“A must-see.” --David Fear, Time Out New York
“A front-runner for best American film of the year." --Eric Hynes, The Village Voice
"The grittiest and most heartbreaking gay love story of our times." --Dan Heching, Next Magazine
“STUNNING! Moving and totally engrossing.” --Simon Abrams, IndieWire
“Easily the finest dramatic film I saw at Sundance this year.” --Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
2012 Berlin Teddy Award Winner
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON
Starring Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth & Julianne Nicholson
Directed and Written by Ira Sachs
Cinematography by Thimios Bakatakis
Co-Written by Mauricio Zacharias
Edited by Affonso Goncalves
Composed by Arthur Russell
Produced by Lucas Joaquin & Marie Therese Guirgis
Music Box Films
TRT: 102 minutes
Keep the Lights On chronicles
an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City
through love, friendship, and addiction. Documentary filmmaker Erik
(Thure Lindhardt) and closeted lawyer Paul (Zachary Booth, Damages) meet
through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and
become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers –
compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long
relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik
struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity while being true
to himself. Keep the Lights On is shot with a grainy beauty that
resonates with the texture of New York City, accentuated by disco beats
and a mournful cello, both from musician Arthur Russell’s eclectic
catalog. Director
Ira Sachs’ fearlessly personal screenplay is anchored by Lindhardt, who
embodies Erik’s isolation and vulnerability with a gentle presence.
Harrowing and romantic, visceral and layered, Keep the Lights On is a
film that looks at love and all of its manifestations, taking it to dark
depths and bringing it back to a place of grace.
Director
Ira Sachs saw the first sparks of what would become Keep the Lights
On in the dissolution of his own long-term relationship, which spanned
almost ten years in New York City around the turn of the century. Sachs
became convinced as this intense union came to a close that there was
something that could be translated to the screen and made to feel
universal. In particular, Sachs was fascinated by what his own
experience revealed about two people staying together in the face of the
many things that could (and did) pull them apart — including everything
from demanding careers, non-monogamous temptations, and the substance
abuse and addiction that deeply affected the real-life couple’s
decade-long bond. “I was aware so succinctly that there had been a first
day and a last day. And there was such an incredible story between the
two ends,” Sachs says of the searing experience that shaped and defined
his fourth feature film. “The course of that experience was so clear in
my mind in terms of its narrative power.”
Ira Sachs - Writer /Director
Ira Sachs is
a writer and director based in New York City. His films include Married
Life (2007), The Delta (1997) and the 2005 Sundance Grand Jury
Prize-winning Forty Shades of Blue. His most recent film, Last Address, a
short work honoring a group of NYC artists who died of AIDS, has been
added to the permanent collections of the Whitney Museum of American Art
and MoMA and played at the 2011 Venice BIennale. Sachs teaches in the
Graduate Film department at NYU and is a fellow at both the MacDowell
Colony and Yaddo. He is also the founder and co-curator of
Queer/Art/Film, a monthly series held at the IFC Center in New York, as
well as the newly established Queer/Art/Mentorship, a program that pairs
and supports mentorship between queer working artists in NYC.
Thure
Lindhardt is considered one of the biggest contemporary Danish dramatic
talents and one of his generation’s most versatile and acclaimed
actors. As a child, he had a part in Bille August’s Pelle the Conqueror,
which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes and the Academy Award for Best
Foreign Film in 1988. His breakthrough came with Kaspar Rostrup’s A
Place Nearby (2000) after which he was presented with a Shooting Star
Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. In the critically
acclaimed Flame & Citron (2008), he received a European Film Award
nomination for Best Actor. Lindhardt also starred in Nicolo
Donato’s Brotherhood, and The Island, which was chosen for Director’s
Fortnight at Cannes Film Festival 2011. Thure’s U.S. films include Ron
Howard’s Angels & Demons (2009) with Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor and
Stellan Skarsgard, and Sean Penn’s Into the Wild (2008), starring Emile
Hirsch.
Zachary Booth / "Paul Lucy"
Marie Therese Guirgis - Producer
Outfest Screening
Mondy July 16th - 7pm - DGA 1
TRT: 101 minutes
DVD Screeners are Available. For Inquires, please email to Jonah@inclusivepr.com or call 323.460.4111
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"Sharp lensing, which includes Super 16 and Super 8 color accents, leads a solid indie craft package" --Alissa Simon, Variety
"When
a film is this beautiful, it’s hard to ignore. But there’s much more
here to appreciate and it harkens a filmmaker whose next work I’m
curious to see. I recommend it. "
--Kevin Taft, Edge Magazine
Outfest's Five in Focus series spotlights JOSHUA TREE 1951's cinematographer Michael Marius Pessah
JOSHUA TREE 1951: A Portrait of James Dean
Directed and Written by Matthew Mishory
Cinematography by Michael Marius Pessah
Edited by Chris Kirkpatrick
Score by Arban and Steven Severin
Produced by Edward Singletary, Jr., Randall Walk, Robert Zimmer, Jr.
Iconoclastic Features
TRT: 93 minutes
SYNOPSIS
A movie that’s both timeless and “outside of time,” Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean was
shot with the classic compositions of a 1951 film, the boundary-pushing
sexuality of the Gay New Wave of the 1990s, and a touch of the explicit
sexuality that can be found today. Inspired by the facts, and maybe
some of the fictions, surrounding the too-short life of cinematic icon
James Dean, the movie is a rumination on the dream of being a star and
its subsequent costs. In the title role, James Preston (TV’s The Gates)
captures the confidence and the talent of Dean, but also his appetite
for fame, intimacy, and sex from both men and women. An early conquest
and central character is known only as “The Roommate,” a friend from
acting school who shares an apartment with him. Other characters also
have anonymous names, like “The Roommate’s Mother” (Erin Daniels, The L Word) and “The Famous Director” (Robert Gant, Queer as Folk). Writer/director Matthew Mishory’s short film, Delphinium: A Childhood Portrait of Derek Jarman, is now part of the permanent collection of the British Film Institute’s National Film Archive. With Joshua Tree, 1951, he adds yet another cinematic gem.
FILMMAKER'S COMMENTS
JOSHUA
TREE, 1951 is not a documentary, nor is it a conventional biopic. The
film is both a work of history and of historiography. It is also a very
intimate and very personal melodrama. James Dean's life, his work, and
his legend together represent one of the great stories of the American
outsider. It is a story with much to say about Hollywood, about sex and
sexuality and interpersonal relationships, about American society. I
believe that by reevaluating and uncovering the past, we can better
understand our present -- and ourselves. James Dean has come to
represent the American Myth, a myth still perpetuated, a myth still
worth deconstructing, even today. Especially today. I have
intentionally said very little about the narrative content of the film.
I believe it speaks for itself. Those expecting hero worship or
sanitized history will be disappointed. So too will fans of gossip or
lurid details. What I do hope to accomplish is precisely what the title
suggests: a portrait of an early moment in a remarkable life. Life
offers few such perfect moments, but in three unforgettable
performances, James Dean left us many. That is why he continues to
fascinate. That is why I am making a film about him.
Matthew Mishory - Director / Writer
Michael Marius Pessah - Cinematographer
James Preston / "James Dean"
James
Preston was an international audience favorite as young werewolf Lukas
Ford on ABC’s hit summer series THE GATES. He is currently the
international face of the fashion and lifestyle brand Abercrombie &
Fitch. James began his acting/modeling career at age 13 in New York
City with the modeling firm Generation. His image graced a full-page ad
in The New York Times and a series of nationwide ads in 2002. James’s
television credits include guest star roles on the new CBS series BLUE
BLOODS, ABC’s THE FORGOTTEN, and ABC Family’s MAKE IT OR BREAK IT.
Robert Gant / "The Famous Director"
Robert
Gant is an American actor and the recipient of the 2007 GLAAD Media
Davidson/Valentini Award. He is probably best known for his roles of
Professor Ben Bruckner on the American remake of “Queer as Folk,” which
he played from 2002 to 2005, and Rock van Gelder on the British series
“Personal Affairs” (2009). He also played recurring roles on “Caroline
in the City” (9 episodes, 1997-1998) and (“Popular” (11 episodes,
2000-2001). His other TV credits include guest starring roles on the
series “Ellen,” “Friends,” “V.I.P.,” “Nip/Tuck,” “CSI: Crime Scene
Investigation,” “CSI: NY” and “CSI: Miami.” Gant has appeared in several
films, including “Jane Street” (1996), “The Contract” (2002), “Save Me”
(2007, marked his producing debut) and “Special Delivery” (2008,
TV). Gant came out as a gay actor in “The Advocate” magazine in August
2002. He is a supporter of organizations like SAGE- Senior Advocacy for
GLBT Elders and GLEH-Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing. In March 2006, he
was awarded the Nationality Equality Award, which was given to him by
the Human Rights Campaign.
Born
and raised in Orange County, California, actor/producer Edward
Singletary, Jr., co-starred in the feature film THANK YOU, GOOD NIGHT,
with Mark Hamill and Sally Kirkland, and various commercials,and starred
in a national anti–crystal methamphetamine campaign directed by Joel
Schumacher. He has studied with legendary acting teacher David LeGrant
and has himself taught at The California Conservatory of The Arts and
the David LeGrant Studio. As a producer, he has worked on the films
SUNDAY AFTERNOONS, starring Paul Dooley; THE MARIONETTES, shot entirely
with miniatures; and DELPHINIUM. In 2008, he formed the production
shingle Iconoclastic Features with filmmaker Matthew Mishory. The
company launched at the Sundance Film Festival. He splits his time
between Los Angeles and Laguna Beach, California.
Edward Singletary, Jr. - Producer / "Roger"
Outfest Screening
Mondy July 16th - 9:45pm - DGA 1
TRT: 93 minutes
DVD & BLURAY Screeners are Available. For Inquires, please email to Jonah@inclusivepr.com or call 323.460.4111
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Screening at Outfest and Newfest
JOBRIATH A.D.
“This absorbing and deftly crafted
documentary compels interest throughout. A long-forgotten,
envelope-pushing figure of 1970s rock will be hard to forget again after
"Jobriath A.D." --Dennis Harvey, Variety
“In this fantastically revelatory documentary…Jobriath’s
story emerges as one of rock’n’roll’s great tragedies, a tale of
hubris, misery and death. One not to be missed.” --Andrew Pulver,
The Guardian
An absolutely mesmerizing
documentary that unearths the amazing, strange-but-true story of super
rock would-be superstar—who never became a star. This inventive film is
a remarkable story of fame, failure, and reinvention.” --Gary Kramer,
SF Bay Times
First Openly Gay Rockstar
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jobriaththemovie
Directed, Written & Produced by Kieran Turner
Cinematography by Michael Canzoniero & PJ Gaynard
Edited by Danny Bresnik
Original Score by Ian Moore & Jason Staczek
Narrated by Henry Rollins with
Appearances by Marc Almond, Joey Arias, Jake Shears, Joe Elliot of Def Leppard, etc.
TRT: 102 minutes
SYNOPSIS
“The
American Bowie,” “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll,” “Hype of the
Year.” Known as the first openly gay rock star, Jobriath’s reign was
brief, lasting less than two years and two albums. Done in by a
over‐hyped publicity machine, shunned by the gay community, and
dismissed by most critics as all flash, no substance, Jobriath was
excommunicated from the music business and retreated to the Chelsea
Hotel, where he died forgotten in 1983 at the age of 37, one of the
earliest casualties of AIDS. However, in the years since his death, new
generations of fans have discovered his music through acts as diverse
as The Pet Shop Boys, Gary Numan, Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, and
Morrissey, all of whom have cited Jobriath as an influence. Through
interviews, archival material and animation, experience the
heartbreaking, unbelievable story of the one, the only, Jobriath..
FILMMAKER'S COMMENTS
Over
the years, I had periodically come across Jobriath in a very snide way,
both in reading about rock and GLBT history. He was always treated as
the punchline to a very derogatory joke. About three years ago, I got my
hands on the compilation CD of his music that Morrissey had recently
put out on his own label and to my amazement, the music was fantastic
and beautiful and haunting. I began researching his life and I found a
person who had really broken ground for openly gay musicians, he was the
first, and has largely been unacknowledged by that same community for
so many years.
Beyond
that, I was struck by how fascinating Jobriath’s story was because he
reinvented himself so many times, from a hippie flower child who had
starred in Hair onstage to this glam rock creature, to a Weimar era
cabaret singer who entertained in NYC bars, not to mention the various
personal identities he adopted. But what I really identified with was -
here was this person, all he wanted to do was make music, make some kind
of art, and he was kept from doing that because whatever powers that be
didn’t deem it worthy. And it destroyed him. And he’s been forgotten,
which is criminal because you couldn’t have anyone from Rufus Wainwright
to KD Lang to Adam Lambert without first having had Jobriath pave the
way. But the most important thing is‐ the music is incredible. And it
doesn’t matter what your sexuality or gender or age is to be able to
enjoy it.
It’s
also been great talking with so many different musicians, all of whom
are fans or cite Jobriath as an influence. From people like Morrissey,
who’s done so much to help get the word out about Jobriath to musicians
like Joe Elliott of Def Leppard or Noddy Holder of Slade or Marc Almond,
Gary Numan, etc, to newer musicians like Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters
and Will Sheff of Okkervil River, who wrote a song about Jobriath. What
has been so rewarding already is to see this forgotten artist brought
to a new audience, ones who can appreciate the music for how great it
is, and ones who didn’t realize the ground he broke for other GLBT
artists, and watch their reactions. People are loving the story, loving
the music and loving Jobriath. That, to me, is the biggest reward I
could ever reap by making this dream project.
Kieran - Director / Writer / Producer
Outfest Screening
Friday July 20th - 10pm - Redcat Theater
Newfest Screening
Saturday July 28th - 10:30pm - Walter Reade Theater, Lincoln Center
TRT: 102 minutes
For Screeners or Vimeo, please email Jonah@inclusivepr.com or call 323.460.4111
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World Premiere at Outfest
THE FAMOUS JOE PROJECT
Vibrant Storytelling Approach Gives Fresh Look at Celebrity
Outstanding Performance from Brand New Star, Joey Capone
Starring Joey Capone, Ary Katz, Craig Gilmore & Pollyanna McIntosh
Directed, Written & Edited by Eli Rarey
Produced by Shannon Triplett
Soundtrack by Learning Music
TRT: 97 minutes
The Famous Joe Project is a fiction film told in a documentary style. Most of the film is shot on a handheld Flip camera being operated by the actors in the scenes. Joe
is a young gay man in New York City, coming out and exploring his
identity. As an experiment, he records the everyday activities of his
life on his digital video camera and posts the clips to the internet. Soon
after he drops out of college and begins his “project,” Joe meets
Jesus, a narcissistic hustler drawn to the idea of constantly being on
camera. Together, they travel to Los Angeles where, with
the help of a wealthy benefactor, they plan to make a film – something
halfway between fiction and documentary. Joe's experiment
ends up taking him far from where he intended, deep into a dark side of
celebrity culture. This intensely intimate, funny, sexy, heartbreaking,
and inspiring coming-of-age story, follows Joe's journey of
self-discovery, testing the limits of what the camera can capture and
the soul can express.
Eli
wrote and performed Off-Off Broadway theater in New York City before
moving to Los Angeles, where he received an MFA in directing from USC
School of Cinematic Arts in 2008. He has written and directed shorts,
music videos, and video installations, and well as producing and
performing in live storytelling events in Los Angeles and New York
City. His short film, on which this feature is based, played in
competition at Slamdance International Film Festival and Outfest 2007,
as well as winning Best International Short at the Lisbon International
Digital Cinema Festival. This is his first feature.
Joey has
been acting in film and television since first appearing on TV series
and commercials as a child actor living in Orange County. After moving
out on his own to Hollywood he played lead roles in various independent
films and began working as a screenwriter. His most recent film
appearances include The Black Belle and Carlos Spills the Beans, which he also co-wrote.
Pollyanna
has been blessed with a career defined by diversity. Her comedies
include Sex and Death 101, Land of the Lost, Burke and Hare and the
upcoming Prevertere. Her dramas; the BAFTA nominated Exam, Foxy and
Marina, the upcoming Love Eternal and DOMA issue film I Do. Her
demanding turn as the lead in Lucky McKee’s The Woman made shock waves
at Sundance 2011, brought rave reviews from critics worldwide and topped
the New York Times readers’ favorite movies poll. Three Best Actress
awards followed. She has seven indies coming out within the next year
including Filth, starring opposite James McAvoy and Jamie Bell. As the
female lead in upcoming BBC comedy Bob Servant, Independent starring
Brian Cox, she has a lot to look forward to in the coming year.
FILMMAKER'S COMMENTS
This
feature is based on a short film that played Slamdance, Outfest and won
Best International Short at the Lisbon International Digital Cinema
Festival in 2007. After years of writing and rewriting the feature
script, never quite getting it right, I came up with the idea to make
the movie as a “documentary.” That change took the movie to the next
level artistically for me – and made it possible to produce with a tiny
budget. The process of making the film was completely unique – 80% of
the film is shot on a hand-held Flip camera being operated by lead actor
Joey Capone or one of the other actors. This is guerilla filmmaking as
aesthetic collaboration, not as an obstacle to the process. The story
has changed enormously since its incarnation as a short film by the same
title. But the heart of Famous Joe – his vulnerability, his constant
watching and being watched, his loss of innocence – has become more
vivid now than I had ever imagined.
Eli Rarey - Director / Writer
Joey Capone - "Joe"
Pollyanna McIntosh - "Nova"
Outfest Screening
Saturday July 21st - 9:45pm - DGA 1
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