the 28th image+nation Montreal International LGBT Film Festival, Nov 26 – Dec 6

image+nation, Canada’s longest-running LGBT film festival, is all set to return for another 10 days of the finest LGBT cinema from across the globe.

From 26 November - 6 December, image+nation 28 will bring to Montréal the cream of world LGBT cinema for an incredible 28th year in a row. With a line-up of unflinching, powerful documentaries, beautifully shot art-house creations, hilarious comedies and more, image+nation 28 has something for all tastes.

This year, for the very first time, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will host image+nation in the cultural heart of Montreal. As well as opening and closing events, the museum will be a primary venue for the duration of the Festival. As part of the image+nation @ MBAM series, where monthly image+nation screenings have been taking place throughout the year, the festival includes Welcome to This House: A Film on Elizabeth Bishop / Where Are The Dolls on Nov 28. image+nation @ MBAM is an intimate series of films and interviews that introduce a new voice and vision exploring the interweaving of identities and cultural expression.

GLAAD Media Awards 2013 – winners pt 3

GLAAD honored California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Grammy-nominated singer Adam Lambert, and the best in entertainment and journalism on Saturday night at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco. Mel B, Guillermo Diaz, Tamala Jones, Jinkx Monsoon, Rex Lee and Laverne Cox were among the special guests.

The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community and the issues that affect their lives. The GLAAD Media Awards also fund GLAAD's work to amplify stories of LGBT people and issues that build support for equality.

At the ceremony, filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom presented GLAAD's Golden Gate Award to her husband, Gavin Newsom. In accepting the award, Newsom said, "There's one fundamental that defines the best of this city, and the best of this organization, and that is we don’t tolerate our diversity, we truly celebrate our diversity. We highlight all those wonderful and interesting differences, but at the end of the day we unite around our common humanity. As Dr. King so eloquently said, 'We are all bound together by a web of mutuality.' We're all in this together."

GLAAD Media Awards 2013 – winners pt 2

GLAAD Media Award recipients were announced in 10 of this year's 33 media categories at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, presented at the JW Marriott in Los Angeles on Saturday night.

The winner for Outstanding Film – Wide Release was Stephen Chbosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The Outstanding Comedy Series award went to The New Normal. Former President Bill Clinton and entertainment lawyer Steve Warren were presented with special awards.

Following is a complete list of GLAAD Media Awards presented on stage, and the individuals that accepted the awards.

GLAAD Media Awards 2013 – winners pt 1

Madonna presented the Vito Russo Award to advocate, award-winning journalist, author and talk show host Anderson Cooper tonight at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in New York, presented nationally by Ketel One Vodka and Wells Fargo and presented locally by Delta Air Lines. The Vito Russo Award is presented to an openly lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality.

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons presented the Ally Award to Hollywood director Brett Ratner. Ratner and GLAAD, in partnership with Comcast, launched the "Coming Out for Equality" PSA campaign at the show and attendees were treated to special screenings of the videos produced and directed by Ratner. The GLAAD "Coming Out for Equality" PSA Series features a diverse group of straight celebrities and athletes "coming out of the closet" as supporters of equality and calling for other Americans to speak out.

2013 Rhubarb Festival, Feb 20-Mar 3

The 34th Rhubarb Festival kicks off tonight at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

For two weeks, over 100 local and international artists transform Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a hotbed of creativity and experimentation, sharing new ideas in contemporary theatre, performance art, dance, and music with adventure-loving audiences.

One of the few critic-free environments available to local artists, Rhubarb is the place to see the most adventurous ideas that artists have to offer and to catch your favourite performers venture into uncharted territory. This year, look for familiar faces, new partnerships, and artists you may have never seen before.

2013 GALECA Dorian Awards – winners

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) has announced the winners for their 4th annual Dorian Awards.

The awards were spread around fairly evenly with no films winning multiple prizes. Argo was named Film of the Year, while Keep the Lights On won LGBT Film of the Year. Daniel Day-Lewis and Anne Hathaway won the film acting prizes.

In the television division, American Horror Story: Asylum and Homeland both won two awards. They tied for TV Drama of the Year and each won a prize for TV Performance of the Year – Damian Lewis for Actor and Jessica Lange for Actress.

2013 GLAAD Media Awards – nominees

GLAAD, the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, announced today the nominees for its 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards. By recognizing and honoring media for outstanding images of the LGBT community, the GLAAD Media Awards serve as a benchmark for the media industry and complement GLAAD's work to bring LGBT images and stories to Americans.

Among the nominees: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, starring Ezra Miller, Logan Lerman and Emma Watson; The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, starring Maggie Smith, Judi Dench and Tom Wilkinson; Cloud Atlas, starring Ben Whishaw and James D'Arcy; NBC's new hit shows The New Normal and Smash; Glee, Modern Family; the documentary How to Survive a Plague; The Amazing Race with the Fabulous Beekman Boys; an interview with Bishop Gene Robinson on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart; Oprah's hour-long visit with Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka; CNN's Anderson Cooper 360; MSNBC's Melissa Harris-Perry; and Frank Ocean for his Channel Orange album. The list also includes GLAAD's first nomination for a PG-rated animated film, ParaNorman, which also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.

2013 GALECA Dorian Awards – nominations

The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association (GALECA) has announced the nominations for their 4th annual Dorian Awards.

Leading the field with four nominations was Tom Hooper's Les Misérables with four nominations. It received nods for Film of the Year, Actor (Hugh Jackman), Actress (Anne Hathaway) and Visually Striking Film of the Year. Many people have been highly critical of the Hooper's unusual visual approach in the film. But there is no doubt that the look is striking, and I feel it is artistically appropriate.

Also nominated for Film of the Year were Ben Affleck's Argo, Benh Zeitlin's Beasts of the Southern Wild, Ira Sachs' Keep the Lights On (Music Box), Steven Spielberg's Lincoln, and Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom.

Festival image+nation Montréal 2012, Nov 22-Dec 2

The 25th anniversary edition of image+nation - Festival de cinéma Lesbien Gai Bi Trans de Montréal (image+nation - Montréal International LGBT Film Festival) kicks off 11 days of screenings tonight with Keep the Lights On by Ira Sachs, Pariah by Dee Rees, and Une dernière chance by Paul Émile d’Entremont. Keep the Lights On was just named one of the top 10 films of the year by Cahier cu Cinema.

The official closing night film will be Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean by Matthew Mishory. Additional highlights of the program include Bye Bye Blondie by Virginie Despentes, Hors les murs by David Lambert, Bullhead by Michaël R. Roskam, and My Brother the Devil by Sally El Hosaini.

Call For submissions: Inside Out LGBT Film Festival

The Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival has put out a call for submissions for its 23rd edition of the festival.

For more than two decades, Inside Out has brought Toronto's lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) community together in celebration of the best queer film from Canada and around the world. Currently the largest event of its kind in Canada, the Inside Out LGBT Film Festival showcases the best and most diverse work of interest to LGBT communities. Taking place over 11 days, the Festival draws crowds of 35,000 to screenings, artist talks, panel discussions, installations and parties that highlight more than 180 films and videos from Canada and around the world.

They accept DVDs or secure online screeners for preview. DVDs must be labeled with the title, running time and contact information (including name, address, phone number and email).

Jonathan Caouette's Walk Away Renée premieres at Docville

“Walk Away Renée” by Jonathan Caouette
Quebec première at Docville

Montreal, August 14, 2012 - The Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM) is pleased to announce the seventh film in its monthly Docville series: Walk Away Renée, by American director Jonathan Caouette. The documentary will have its Quebec première on Thursday, August 30 at 7 p.m. at Cinéma Excentris, followed by a Skype Q&A session with the filmmaker.

In 2003, Caouette released his sensational first film, Tarnation. Made with footage he had been filming since the age of 11, the film was an unsettling self-portrait of a young man coping with a dysfunctional family and coming to terms with his homosexuality.

Call for submissions: the 34th Rhubarb Festival, Young Creators Unit

A call for submissions has been put out for the 34th annual Rhubarb Festival, which takes place in the late winter at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, September 7. This includes both general submissions as well as submissions to the one-to-one performance category and mobile works.

Buddies in Bad Times has also put out a call for submissions for their Young Creators Unit (YCU). The program provides training and mentorship for four queer-identified artists (age 25 and under) to develop and perform their own original, 25-minute, solo performance piece. Participants will present their finished works at The Rhubarb Festival.

2012 GLAAD Media Awards in San Francisco – winners

The last of three Media Awards evenings held by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation took place last night in San Francisco. The 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards recognized media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

The main winner last night was Shonda Rhimes, who was presented the Golden Gate Award by Kerry Washington, Guillermo Diaz and Katie Lowes. She also accepted the Outstanding Drama Series prize for her show Grey's Anatomy.

Corporate awards were given to Wells Fargo and Facebook – surely good news for the latter as their stock price has been tumbling ever since opening on the stock market. Founder Mark Zuckerberg was not on hand to accept the award, which was presented to representatives Andrew Noyes and Sara Sperling.

2012 Inside Out LGBT Film Festival, May 17-27

Inside Out's 22nd annual Toronto LGBT Film Festival kicks off tonight with a screening of Sally El Hosaini’s award-winning film My Brother The Devil. The Sundance and Berlinale hit is the coming-of-age story of two Arab brothers in the London streets.

The closing night film will be Bye Bye Blondie by Virginie Despentes (Baise-Moi) and stars France's Emmanuelle Béart and Béatrice Dalle.

Other films playing during the festival include Beloved, starring Catherine Deneuve and Chiara Mastroianni; Berlin Film Festival award-winner Call Me Kuchu; Thom Fitzgerald's Cloudburst, starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker; and 2012 Academy Award nominee Bullhead.

Call for submissions: TWAT/fest (Trans Women’s Arts Toronto)

TWAT/fest CALL for SUBMISSIONS!!
TWAT/fest
(Trans Women’s Arts Toronto)

CALL OUT FOR SUBMISSIONS

Due June 10th, 2012

Please distribute widely!

Do you identify as a trans woman (MTF, MAAB genderqueer, transsexual, tgirl, transgender, hijra, travesti, transvestite, woman of transsexual experience, etc etc etc etc etc)?

Do you create fine art? (Film/video, visual art, performance, dance, sculpture, photography, music, and everything else that we create and destroy)

2012 GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles – winners

The second of three ceremonies took place last night for the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation's 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. The GLAAD Media Awards recognize and honor media for their fair, accurate and inclusive representations of the LGBT community and the issues that affect their lives.

Director Mike Mills accepted the award for Outstanding Film - Wide Release for his film Beginners. The film had already earned many accolades including the Best Supporting Actor award for Christopher Plummer at the recent 84th Academy Awards.

The Best Documentary prize went to Becoming Chaz about the gender transformation of Chastity Bono to Chaz Bono. Chaz was also honoured with the Stephen F. Kolzak Award which is presented to an openly LGBT media professional who has made a significant difference in promoting equality. Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (Chaz Bono’s stepmother and the widow of his father Sonny Bono) made the presentation. His mother Cher also showed up in support of her son's work.

John Greyson: Impatient, Mar 30 – Apr 5

Tonight, a multi-venue retrospective of iconoclastic New Queer Cinema filmmaker John Greyson entitled John Greyson: Impatient kicks off at TIFF Bell Lightbox with a screening of Zero Patience. The 1993 AIDS musical will be preceded by his short pieces ADS Epidemic and Roy & Silo's Starter Home.

Other works presented as part of John Greyson: Impatient include Carte Blanche: Edward II, White Money, Fig Trees, The Sixth Room, Motet for Amplified Voices and Lilies.

The retrospective is being held in conjunction with the release of a DVD box set and a new monograph honouring his work. The launch event takes place before the screening and is free to Zero Patience ticket holders.

2012 GLAAD Media Awards in New York – winners

Last night, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) held the first of its three ceremonies their 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Glee stars Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith hosted the event.

The winner for Outstanding Film – Limited Release was the small indie film Pariah. The film by Dee Rees is about a 17-year old African-American teenager Alike (played by Adepero Oduye) who embraces her identity as a lesbian. The award was accepted by the film's stars Oduye and Kim Wayans, as well as producer Nekisa Cooper.

Television winners included the shows Dancing with the Stars, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer, Cinema Verite, The Oprah Winfrey Show and Anderson Cooper 360.

The Vito Russo Award was presented to film, television, and theater producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron by Bernadette Peters and John Stamos. Productions by Zadan and Meron include Chicago, Hairspray and Smash.

2012 Rhubarb Festival, February 8-19

The 33rd Rhubarb Festival starts tomorrow at the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto. The Rhubarb Festival is the annual showcase of experimental performance works by Buddies in Bad Times which they've held every year since their inception.

Highlights from this year's festival include New York cabaret performer Justin Vivian Bond, Keith Hennessy's CROTCH, Adam Lazarus and Phil Luzi's Bleed, affliction directed by Nina Lee Aquino, and The Failure Show directed by Michael Rubenfeld.

Many of the shows are pay-what-you-can or free.

The 33rd Rhubarb Festival runs from February 8 to 19 at the Buddies In Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street) and other venues.

2012 GLAAD Media Awards - nominees

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has announced its nominees for their 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards.

The nominees for Outstanding Film (Wide Release) were Rodrigo García's Albert Nobbs, Mike Mills' Beginners and Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar. For Limited Release films, the nominees were Circumstance, Gun Hill Road, Pariah, Tomboy and Weekend.

The documentary nominations went to Becoming Chaz, The Strange History of Don't Ask, Don't Tell, The World's Worst Place to be Gay?, Two Spirits and We Were Here. We Were Here is on the Academy's shortlist for Documentary Features.

The GLAAD Media Awards are given in recognition of outstanding images of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community in film, television, music, theatre, journalism, and other media.