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Hi hello! What I spent the past six months doing has finally culminated in this! https://newfest.org/events/
I don't think programmers are supposed to pick favorites, but fuck that!
Starting off with the trans coming of age story I wish I had as a not so jaded teen! ALICE JÚNIOR is everything
https://newfest.org/event/alice-junior/
Starting off with the trans coming of age story I wish I had as a not so jaded teen! ALICE JĂšNIOR is everything
https://newfest.org/event/alice-junior/
I prefer my queer narratives to be extremely anxiety-inducing. A character study turned thriller! Be Gay! Do Crime! https://newfest.org/event/white-lie/
You don't know her name yet, but you will soon! KELET is a future global supermodel & I am just so appreciative of her openness and honesty here. https://newfest.org/event/kelet/
Sexy! Kinky! Neon-lighting! Cruising meets fantasy in Daniel Nolasco's beautiful transition into narrative film after his doc feature Mr. Leather (which played NewFest last year). DRY WIND is hot! and insightful! https://newfest.org/event/dry-wind/
The SHIVA BABY hype is justified! The ensemble cast here is firing on all cylinders, providing some of the funniest and most uncomfortable scenes we've gotten all year. Craving lox just thinking about this movie. https://newfest.org/event/shiva-baby/
Indianara Siqueira should be a household name and is one of few people giving me some semblance of hope about the future of anti-fascism. Housing is a human right. Sex work is work. Trans women are women. Hopefully we won't have to keep clarifying that. https://newfest.org/event/your-mothers-comfort/
A Kazakh lesbian drama about corruption, silence, and navigating the meaning of freedom, I never thought a movie like WELCOME TO THE USA would exist in all honesty. We are so lucky to be living at the same time as Assel Aushakimova. https://newfest.org/event/welcome-to-the-usa/
If you plan on making a documentary about trans teens, follow Hannah Reinikainen Bergeman & Lia Hietala’s lead & hand the camera to your subject. A mix of Snapchat stories and bracingly honest verité interviews, ALWAYS AMBER is simply 2 cool 4 school. https://newfest.org/event/always-amber/
The against-type performances Jillian Bell, Ann Dowd, + John Paul Reynolds provide are all lovely & Steve Zahn + Sasha Knight are given necessary room to take risks, but this movie is one of my favorites because of Anna Kerrigan's mind-blowing direction. https://newfest.org/event/cowboys/
A movie I saw long ago + one which has never left me, KILLING PATIENT ZERO is essential queer history presented in a surprisingly engaging/elegant style. Its story is fascinating + horrifying + undeniably relevant in terms of ethical journalism today. https://newfest.org/event/killing-patient-zero/
Docs on music/musicians have always been popular but have certainly been more omnipresent in recent years. Still, KEYBOARD FANTASIES managed to be entirely fresh. Glenn is an icon, a master of his craft, + such an inspiration to younger trans people. https://newfest.org/event/keyboard-fantasies-the-beverly-glenn-copeland-story/
I promise I'm not just listing the entire program (Or Am I...?), but I would be remiss not to mention Olivia Peace's bold, brilliant debut TAHARA that makes risky choices but commits wholeheartedly to them + for that I am so appreciative. https://newfest.org/event/tahara/
The last movie I'll talk about (for now!) is our Closing Night film, Faraz Shariat's Teddy Award-winner NO HARD FEELINGS. Impeccably composed with layers of emotion + beauty, I can't get over how good this is. A magical movie. https://newfest.org/event/no-hard-feelings/
Okay I lied there's more. THE FLASHPOINT is a searing indictment of rising right-wing attitudes in Europe and an unexpected examination of symbols, art, and how both can invigorate a movement of anti-fascism. https://newfest.org/event/the-flashpoint/
SUMMER OF 85 is a gay classic in the making. This movie means a lot to me. I highly recommend it. I haven't seen my experiences reflected in movie so closely since THE SOUVENIR. François Ozon, thank you very much for this one. https://newfest.org/event/summer-of-85/
A dance film doc about the interpersonal lives of queer artists + the piece they construct around ideas of sexuality, gender, + touch. IF IT WERE LOVE is electric, charming, personal, + political. https://newfest.org/event/if-it-were-love/
Monica Zanetti's feature debut is both edgy + wholesome at the same time which is absurd + amazing. A family-friendly queer film titled ELLIE & ABBIE (AND ELLIE'S DEAD AUNT) might not be what you expected to watch w your 13 yr old sibling, but you should! https://newfest.org/event/ellie-and-abbie-and-ellies-dead-aunt/
Queer independent media is absolutely vital, especially in this era, + it's critical to honor those that paved the way for us. Franco Stevens is a superhero and deserves all of the recognition received here. https://newfest.org/event/ahead-of-the-curve/
