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Derek Jarman films out Aug. 27
Kino Lorber and Zeitgeist Films will release two movies by the late filmmaker Derek Jarman ( 1942-94 )—Blue and The Garden—on Tuesday, Aug. 27. In a new 4K master of Blue ( $24.95 for the Blu-ray ...
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SHOWBIZ Tituss Burgess, IMDb, Halsey, Stephen Colbert, 'Queer As Folk'
Quibi has greenlit Dishmantled—described as "a high-octane cooking competition that will literally blow your socks off," with Tituss Burgess ( Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; 30 Rock ) set to host, Deadline reported. Hosted by Burgess, each episode ...
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Reports: Wachowski back in the Matrix
Transgender filmmaker and Chicago native Lana Wachowski announced Aug. 20 that she would be directing a fourth Matrix film, according to Variety. Wachowski directed the three previous films in the series—The Matrix ( 1999 ), The ...
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10 Questions with Vic Featuring Xabiani Ponce de Leon
It's hard to stand out as an actor during a film festival such as Outfest where over 150 films are screened within nine days. But Xabiani Ponce de LeÃ"n did just that with director Hari Sama's ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Elm Street,' 'Crime Story,' Tab Hunter, Lady Gaga
Gay actor Marc Patton is returning to the big screen, as himself, with the documentary Scream, Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street, The Washington Blade noted. The film tells the story of how his "big break" ...
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UPDATE: Travolta to attend Wizard World Comic Con
This year's Wizard World Comic Con Chicago will take place Thursday-Sunday, Aug. 22-25, at Rosemont's Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Rd.—and it has just gotten some serious star power. It was announced Aug. ...
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Reeling LGBTQ film festival announces film line up
( August 12, 2019 - Chicago, IL ) Reeling, the second-oldest LGBTQ film festival in the world and a beloved Chicago cultural institution for more than 35 years, kicks off fall with an exciting slate of ...
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Gene Siskel Film Center to present Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am Aug. 23-29
As a venue that celebrates all art forms and a public program of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Gene Siskel Film Center mourns the loss of the celebrated Black author and Nobel ...
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SHOWBIZ Comic-book heroes, Cara and Ashley, Chris Pine, Pride Summit
The animated character Aquaman was confirmed to be LGBT+ on the latest episode of Young Justice: Outsiders—the DC Universe's animated show about teenage superheroes, PinkNews reported. The latest episode, "Quiet Conversations," saw the iconic DC superhero ...
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FILM Fawzia Mirza, Kathy Griffin and much
more at Outfest
Founded by UCLA students in 1982, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit film festival Outfest celebrated 37 years of bringing LGBTQ stories to the screen. Presented by HBO, the festival ran July 18-28. This year, films were from ...
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SHOWBIZ Lil Nas X, classic TV shows, Janelle Monae, NFL player
The country-trap smash "Old Town Road" ( by out rapper/singer Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus ) has broken the record for the longest-running number-one song on Billboard's singles chart. And faced with the task ...
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Sinfonietta concert screening of 'Get Out' Sept. 21
Chicago Sinfonietta will perform a live concert screening of Jordan Peele's 2018 smash film film Get Out, conducted by score composer Michael Abels, at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 East Ida B. Wells Dr., on Saturday, Sept. ...
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NATIONAL Torres' run, tribe OKs marriage, Bernie Sanders, Netflix
New York City Councilman Ritchie Torres made history when he announced his bid for a seat in New York's House of Representatives, Queerty noted. The 31-year-old Democrat from the Bronx is the first openly gay man ...
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SHOWBIZ Jennifer Lopez, 'Toy Story 4,' Rosie, Darren Criss, John Waters
Jennifer Lopez had a surprise for a gay teen who was barred from giving the valedictorian speech, PinkNews noted. The superstar surprised Nat Werth backstage at her show in Milwaukee on July 3. The teen was ...
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'Hedwig' remaster at Music Box starting July 19
Director/co-writer/star John Cameron Mitchell's 2001 musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch will open in a new 4K DCP remaster at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., on Friday, July 19. With this trailblazing musical, ...
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Billy Masters
"Do you know what? I've been giving that some thought recently because a couple of other parents said that to me as well. I think, you really don't start thinking about that until you are a ...
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'Paris Is Burning' at Music Box in July
A new 2K restoration of the 1990 landmark documentary Paris Is Burning will run July 12-18 at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. Preceding the FX show Pose by decades, this film looks at ...
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10 Questions with Felix Maritaud
Audiences were still talking about Felix Maritaud's performance in the 2017 hit French film, '120 Beats Per Minute', about the HIV/AIDS epidemic in 1990s France, when another critically acclaimed film, 'Sauvage' premiered at the Cannes Film ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Orange Is the New Black,' Jake Shears, Bob the Drag Queen, Mika
The seventh and final season of Orange Is the New Black will debut on Netflix on July 26—and it's being celebrated in a unique way, a press release noted. This season, the cast and creators are ...
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'Lavender Scare' director on very real tragedy
In 1953, in the midst of the Cold War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order that banned gays and lesbians from federal employment, under the pretense that they not only were immoral, but they ...
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Scholar/producer to receive new honor, speaks on life goals
Aymar Jean Christian, Ph.D., has dedicated his life to communicating with meaning. Now the scholar, producer, founder and writer/director is being recognized for his work with the first Leaders for a New Chicago award, courtesy of ...
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Blood-ties are binding in new LGBT drama
Early in director Anthony L. William's drama Thicker Than Blood, which makes its Chicago premiere on the closing night of the 17th Annual African Diaspora FIlm Festival-Chicago, the lead character Jordan's mother Marilyn ( Christina Smith ...
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'Before Stonewall' at Siskel on July 5-10
The 1984 film Before Stonewall will run at the Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., on July 5-10. Given a new digital restoration on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, this ...
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SHOWBIZ Ryan Murphy, Billy Porter, Boy George, 'Queer Eye'
Ryan Murphy will direct and produce the feature adaptation of the Tony-nominated stage musical The Prom and has secured a cast that puts Netflix in new star-power territory, Deadline noted. Meryl Streep will star alongside James ...
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MOVIES
Jon Favreau honored as Robert Downey Jr. attends event
The Gene Siskel Film Center of the Art Institute of Chicago held a gala at the Four Seasons Chicago on June 15 called "Marvel, Movies, and More: Honoring Jon Favreau in Conversation with Robert Downey Jr." ...
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MOVIES '5B' revisits first AIDS ward in Calif. hospital
The powerful new documentary 5B is about a group of caregivers opening the first AIDS ward at San Francisco General Hospital in the '80s. Through first-person testimony, stories are told to depict how caregivers handled the ...
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Janet Mock signs historic Netflix deal
Author/director/producer Janet Mock has signed a historic deal with Netflix—making her the first out transgender woman who can call the creative shots at a major content company, Variety reported. The multimillion-dollar deal, which spans three years, ...
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FILM ANALYSIS Rewatching Stonewall at the movies
Early in gay director Nigel Finch's 1995 sort-of docudrama Stonewall, the drag queen La Miranda ( Guillermo Diaz ), who's one of the central characters, looks at the audience and says: "There's as many Stonewall stories ...
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Gay Holocaust film being shown June 20
The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, 9603 Woods Dr., Skokie, will show the documentary Dear Fredy on Thursday, June 20, 6:30-8 p.m. The movie shares the true story of Fredy Hirsch—an openly gay Jewish athlete ...
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WTTW hosts screening of 'The Lavender Scare'
During the Cold War era, fear and hatred of communism was extended to those who might be seen as susceptible to blackmail, including gays who worked for the federal government. The belief that "sex perverts" were ...
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'Lavender Scare' screening, panel June 15
On Saturday, June 15, at 2 p.m., in honor of Pride month, WTTW and The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events ( DCASE ) will host a screening of the new documentary The Lavender Scare, ...
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SHOWBIZ Celine Dion, GLAAD concert, Marlon Wayans, telenovela plot
On June 8, international superstar Celine Dion took the final bow of her 16-year Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, a press release noted. In March 2003, Celine Dion forever premiered her first ...
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Matt Bomer meets Papi Chulo
There's a little indie movie hitting theaters on June 7 by the name of Papi Chulo that tells a unique story with an openly gay main character. Matt Bomer stars as Sean, a weatherman who is ...
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MOVIES Siskel showing LGBTQ+ movies
The Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., is showing several LGBTQA+ features throughout Pride Month. Films include: —Sauvage Wild ( June 7-13 ): A 22-year-old gay hustler cycles through a series of mostly sexual ...
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Laquan McDonald doc '16 Shots' out June 14
Showtime Documentary Films announced it will premiere the new documentary 16 Shots, from Oscar-nominated director Richard Rowley ( Dirty Wars ), on Friday, June 14, at 8 p.m. CT. According to a press release, the feature ...
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Final Dyke Delicious screening, Stonewall Uprising, June 8
Trailer below
The final screening of the Dyke Delicious film series, Stonewall Uprising, will take place June 8 at Chicago Filmmakers, 5720 N. Ridge Ave. "It was the Rosa Parks moment," says one man. June 28, 1969: NYC ...
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SHOWBIZ Jane Fonda, Lee Daniels, Lady Gaga, 'The Babadook'
Jane Fonda said she suffered a nervous breakdown during the first season of Grace and Frankie because she felt "triggered" by her character's plotline of being abandoned by her husband for another man, Page Six noted, ...
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Halston film opens at Music Box on June 7
Director Frederic Tcheng's Halston will open Friday, June 7, at the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave. The film focuses on the life and times of legendary designer Roy Halston Frowick, the man who aimed ...
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SHOWBIZ Cirque du Soleil, 'Downton Abbey' film, Mathew V, Whitney Houston
The producer of Cirque du Soleil and Dan Lin's Rideback have made a deal to develop feature films based on the stories and characters from the catalog of the iconic global live-entertainment franchise, Deadline noted. The ...
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Studio Responsibility Index (SRI) maps quantity, quality, diversity of LGBTQs in films
Los Angeles, CA, May 23, 2019 — GLAAD, the world's largest LGBTQ media advocacy organization, today released its seventh annual Studio Responsibility Index ( SRI ), a report that maps the quantity, quality, and diversity of ...
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Shout! releasing films for Pride Month
In honor of LGBTQ Pride Month, Shout! Factory is presenting an eclectic slate of movies arriving for the first time on Blu-ray. The films include the drag-queen classic To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar ...
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Queer actor plays gay character in teen comedy 'Booksmart'
Most students take their finals in classrooms. Austin Crute took his in a life-size clamshell. The queer actor was preparing to graduate from NYU while filming his first movie Booksmart, which follows two best friends ( ...
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SHOWBIZ Matt Bomer, Megan Rapinoe, Tom Ford, MTV Awards, EBTG
Out actor Matt Bomer stars in the movie Papi Chulo, out June 7, a press release noted. The plot focuses on a newly single, gay TV weatherman ( Bomer ) who is put on leave following ...
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SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW Summertime brings out the big guns, to no one's surprise
Summer is heating up at the movies and thanks to Avengers: Endgame, things are off to a good start as far as ticket sales. While the Avengers can't go back in time to really face off ...
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Advocate premieres homelessness doc
Community advocate Neil Karski debuted his locally produced Faces Uncovered: Shattered Lives—about Chicagoans experiencing homelessness—at an event held May 16 at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theater. Karski, who is founder of the local organization Street Samaritans, ...
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Actress Doris Day dies at 97
Iconic actress and longtime animal-rights activist Doris Day has died at 97, media outlets reported. USA Today noted that Day became a touchstone of pop culture, referred to in many TV shows and movies ( because ...
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Billy Masters
"There's a whole lot of sins that will keep you out of the kingdom of God. Here's just a sample: Sexually immoral can't get in; idolaters can't get in; adulterers can't get in. Men who practice ...
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'Moonlight,' 'Wonder Woman' part of summer film series
The Millennium Park Summer Film Series will offer a lineup of classic and recent movie selections on Tuesdays, June 4-Aug. 20, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Pose,' Julia Roberts, Jonas Brothers, Madonna
Season two of the groundbreaking FX drama Pose will debut Tuesday, June 11, a press release touted. Pose is a drama spotlighting the legends, icons and ferocious house mothers of New York's underground ball culture, a ...
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NATIONAL Dustin Lance Black, presidential candidates, Equality Act advances
Oscar-winning screenwriter/activist Dustin Lance Black said the U.S. is moving backward on LGBT rights, citing the Trump administration's military transgender ban, which went into effect last month, The Hill reported. Black called on advocates and lawmakers ...
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Randy Rainbow in town June 1
Openly gay comedian, singer and actor Randy Rainbow will bring his national "Randy Rainbow Live!" theater tour to Thalia Hall on Saturday, June 1, 2019. There are now two shows, at 6 and 9 p.m. A ...
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MOVIES Wing man Ralph Fiennes on his Nureyev biopic 'The White Crow'
Ralph Fiennes didn't need a magic spell to bring gay ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev back to life. Instead, the actor/director relied on the talents of Ukrainian dancer-turned-actor Oleg Ivenko in dramatizing a pivotal chapter in Nureyev's ...
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SHOWBIZ Lee Daniels, Destiny's Child, Sarah Jessica Parker, 'Andi Mack'
Director/producer Lee Daniels—who's one of the people behind the TV show Empire—talked about the situation surrounding Jussie Smollett, according to Extra. "The cast is upset, it is a sad time and we are slowly healing," he ...
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2019 Tony Award nods include one big snub
The nominations for the 2019 Tony Awards were announced live by Brandon Victor Dixon and Bebe Neuwirth at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center on April 30—and there was one ...
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Bordowitz, 'Nureyev' at Siskel in May
Two May events at the Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., focus on members of the LGBT community. On Friday, May 17, at 7 p.m., artist/activist/professor Gregg Bordowitz will present two films: the 1989 Marlon ...
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Ring of Silence shines light on human trafficking
A new film, available on-demand on Amazon Prime April 26, depicts the toll human trafficking—in this case, in the form of forced sex work—has taken upon young people in the American suburbs. Ring of Silence, directed ...
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Billy Masters
"Although my career may seem to glitter with hits, it has also been splattered by plenty of trash. I don't remember who it was that said she only did things she was proud of—I've done SO ...
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MOVIES Director Wanuri Kahiu on groundbreaking film 'Rafiki'
Director Wanuri Kahiu said there was one main idea that drew her to adapt the 2007 short story "Jambula Tree" for the screen: "It was incredibly important for me to show that falling in love is ...
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SHOWBIZ Tegan and Sara, 'The Boys in the Band,' Charlize Theron, Janet Jackson
Twins/indie band Tegan and Sara are releasing their memoir, High School, EW.com reported. It tells their coming-of-age story: growing up in Alberta, Canada, grappling with their sexuality, and facing the pressures of adulthood as the end ...
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'Intersectional feminist' web series turns dating app disasters into romantic comedy
Unflattering selfie angles, men posing with freshly caught fish and an abundance of "Rick and Morty" references are just some of the horrors one might encounter while swiping for their next Tinder match. These dating app ...
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EVENTS Talking with the stars of 'Heroes & Villains'
Heroes & Villains Fan Fest battled its way back in the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont on April 19-21. The Easter holiday weekend can be a tough one for planning a massive event such ...
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Wild Nights with Emily offers new takes on Dickinson myths
"Emily Dickinson wished to be published posthumously," says Mabel Todd ( Amy Seimetz ), the poet's editor, at one point in the new dramatic comedy Wild Nights with Emily. "'Posthumous' refers to a soul that wishes ...
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Wild Nights with Emily screening through April 25
Wild Nights with Emily is a film about a little-known aspect of the iconic poet Emily Dickinson, starring Molly Shannon. In the mid-19th century, Dickinson is writing prolifically, baking gingerbread, and enjoying a passionate, lifelong romantic ...
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MOVIES Classic lesbian film stages re-'Bound,'and the stars weigh in
The popular 1996 film Bound is a lesbian centered crime thriller written and directed by the Wachowskis in their feature film debut. Jennifer Tilly plays Violet who is a relationship with a member of the mafia ...
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'Moonlight,' 'Wonder Woman' part of summer film series
The Millennium Park Summer Film Series will offer a lineup of classic and recent movie selections on Tuesdays, June 4-Aug. 20, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. The Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs & ...
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Millennium Park Summer Films to celebrate Year of Chicago Theatre
The Millennium Park Summer Film Series will offer a lineup of popular classic and recent movie selections on Tuesdays, June 4 through August 20, at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park. To celebrate 2019 as ...
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Billy Masters
"Let's see how long I last."—Patti LuPone says of her latest venture—as a member of Twitter. Her first Tweet? "Contain me with only 280 characters? Fuck that." All that with 240 characters to spare. If you're ...
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SHOWBIZ 'A Star Is Born,' Image Awards, Adam Lambert, Celine Dion
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's A Star Is Born soundtrack surpassed 1 million copies sold in the United States, Billboard.com noted. Star sold 16,000 copies in the tracking week ending March 21, bringing the soundtrack's cumulative ...
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SPRING MOVIE PREVIEW Superheroes, festivals part of cinematic landscape
The box office is warming up for the big blockbusters expected this summer. Spring offers two months of fine flicks and film festivals where the LGBT community are well represented on the big screen—along with big ...
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SHOWBIZ Kristin Chenoweth, Lee Daniels, 'Tales of the City,' Janelle Monae
The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus announced that Emmy and Tony winner Kristin Chenoweth will be honored with the Vanguard Award, and that Olympic figure-skating medalist Adam Rippon will receive the Trailblazer Award at the annual ...
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WORLD Thailand feat, U.S. ambassador, MP assaulted, 'Game of Thrones'
Thailand, on March 24, elected filmmaker Tanwarin Sukkhapisit as its first transgender member of the House of Representatives, Gay Star News noted. It was the first general election since a military coup in 2014. Sukkhapisit decided ...
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Wiggins Weighs In On Giant Little Ones
There's a new, little movie in town that defies labels in big ways while showing a whole spectrum of the LGBT community. Giant Little Ones depicts two best friends involved in a sexual incident that changes ...
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SHOWBIZ: Aguilera, Beyonce, Tribeca Film Festival, Marc Jacobs
The Human Rights Campaign ( HRC ) announced the organization will honor six-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Christina Aguilera with the HRC Ally for Equality Award at the 2019 HRC Los Angeles Dinner. ( As previously announced, ...
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'Legally Blonde' collection now out on Blu-ray
The Legally Blonde Collection, centering on the character Elle Woods ( played by Reese Witherspoon ), is out on Blu-ray. The series is courtesy of Shout! Factory's Shout Select line, available now for pre-order from ShoutFactory.com, ...
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SHOWBIZ Tyler Blackburn, Ellen Page, Isaac Mizrahi, Annie Lennox
Former Pretty Little Liars actor Tyler Blackburn recently talked with Entertainment Weekly about the same-sex relationship his character, Alex, has on the new CW show Roswell, New Mexico with extraterrestrial jaded genius Michael. In part, Blackburn ...
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