Monthly Archives: January 2012

Tell Your Story

The Year We Will Pull Ourselves Up By Our Hair by

This is how I sum up 2011. I am sitting in the People’s Library at Zucotti Park.

My dog, Thurston, is in my arms and my friend Zach, a fellow filmmaker, is talking to me about his film tour. My throat is raw from the listening and repeating, listening and repeating.

I wanted to stay. I wanted to avoid that heavy heart that inevitably came every time I left. I wanted to protect this park. This white noise bath of mic checks.

This hazy fever dream for those who had been sitting on their hands, afraid to say anything, unsure if they were the only ones seeing what they were seeing, feeling what they were feeling.

I was one of those people, stunned by hundreds mic checking the name of a lost child until it found its mother. My friend Sara mimed across the crowd a tear rolling down her cheek as real ones poured down my face.

It was like falling in love. Falling in love with the world again. But with that love also realizing how close we were to losing it forever. More…

News & Updates​The Movie

First Look: Keep The Lights On’s Teaser Trailer by

We’re excited to premiere Keep The Lights On‘s amazing teaser trailer in advance of our Sundance World Premiere on January 20th in Park City. Eagle eyes may also notice the Berlin Film Festival laurels at the beginning of the trailer, of course. Keep The Lights On will make its European premiere in the Panorama section of the long-running and very prestigious German festival. Since the Berlin Film Festival makes an appearance as a setting in the film, it’s only fitting. We hope you enjoy it! Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Art & Autobiography

American Realness by

Jack_Ferver_Photo_By_Michael_Hart01

For fans of cutting-edge performance and theater, it’s a great time to be in New York, with multiple festivals around town presenting risk-taking new work. Tonight, American Realness, a ten day festival featuring dance, music, performance art, theater, and everything in between, kicks off at the Abrons Arts Center on the LES with Unreal, a show of photography by Michael Hart. Hart has been capturing the lives and performances of many of the artists featured in the festival for nearly a decade. Unreal will also feature a text piece by writer and performer Ryan Tracy in conversation with the photographer. Above, choreographer Jack Ferver, whose show Me, Michelle is one of the highlights of the highlight-filled festival.

The Movie

Director’s Commentary: Ira Sachs on Queer Film by

To my admittedly biased mind, the overlooked movie news story of last year was the return of queer films to some semblance of public (read: crossover) consciousness. Andrew Haigh’s Weekend led the charge, but was equally well-matched by Dee Rees’ Pariah (in theaters now!), Rashaad Ernesto Green’s Gun Hill Road, Maryam Keshavarz’s Circumstance, and Céline Sciamma’s Tomboy. All of these films made a critical and popular splash upon their arrival in theaters this year to the thrill of queer film enthusiasts and filmmakers. Though one might be quick to connect these films’ success to the frequent news stories about gay prejudice, bullying, and human rights, one can’t overlook the fact that each of these films are also well made, stylistically consistent, and created by filmmakers unafraid to tell honest stories that reflect the real lives LGBT people live every day. With Keep the Lights On premiering in just over 2 weeks at Sundance, we’re hoping that this trend continues. Above, KTLO director Ira Sachs discusses the state of queer film today and the link between capitalism and telling queer stories. We’d love to hear your take on the state of queer film today in the comments below!