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Monday, June 24, 2024

LGBTQ Filmmakers Talk Diversity In Provincetown (AUDIO)


 









In this exclusive audio montage Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmakers at the 26th annual Provincetown International Film Festival (PIFF) press luncheon that took place at the Boatslip Resort & Beach Club in Provincetown, MA. First we talked to director Stephen Soucy about his documentary “Merchant Ivory” that pulls back the curtain on the fascinating lives of filmmakers Ismail Merchant and James Ivory. Their unique partnership on and off the camera produced 43 groundbreaking films over 4 decades that left an indelible mark on the LGBTQ and arthouse cinema. The documentary features interviews with Vanessa Redgrave, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, Helena Bonham Carter and many others who were lucky enough to move in the orbit of Merchant and Ivory’s fabulous filmmaking. Next we chatted with director Fawzia Mirza and producer Andria Wilson Mirza about their feature film “The Queen of My Dreams”. The film is about a Pakistani Canadian woman who has had a strained relationship with her parents since coming out as lesbian and undergoes an emotional journey after the sudden unexpected death of her father. Her grief plunges her into a Bollywood-style examination of her family’s past and present. Then we talked with director Taylor James, actor Kanoa Goo and producer Katie White about their short film “ILY, BYE” about when an unemployed, down on her luck woman (Megan Stalter) gets a life-changing job opportunity but she can't seem to get her foot out of her mouth long enough to get her foot in the door. 
Next we talked to Tyler C. Peterson about his short film “Stan Behavior” about a drag queen (Ginger Minj) embarking on a quest for better workplace rights but finds herself in a dicey situation when her new lawyer (Yvonne Zima) a tone-deaf straight woman is revealed to be a drag super stan. Then we talked with director Sarah McCarron and music producer Rascal Miles about their short film “The Bend” about a trans man migrating from Tennessee to Minneapolis who gets stranded in rural Wisconsin and encounters a fisherman. We then chatted with director Marco Calvani about his feature film “High Tide” that was shot in Provincetown about an undocumented Brazilian immigrant searching for purpose when he encounters Maurice creating a memorable tribute to love and loss. We concluded our conversation with veteran producer Christine Vachon who produced the 2023 Oscar nominated film “Past Lives” about what films she has coming down the pike. We also talked with all the filmmakers about their spin on our LGBTQ issues as we approach the crucial 2024 presidential election. 
The Provincetown Film Society, Inc. (PFS) is a non-profit year-round organization and home of the Provincetown International Film Festival. PIFF creates a unique international platform for the west and east coast entertainment industry to experience the diversity and community of Provincetown. PFS is also dedicated to showcasing the work of acclaimed and emerging directors, producers and actors. For Info…

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Kristen Lovell Talks Stonewall Riots Reenactment (AUDIO)


 





In this exclusive audio interview Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™ talks with filmmaker Kristen Lovell about the historic Stonewall Riots Reenactment that takes place on June 29th at the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The reenactment is part of a floor to ceiling interactive Stonewall Inn Bar installation that runs now through September 2nd 2024 before kicking off a national tour. Lovell of HBO's “The Stroll" will portray Gay Liberation Activist Marsha P. Johnson for the reenactment. Johnson was one of the prominent figures in the Stonewall uprising of June 28th 1969 when police raided the establishment resulting in arrests, riots and fire sparking the global LGBTQ human rights movement. Johnson was a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and co-founded the radical activist group Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) alongside close friend Sylvia Rivera. For the first time NYC’s iconic Stonewall Inn will become a nationwide traveling time machine and the set of the historic Stonewall New York Experience reenactment on Saturday June 29th from 4:30P to 7P with local police and other community members playing a role in the reenactment. Visitors are also asked to dress in their 1960s best and consider wearing gender bending clothing which was illegal in 1969. The Stonewall New York Experience was created to remind us all how important bars like the Stonewall Inn and bar culture are to our LGBTQ community. Many of these establishments were a safe haven, others a place to forge friendships, find love and enjoy the freedom of acceptance. As the beloved Stonewall Inn burned to the ground the Stonewall Riots ignited a united front to ban together, to fight together for the indelible human rights that unfortunately many take for granted. We talked to Kristen about what she hopes to accomplish with this historic Stonewall Riots reenactment and give us her spin on our LGBTQ issues. 

Kristen Lovell is a trans rights activist, filmmaker and former sex worker. After experiencing homelessness as a teenager in NYC during the late 1990s and early 2000s she went on to work for various organizations advocating for the rights of trans people and sex workers. After studying filmmaking at Lincoln Center she went on to co-direct the documentary film “The Stroll” currently streaming on MAX based in part on her experiences. For over 50 years the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale has tirelessly fought to tell the stories of our LGBTQ community ensuring it holds its place in the historic record. For More Info…