Strand Releasing is acquiring North American rights to Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles’ critically acclaimed documentary MALA MALA. A celebration of the trans and drag communities in Puerto Rico, the film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will have its highly anticipated debut in theaters on July 1st at the IFC Center.
Strand has a rich history of distributing a wide array of LGBT films from around the world, including Gregg Araki’s MYSTERIOUS SKIN, Daniel Ribeiro’s THE WAY HE LOOKS, James Franco’s INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR., and Hong Khaou’s LILTING. They are also distributing the upcoming Alanté Kavaïté’s THE SUMMER OF SANGAILÉ, Anucha Boonyawatana’s THE BLUE HOUR, and Dean Francis’ DROWN.
MALA MALA is a unique exploration of self-discovery and activism, featuring a diverse collection of subjects that include LGBTQ activists, business owners, sex workers, and a boisterous group of drag performers who call themselves The Doll House, MALA MALA portrays a fight for personal and community acceptance paved with triumphant highs and devastating lows. Filmed over the course of a historic three-year period, MALA MALA records the beginning of a new transliberation movement in Puerto Rico, as trans people came out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Through riveting cinematography that encapsulates the candy-colored, vivacious personalities as well as their frequently dark personal experiences, directors Santini and Sickles dynamically present the passion and hardships reflective of this distinctly binary human experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzEy6pJ80nwLGBTQ
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Strand Releasing Grabs Puerto Rican Transgender Documentary MALA MALA For Release in U.S. | TRAILER
Strand Releasing is acquiring North American rights to Antonio Santini and Dan Sickles’ critically acclaimed documentary MALA MALA. A celebration of the trans and drag communities in Puerto Rico, the film made its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival and will have its highly anticipated debut in theaters on July 1st at the IFC Center.
Strand has a rich history of distributing a wide array of LGBT films from around the world, including Gregg Araki’s MYSTERIOUS SKIN, Daniel Ribeiro’s THE WAY HE LOOKS, James Franco’s INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR., and Hong Khaou’s LILTING. They are also distributing the upcoming Alanté Kavaïté’s THE SUMMER OF SANGAILÉ, Anucha Boonyawatana’s THE BLUE HOUR, and Dean Francis’ DROWN.
MALA MALA is a unique exploration of self-discovery and activism, featuring a diverse collection of subjects that include LGBTQ activists, business owners, sex workers, and a boisterous group of drag performers who call themselves The Doll House, MALA MALA portrays a fight for personal and community acceptance paved with triumphant highs and devastating lows. Filmed over the course of a historic three-year period, MALA MALA records the beginning of a new transliberation movement in Puerto Rico, as trans people came out of the shadows and into the spotlight. Through riveting cinematography that encapsulates the candy-colored, vivacious personalities as well as their frequently dark personal experiences, directors Santini and Sickles dynamically present the passion and hardships reflective of this distinctly binary human experience.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzEy6pJ80nw
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THE SURFACE Starring Australian Model Harry Hains to Premiere at Frameline
THE SURFACE directed by Michael J. Saul (Crush, Adults Only, Go Go Reject) will World Premiere at Frameline, the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, at 6:00 pm, June 27, 2015 at the historic Castro Theatre. THE SURFACE follows a lost young man through his struggles to create his own sense of family.
Starring Australian model Harry Hains in his leading role debut, alongside Michael Redford and Nicholas McDonald, The Surface tells the story of Evan Jones, an orphan who was shifted from one foster home to another for years. Now a disaffected college student, he lives with his wealthy boyfriend, Chris. Their social and financial differences have made their relationship increasingly volatile despite their love for one another.
While sifting through relics at an elderly man’s yard sale, Evan finds an 8mm movie camera. The man offers to teach Evan how to use it if he comes back the following week. Upon returning, Evan meets the man’s 43-year-old son, Peter. Peter gives him reels of old 8mm movies that are collecting dust in the garage. The home movies, featuring a young Peter and his boyhood friend touch a nerve with Evan. Their youthful flirtations and tenderness are uncomplicated and pure. Evan begins to live vicariously through the home movies and his friendship with Peter soon turns romantic. Evan’s relationship with Chris splinters as he pushes for greater understanding of himself and the notions of family, love and fulfillment.
https://vimeo.com/110314788
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Watch Trailer for HBO Documentary LARRY KRAMER IN LOVE & ANGER
HBO has released the trailer for LARRY KRAMER IN LOVE & ANGER, premiering on Monday, June 29, at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. Directed by Jean Carlomusto, Larry Kramer in Love & Anger is a feature-length documentary about the legendary author, activist and playwright, Larry Kramer. It is an in-depth, “warts and all” portrait of one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired a generation of gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives.
Known simultaneously as egotistic, irrationally angry, self-promoting and rude, to his admirers he is a prophet whose early warnings to the gay community about promiscuity and AIDS now read as eerily prescient. A pioneering activist, Larry co-founded Gay Men’s Health Crisis and ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), where his calls for direct action protest made AIDS a national issue, forever changing public health policy. At the same time, his literary achievements championed the lives of gay people: a Tony Award for The Normal Heart; an Emmy Award for the HBO movie THE NORMAL HEART and an Academy Award nomination for best screenplay for Women in Love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIYPJDaITwU
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Gay French Drama TOM AT THE FARM To Be Released in U.S. Unrated
The gay French-language drama TOM AT THE FARM directed by Xavier Dolan, will finally be released in the U.S., nearly two years after it premiered at the 2013 Venice Film Festival.
Tom at the Farm, starring Dolan, along with Caleb Landry Jones and Pierre-Yves Cardinal, will be released in theaters and on VOD platforms on August 14, 2015.
“After the sudden death of his lover, Guillaume (Jones), Tom (Dolan) travels from his home in the city to Guillaume’s family’s remote country farm for the funeral. Upon arriving, he’s shocked to find that the family knows nothing of him and was expecting a woman in his place. Tom keeps his identity a secret but soon finds himself increasingly drawn into a twisted, sexually charged game by Guillaume’s aggressive brother (Cardinal), who suspects the truth.”
“It’s hard to say it in a fully modest way, but I was truly puzzled as to how exactly ‘Tom At The Farm’ had never landed distribution in the U.S.,” said Dolan. “To me, it was by far my most accessible film; I mean, it’s a 90-minute psychological thriller, and it’s sort of gory but then very conventional too. I’m obviously psyched that Amplify Releasing has taken ‘Tom’ under their wing. But the topic remains truly relevant — can intolerance and psychological violence ever be dull? — and I’m proud to know the American public will be able to see it. And hopefully, like it.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLOJpY6DfAE