AGLIFF: Gay Choruses, Trans Athletes, and Chicken-Fried Everything

by Nathaniel R

Nathaniel and two fellow jurors (though we weren't in the same jury) at AGLIFF

Hello "y'all" (when in Texas...) writing to you from blistering hot Austin where the 32nd annual aGLIFF festival is nearing its wrap. The festival, which runs from Thursday to Sunday each year in late August is actually the oldest film festival in Texas. Yes, even older than SXSW though not as famous.

The festiviites began Thursday night with a packed house at the Alamo Drafthouse for a performance by the Austin Gay Men's Chorus followed by the opening night film, Gay Chorus Deep South (2019). It's a very moving documentary about a the iconic San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus and an all volunteer charity tour they made of the Deep South after T****'s election. The tour was an attempt to bridge divides between red and blue, and combat rising anti-LGBT sentiment within the country and specificially the ever-present anti-LGBT sentiment within our nation's churches...

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Venice Lineup Announced

by Nathaniel R

Hirokazu Kore-eda is back quickly after "Shoplifters" with "The Truth" starring Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve, and Ethan Hawke

Since we never get to go to Venice *sniffle* we can't grant them as much time as we do TIFF each year but here's a quick check in with their lineup of films. The festival kicks off on Wednesday August 28th and wraps on Saturday September 7th, just as TIFF's first weekend is in full swing. Telluride happens during all that, too --it's a busy time for cinephiles, critics, stars, and filmmakers... 

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TIFF Special Presentations & Galas: Ford v Ferrari, Joker, Radioactive, and more...

by Nathaniel R

"I Am Woman" is one of many biopics at TIFF

The Toronto International Film Festival has made its first lineup announcements. They begin with the Galas and the Special Presentations. This is the section that is most "movie star" friendly. They get red-carpet premieres and parties and the like. Special Presentations are also high profile premieres and movies from top filmmakers. We've never quite understood the difference in these two sections. The films and a few notes are after the jump...

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A Preview of BAM Cinema Fest

by Murtada Elfadl

The Farewell

This Wednesday June 12th marks the start of the 11 day BAMCinemaFest at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It's a local New York summer mainstay that highlights mostly emerging filmmakers. Some of the films in the lineup have premiered earlier this year at Sundance like the opening night film; Lulu Wang’s The Farewell. Some at last year’s Venice; Rick Alverson’s psychodrama The Mountain. However the festival has its share of world premiers. Let’s preview some of the eclectic films that Brooklynites will enjoy over the next two weeks...

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Cannes: 'Un Certain Regard' and 'Cinéfondation' Winners

At Cannes the "Competition" titles get most of the press but there's another competition that runs parallel each year which often hides films that are just as strong --some years critics argue that they're stronger. Nadine Labaki (Capernaum) presided this year over the jury judging the 19 films in "Un Certain Regard." That's the program Cannes officials often throw distinctive or high quality films from newer filmmakers in since they reserve the main competition for (mostly) legendary auteurs or Cannes mainstays. 

UN CERTAIN REGARD PRIZE

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF EURIDICE GUSMAO (Karim Aïnouz, Brazil)
We first started tracking this picture because it's from the queer Brazilian director Karim Aïnouz who made Futuro Beach, a movie that we liked at the time but obviously undervalued as it really lingers in the memory (I still find myself thinking about it regularly 5 years later). His new film, which won the hearts of Labaki and her jury, also features the legendary Fernanda Montenegro but hers is, alas, a supporting role...

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