TIFF: Portrait of a Lady on Fire
Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire is a mesmerizing and atmospheric lesbian love story. Highly recommended.
Rafiki
Directed by Wanuri Kahiu, Rafiki stars Samantha Mugatsia and Sheila Munyiva as two young Kenyan women who fall in love and have to face the ramifications of their anti-LGBTQ culture. Available on DVD from Film Movement.
The Heiresses
The Heiresses is a quiet and spare lesbian drama. It will resonate with anyone who has settled into their ways and suddenly finds themselves having to reinvent their life.
Ekaj
Written, directed and produced by Cati Gonzalez, Ekaj is a modern day Midnight Cowboy with queer Latinx characters told from a female POV.
Queering the Script
Queering the Script is an enlightening documentary that shines a much needed spotlight on queer representation.
The Lavender Scare
You may know about the red scare but do you know about the lavender scare? A new documentary shines a spotlight on the US government’s persecution of LGBT employees.
This is Not Berlin
This is Not Berlin is a deeply personal film; an exploration of artistic expression and finding your true self.
Marilyn
Writer/director Martin Rodríguez Redondo’s debut feature film Marilyn tells the story of a young man struggling with his sexual identity in a society that refuses to understand or accept.
SXSW: Being Impossible
Director Patricia Ortega’s Being Impossible/Yo imposible is a hard pill to swallow. It’s a heavy-handed story that offers little to an audience that will be overwhelmed by the subject matter.
A Moment in the Reeds
One of the first LGBTQ films to come from Finland, A Moment in the Reeds a quiet story with a few moments of real intensity.
DOC NYC: Family in Transition
Surprising and revelatory, this Isreali documentary takes a look at a transgender woman’s transition and how it changes the family dynamic.
Lez Bomb
Multi-generational comedy
and coming out story with a lot of heart and plenty of quirky characters.
Transformer
A new documentary follows the story of a champion bodybuilder as he transitions to become a woman.
TIFF Review: Colette
Colette is a superb character study exploring gender dynamics and politics within the confines of deeply entrenched double standards. The real life Colette challenged sexual norms while finding her agency. Her message of female empowerment is desperately needed today.
TIFF Review: Tell It to the Bees
A sweet little indie film. Grainger and Paquin are great. The bees add an almost fantastical element to the story. I hope it finds its audience.
Hot to Trot: Inside the World of Same-Sex Competitive Ballroom Dance
Hot to Trot shines a spotlight on the little-known world of same-sex ballroom dance.