MICHAEL BARNETT’S thought-provoking documentary about the trials and triumphs of trans teenager athletes was made in the Trump era where society was encouraged to express rampant transphobia. In fact, violently oppose everything that was not about white cis-gendered men.Whilst the topic of trans sportsmen and women may surface in the media quite often, it is being confronted by the reality of what they face on a daily basis helps us understand how very serious it all is. And that’s exactly what this documentary does Barnett follows three teen trans in different US States. That in itself is important as each State has different rules of what these teenagers can and cannot do. In Texas where MACK BEGGS a high school wrestler lives, he is forced to wrestle girls even though he is very much a boy.Beggs is being raised by his very loving grandparents. Whilst his elderly grandpa still struggles with Mack’s pronouns, his Grandma. a devout Christian, Republican, and a gun-totting Sherriff’s Deputy could not be more supportive of her grandson. She confesses to studying the bible at great length and when she found that God would acceptMack without question, she decided to do the same.
Even living in an accepting household like this, Beggs must still deal with the hostility hurled at him …. mainly by adults, … when he is out competing. His grandmother tells Barnett that she feels if they had not fully accepted Mack he would definitely have been part of the 40% of trans teens in the US who commit suicide or attempt it, every single year.
Begg’s very supportive Coach suggests that the whole subject of being a champion is what irritates people most, they would be more willing to accept him if he didn’t win every time.
In New Hampshire, trans SARAH ROSE HUCKMAN gets to ski with the other female skiers. She talked about often holding back from winning her events to avoid the inevitable outcry of ‘unfair’. The very articulate Huckman becomes an activist and a major force in the movement who successfully get the State to pass legislation to level the playing field and stop discrimination.Huckman’s actions are a gamble and could have backfired. Most trans would prefer to remain under the radar and out of the glare from the (mostly reactionary) media, yet she was actively encouraging it.The third athlete that Barnett features is a champion runner ANDRAYA YEARWOOD. After one of her runs, she is met by a woman screaming and accusing Yearwood of single-handled undoing women’s rights that she had fought for. Every adult who vents such anger at these teens likes to suggest that the basis of their complaints is what they allege is the unfairness of (the success of) trans athletes but you can sense it is based in a much deeper inbred hatred.One of the school Principals summed up her own attitude very succinctly She claimed that it is impossible to accept these teens transitioning in everyday life, but then demand they revert back when it comes to playing sports.In a world where coming out as gay has gotten much easier, we now need to turn our attention to support trans kids living their true identity We have an incredibly long way to go to ensure that no teen again is ever so unhappy, that they end their own lives. Getting rid of Trump is only the first step.
SURVIVING THE SILENCE Dir: Cindy L. Abel Feature In the early 1990s, a highly-decorated colonel was forced to expel an Army hero for being a lesbian. What no one knew at the time was that the same colonel was herself a closeted lesbian. Decades later, this truth is exposed in all of its complexity, and the three women involved come together again to contemplate those events and their impact. Producer Marc Smolowitz lives in San Francisco.
WORKHORSE QUEEN Dir: Angela Washko Feature By day, Ed Popil worked as a telemarketer. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis, a 1960’s era housewife trying to liberate herself from domestic toil through performing at night in secret. After seven years of auditioning to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ed Popil was finally cast onto the TV show and thrust into a full-time entertainment career at the late age of 44. Workhorse Queen explores the complexities of reality television’s impact on queer performance culture.
ONCE A FURY Dir: Jacqueline Rhodes Feature Once a Fury profiles former members of the Furies, a notorious 1970s lesbian separatist collective that published a national newspaper and planned to seize state power. Featuring interviews with 10 of the original 12 Furies, excerpts from their iconoclastic writings, and other archival materials such as photography by Joan E. Biren, the film explores their model of collective leadership, organizing, and foregrounding of a lesbian politic while also pinpointing the shortcomings of their approach.
YELLO Dir: King Yaw SoonShort Short In this colorful and moving animated documentary, we follow Michelle, a young lady as she prepares to fly at the airport. Narrated by Michelle herself, this film offers an honest look at fear and connection in an era marked by uncertainty.
MAKING SAMANTHA Dir: T Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper Short “I Am Samantha,” by singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer, was inspired by his friend, Samantha Williams. Director T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper gathered 27 trans actors to make the music video, and to tell the story of the universal human journey to find identity, acceptance and love.
I AM EVA Dir. Nata Zverovich Short “I Am Eva” is a first-hand story of a person who identifies as gender neutral and looks into what it is like to exist other than male or female while living within a lack of legal gender recognition.
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Announcing the 20th SF Documentary Festival (SF DocFest) June 3 – 20, 2021 The 20th San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will be held June 3 – 20, 2021. SF DocFest will screen 40 features and 38 shorts across 6 different short programs. All films will be available to view on demand anytime during the festival, and 36 of the films will also be shown at the Roxie Theater. The majority of the in-person screenings held at the Roxie Theater will also include live Q&A sessions.
With the iconic San Francisco theater announcing their reopening for May 21st, SF DocFest will be the first film festival to screen again at the Roxie Theater. “We’re looking forward to finally getting arts and arts fans in the same room again,” says Festival Director Jeff Ross. Additionally, Ross adds that “in support and celebration of the Roxie Theater reopening this year, we are donating 100% of ticket sales from our screenings back to the theater.”
For those who are unable to attend in person, the festival may also be attended virtually through on-demand screenings and online Q&A sessions. The full festival program may be found at sfindie.com. The following are a few highlights of this year’s SF DocFest program.
OPENING NIGHT SUMMER OF SOUL Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Marcus Garvey Park. The footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by B.B. King, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder and more.
OPENING NIGHT PARTY: SUMMER OF SOUL ROLLER DISCO Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore Street (@ Fell) Thursday, June 3rd, 8-10pm Signal the reopening of the city and the return of live events by strapping on some skates. Jam to SUMMER OF SOUL tunes at the roller disco with other film festival goers and documentary fans after watching the award-winning opening night film. This event is open to the public.
Film+Party tickets are $30 and available at sfindie.com. Party Only tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the venue until sold out. Skates will also be available for rent for $5/pair. CLOSING NIGHT
KID CANDIDATE Jasmine Stodel KID CANDIDATE tells the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year old experimental musician, and his unlikely run for Amarillo city council after his Harmony Korine-inspired spoof campaign video went viral. CENTERPIECE THE SPARKS BROTHERSEdgar WrightHow can one rock band be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time? Edgar Wright’s debut documentary THE SPARKS BROTHERS, which features commentary from celebrity fans Flea, Jane Wiedlin, Beck, Jack Antonoff, Jason Schwartzman, Neil Gaiman, and more, takes audiences on a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers/bandmates Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band. NON-FICTION VANGUARD AWARD KEITH MAITLAND SF DocFest prides itself on recognizing those unconventional, creative risk-taking filmmakers that are redefining the cinematic form and are someone to watch. Keith Maitland is the latest filmmaker the festival has recognized.
Keith Maitland began his career on the streets of New York, working on the fiction side of the industry as a DGA Trainee and Assistant Director. After 7-seasons with NBC’s Law & Order, and working on a variety of features, Maitland was inspired by his documentary-photographer wife, Sarah Wilson, to try his hand at non-fiction storytelling.
On the heels of TOWER, an animated school-shooting documentary, Variety named Maitland one of “10 Documakers to Watch.” TOWER won multiple festival awards, as well as the Emmy for Best Historical Documentary.
As a filmmaker, Keith Maitland pushes artistic boundaries and redefines the cinematic form, especially with his eagerly anticipated new hybrid documentary, DEAR MR. BRODY, which uses a mix of some psychedelic animation, live-action re-enactments, and archival footage. DEAR MR. BRODY Keith Maitland A psychedelic journey into the heart (and bank account) of Michael Brody, Jr, the hippie-millionaire who offered the world peace and caused a frenzy when he publicly announced a $25 million giveaway to anyone in need. A gesture that immediately put Brody and his wife into the spotlight also caused mobs of people to camp on their lawn and flood their mailboxes. Fifty years later, 12 boxes of these letters pleading for Brody’s help were discovered—unopened.
FESTIVAL PREMIERES
WORLD PREMIERE KEEPER OF THE FIRE David L. Brown, Raymond Telles, Louis Dematteis KEEPER OF FIRE explores the life and work of activist poet Alejandro Murguia, a writer passionately involved with the struggles of his times. Following in the footsteps of Beat poets and inspired by the rich tradition of Latin American literature, Murguia fights for social justice with his words and his deeds. One of the celebrated Mission Poets, he has championed revolutions in Latin America, led cultural and educational programs in San Francisco, and campaigned against rampant gentrification nationwide all while winning two American Book Awards and becoming the first Latino to serve as Poet Laureate of San Francisco.
SKATE OR DIE Ryan Ferguson Seventeen-year-old Leonardo Castillo uses skateboarding to help escape gang life and generational poverty in his Chicago neighborhood. When a gunshot wound threatens to take away his passion, Leo must face the world as an adult.
THE LUCKY ONES Debra A. Wilson THE LUCKY ONES is a poignant Bay Area based love story of Alexander and Timothy (daughter of writer Ishmael Reed), a married couple diagnosed with schizophrenia. Their life together gives a glimpse into what it means to survive with a mental disorder and how one unexpected event can upend their already precarious world. US PREMIERE THE FACE OF ANONYMOUS Gary Lang Commander X (a.k.a. Christopher Doyon) spent time on the streets around the world hiding from the FBI, but this infamous hacktivist feels most at home on the internet where he gained notoriety. Through his affiliation with Anonymous, the purposefully elusive online network responsible for corporate takedowns and political disruption, Commander X had a platform to espouse his beliefs and befriend powerful figures like Julian Assange. He takes credit for crippling credit card companies that were attempting to sideline Wikileaks and claims a role in the Arab Spring as well. It’s completely reasonable to be skeptical as to why an outspoken Doyon wants to spill the beans about his exploits and expose a group that safeguards its secret identity. But in an era when online conspiracies proliferate widely despite being under immense scrutiny, there may not be a better time to hear from someone who’s been at the vanguard of this information age.
GREEN BANK PASTORAL Federico Urdaneta Since the 1950’s wireless signals have been banned in Green Bank to protect its radio telescope from interference. With no cell phones and no wifi, the small Appalachian town has attracted a number of people that claim to suffer from Electro Hypersensitivity seeking respite from the modern world. This is the story of the peculiar relationship between these people, the small town folk, and the massive radio telescope in the middle of it all, aimed at the sky above.
LOST AND FOUND IN PARIS Laura Lamanda It’s a never-ending flow. All day long, people come to the reception desk at the Lost and Found Office. They want to retrieve their belongings. They’re in a hurry. But, finding what has been lost is not an easy task. It requires time. The time it takes to wait for their turn and fill out the paperwork at reception. Time to explain what has been lost. Time to find the item in the warehouse and send it back with the freight elevator. It’s best to surrender to the wait and indulge in the telling of what kind of setback, accident or misfortune has caused our loss, and brought us to this place.
SEMENTARA Joant Úbeda, Chew Chia Shao Min Amid the noisy spectacle of Singapore’s golden jubilee celebrations in 2015, filmmakers Chew Chia Shao Min and Joant Úbeda conduct casual interviews with people from different walks of life, each with their own set of values and beliefs.
Inspired by Chris Marker’s brilliant Le Joli Mai, SEMENTARA, which is Malay for “temporary”, weaves together scenes of profound subjectivities and societal structures to present a compelling yet sensitive portrayal of Singapore.
THE TASTE OF DESIRE Anja Dziersk Desire is the most powerful source in human life. Desires, however, are also the biggest source of frustration. In THE TASTE OF DESIRE, the oyster symbolizes our desires in life. Through captivating characters, this film examines the complexity of human desire: our relationship to the world around us and ultimately what lengths we will go to find satisfaction.
ZAHO ZAY Georg Tiller, Maéva Ranaïvojaona A young, female prison guard, works in a hopelessly overcrowded jail in Madagascar. Her observations of the realities of prison life interlace with her daydreams about her unknown father, who disappeared after murdering his own brother when she was still a child. Secretly hoping that one day her father will be washed up as a prisoner, she bypasses time by imagining his criminal career. In her fantasies, he becomes a mythical serial killer, who is obsessed with playing the dice to decide the fate of his victims. Her prison routine is suddenly torn apart when a new inmate arrives who claims to know her father.
TICKETS AND PASSES Individual tickets for virtual shows are $10 each.
Individual tickets for screenings at the Roxie Theater are $15 each.
Opening Night Film+Party tickets are $30 each.
5Film vouchers are $45. 10Film vouchers are $85. 5Film and 10Film discount vouchers are only available and only redeemable at sfindie.com for virtual screenings.
Virtual All Pass is priced at $150. This pass provides access to all festival films via online on-demand screenings.
Whole Shebang Pass is priced at $500 and includes both on-demand access to all festival films online, and reserved seating for all festival films screening at the Roxie Theater from June 3-17.
DOCFEST 2021 STAFFFounder/Director: Jeff Ross; Programming: Chris Metzler, Kayla Myers, Sarah Flores, Jeff Ross; Publicity: Larsen & Associates; Graphic Design: Meghan Ryan
The full festival program and additional information is available at sfindie.com. You may also contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST, or by emailing info@sfindie.com. ### San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) Since 2001, SF DocFest has brought the most weird and wonderful aspects of real life to the big screen. What started as a three-day event in an empty church in Union Square has become a two-week long festival across different venues in the Bay Area. Presented each year by SF IndieFest, the 20th San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will take place from June 3rd through 20th both online and in theaters this year. More information is available at sfindie.com. You may also contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST or via email at info@sfindie.com.
Today, Frameline announced the full program for Frameline45—the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival—taking place Thursday, June 10 through Sunday, June 27, 2021. Slated to be the largest and most attended festival in Frameline history, the 17-day festival will feature a hybrid of in-person and virtual offerings, including four drive-in screenings, two screenings at Oracle Park in partnership with San Francisco Pride and the San Francisco Giants, as well as over 50 virtual film screenings. In addition, in-person screenings return to Frameline with a series of special screenings at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre and Roxy Theater.
This year’s Frameline45 virtual offerings are available to ticket holders nationwide. Tickets ($8–$12 per screening) and passes (starting at $95) are available now at frameline.org/festival. For the first time, Frameline will offer a Festival Streaming Pass, which gives which gives ticket buyers the opportunity to unlock all virtual festival content, including film screenings and other unique programming. To ensure maximum flexibility, ticket holders will be able to tune in live to each screening or stream nearly every film at any time beginning Thursday, June 17, 2021.
“We are beyond thrilled to present the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival,” says Frameline Executive Director James Woolley. “The past year has shown us the value and importance of connections with one another. As the world begins to reopen and revitalize, so too is Frameline45 with a unique combination of in-person and virtual events. We look forward to celebrating the power of queer storytelling and sharing in a collective experience together.”
“The theme of this year’s festival is ‘All Kinds of Queer’ and our lineup certainly reflects that,” adds Frameline Director of Programming Allegra Madsen. “Representing 30 countries—from Argentina, Egypt, and India to Nigeria, Taiwan, and South Africa— this year’s slate of films will touch on themes ranging from the American Dream and gentrification to trans resilience and gender and race identity. Through these films, we believe we can cultivate a more compassionate and empathetic world.”
MOVIE NIGHTS AT ORACLE PARK
For the first-time ever, Frameline and San Francisco Pride will present Pride Movie Nights at Oracle Park. A natural extension of Frameline and SF Pride’s decades-long, mutually advantageous relationship, this socially distanced and ticketed event (subject to state-mandated capacity limits) is further strengthened by a partnership with the San Francisco Giants and support from the City and County of San Francisco.
IN THE HEIGHTS Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Jon M. Chu | USA The creator of Hamilton and the director of Crazy Rich Asians invite you to a cinematic event, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big… In the Heights.
Lights up on Washington Heights… The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life. In the Heights fuses Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world that is very much of its place, but universal in its experience.
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Saturday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Jonathan Butterell | UK/USA Inspired by true events, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the film adaptation of the award-winning West End musical about Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teen in a blue-collar English town dreaming of becoming a fierce, proud drag queen. His BFF Pritti (Lauren Patel) and loving mum (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with support as drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his stage debut. But it’s not all rainbows for Jamie as his unsupportive dad (Ralph Ineson) and an uninspired career advisor (Sharon Horgan) attempt to rain on his aspirations. In rousing musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to face adversity and step into the spotlight.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on September 17, 2021 in over 240 countries and territories.
DRIVE-IN MOVIES
Frameline45 will feature four Drive-in screenings—one at Concord’s West Wind Solano Drive-In (1611 Solano Way) and three at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Flix (2 Marina Blvd.).
FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK Thursday, June 10 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Bobbi Jo Hart 2021 | Canada West Wind Solano Drive-In, Concord | Also streaming Deemed “one of the most important female bands in American rock” by David Bowie in Rolling Stone, Fanny kicked down the door for women musicians by being the first all-woman rock band to release an album with a major record company. As the band members reunite to record new music, we follow Fanny’s trailblazing rise and unfortunate plateau mired by sexism, racism, and homophobia.
POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA Tuesday, June 15 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Wes Hurley | USA Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco | Also streaming A wonderful blend of camp, melodrama, and earnest coming-of-age fable, Wes Hurley’s semi-autobiographical new film is the charmingly wild tale of young Potato, a sensitive closeted kid in the splintering Soviet Union whose only joy is watching pirated American movies. Desperate for escape, his mother Lena becomes a mail-order bride, and the two set sail for America to live with her eccentric new husband on a strange and beautiful adventure.
SUMMER OF 85 (ÉTÉ 85) Wednesday, June 16 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR François Ozon | France In French and English with English subtitles Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco Two teenage boys find themselves fatefully linked together following a boating accident in this sun-kissed tale of summer flings, first love, and the thin line between passion and obsession. With a soundtrack featuring hits from The Cure and Bananarama, the latest from French provocateur and Frameline Award winner François Ozon takes a sexy, nostalgic trip back to the mid-1980s on the Normandy Coast.
AILEY Thursday, June 19 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Jamila Wignot | USA Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco In this special screening to mark Juneteenth, the life and work of genius choreographer Alvin Ailey take center stage. Charting his trajectory from dance student to globally lauded creative force to his untimely death from AIDS in 1989, this expansive documentary weaves in candid testimonials from the artist’s closest collaborators with breathtaking dance footage from his most revelatory work. Showcasing one of the 20th century’s singular Black artists, Ailey celebrates the enduring legacy of his work while illuminating his against-the-odds achievements for a new generation.
IN-PERSON SCREENINGS
Theatres are back! Frameline will be hosting a handful of regular, in-person screenings at both the Castro Theatre and the Roxie Theater. Some of these films will not be available for streaming and will be exclusively screened at these two iconic San Francisco cinemas.
GENDERATION Sunday, June 20 at 3 p.m. PDT DIR Monika Treut | Germany Roxie Theater, San Francisco Twenty years after the queer classic Gendernauts (Frameline23) illuminated the shifting nature of gender through the eyes and lives of unapologetic, iconic San Franciscans, director Monika Treut returns to see where life has led her original pioneering subjects. Genderation finds Annie Sprinkle, Sandy Stone, Susan Stryker, Stafford, and Max Wolf Valerio still breaking the mold as gender visionaries, even as they grapple with a changing city and the challenges of aging in America.
BALONEY Sunday, June 20 at 6 p.m. PDT DIR Joshua Guerci | USA Roxie Theater, San Francisco Come experience titillating and charming story behind San Francisco’s first and only all-male gay revue. A melding of theater, dance, and burlesque, Baloney has become a nightlife staple, interrogating the local, modern queer experience with humor and fantasy. In-depth interviews with the co-creators and their colorful, sultry cast provide engaging insight into the world of Baloney’s tantalizing and hilarious performances.
FUN IN SHORTS (SHORTS) Saturday, June 26 at 11 a.m. PDT Castro Theatre, San Francisco Need a lift? How about a sweet smile? What would you say to an actual laugh? Our signature selection of light-hearted, smile-inducing, joyful short films couldn’t come soon enough after the year we’ve had. Everybody’s welcome to have some FUN IN SHORTS!Coming Out DIR Cressa Maeve Beer | USAEarly to Rise: Episode 1 DIR Alec Cohen | USAFrom A to Q DIR Emmalie El Fadli | UKHow Moving DIR Owen Thiele | USASunday Dinner DIR Kevin Mead | USAThe Test DIR Jessica Smith | AustraliaThank You for Being Here DIR Elizabeth Archer | USAVirgin My Ass DIR Adar Sigler | IsraelThe Wash (In Love) DIR Ibon Hernando | SpainINVISIBLE Saturday, June 26 at 3 p.m. PDT DIR T.J. Parsell | USA Castro Theatre, San Francisco Contemporary country music is finally coming out of the closet. Some of the greatest hits sung by the likes of Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Johnny Cash, and more are the work of gay women writing, producing, and persevering in a traditional corporate industry that requires most to keep their authentic selves secret. Featuring interviews with Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Pam Tillis, Invisible reveals these talented women and their singular voices at last.
JUMP, DARLING Saturday, June 26 at 6 p.m. PDT DIR Phil Connell | Canada Castro Theatre, San Francisco Aspiring actor Russell tries to make it big on the Toronto drag scene, but after (literally) falling flat, he flees his rich boyfriend and holes up with his grandmother, played by the inimitable Cloris Leachman, in her final starring role. This affecting family drama, filmed in the bucolic Canadian wine country, also features real acts from the Toronto drag scene.
HOMEGROWN (SHORTS) Sunday, June 27 at 11 a.m. PDT Castro Theatre, San Francisco Celebrate our Bay Area neighbors with these local documentaries. You’ll meet Jok, the beloved children’s scientist and leather-clad AIDS activist, as well as Penny, a Filipino immigrant and restaurateur working through the pandemic. Wherever you live, these six, unique portraits from our community are sure to resonate.Bayanihan & Resilience DIR Jocelyn Tabancay Duffy | USABeakman & Jok DIR Kolmel W. Love | USABlackness Is Everything DIR Alba Roland Mejia | USADennis: The Man Who Legalized Cannabis DIR Brandon Moore | USASensorium DIR Elliot Mercer 2021 | USASurviving Voices DIR Jörg Fockele 2021 | USAFIREBIRD Sunday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. PDT DIR Peeter Rebane | UK/Estonia Castro Theatre, San Francisco Blending a Cold War thriller and a true story of a secret love, Firebird begins with the steamy passions of gay romance in an environment where expressing it is lethal. Young private Sergey (Tom Prior) begins a passionate affair with ambitious fighter pilot Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii) while stationed at an air force training base. When they are reunited years later, their reignited love risks being revealed to the Soviet military.
NO STRAIGHT LINES: THE RISE OF QUEER COMICS Sunday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Vivian Kleiman | USA Castro Theatre, San Francisco From Tom of Finland to Dykes to Watch Out For, comics and zines have been firmly embedded in queer culture since before Stonewall, through the AIDS epidemic, and continuing through today’s modern obsession with superheroes. But this deeply queer artform finally gets its true moment in the limelight thanks to Peabody Award winner Vivian Kleiman’s extensive documentary that explores over 70 years of history.
VIRTUAL SCREENINGS
Ranging from narrative features and documentaries, to episodics and shorts programs, Frameline45 will feature over 50 virtual screenings, including 16 world premieres, nine international premieres, nine North American premieres, and seven US premieres.
Highlights include:
LANGUAGE LESSONS DIR Natalie Morales | USA In English and Spanish with English subtitles Spanish lessons lead to emotional revelations in this richly touching, character-driven first feature. Well-off Oakland resident Adam (Mark Duplass) is at first put out by his husband’s gift of online sessions with cheerful Costa Rican Cariño (director Natalie Morales), but a shocking event right before their second tutorial, followed by some mysterious bruises on Cariño’s face, lead to conversations that go deeper than the difference between “ser” and “estar.”
CHARLATAN DIR Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Ireland/Poland/Slovakia In Czech and German with English subtitles Based on the incredible true story of Czech herbalist and healer Jan Mikolášek, Charlatan is veteran filmmaker Agnieszka Holland’s handsomely filmed biopic of a little-known icon of 20th century Europe. With great skill and a vivid, cinematic eye, Holland weaves the personal and the professional in Mikolášek’s life, from teenage flashbacks and his passionate clandestine affair with his hunky assistant to his trials under the Communist regime in the 1950s.
CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS DIRS Rosalynde LeBlanc & Tom Hurwitz | USA This exhilarating and moving dance documentary celebrates the work of acclaimed choreographer Bill T. Jones, who with his partner Arnie Zane founded their iconic dance company in New York during the ravages of AIDS. As a young dance troupe mounts a new production of one of the company’s signature pieces, we witness a new generation discovering the strength of art in the face of tragedy.
PROGNOSIS: NOTES ON LIVING DIRS Debra Chasnoff & Kate Stilley Steiner | USA In what was perhaps her bravest act as a filmmaker, Academy Award-winning documentarian and LGBTQ+ activist Debra Chasnoff (It’s Elementary, Frameline Award) responded to her diagnosis of stage-4 breast cancer by turning the camera on herself to chronicle the journey that lay ahead of her. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, intimate and honest, the film is an unforgettable, present-tense diary of a life fiercely lived. This world premiere free screening will stream on Saturday, June 19 beginning at 4 p.m. PDT, followed by a live conversation and Q&A with the filmmaking team. An encore screening with recorded Q&A will replay on Saturday, June 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Reserved ticket required.
SUMMERTIME DIR Carlos López Estrada | USA In an increasingly gentrified LA, one question gets more and more difficult to answer: How do you find a good burger at a decent prize? A poetry-infused valentine to Los Angeles in all its queer and BIPOC glory, director Carlos López Estrada delights with this sophomore effort. Slam poetry-style recitations erupt like musical numbers, as the film uses language to create a portrait of a changing Los Angeles populated by a generation demanding to enter adulthood on their own terms.
NELLY QUEEN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSÉ SARRIA DIR Joseph R. Castel | USA Pride parades, out politicians, the Imperial Courts: how many people know that the existence of all three have Jose Sarria to thank? This sweeping documentary follows the public personas and private losses that shaped the life of the unapologetic, influential, and often overlooked queen of San Francisco queer culture, history, and rights.
SWAN SONG DIR Todd Stephens | USA Based on an outlandish true story, a flamboyant hairdresser (screen legend Udo Kier) escapes from his nursing home to come out of retirement for one last hairdo. When Pat is offered $25,000 to style his estranged friend at her funeral, it’s an opportunity he can’t pass up, forcing him to confront the demons of his past as well as the changes of his small Ohio town. Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, and Michael Urie also star.
MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY DIR Marion Hill | USA In English and French with English subtitles The rolling vineyards and sun-washed French villages may be ancient, but the shifting dynamics of a polyamorous relationship are fresh and tingling in this contemporary romance set in the picturesque South of France. As newlywed Bertie struggles to adjust to country life, her husband encourages a visit from her American ex-girlfriend, hoping to recapture the free-spirited relationship that they all used to share. New and old intimacies and complications ensue in this luminous Sundance award winner. Proudly sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
For a complete lineup of virtual screenings, visit www.frameline.org.
FOCUS ON TAIWAN
Focus on Taiwan is supported by Ministry of Culture, Taiwan (R.O.C.) and Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles
AS WE LIKE IT DIRS Chen Hung-i & Muni Wei | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Boasting an all-female cast, this queer spin on one of the Bard’s classics is a striking reworking of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, involving cross-dressing, kidnapping, mysterious disappearances, and family feuds. With her uncle poised to control the family business, Rosalind sets out to locate her missing father with the help of her cousin Celia. But things get complicated when Rosalind, disguised as a man, finds herself falling for the charming Orlando.
DEAR TENANT DIR Cheng Yu-Chieh | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Winner of three awards at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival, Dear Tenant is a moving portrait of unconditional love, gay identity, and the ties that bind—centering around a trio of people who form their own chosen family within the confines of their apartment building. Blending a slowburn family drama, courtroom intrigue, and an impassioned plea for LGBTQ+ equality, writer-director Cheng Yu-Chieh finds the perfect balance between a compassionate character study in the vein of Taiwanese master Edward Yang (Yi Yi) and a good old-fashioned tearjerker in this box office hit.
WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? DIR Arvin Chen | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Come rediscover this infectiously charming Taiwanese queer classic from director Arvin Chen, a graduate of UC Berkeley and former Bay Area resident. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? takes a breezy and playful look at modern love as it clashes against longstanding tradition. This ensemble comedy centers around family man Wei-chung, whose long-repressed gay urges are reawakened by a young flight attendant named Thomas.
TAIWAN SHORTS Frameline is pleased to present a free program of shorts showcasing Taiwan’s next generation in film talent. Catch a brief document of Taipei Pride 2020; a coming-of-age tale about self-discovery, dating apps, and first crushes; a sweet portrait of modern millennial queer life; and a cruisy short set during martial law in 1979.Hidden DIR Kuo Hsuan-Chi | TaiwanTaiwan Pride for the World DIR Larry Tung | TaiwanUndercurrent DIR Weng Yu-Tong | TaiwanUnnamed DIRS Gao Hong & Chang Chun-Yu | Taiwan
FRAMELINE TALKS
Frameline has curated a series of exclusive talks supported by Variety, set to debut over the course of the Festival’s 18 days. These talks will be free to stream nationwide through Frameilne’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as their streaming platform.
Highlights include:
YOUTH ON SCREENS Thursday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Television is currently on the forefront of queer representation and identity expression, and leading the charge are images of young people. Each generation challenges what is taken for granted by the previous. Currently, through the medium of television, ideas of gender and sexuality are being expanded right in our living rooms. Moderated by IndieWire’s Jude Dry, panelists include Jordan Seamon (HBO’s “We Are Who We Are”), Daniel Barnz (Co-creator of HBO Max’s “Generation”), Javicia Leslie (CW’s “Batwoman”), and Crystal Moselle (HBO’s “Betty”).
TWO-SPIRIT: INDIGENOUS VOICES IN QUEER CINEMA Saturday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Indigenous filmmakers and storytellers explore the complexities of gender and sexuality as seen in spiritual traditions and creation stories. This talk will center on creatives exploring the boundaries of gender expression and sexual identity in the context of Indigenous tradition, culture, and belief. Panelists will explore the importance of Two-Spirit Native representation onscreen that centers an Indigenous point of view. Featuring a chance to reconnect with Sherente, the focus of Frameline45 documentary Being Thunder. Proudly sponsored by Gilead.
SUGAR IN MY BOWL: AFRICAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION IN QUEER CINEMA Sunday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. PDT The African American queer experience is abundant, varied, multi-dimensional, and also underrepresented in queer cinema, festivals, and media. This panel is a conversation aimed at taking stock of where queer African American representation is. This is also an opportunity to look forward and chart the future of African American representation in queer cinema. This conversation is the beginning of a longer process to create the groundwork to support queer Black filmmakers in telling queer Black feature-length stories. Panelists include Clay Cane, Brittani Nichols, Elegance Bratton, Kat Blaque, Maisie Richardson Sellers, and Nathan Hale Williams. Variety’s Film & Media Reporter, Angelique Jackson, will serve as moderator.
WOMEN IN ROCK Friday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m. PDT A talk with talent and producers from Frameline45 docs FANNY: The Right to Rock and Invisible focusing on the unbelievable talent of women in the music industry and the struggle for recognition. Fanny kicked down the door for women musicians by being the first all-woman rock band to release an album with a major record company. Invisible highlights the work of gay women behind some of country music’s greatest hits. These music powerhouses will talk about persevering in the corporate music industry that requires most to keep their authentic selves secret. Proudly sponsored by National Center for Lesbian Rights.
WILSON CRUZ IN CONVERSATION WITH RAFFY ERMAC Saturday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Few actors have pushed LGBTQ+ representation on television as far as Wilson Cruz. From his breakthrough role as Rickie Vasquez on the 1990s teen drama My So-Called Life, Cruz was the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay role on a TV series. In the years since ‘Rickie’ and Cruz made their mark on a generation of queer youth, he has carried his talent and activism into recurring roles on 13 Reasons Why, Party of Five, and Noah’s Arc, as well as executive producing the doc series Visible: Out on Television. As ‘Dr. Hugh Culber’ on Star Trek: Discovery, things have come full circle, in a sense, for the actor playing a happily partnered gay man and father figure to a non-binary human close to 30 years after his indelible debut. In conversation with Raffy Ermac, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ youth-oriented entertainment website Pride, Cruz traces his television legacy from ‘Rickie’ in 1994 to showcasing queer representation all the way into the 23rd century as ‘Dr. Culber.’
For a complete lineup of Frameline Talks, including a list of participants, visit www.frameline.org/talks.
The Center for Asian American Media is pleased to showcase LGBTQ+ works as part of CAAMFest 2021. With a broad spectrum of themes, these projects convey the multifaceted intersections of sexuality and identity.
Showcases and features include:
HAPPY TOGETHER, directed by Wong Kar-Wai Saturday, May 15, 6:30 p.m. at FORT MASON FLIX In this seminal and gorgeous film, Ho Po-Wing (Leslie Cheung) and Lai Yiu-Fai (Tony Leung) are lovers who fight to keep their relationship together.
SEE YOU THEN, directed by Mari Walker Friday, May 22, 7:00 p.m. on CAAMFest.com Filmmaker Mari Walker masterfully directs this grounded and touching story of two individuals, who have felt pain in the past. Actors Pooya Mohseni and CAAMFest favorite Lynn Chen showcase their talent with two outstanding and brave performances. Preceded by F1-100, directed by Emory Chao Johnson Art, animation, archival footage, and digital video are interwoven in this transnational meditation through time and space of an international art student carrying a heavy burden.
CLOSING NIGHT PARTY: “FOLX” DANCE PARTY WITH H.P. MENDOZA Sunday, May 23, 7:00pm on CAAMFest.com This thrilling conclusion of CAAMFest includes the world premiere of FOLX, H.P.’s new music album featuring Lex the Lexicon and Anna Ishida (I AM A GHOST). In a time of anxiety, join us as we come together to celebrate, laugh and dance the night away.
Shorts and Shorts Programs with LGBTQ+ themes: OUT/HERE CAAMFest’s OUT/HERE shorts program has been a staple of our festival for over a decade now. In this program, we showcase and celebrate the unique and bold stories from the LGBTQ+ diverse communities. From lesbian vampires to a gay relationship in turmoil, OUT/HERE is a real treasure of stories and storytellers. DUET, directed by Shae Xu In this sensual and dream-like film, an unspoken romance inevitably resurfaces when a high school music teacher meets an old colleague again and decides to perform together for the first time as piano duet partners after they’ve long since drifted apart from each other. SUMMERWINTERSUMMER, directed by Thy Tran Struggling to deal with Martin’s disappearance, Duy resorts to anonymous hook-ups to escape the emptiness. THE LEAF, directed by William J. Zang THE LEAF is a personal, poetic, documentary film about Director Will J. Zang’s experience as both a filmmaker and a gay immigrant during this pandemic. LOVE X BITES, directed by M. Noe, Yupar Momo During Covid19 outbreak, two women enter the quarantine at a hotel and share a room. CLUB QUARANTINE, directed by Aurora Brachman Every night during the Covid-19 lockdown, hundreds of people from around the world gather in a massive queer dance party known as ‘Club Quarantine’. DRIVING WITH THE TOP DOWN, directed by Edward Gunawan A touching film by filmmaker Edward Gunawan explores his family’s intergenerational trauma and intersectional struggles as a queer Chinese Indonesian in this intimately personal video essay. HOW TO DIE YOUNG IN MANILA, directed by Petersen Vargas (DON’T SCREAM Shorts Program) In this evocative, dream-like story a teenage boy follows a group of young hustlers, thinking one of them may be the anonymous hook-up he has arranged to meet for the night. SYNCHRONIZED, directed by Corinne Manabat Cueva (SELF | PORTRAIT Shorts Program) An experimental documentary short that embraces 5 women of color as they collectively reflect about their experiences living and thriving in Oakland. SWINGIN’, directed by Shang-Sing Guo (DIRECT TO TAIWAN Shorts Program) When sixth-grader boy Qiu is bullied in school for having gay dads, his stepfather Howard, a flamboyant Jazz trumpet player, must confront his own nightmares of childhood bullying before he can provide his son a feeling of security.
Additional LGBTQ+ Filmmakers include: BREATHE (HINGA) by Sammay Dizon (HE(ART)BEATS Shorts Program) A performance ritual film and time capsule honoring the sacred grief, life force, and resiliency of the Bay Area Pilipinx community during COVID-19. TO LIVE HERE (sống ở đây) directed by Melanie Ho (WE LIVE HERE Shorts Program) Exploring the intimacy of the mundane, sống ở đây | TO LIVE HERE focuses on the lives of Vietnamese shrimpers and elderly farmers in New Orleans, understanding the reverberations of the past, present in day to day labor. For more information and to purchase tickets for CAAMFest, please visit www.caamfest.com.
About CAAMFest CAAMFest, formerly the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival (SFIAAFF), celebrates the world’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian film, food, and music programs.
About CAAM For 40 years, the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM) has been dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. As a nonprofit organization, CAAM funds, produces, distributes, and exhibits works in film, television, and digital media. For more information about CAAM, please visit www.CAAMedia.org.
Local cinephiles/filmmakers Gary Carnivele and Jane Winslow present and discuss OUTwatch’s newly minted “30 Best American LGBTQIA Documentaries.” In a conversation shaped by the selections, the duo examine films about LGBTQIA history and issues, activism, gender studies, as well as profiles of noteworthy individual. They will also explore queer documentary style and take a closer look at the work of 3 pivotal auteurs: experimental filmmaker extraordinaire Barbara Hammer, and filmmaking partners Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, whose films are not only iconic in queer cinema, but have had widespread mainstream appeal. The conversation concludes with a discussion of films being co-presented by OUTwatch at SDFF 2021. OUTwatch producer Gary Carnivele is a film critic, screenwriter and director. In addition to co-directing and managing SDFF, Jane Winslow is a filmmaker, film professor and frequent festival judge. OUTwatch’s list of the 30 Best American LGBTQI Documentaries is available on OUTwatch and gaysonoma.com.
Ballot Measure 9 was an anti-gay amendment proposed to Oregon voters in 1992 by a conservative group. This documentary goes behind the scenes of the fight to stop Measure 9. It contains portions of anti-gay videos as well as news clips and interviews with the people who successfully fought passage of Measure 9. 1995 Director: Heather MacDonald. 72 min.
Before Stonewall
New York City’s Stonewall Inn Riot is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation stared on June 27-28, 1969. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots. 1984 Directors: Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg 87 min.
The Celluloid Closet
A documentary surveying the various Hollywood screen depictions of homosexuals and the attitudes behind them throughout the history of North American film. Based on the book of the same name by gay film historian and critic Vito Russo. 1996 Directors: Rob Epstein; Jeffrey Friedman 107 min.
The Cockettes
On New Year’s Eve, 1969, a flamboyant ragtag troupe of genderbending hippies took the stage of San Francisco’s Palace Theater and The Cockettes were born. For the next 2 1/2 years, these talented performers created 20 shows and many underground films.
2002. Directors: Bill weber; David Weissman. 100 min.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt
This film recounts the lives and deaths of various victims of AIDS who are commemorated in the AIDS quilt. It is a massive cloth collecting each piece as a memorial for each victim of the disease to both show the death toll and to show the humanity of the victims to those who would rather demonize them. 1989. Directors: Rob Epstien; Jeffrey Friedman. 102 min.
Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter
An exploration of the tenacity of love and the meaning of memory, Hoffmann chronicles her growing understanding of her elderly mother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s disease with witty confessional-style narration. The film examines a timely subject: as Americans live longer, more and more people are faced with the life-altering challenge of caring for an elderly parent. 1995. Director: Deborah Hoffman. 44 min.
The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson
Victoria Cruz investigates the mysterious 1992 death of black gay rights activist and Stonewall veteran, Marsha P. Johnson. Using archival interviews with Johnson, and new interviews with Johnson’s family, friends and fellow activists. 2017 Director: David France.
107 min.
Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives
Ten women talk about being lesbian in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s: discovering the pulp fiction of the day about women in love, their own first affairs, the pain of breaking up, frequenting gay bars, facing police raids, men’s responses, and the etiquette of butch and femme roles. 1992. Directors: Lynne Ferbie; Aerlyn Weissman. 85 min.
A Great Ride
A documentary about lesbians aging with dynamism and zest for life. Sally Gearhart, 80-plus retired women’s studies professor and activist, lives in a rustic cabin nestled in the Northern California woods. Although surrounded by the beauty of nature, she also faces several challenges to her independence. 2018. Directors: Deborah Craig; Veronica Duport Deliz. 33 min.
Holly Near: Singing for Our Lives
A documentary revisiting the career of a feisty activist musician, who never quite achieved the same recognition as her similar contemporaries Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell. 2018. Director: Jim Brown. 63 min.
How to Survive a Plague
In the early years of the AIDS epidemic, the disease was considered a death sentence affecting communities, like the LGBT ones, whom many in power felt deserved it. This film tells the story of how militant activists like ACT-UP and TAG pushed for a meaningful response to this serious public health problem. 2012 Director: David France. 100 min.
I Am Divine
The story of Divine, aka Harris Glenn Milstead, from his humble beginnings as an overweight, teased Baltimore youth to an internationally recognized drag superstar through his collaboration with filmmaker John Waters. Spitting in the face of the status quos of body image, gender identity, sexuality, and preconceived notions of beauty. 2014. Director: Jeffrey Schwartz. 90 min.
Intersexion
This groundbreaking film sets out to “de-mystify” intersex, looking “beyond the shame and secrecy that defines many intersex births”. Interviewing intersex people around the world, the film explores how they “navigate their way through childhood, adolescence, relationships and adulthood, when they don’t fit the binary model of a solely male and female world.” 2012 Director: Grant Lahood. 68 min.
It’s Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School
The groundbreaking film that addresses anti-gay prejudice by providing adults with practical lessons on how to talk with children about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. Part of The Respect for All Project. 1996. Directors: Debra Chasnoff; Helen Cohen. 80 min.
Killing Patient Zero
Gaetan Dugas was openly gay. In early 1980s he contracted what was termed “gay cancer”. He provided blood samples and 72 names of his former sex partners. Dugas was demonized for his promiscuity and wrongfully identified as patient zero by the media, including San Francisco journalist Randy Shilts. 2019. Director: Laurie Lynd. 100 min.
Lover Other: The Story of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore
French Surrealist lesbian sisters, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore collaborate creating gender-bending photographs, collages, and writing. During the WWII Nazi occupation they perform heroic and imaginative acts of Resistance are captured, imprisoned, and sentenced to death. 2018. Director: Barbara Hammer. 55 min.
Man Made
This documentary explores the world of transgender bodybuilding, tracking the path of four hopefuls as they prepare for the Trans FitCon competition in Atlanta, Georgia. 2018. Dorector: T. Cooper. 93 min.
Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mother’s Custody Movement
While the fight for LGBTQ Civil Rights movement was gaining momentum, the 1970s witnessed horrific custody battles for lesbian mothers. Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement revisits the early tumultuous years of the lesbian custody movement through the stories of five lesbian mothers and their four children.
2006. Directors: Jody Laine; Shan Ottey; Shad Reinstein. 61 min.
No Secret Anymore: The Times of
Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon
No Secret Anymore shows Del and Phyllis creating coalitions that took on the prevailing belief that lesbians were illegal, immoral and sick. Phyllis and Del did the groundbreaking work on lesbian mothers, sex education, family violence, and more. Always working both from within and outside the institutions they sought to change, Del and Phyllis were able to advance the rights of LGBT folks. 2003. Director: Joan E. Biren. 57 min.
Paris Is Burning
A chronicle of New York’s drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality. 1991
Director: Jeannie Livingston. 71 min.
Portrait of Jason
The highlights of a 12-hour interview with Aaron Payne, alias Jason Holliday, a former houseboy, would-be cabaret performer, and self-proclaimed hustler who, while drinking and smoking cigarettes and pot, tells stories and observations of what it was like to be black and gay in 1960s America. 1967. Diector: Shirley Clarke. 105 min.
The Rest I Make Up
Cuban-American playwright Maria Irene Fornes created astonishing worlds onstage. When she stops writing due to dementia, a friendship with a young writer reignites her visionary creative spirit, triggering a film collaboration that picks up where the pen left off. 2018. Director: Michelle Memran. 79 min.
Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria
Documentary about transgender women and drag queens who fought police harassment at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco’s Tenderloin in 1966, three years before the famous riot at Stonewall Inn bar in NYC. 2005. Directors: Victor Silverman; Susan Stryker. 57 min.
Southern Comfort
Southern Comfort documents the final year in the life of Robert Eads, a transgender man. Eads, diagnosed with ovarian cancer, was turned down for treatment by two dozen doctors out of fear of treating him. By the time Eads received treatment, the cancer was too advanced to save his life. 2002. Director: Kate Davis. 90 min.
The Times of Harvey Milk
San Francisco Board of Supervisors Harvey Milk and SF Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by recently resigned Supervisor Dan White on November 27th, 1978. Milk’s life, his successful efforts to politically represent SF’s LGBT community, and the city’s reaction to the assassinations are documented with news film and personal recollections.
1984. Director: Robert Epstien. 90 min.
Tiny and Ruby: Hell Drivin’ Women
This profile of legendary jazz trumpeter Tiny Davis and her partner of over 40 years, drummer-pianist Ruby Lucas weaves together rare jazz recordings, live performances, vintage photographs, and narrative poetry by Cheryl Clarke. Tiny’s contribution to jazz history is documented and the 78-year-old demonstrates that her chops and humor are both intact. 1996. Director: Greta Schiller. 28 min.
Tongues Untied
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs. 1988. Director Marlon Riggs. 55 min.
Trembling Before G-D
Built around intimately-told personal stories of Hasidic and Orthodox Jews who are gay or lesbian, the film portrays a group of people who face a profound dilemma – how to reconcile their passionate love of Judaism and the Divine with the drastic Biblical prohibitions that forbids homosexuality. 2001 Director: Sandi Simcha Dubowski. 94 min.
We Were Here
A deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco, and how the City’s inhabitants dealt with that unprecedented calamity. It explores what was not so easy to discern in the midst of it all – the parallel histories of suffering and loss; community coalescence and empowerment. 2011. Directors: David Weissman; Bill Weber. 90 min.
Word is Out
26 men and women of various backgrounds, ages, and races talk about being gay. Their stories are arranged in loose chronology: early years, fitting in (which for some meant marriage), disclosing their sexuality, establishing adult identities, and reflecting on how things have changed and how things should be. All see social progress as they reflect.
1979. Directors: Nancy Adair; Peter Adair; Andrew Brown; Rob Epstein; Lucy Massie Phenix; Veronica Selver. 164 min.
Most titles are available for purchase. Many titles are available on DVD through Sonoma County Public Libraries. Some are available from Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other streaming services.
For her latest feature film, Spanish queer filmmaker RUTH CAUDELI continues with her fixation with ‘navel-gazing’ which was the topic of her sophomore movie SECOND STAR ON THE RIGHT.
Leading Ladies, filmed in Colombia, is the tale of five young women who have gathered together for a celebratory dinner for one of their number who has been away for the past two months. They have no idea why Marce (MARCELA ROBLEDO) disappeared suddenly without warning and it soon appears that they will not necessarily believe or accept her explanation anyway.Caudeli films the dinner party that ensues from each of the participant’s perspectives, and each time the ‘story’ starts all over again, we learn more of the unspoken currents going on. Each of the women has their share of secrets and regrets too which they are very reluctant to expose.
Being truthful is a major issue here, and where some of the lies are new, others have been held for some years. It spreads confusion even over matters that concern each of the women’s sexualities.Very impressively, Caudeli puts great trust in her actresses as she films them without a script. It’s a gamble the pays off as it gives such authenticity to how finely tuned friendships really are as they balance to survive or just falter. Who is actually honest with each other or themselves is not at all clear, but then it seems not to be too relevant in the telling of the stories.
What makes the film really work, is that all of us can personally connect with at least one of these characters on what we want to share with our friends. And maybe even more than one of them.
Even as other Hollywood bullies are being sidelined, the uber-producer behind ‘The Social Network’ and Broadway’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ has been given a pass for his volcanic temper. Now, former employees open up about a boss who left many traumatized: “It was a new level of unhinged.”
On a brisk Halloween day in 2012, the thin facade of normalcy at Scott Rudin Productions shattered. Literally.
At about 4:15 p.m. — more than 10 hours into a typical Rudin day that began at 6 and never wrapped before 8 — the Oscar-winning producer was enraged that one of his assistants failed to get him a seat on a sold-out flight. In a fit of fury, he allegedly smashed an Apple computer monitor on the assistant’s hand. The screen shattered, leaving the young man bleeding and in need of immediate medical attention. One person in the office at the time described the incident as sounding like a car crash: a cacophonous collision of metal, glass and limb. The wounded assistant headed to the emergency room, and Rudin called his lawyer, according to another staffer there that Halloween afternoon. Everyone else huddled in the conference room, shaken. No one stayed until 8 p.m., with most of the staff heading over to a Times Square bar for a therapeutic drink.
“We were all shocked because we didn’t know that that sort of thing could happen in that office,” says Andrew Coles, a then-development executive and now-manager and producer, whose credits include Queen & Slim. “We knew a lot could happen. There were the guys that were sleeping in the office, the guys whose hair was falling out and were developing ulcers. It was a very intense environment, but that just felt different. It was a new level of unhinged — a level of lack of control that I had never seen before in a workplace.” Through a spokesperson, Rudin declined to comment on any of the specific allegations mentioned in this story. The alleged victim declined to comment.
For some four decades, Rudin’s abusive behavior has been chronicled — even celebrated — by the press. In a 2010 profile, this publication dubbed him “The Most Feared Man in Town” and called him “dazzlingly charming” one paragraph after describing acts of cruelty and intimidation. In a 2005 Wall Street Journal profile with the headline “Boss-zilla!,” Rudin himself pegged the number of assistants he burned through in the previous five years at 119.
But in October 2017, Harvey Weinstein was toppled from power following twin investigative reports in The New York Times and The New Yorker detailing his sexual predation, ushering in the entertainment industry’s #MeToo era. That reckoning has expanded in scope to include toxic behavior encompassing everything from racism to milder microaggressions. Talent and executives, including Sharon Osbourne at The Talk and three executive producers at The Ellen DeGeneres Show, have been kicked to the curb for bullying antics. Likewise, America’s Got Talent judge Gabrielle Union received a settlement from NBC in September after filing an employment complaint that alleged a “toxic culture,” which included fellow judge Simon Cowell smoking cigarettes on set and guest judge Jay Leno making a racist joke.
Still, there has been no reckoning for Rudin, 62, one of the industry’s most decorated producers, whose films have earned 151 Oscar nominations and 23 wins, including best picture for the Coen brothers’ 2007 drama No Country for Old Men. He’s even more successful on the theater front, having nabbed 17 individual Tony Awards. His Aaron Sorkin stage collaboration, To Kill a Mockingbird, became the hottest ticket on Broadway in 2018. During a single week that year, the drama earned more than $1.5 million at the box office, breaking a 118-year-old record in the process.
Bruce Glikas/FilmMagicFrom left: Rudin, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Viola Davis and Denzel Washington at the Tony Awards in 2010 in NYC.
On May 14, Netflix will release Rudin’s latest production, The Woman in the Window. Like most of his efforts, the film features A-list talent, including star Amy Adams and director Joe Wright. As was the case with many things involving Rudin, it was fraught with drama, say sources, with the producer taking the reins from Wright after the Fox 2000 thriller tested poorly, then hiring Tony Gilroy to write for reshoots. In the end, sources say, it tested about the same.
Even as others have been canceled or have dialed back their aggression, Rudin’s behavior has continued unabated, leaving a trail of splintered objects and traumatized employees in his path.
***
Caroline Rugo had expected a grueling environment when she joined Scott Rudin Productions as an executive coordinator in fall 2018. She accepted that her days began at 5 a.m., fielding emails before reporting to the New York office at 6. Given that she lives with Type 1 diabetes, Rugo needed to carve out 30 minutes a day for exercise and provided a doctor’s note signed off on by Rudin that allowed her to work out from 5:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. Even with a narrow margin for an outside life, she was eager to work for the uber-producer behind The Social Network and Broadway’s The Book of Mormon. What she hadn’t anticipated was the onslaught of acts of intimidation.
Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty ImagesRudin (center) with the Golden Globe for best picture for ‘The Social Network’ in 2011.
“He threw a laptop at the window in the conference room and then went into the kitchen and we could hear him beating on the napkin dispenser,” says Rugo. “Then another time he threw a glass bowl at [a colleague]. It’s hard to say if he threw it in the general direction or specifically at [the colleague], but the glass bowl hit the wall and smashed everywhere. The HR person left in an ambulance due to a panic attack. That was the environment.”
Multiple people corroborated the incident involving the HR staffer, who never returned, as well as the laptop and napkin-dispenser episode, which took place in early March 2019 during a meeting with a publicist from SpotCo, a major Broadway ad agency. The following year, SpotCo sued Rudin for $6.3 million for unpaid pre-pandemic work on eight shows, becoming the latest legal action against him that spilled into public view. (The case is still active.) In 2018, the estate of Harper Lee sued Rudin, claiming that the Sorkin script altered characters, the setting and the legal proceeding at the heart of her novel. (The parties later reached a settlement, the details of which were not made public.)
Around the same time of the SpotCo complaint, red-hot writer Jeremy O. Harris called Rudin out on Twitter as “loudly racist,” in another public break. The Slave Play playwright and Zola screenwriter continued, “He called me on the phone and cussed me out once and said ‘you’re a baby playwright who has written one good play no one gives a FUCK what you have to say’ To which I responded, ‘Why did you just pay me to say something in TWO plays?’ “
Rudin tantrums have been well documented going back four decades and are said to have at least partly inspired the 1994 assistant revenge fantasy film Swimming With Sharks. Manchester by the Sea producer Kevin Walsh told THR in 2014 that Rudin demanded Walsh get out of his car and abandoned him on a highway. In the same article, producer Adam Goodman called the environment “really, really, really gnarly.” Others depict a cult-like atmosphere, where once-abused lieutenants take on their boss’ worst qualities (one former staffer says Rudin and a senior executive would throw every item off the desk of an office manager for “no reason at all”). In a 2010 THR profile, Rudin downplayed his high rate of turnover. “People who do fantastically tend to end up going on to very strong, illustrious careers,” he says, “and the people who wash out tend to not be heard from again.” (The Rudin diaspora includes such high-profile executives as producer Amy Pascal and Josh Greenstein, co-head of Sony’s Motion Picture Group.)
But with Hollywood reexamining its power structures and inequities, Rudin’s brand of aggro behavior is suddenly out of step in an industry championing egalitarianism. One recent Rudin assistant says the mercurial producer threw a baked potato at his head in 2018 for not knowing why someone from indie distributor A24 was in the lobby.
“I went into the kitchen, and I was like, ‘Hey, Scott, A24 is on the way up. I’m not sure what it’s concerning,’ ” he says. “And he flipped out, like, ‘Nobody told me A24 was on my schedule.’ He threw it at me, and I dodged a big potato. He was like, ‘Well, find out, and get me a new potato.’ “
Adding insult to injury, the assistant was fired by Rudin not long after dropping out of college to join his staff full-time.
Ryan Nelson, who was Rudin’s executive assistant in 2018-19, says he experienced and witnessed so much mistreatment, including the producer throwing a stapler at a theater assistant and calling him a “retard,” that he left the industry altogether.
“Every day was exhausting and horrific,” he says. “Not even the way he abused me, but watching the way he abused the people around me who started to become my very close friends. You’re spending 14 hours a day with the same people, enduring the same abuse. It became this collective bond with these people.”
Vince Bucci/Getty ImagesRudin in 2008 flanked by Ethan (left) and Joel Coen, best picture Oscar winners for ‘No Country for Old Men.’
Likewise, assistant Miguel Cortes became a bike mechanic for a year after leaving Scott Rudin Productions in 2019, feeling scarred by the experience and assuming that all offices operated this way.
“There was definitely a distance you wanted to maintain when you were talking to Scott at any time,” he recalls. “I’m a tall guy. Like 6-foot-3, 6-foot-4. I remember thinking, ‘Oh, well, I’m not intimidated by him. He’s shorter than me.’ But every time I’d be sitting down is when he’d come over and lord over me. I remember thinking, ‘That’s almost a genius move, getting me when I’m at my smallest.’ He would be right over me and literally shouting at me.”https://d01452b876a6ed2c532a3dc781e6dd9b.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
On Indeed.com, where Rudin posts ads for a constant stream of vacancies, one anonymous reviewer warned prospective applicants to “Please Run Far, Far Away” and claimed to have witnessed the producer “pulling a chair out from under an assistant’s seat to fire him so he could fall down,” among other transgressions carried out in front of the titan’s industry partners.
For Rugo, she was out in six months after enduring a series of so-called “soft firings” — a unique phenomenon at Rudin’s company that several sources detailed. An ousted employee would wait in the Starbucks in the lobby for Rudin to cool off and allow the groveling underling to return. Not this time. After Rudin became ensnared in a feud between Nathan Lane and director George C. Wolfe during previews of his Tony-nominated play Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus, Rugo says Rudin began to blame her for the situation. He demanded that she skip her 5:30 a.m. gym visit or work faster. She refused — and didn’t bother waiting in the Starbucks.
“I got fired for having Type 1 diabetes, which is a federally protected disability,” says Rugo, who now works in development at Netflix. “I one hundred percent could have sued him. But I didn’t because of the fear of being blacklisted. But I’ve worked at Netflix for a year and a half now. And it was such a shock to the system because it’s one of the most respectful and progressive workplaces in terms of employee relations. Now that I have established myself here and I am a part of a team where my opinions are respected and welcomed, I have no issue speaking out about Scott. Everyone just knows he’s an absolute monster.”
Another assistant, who asked not to be named because he fears career retaliation, detailed a kitchen encounter with Rudin in 2018 that devolved quickly.
“He asked me to clean the kitchen. I told him, ‘That’s really not my job.’ I had to do a bunch of other stuff that was urgent,” the former assistant says. “The kitchen was not urgent. And then he flipped out, and he took his teacup, threw it, and it shattered and left a hole in the wall. I was like, ‘I’m a human. This is a physical act of aggression.’ “
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Since its earliest days, Hollywood has been prone to abuses of power. Abusive behavior tends to be overlooked or accommodated when the power imbalance dynamic is at its most extreme. Nowhere is that more evident than at Scott Rudin Productions, where a conveyor belt of assistants — typically recent NYU grads who are hungry, vulnerable and willing to put up with maltreatment — rotates in and out, providing the backbone for the prolific producer behind There Will Be Blood and Doubt, the latter for both stage and screen, and TV’s What We Do in the Shadows and The Newsroom. None of them is over the age of 25.
One former Rudin assistant says the producer relished in the cruelty but was able to pivot from berating staff to turning on the charm as soon as talent walked in the door.
“When you feel his spit on your face as he’s screaming at you, saying, ‘You’re worth nothing,’ it obviously makes an impact, and we’re young,” the assistant says. “Over his long career, there are hundreds and hundreds of people who have suffered. And some have given up their dreams because he made them feel and believe that they can’t do whatever it is they’re trying to do.”
Another staffer says Rudin purposefully disrupted people’s careers with lies. Around the time that Rudin attained EGOT status in 2012 — becoming one of only 16 people living or dead ever to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony — he became enraged when one of his female underlings left to work at The Weinstein Co. According to multiple sources, Rudin emailed Harvey Weinstein and insisted that she had stolen from him. (Weinstein didn’t listen and continued to employ her. She continues to work in the industry to this day.)
“That was a big, big moment,” says another staffer of the mistreatment of his colleague. “It literally changed everyone who was there at the time’s interest in having anything to do with him ever again. All of the employees realized that this is what we had to look forward to, after slaving away, being attacked so much, being maligned in really bizarre ways. There was a casual disregard for human rights.”
Rudin’s wrath wasn’t only aimed at employees. He privately clashed with director Sam Mendes and took out an ad in The New York Times to berate a Times theater writer. His emails — which became fodder for the general public following the Sony hack when he called Angelina Jolie a “minimally talented spoiled brat” and made racially insensitive jokes about President Barack Obama, saying he probably liked Kevin Hart — are often scathing, says an assistant who was privy to them. In one exchange with fellow EGOT Whoopi Goldberg, he lambasted her because she wanted to play a part in To Kill a Mockingbirdinstead of another Rudin-produced project, the film adaptation of Aleshea Harris’ acclaimed play Is God Is. He called her an idiot, said she’d never work again in anything important and wished her luck on The View. Goldberg declined to comment.
Rudin continues to work with the best in the film business. His next projects include Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth, with Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand, and Jennifer Lawrence’s Red, White and Water, both for A24. The New York-based distributor says it has no official first-look deal with Rudin even though it does frequent business with him.
Per a knowledgeable legal source, bullying claims against Rudin never see the light of day and are settled quietly. Fear of reprisals has kept many from speaking out. Employees typically sign a non-disparagement agreement. And several sources for this piece consulted with an attorney before proceeding, even off the record.
Rudin also has been known to change credits, both as incentive and punishment. Several sources say that the victim of the computer monitor incident received three associate producing credits in addition to a monetary settlement. Others have seen the flip side of Rudin’s leverage.
“When they ultimately quit — which they always do at some point — he vindictively goes on IMDb and takes away any credits they may have amassed while working for him,” says one producer who hired a traumatized assistant following a Rudin stint and saw the practice play out.
Coles hopes that fear of Rudin’s power will not stymie progress in the industry just at a time when Hollywood appears ready to confront abuses of power.
“Part of the change we want to see in the industry means starting to talk about these things openly, to name names, to talk about the things that actually happened. And you don’t get a free pass for abusing people,” he says. “I’m not afraid of Scott Rudin.”
Frameline—the world’s longest–running and largest showcase of queer cinema—is thrilled to announce Frameline45: The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, running June 10–27, 2021. Slated to be the most attended and longest festival in Frameline history, this year’s offerings will include a mix of in–person and virtual offerings—with the first week presenting only outdoor and drive-in events, and the last 11 days bringing the biggest lineup of new and virtually-accessible LGBTQ+ films in the world directly to your home. A complete lineup of events, including a schedule of screenings, will be announced at a later date.
Frameline45 will present a number of firsts:
The first film festival programmed by Frameline’s new Director of Programming Allegra Madsen.
The first time virtual programming will be available to ticket buyers nationwide.
The first time Frameline will offer a Festival Streaming Pass, which gives ticket buyers the opportunity to unlock all virtual festival content, including over 50 film screenings, live and pre-recorded intros, thought-provoking Q&As and panels, “In Conversation” with community and celebrity personalities, and other unique programming.
Frameline45 and SF Pride present Movie Night at Oracle Park, a socially-distanced and ticketed event being held on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 at the home of the San Francisco Giants.
“Following our off-cycle festival last September, we are thrilled to return the festival to its rightful home during June’s Pride Month,” said James Woolley, Frameline Executive Director. “In the spirit of celebration, this homecoming will restore some of the magic of our in-person festival experience with a slate of outdoor and drive-in events, as well as the largest lineup of virtual LGBTQ+ programming ever! We look forward to sharing our complete lineup in the coming weeks.”
Tickets for Frameline45 will go on sale to the general public beginning Tuesday, May 25. For more information, visit www.frameline.org.
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ABOUT FRAMELINE Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 250 films distributed worldwide, inspires thousands of students in schools across the nation with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. For more information on Frameline, visit www.frameline.org.
Sonoma Film Institute Virtual Screenings Continue for Spring 2021
Sonoma Film Institute Virtual Screenings Continue for Spring 2021The link for watching the films will be posted on the SFI website by Friday at noon and will be good for 72 hours https://sfi.sonoma.edu
Acasa, My HomeFriday, April 02, 2021 – Sunday, April 04, 2021
IIn the wilderness of the Bucharest Delta, an abandoned water reservoir just outside the bustling metropolis, the Enache family lived in perfect harmony with nature for two decades, sleeping in a hut on the lakeshore, catching fish barehanded, and following the rhythm of the seasons. When this area is transformed into a public national park, they are forced to leave behind their unconventional life and move to the city, where fishing rods are replaced by smartphones and idle afternoons are now spent in classrooms. As the family struggles to conform to modern civilization and maintain their connection to each other and themselves, they each begin to question their place in the world and what their future might be. With their roots in the wilderness, the nine children and their parents struggle to find a way to keep their family united in the concrete jungle. With an empathetic and cinematic eye, filmmaker Radu Ciorniciuc offers viewers, in his feature debut, a compelling tale of an impoverished family living on the fringes of society in Romania, fighting for acceptance and their own version of freedom. (in Romanian w/English subtitles) FREE for SSU Students (get code from your professor)$12 for 72-hour rental to the General Public (Correction from 03/17/21 email) Released: 2020Run time: 86 min.
Martin EdenFriday, March 16, 2021 – Sunday, March 18, 2021
Adapted from a 1909 novel by Jack London yet set in a provocatively unspecified moment in Italy’s history, MARTIN EDEN is a passionate and enthralling narrative fresco in the tradition of the great Italian classics. Martin (played by the marvelously committed Luca Marinelli) is a self-taught proletarian with artistic aspirations who hopes that his dreams of becoming a writer will help him rise above his station and marry a wealthy young university student (Jessica Cressy). The dissatisfactions of working-class toil and bourgeois success lead to political awakening and destructive anxiety in this enveloping, superbly mounted bildungsroman. Winner of the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival and the Platform Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. Directed by Pietro Marcello. (in Italian w/English subtitles) FREE for SSU Students (get code from your professor)$12 for 72-hour rental to the General PublicReleased: 2019Run time: 129 min.
Reading International, Inc. announced its Reading Cinemas with TITAN XC in Rohnert Park, California location will be welcoming back movie lovers on Friday, March 19 with extensive sanitization and safety measures in place. In an environment carefully designed to address COVID-19 concerns, and to comply with the various governmental guidelines, guests can return to share the magic of movies again on the big screen.
Taylor Green, the theater’s general manager, said “Our audience has always enjoyed watching a wide variety of films on the big screen at Reading Cinemas, and we so look forward to seeing everyone again. For our reopening weekend, we are excited to continue to offer moviegoers with Sonoma County’s Best Movie Value – $8.50 tickets for all movies, all ages – to enjoy family-friendly films such as Raya and the Last Dragon, The Croods: A New Age and Tom & Jerry – alongside action-packed blockbusters and Oscar nominated hits.”
“Reading Cinemas has been working hard to enrich safety protocols and to train our team to abide by federal, state, local and industry guidelines,” said Division Manager Jennifer Deering.
“We are delighted to welcome back our guests and the community to enjoy movies in a safe and responsible way.” Reading Cinemas has implemented the following policies and procedures to help keep the community safe: • Masks are required to be worn by all guests and staff. Guest are permitted to remove masks when seated in their auditorium enjoying fresh popcorn and other refreshments.
• Guests will be encouraged to skip the box office and buy tickets in advance, either online or through the Reading Cinemas mobile app in order to decrease physical contact. • Only credit, debit, or gift cards will be accepted to limit monetary exchanges. A designated transactional space will be available on site at each location where cash amounts can be transferred onto a gift card. • Guests should arrive no earlier than 30 minutes before their showtimes in order to decrease building traffic and allow for increased sanitization. • To keep a safe distance from others, guests will be required to sit in their assigned seats, and ticket purchases for each party will automatically account for six feet of social distancing between parties, by blocking off the seats surrounding each group. Reading Cinemas further encourages parties to be made up of immediate household members where possible. • Increased cleaning and sanitation will take place regularly, with extra sanitation at high-touch point areas. Auditorium seating and armrests will be disinfected after each use. • To improve air quality, each cinema has upgraded all HVAC filters and increased maintenance frequency. • Floor decals and signage have been placed throughout the theaters to help guests maintain a safe distance from others. • Hand sanitizer stations will be placed throughout the theaters. Guests will be encouraged to wash their hands before and after consuming food and drinks. Reading Cinemas Rohnert Park’s opening weekend lineup features something for everyone: for families, The Croods: A New Age, The War with Grandpa, Tom & Jerry and Raya and The Last Dragon; for action fans, Monster Hunter, Chaos Walking and Wonder Woman 1984; and for those looking to see the Oscar nominees on the big screen, Minari, Nomadland, and Promising Young Woman. Advance tickets are on sale now for Warner Bros. Godzilla vs. Kong, scheduled to open March 31. A complete list of all films and showtimes are available at readingcinemasus.com/rohnertpark. In addition to new releases, beginning in April, Reading Cinemas will offer a variety of private screening options for guests: • VIP screenings, allowing groups to enjoy a private screening, and select their movie from the list of over 60 options! Film categories include Family, Date Night, Action/Adventure, Sci-Fi Hits and 80s Favorites. • Private Rental Events, in which groups can provide their own content via Blu-Ray, streaming device, or even gaming console, and make their own VIP Event. • Buyouts, in which guests can reserve all the seats in an auditorium to view any of the theater’s current releases to enjoy a private screening.
Reading Cinemas Rohnert Park with TITAN XC is located at 555 Rohnert Park Expressway West. For more information, please visit readingcinemasus.com/rohnertpark or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Reading International, Inc.Reading International Inc. (NASDAQ: RDI), an internationally diversified cinema and real estate company, is a leading entertainment and real estate company, engaged in the development, ownership and operation of cinemas and retail and commercial real estate in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. The family of Reading brands includes cinema brands: Reading Cinemas, Angelika Film Centers, Consolidated Theatres, and the State Cinema in Tasmania; live theatres operated by Liberty Theatres in the United States; and signature property developments, including Newmarket Village, Auburn Redyard, Cannon Park, and The Belmont Common in Australia, Courtenay Central in New Zealand, and 44 Union Square in New York City. Additional information about Reading can be obtained from the Company’s website: http://www.readingrdi.com.
