations) are a jury vote, and an opt in chapter will select the winner in Round Three.

  • Affairs of the Art
  • Do Not Feed The Pigeons
  • A Film About A Pudding
  • Homebird
  • Night of the Living Dread
  • Robin Robin

BRITISH SHORT FILM

10 films have been longlisted, and five will be nominated. In Round One, members of the opt-in shorts chapter vote to form a preliminary longlist, and from the highest ranking films a jury vote for the longlist of 10 films. In Round Two, the jury vote on the nominations. In Round Three, an opt in chapter will select the winner.

  • The Black Cop
  • Three Meetings Of The Extraordinary Committee
  • Femme
  • The Palace
  • Play It Safe
  • Rough
  • Roy
  • Stuffed
  • Punch-Drunk
  • The Tunnel

Round Two voting, to determine the nominations in the member voted categories, will open between Friday 14 and Thursday 27 January 2022.

All longlisted films are available for voting members to watch on BAFTA View.

The EE Rising Star Award nominations will be announced on Tuesday 1 February 2022.

The EE British Academy Film Awards nominations will be announced on Thursday 3 February 2022.

Round Three voting, to determine the winners, will open between Wednesday 9 February and Tuesday 8 March 2022.

The EE British Academy Film Awards ceremony takes place on Sunday 13 March 2022.


 

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