Arts & Culture :: Movies

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

'Your Name Engraved Herein' - Taiwan gay film's hits and misses

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Mar 9, 2021

Patrick Liu's film 'Your Name Engraved Herein,' which just started streaming on Netflix this month, profiles a longterm romance between two teens, while reflecting on Taiwan's political changes that led to same-sex marriage legalization.

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

X marks his spot: autobiography of John Amero, porn pioneer

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Mar 3, 2021

In his newly published memoir, 'American Exxxtasy: My 30-Year Search for a Happy Ending,' gay filmmaker Amero recalls those bygone days with wit, humor and heart.

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

Sri Lanka queer drama: Shyam Selvadurai & Deepa Mehta's 'Funny Boy'

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Mar 2, 2021

Set in Colombo, Sri Lanka during the mid-1970s and early 1980s, 'Funny Boy,' based on Shyam Selvadurai's acclaimed novel, is timely for a variety of reasons.

Bill Eld's posthumous porn paean

Bill Eld's posthumous porn paean

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Feb 23, 2021

"Big" Bill Eld, one of gay cinema's first porn stars, didn't last long in the business, as director Toby Ross recounts in his ruminative odd 'docudrama.'

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

Ramadan rom-com: 'Breaking Fast's L.A. love story

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Feb 23, 2021

In Mike Mosallam's affectionate Ramadan rom-com 'Breaking Fast,' Mo (out actor Haaz Sleiman) is a devout, disciplined Muslim doctor who has reconciled his religious dedication with his queer sexuality.

Miami rhapsody: Regina King's powerful film adaptation of Kemp Powers' play

Miami rhapsody: Regina King's powerful film adaptation of Kemp Powers' play

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Feb 16, 2021

'One Night in Miami...' is a fictional dramatization inspired by true events that bring together four men from different backgrounds whose contributions to Black culture continues to resonate to the present day.

'Two of Us': lesbian feature Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film

'Two of Us': lesbian feature Oscar-nominated for Best Foreign Film

  • by Victoria A. Brownworth
  • Feb 16, 2021

'Two of Us,' the French entry for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards, is a deeply sensual tale of textured, long-standing love and desire between two women.

Gravity, rainbow: 'Falling,' Viggo Mortensen's writing-directorial debut

Gravity, rainbow: 'Falling,' Viggo Mortensen's writing-directorial debut

  • by Brian Bromberger
  • Feb 9, 2021

'Falling,' written and directed in his debut by Viggo Mortensen, adds itself to a list of several current films involving elders and dementia, with an obscured gay angle. Despite its poetic visuals, it lacks full characterization.

Whitney Houston and her daughter remembered: new documentary explores the star's rise and tragic fall

Whitney Houston and her daughter remembered: new documentary explores the star's rise and tragic fall

  • by Cornelius Washington
  • Feb 2, 2021

'Whitney & Bobbi Kristina: Didn't We Almost Have It All?' delves into more of the personal, human side of the legendary music icon Whitney Houston, her interpersonal relationships and the consequences of poor choices.

Indiefest's queer flick picks

Indiefest's queer flick picks

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Jan 30, 2021

The 23rd annual SF Indiefest will screen dozens of feature and short films online February 4-21, including three world premieres. Here are some short write-ups of LGBT-interest —or just somewhat queer— films.

Larger than life: 'Dirtwoman' documentary recalls counterculture drag queen

Larger than life: 'Dirtwoman' documentary recalls counterculture drag queen

  • by David-Elijah Nahmod
  • Jan 27, 2021

No one who's lived in Richmond, Virginia during the past fifty years will ever forget Dirtwoman. Donnie Corker was a colorful, counter-culture drag character in a town that is filled with counterculture eccentrics.

'Supernova' - the stars align in Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci's gay film

'Supernova' - the stars align in Colin Firth and Stanley Tucci's gay film

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jan 26, 2021

Straight Colin Firth is playing gay again, in Harry Macqueen's 'Supernova,' and given his empathetic role, with Stanley Tucci as his husband, this time could potentially snag his second Oscar.

Brazil's LGBT refugees tell their stories in the short film 'Hazte Sentir'

Brazil's LGBT refugees tell their stories in the short film 'Hazte Sentir'

  • by Jim Provenzano
  • Jan 24, 2021

The short film 'Hazte Sentir (Make Yourself Heard)' documents a moment in the lives of LGBT refugees in Manaus, the largest city in Brazil's Amazonas state. Cineola and Frameline share the collaborative film free online.

Welcome to the 'Doll' house: an interview with gay writer-filmmaker Jesús Canchola Sánchez

Welcome to the 'Doll' house: an interview with gay writer-filmmaker Jesús Canchola Sánchez

  • by Gregg Shapiro
  • Jan 19, 2021

Author and filmmaker Jesús Canchola Sánchez's new bilingual children's book 'Pepito Has a Doll' challenges stereotypes about masculinity in teen boys.