William S. Burroughs’ unfinished novella, Queer, tells the story of an alcoholic, junkie American writer named William Lee, who, while escaping legal issues in the States, finds himself among other expats in Mexico City circa 1950. He spends his time at a local watering hole or cruising for men in the streets. There he meets and falls for a handsome fellow expat who may or may not be gay. Their connection fuels the story as they go on a surreal journey to better understand their true natures. It’s a semi-autobiographical narrative as told through Burroughs’ prickly yet emotional Beat Generation rhythms. 

Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) and Challengers screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes seem like the ideal team to adapt Burroughs’ work considering their adeptness with the spectrum of sexuality and sensuality. The results, while often experimental and distancing, not only stay true to Burroughs’ voice, but they also feel cinematically original and thrilling.  It may play like a mashup of Death In Venice, Apocalypse Now, Altered States, Naked Lunch, and Burroughs’ own life, but it also has a beautiful love story at its core. 

Daniel Craig, doing the best work of his career so far, shatters his suave, stoic Bond image with his gloriously unfiltered William Lee, which not coincidentally served as Burroughs’ early pen name and alter ego. Craig finds a deep well of anguish and passion in this particularly abrasive, difficult man. William stalks the city, often under the influence of one substance or another, zeroing in on men with abandon, such as an early encounter with a local played by singer Omar Apollo. The nearby watering hole, presided over by a hilarious, foppish man named John Dumé (Drew Droege in full Pre-Stonewall, gossipy, Judgy Judy mode), brings Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey), a former soldier and enigmatically sexy man, to William’s razor sharp attention. Despite several heated sexual encounters, Eugene’s orientation doesn’t come into complete focus. 

We also meet William’s friend Joe, an unrecognizable Jason Schwartzman, who steals every scene he’s in with his tales of chasing men. One could easily see a bit of Seth Rogen in his purposefully silly portrayal. His kicking up of his feet in one moment served as an excellent bit of physical comedy.  

Around the midpoint, the film switches tone drastically as William and Eugene embark on a long journey through the jungles of Ecuador to find a mind-altering drug which may deepen their relationship. Lesley Manville, also unrecognizable here, gives a startling performance as a researcher of the substance known as yagé (aka ayahuasca). As our main characters travel through the heart of darkness, the film gets trippier and trippier as they literally pour their hearts out, culminating in a truly moving finale.

One could easily dismiss this film as pretentious, and in many ways, it is, but for me it serves as subterfuge to undercut what is ultimately a very simple love story. It’s hard to spot the conventions when faced with such a unique tone. Guadagnino and his extraordinary cinematographer, Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (Call Me By Your Name, Suspiria, Challengers), seemed to have studied Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist and combined its aesthetic with Edward Hopper’s paintings to present perfectly composed, immersive frames for our characters to inhabit. I wanted to live in this world. Making his feature debut as a production designer, Stefano Baisi offers up one gorgeous set after another, all filmed in Italy. Between this film and Emilia Perez, also set in Mexico yet shot in Europe, as well as The Substance, with France subbing for Los Angeles, it feels like we’ve entered an era of can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it cinematic strangeness. Menswear designer J.W. Anderson outdoes his feature costuming debut in Challengers with a stunning array of high-waisted pants, knit polos and other Mid-century creations. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross switch gears completely from their propulsive Challengers score with something more lush and romantic. Their score gets augmented by anachronistic yet fascinating needle drops by the likes of Sinead O’Connor, Nirvana, and Prince. The work of the crew all adds up to a wonderfully visual and aural experience. 

While so much of the story draws from Burroughs’ own life experiences, including a reference to the purportedly accidental shooting of his wife Joan, the filmmakers really shine when exploring the layers of attraction and love. Some may find it silly, and they definitely take risks, but I felt the connection. Sure, the film contains plenty of nudity and sex scenes, but the real heart of this film lies with what’s happening between our two lead actors’ ears. 

Starkey serves as a steady, quiet force opposite Craig. He gives very little away while drawing you in, striking that hard to define movie star balance. You completely understand why William wants to figure him out and literally go to the ends of the earth for an answer. When all is said and done, however, this film belongs to Daniel Craig. I won’t soon forget his final scene, highly reminiscent of David Bowie’s work in The Hunger, but very much its own thing as it provides a heartbreaking view of his soul. Queer may feel like an acquired taste for some audiences, but for me, it felt like something bold, fresh and equal parts nihilistic and tender. 

By Glenn Gaylord, Senior Film Critic

Queer opens in New York and Los Angeles on November 27th, and in theaters everywhere on December 13th from A24.

Ani DiFranco crashed onto the music scene in the early ‘90s, a thundering new voice in the cultural wilderness, unapologetically bisexual, political and feminist. She toured relentlessly, thrashing out hundreds of frenzied shows that were part mosh pit, part hootenanny and part full-on tent revival, then selling cassette tapes from the trunk of her car to make it to the next gig.

Ani became a worldwide phenomenon when she beat the male-dominated music industry at its own game by founding Righteous Babe Records, the first “woman-run non-corporate queer-happy” label, still going strong after nearly 35 years. The press called her “an entrepreneurial wonder” and “the industry’s worst nightmare.” Prince called her “my hero.” Ani simply called herself a folk singer, dedicated to art, activism and staying true to herself, no matter the cost.

1-800-ON-HER-OWN takes us on a wild cinematic road trip, from DiFranco’s punk-folk past to her life today as she reinvents herself as a passionate activist and revered rock star. Throughout the ride, she’s brutally honest, famously foul-mouthed and totally hilarious. Her daily challenges resonate as we reveal both an enduring, inspiring musical icon and a very relatable contemporary “everywoman” with her own epic fails and hard-won victories.

For tickets: https://rialtocinemas.com/coming-soon/1-800-on-her-own-seb/

The Arab Film and Media Institute (AFMI) is pleased to announce the full program for the 2024 Arab Film Festival, running October 24 – November 3, 2024 with a hybrid program of in-person and virtual events.

The festival offers special programming to local audiences, and unprecedented access to the diversity and range of authentic Arab experiences. It has gained an international reputation for excellence and offers its audiences access to media that reflects the lives of under-represented and provocative themes and groups on a cultural and societal level.

The festival runs throughout the San Francisco Bay Area at the Palace of Fine Arts (San Francisco), AMC Kabuki 8 (San Francisco), Roxie Theater (San Francisco), Artists’ Television Access (San Francisco) and the New Parkway Theater (Oakland).  The program spans 11 days, presenting over 40 films from 26 countries, 16 directed by women. AFF2024 includes filmmaker mixers, classic films, industry and community panels, filmmaker talkbacks and workshops. Select programs will also be simultaneously presented online.

“Organizing this year’s Arab Film Festival has been both incredibly challenging and important to us. Challenging because we all feel our hearts breaking every day by the ongoing violence; and important because now more than ever our stories must be told,” says Serge Bakalian, AFMI’s Executive Director.  “Mainstream representation of Arab lives continues to dehumanize our communities at home and abroad. From the very beginning, the Arab Film Festival has been the counter force to such dehumanization, amplifying the voices of our storytellers. The 28th Arab Film Festival will showcase not only the struggles but also the resilience, culture, and dreams of our communities. In times like these, it is vital to share these narratives, to foster understanding and remind the world of the beauty and complexity that exists beyond the conflicts.”

AFF2024 opens at the Palace of Fine Arts with Life is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza, the award-winning documentary by Mohamed Jabaly.

OPENING NIGHT: Life Is Beautiful: A Letter to Gaza
Thursday, October 24 – 7:00 PM – Palace of Fine Arts
Directed by Mohamed Jabaly, Norway/Palestine, 2023, 93 mins
When young Palestinian filmmaker Mohamed leaves for his first trip to Europe, he has no idea that his 1-month stay in Tromsø, Norway, will turn into forced exile with no end in sight. It’s 2014. The only access route to his native Gaza is closed indefinitely. As a Palestinian, Mohamed is stateless in the eyes of the Norwegian authorities. His right to stay legally in the country is thwarted, since despite his talent and experience he has no formal film training. He decides to document the cold northern days filled with waiting for the border to open and the authorities’ decision, while his entire life in Gaza is reduced to video chats via an impersonal screen. The warm support of Mohamed’s new community in Norway is interspersed with reports of new attacks on Gaza. How does one cope with feelings of helplessness, fatigue, and constant homesickness when one’s destiny is not in one’s own hands?

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Additional Palestinian Programming @ AFF
From Ground Zero – Palestine’s Submission to the 97th Academy Awards
Wednesday, October 30 – 7:30 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Ahmed Al Danaf, Ahmed Hassouna, Alaa Damo, Alaa Ayoub, Aws Al Banna, Bashar Al Balbisi, Basel Al Maqousi, Etimmad Wishah, Hana Eleiwa, Islam Al-Zarei, Khamis Masharawi, Karim Satoum, Muhammad Al Sharif, Mustafa Al Nabih, Mustafa Kulab, Nida’a Abu Hasna, Nidal Damo, Rabab Khamis, Rima Mahmoud, Thaer Abu Zubaida, Tamer Nijim & Wissam Moussa, Palestine, 2024, 115 mins
From Ground Zero is a collection of 22 short films made in Gaza. Initiated by Palestinian director Rashid Masharawi, the project was born to give a voice to Gazan filmmakers to tell the untold stories of the current war on film.

To a Land Unknown
Sunday, October 27 – 5:10 PM – Roxie Theater
Directed by Mahdi Fleifel, Greece/Palestine, 2024, 90 mins
Palestinian refugees Chatila and Reda are saving to pay for fake passports to get out of Athens. But when Reda loses their hard-earned cash to his dangerous drug addiction, Chatila hatches an extreme plan, which involves them posing as smugglers and taking hostages in an effort to get him and his best friend out of their hopeless environment before it is too late.

Aida Returns
Sunday, November 2 – 1:00 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Carol Mansour, Lebanon/Palestine/Canada, 2023, 77 mins
This film is a poignant, sometimes sad, sometimes painful, sometimes humorous, often absurd story of a multiple journey: the journey of loss as the director’s mother Aida struggled with losing herself to Alzheimer’s disease, but finding solace in her repeated “returning” to the Yafa and Palestine of her youth; the journey of the loss of a parent; and the ultimate return journey back to Yafa where Aida would finally find rest and be herself once more.

Palestinian Voices (shorts program)
Friday, October 25 – 5:10 PM – AMC Kabuki
In contrast to Western media coverage that often dominates the narrative, this program highlights the stories of Palestinians as they want to tell them. Each film offers us glimpses into the daily lives of the Palestinian people–their struggles under occupation, but also their hopes, dreams, and insistent reclamation of life, despite it all. We are honored to share these shorts that explore childhood imagination, the efforts to return, and the solidarity that can be found in surprising places.
A Short Film about Kids (Palestine) dir. Ibrahim Handal
Where the Wind Blows (Palestine, United States) dir. Hana Elias
Palestine Islands (Palestine, Jordan) dir. Nour Ben Salem & Julien Menanteau
Sokrania 59 (Palestine, Syria, Algeria, France) dir. Abdallah Alkhatib

Lebanese Programming @ AFF
Arzé
Friday, October 25 – 5:40 PM – AMC Kabuki
Directed by Mira Shaib, Lebanon, 2024, 93 mins
Arzé, a struggling single mother in Beirut, supports her agoraphobic sister and teenage son, Kinan, by selling homemade pies. Desperate to expand, she steals her sister’s bracelet to buy a delivery scooter, but when it’s stolen, Arzé and Kinan race through Beirut’s sectarian neighborhoods to retrieve it, facing a ticking clock and mounting pressure.

Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano
Friday, November 1 – 6:30 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Cyril Aris, Lebanon/Germany, 2023, 87 mins
In the aftermath of the catastrophic explosion from August 4th 2020 in Beirut, a film crew is facing a serious dilemma: should they defy the chaos and move forward with the shooting of their film or surrender to the multiple crises that are spreading all over the country? Dancing on the Edge of the Volcano captures their relentless battle to keep making cinema in a shattered city.

We Never Left – World Premiere
Sunday, October 27 – 2:40 PM – Roxie Theater
Directed by Loulwa Khoury, Lebanon/United States, 2024, 83 mins
Portraying a heart-wrenching duality between life in Beirut and in New York, We Never Left is a tortured love story of a displaced people – an impassioned testament to Lebanese expats’ unrequited yet irrepressible love for their homeland after the start of the Lebanese revolution.

Queer Programming @ AFF
Layla
Saturday, October 26 – 7:35 PM – AMC Kabuki
Directed by Amrou Al-Kadhi, United Kingdom, 2024, 100 mins
Layla is a struggling Arab drag queen whose confident façade hides their desperate desire for love. When their performance at a belittling corporate Pride event turns into a transgressive takedown, they are surprised to catch the eye of marketing executive Max, whose attentions sweep Layla off their feet. The two start an intoxicating romance, but as Layla starts to alter who they are in order to keep Max’s interest, they both have to face uncomfortable truths.

Queer Lens: The Ties That Binds (shorts program)
Tuesday, October 29 – 6:00 PM – Google’s Community Space
This year’s Queer Lens program highlights the importance of relationships and community building for young LGBTQ+ Arabs. Featuring a diverse set of award-winning shorts from the Levant, North Africa, and the diaspora, each of these films contend with what it means to find yourself through forming connections with others. The filmmakers explore how Queer Arab youth seek out one another across space and time: by connecting across countries, finding solace in older generations, or through exploring hidden queer narratives in Arab history. Despite the obstacles of social stigma, physical distance, and historical distortion, Queer Arabs remain steadfast in their efforts to establish a community of acceptance and understanding with and for each other.
Shame (France, Spain) dir. Hadi Moussally
Neo Nahda (United Kingdom, Lebanon) dir. May Ziade
I Never Promised You a Jasmine Garden (Canada) dir. Teyama Alkamli
Maghreb’s Hope (Algeria, Brazil, Morocco, Tunisia) dir. Bassem Ben Brahim
Never Stop Shouting (Morocco, France) dir. Abdellah Taïa

North American & United States Premieres
Backstage – North American Premiere
Saturday, November 2 – 2:50 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Afef Ben Mahmoud & Khalil Benkirane, Morocco, 2023, 101 mins
Aida, member of the contemporary dance troupe ‘Without Borders’ touring Morocco, provokes during a representation in a small Middle Atlas town, her life and stage partner Hedi, who injures her onstage triggering a series of events through a long night across a forest, on the way to the next village’s doctor.

Tell Them About Us – North American Premiere
Sunday, November 3 – 3:05 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Rand Beiruty, Germany, 2024, 92 mins
A clique of Arab, Kurdish and Roma teenage girls navigate their way into womanhood in the German province. Seeking ways to overcome disguised discrimination and familial pressures, the girls stage their conflicts and wildest dreams in front of the camera.

Front Row – U.S. Premiere
Saturday, October 26 – 12:30 PM – AMC Kabuki
Directed by Merzak Allouache, Algeria, 2024, 96 mins
Two feuding matriarchs engage in chaos and dysfunction during a family beach vacation in prolific Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s chaotic family dramedy.

Back to Alexandria – U.S. Premiere
Saturday, October 26 – 2:35 PM – AMC Kabuki
Directed by Tamer Ruggli, Switzerland/Egypt, 2023, 90 mins
After twenty years of absence, Sue returns to her native Egypt to see her estranged mother, Fairouz, a splendid and eccentric aristocrat. Leading her on a surprising journey from Cairo back to Alexandria, Sue reconnects with her loved ones and faces startling and painful memories. She will reconcile with her past, and finally become the empowered woman she ought to be.

Zinet, Algiers, Happiness – United States Premiere
Friday, November 1 – 5:00 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Mohammed Latrèche, Algiera/France, 2023, 57 mins
Who remembers Mohamed Zinet? For the cinephiles, he is only the actor who embodied “the Arab” in the French films of the 1970’s, for filmmakers such as Yves Boisset or Claude Lelouch. In Algeria, he is another person… Child of the Casbah, he is the brilliant director of “Tahia ya didou”.

Closing Night – Focus on Sudan
Goodbye Julia
Sunday, November 3 – 7:15 PM – The New Parkway Theater
Directed by Mohamed Kordofani, Sudan, 2023, 120 mins
Just before the secession of South Sudan, a married former singer from the north seeks redemption for causing the death of a southern man by hiring his oblivious wife as her maid.

The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival will have its world premiere at the 2024 Mill Valley Film Festival on Friday, October 11 at the Sequoia Cinema in Mill Valley, with a repeat screening October 13 at the Lark Theater in Larkspur.

Tamara de Lempicka & the Art of Survival traces the life and survival of the renowned painter through her powerful paintings – from her rise to international stardom in 1920s Paris, to her move to the United States fleeing fascism in 1940, to her revival in the current art market. The film follows this remarkable refugee as she reinvents herself multiple times, looking behind the veneer of the publicity she generated for herself and examining the bisexual, Jewish artist who embodied talent, resilience, passion, and a relentless pursuit of artistic freedom.

Her story is brought to life with never-before-seen 8mm home movies, along with stunning drawings and paintings that depict passionate, intimate relationships with both her male and female models. Barbra Streisand provides exclusive access to images of her private collection, while Madonna pays tribute to Lempicka, featuring her imagery in her videos and concert tour. Anjelica Huston lends her voice to the narration. Lempicka’s popularity soars today as one of her pieces recently sold at auction for over $21.1 million, marking the third-highest price ever paid for a work by a modern female artist. The film also reveals Lempicka’s true name, heritage, identity, for the first time through newly-discovered documents, including birth and baptism certificates that indelibly alter art history. 

The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival is an empowering story of a multi-talented, brilliant artist who captured a new woman, a new man, and a new society. Co-produced by Svetlana Cvetko, Neva Tassen, Blake Wellen, Jennifer Wallace, and written by Julie Rubio & Amy Harrison, edited by David Scott Smith & Nikki Hausherr. Additionally, 2024 will see a groundbreaking retrospective at San Francisco’s Fine Arts Museum, where, Tamara de Lempicka & the Art of Survival, will be featured for a special one day screening on January 11, 2025. 

About the director
Julie Rubio is an award-winning film producer, writer, & director. As President of Women in Film SF Bay Area & founder of East Meets West Productions, she produced the acclaimed East Side Sushi. She is also the director, writer, and producer behind Too Perfect, Six Sexy Scenes and A Murder, Everything is Temporary, Oakland Be Mine, and Impression. Her films have been distributed by industry giants Samuel Goldwyn, Sony Home Entertainment, HBO, Netflix, Apple TV, & Osiris. The True Story of Tamara de Lempicka & The Art of Survival marks her debut as a feature documentary writer, director, and producer.

Fun, sexy, Greek, and low-budget – those are the guidelines a foreign movie producer has given twinky actor Nikitas (who keeps losing roles for acting “too gay”) for a potential film project. So over the course of a long afternoon at a scenic gay nude beach, Nikitas and his BFF Demos, a former actor turned pencil-pushing public servant, begin to write the screenplay for what they hope will be their big cinematic break. Nikitas fancies himself the next Xavier Dolan, and Demos has dreams of a Hemsworth brother playing him. Under the beating sun on the blue Mediterranean, the besties (who met in film school) uncover the perfect subject matter as they recall the chaotic, fruitful antics of their respective love lives two summers ago. Break-ups, hook-ups, and a dog named Carmen… look out Cannes, here comes the next big thing in queer cinema!

Laugh out loud hilarious and unrelentingly horny, The Summer with Carmen brilliantly blends its intersecting narratives, as memory collides with fantasy and art rubs up against truth.

SALLY!

Presented by OUTwatch and Rialto Cinemas

Wednesday, July 17 

7pm

94 minsDocumentary

A radical lesbian feminist whose trailblazing vision and ebullient personality were the spark for movements with far-reaching impacts, the legacy of Sally Gearhart has also largely been erased from history. From the defeat of the Briggs Initiative to the founding of the first Women’s Studies program in the nation, to groundbreaking writing on lesbian separatist communities, Gearhart was a fierce-hearted San Francisco political preacher at the center of many iconic movements of the 1970s and 1980s.

“Feminism has done more to save the lives of women in the last 20 years than Jesus Christ did in 2,000 years
of Christianity.” –Sally Gearhart
Sally Gearhart spearheaded the 1970s and 80s lesbian feminist movement making an indelible impact on
LGBTQ Equality and Women’s Rights; a brilliant sexy superstar who inspired thousands. So why have you never
heard of her?
From the defeat of the California 1978 Prop 6/Briggs Initiative to the founding of the Women’s Studies
program at SF State (one of the earliest in the nation,) to Wanderground, her novel that inspired lesbian
separatist communities all over the world, Gearhart was a fierce-hearted San Francisco political preacher at
the center of movements for social change.
Deftly weaving archival footage with interviews spanning decades, Sally! illuminates the personal and political
context that defines Gearhart’s legacy, humorously and thoughtfully celebrating her while also confronting the
controversies and limitations of lesbian separatism. Sally! is a rare watch that honors its subject as both an
icon and a beloved, complex individual.

Director/producer Fia Perera‘s Perera Pictures is proud to announce the North American video-on-demand (VOD) release of “Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity” (Gravitas Ventures) on July 9, 2024. This colorful, heartwarming, and truly inspirational documentary, which 

explores the lives of two renowned British artists who exist in one gender-fluid body: Paul Whitehead and Trisha Van Cleef, is Perera’s directorial debut, and will stream in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Pre-orders are available now on iTunes/Apple TV.

“A brilliant, beautiful, sensitive documentary” (Broadway to Vegas), “Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity” has received rave reviews, with critics focusing on how Perera “reveals the challenges and joyful moment which both souls celebrate and endure…with great dignity and purpose” (Film Threat), while others praise the film’s style, exclaiming “the artwork alone is worth the price of admission, but the story is amazing and its presentation is brilliant” (Splash Magazine). 

“As a filmmaker and activist, my passion is spotlighting and elevating individuals like Paul and Trisha, who navigate their gender fluidity and duality with great freedom”, said Perera. “My mission with this film is to help inspire other people who are struggling to be their true selves to take the leap!” 

“Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity” focuses on Paul Whitehead, a painter, graphic designer, writer, and musician who worked as an art director for Time Out and John Lennon; founded the Eyes and Ears Foundation and its Artboard Festival, which allowed artists to showcase their work on billboards; and made album covers for music icons like Genesis, Credence Clearwater Revival, Van der Graaf Generator, and Peter Hammill. 

Whitehead began exploring his gender identity through cross-dressing during the 1960s, leading to the emergence of the converged artist Trisha Van Cleef in 2004. The film delves into the brutal challenges and beautiful victories that Paul and Trisha have faced—together and individually—in the mercurial and competitive art world while unapologetically navigating the uncharted waters of gender identity and artistic expression, breaking down perilous stigmas along the way.

“Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity” has held a successful festival run with screenings at Cinequest Film Festival, Santa Fe Film Festival Ojai Film Festival, and New Filmmakers LA Docuslate Festival. 

Perera Pictures & Fisky Enterprises present “Paul & Trisha: The Art of Fluidity.” Featuring Paul Whitehead & Trisha Van Cleef, the film is written, directed and produced by Fia Perera, with Adam Fisk serving as an executive producer, with cinematography and editing by William Gilmore.