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DANCE Hubbard Street's 'Half of Us' debuting May 20
Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's (HSDC) 43rd season will be completed with the virtual world premiere of new work by choreographer/director Robyn Mineko Williams entitled "Half of Us," on Thursday, May 20, at 7:30 p.m. The 16-minute ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Master of None,' children's book, Kristen Stewart, expectant couple
Master of None is coming back—but this time, the series will focus on Lena Waithe's character, Denise, out.com noted. Master of None, created by Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang for Netflix, starred Ansari for the first ...
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Actress Olympia Dukakis dies at 89
Olympia Dukakis—who won an Oscar for her supporting role in the 1987 hit Moonstruck and starred in Look Who's Talking and Mr. Holland's Opus as well as iterations of TV's Tales of the City—died May 1 at her home in New York City ...
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VIRTUAL CINEMA MeToo drama 'Slalom' airing at Siskel starting May 7
The Cannes-selected #MeToo drama Slalom—the debut from filmmaker Charlène Favier—will run at the Gene Siskel Film Center's Virtual Cinema starting Friday, May 7. The French movie is also currently playing ...
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Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars pre-party raises $3M
The 29th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards® Pre-Party hosted by Emmy- and Tony-winning actor Neil Patrick Harris alongside Sir Elton John and David Furnish, raised $3 million for the global effort to end AIDS, ...
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Exceptions the rule at 2021 Oscars
After a year that saw the motion picture industry upended by both the COVID-19 pandemic and an already shifting entertainment landscape, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences pressed on with the 93rd Annual Oscars ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Joe Exotic' series, Luther Vandross, singer's announcement, star couples
Hedwig and the Angry Inch's John Cameron Mitchell has been tapped to play the title character opposite Kate McKinnon in the series Joe Exotic (working title), Deadline reported. The limited series centers on Carole Baskin (McKinnon), ...
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Netflix to debut limited series 'Halston' on May 14
On what would have been legendary fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick's 89th birthday (on April 23), Netflix stated it was honoring the visionary icon by announcing the Friday, May 14, global premiere date for the five-episode ...
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GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics hands out Dorian Awards
--From a press release
LOS ANGELES, CA, April 18, 2021 — Nomadland, the spare and fact-based drama of a group of struggling Americans living off the grid; the vivid blueswoman biopic Ma Rainey's Black Bottom; the family-happy fish-out-of-water fable Minari; ...
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SHOWBIZ Brandi Carlile, 'Legendary,' children's book, film festival, Janet Mock
Lesbian musician Brandi Carlile memoir, Broken Horses, debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Sellers list, a press release announced. In addition to the hardback book, a very special audiobook edition of the ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans singer, 'Pose,' Kate Winslet, Lil Nas X, Broadway
Trans femme indie-punk artist Evan Greer (she/her) released a dystopian new music video for the song "Surveillance Capitalism," a press release noted. She is using it to launch StopSpotifySurveillance.org with Fight for the Future, where she ...
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Movie about art sensation born into slavery to premiere April 16
Bill Traylor: Chasing Ghosts—a film about a man who was born into slavery, and whose works became sensations in the art world—will premiere Friday, April 16, in local virtual cinemas of Music Box Theatre and Facets. ...
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Gerber/Hart hosts 'Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars' screening, discussion
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives (Gerber/Hart) hosted a virtual screening of Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars, a short-film documentary that Jacob Pieczynski directed. A panel discussion followed the screening. The 2017 ...
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'Ma Rainey,' 'Schitt's Creek' win during diverse SAG Awards
On April 4, a one-hour, pre-taped 27th Screen Actors Guild Awards aired on TNT and TBS, celebrating the best achievements in film and TV performances for 2020. According to Entertainment Weekly, it was a historic night, ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Special,' Bonnaroo, Broadway items, Rita Moreno, Bridgerton
The second season of the Netflix comedy series Special will premiere May 20, a press release noted. The series revolves around Ryan O'Connell, a gay man with mild cerebral palsy, and is based on his memoir ...
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LGBTQ critics group holding awards event April 18
GALECA, The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics Association, along with Karel Media, will present the 2021 Dorian Film Awards on Sunday, April 18, at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT on digital cable TV network Revry. The ...
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Chella Man talks media endeavors, the fashion world, upcoming book, AAPI visibility
The multi-talented 22-year-old, Deaf, genderqueer, transgender, Jewish, AAPI, artist and activist Chella Man has done more in his short life than most people achieve in their lifetimes. This includes a successful YouTube channel; TedX talk, modeling ...
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MOVIES 'Mommie Dearest' to come out on Blu-ray on June 1
The cult-classic drama Mommie Dearest celebrates its 40th anniversary with a brand-new Blu-ray in the Paramount Presents line, debuting June 1, from Paramount Home Entertainment. Based on Christina Crawford's controversial ...
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Sisters in Cinema names 2021 documentary fellowship recipients
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL (March 23, 2021)- Sisters in Cinema, a Chicago based 501 (c)3 non-profit with an inclusive mission to center and celebrate Black girls, women, and gender non-conforming media makers, announced today their 2021 cohort for ...
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Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscars party to be virtual on April 25
The 29th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) Academy Awards Pre-Party will be hosted by Emmy- and Tony-winning actor and New York Times best-selling author Neil Patrick Harris alongside Sir Elton John and David Furnish, with ...
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Billy Masters
"I always knew Frank would end up in bed with a boy."—Ava Gardner, when told Frank Sinatra had married Mia Farrow. Is this a rerun? A headline this week: "Grammy Ratings Hit All-Time Lows in Viewership ...
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SHOWBIZ Tamron Hall, 'Killing Eve,' speedskater, DJ dies, 'Pariah'
On the March 16 episode of Tamron Hall, Hall highlighted groundbreaking transgender trailblazers in Hollywood, a press release noted. Pose/American Horror Story actress and tech CEO Angelica Ross opened up about her difficult coming-out experience in ...
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National Museum of Mexican Art to show unity-themed short
The National Museum of Mexican Art (NMMA) is inviting the public to a virtual screening of the unity-themed, award-winning animated short "Color of Tomorrow" as part of its Storytellers 4 Unity Film Forum. The virtual screening ...
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ATTRACTIONS Museum of Science & Industry offers 'Marvel,' 'Zephyr,' 'Michael Jordan'
The Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), 5700 S. Lake Shore Dr., recently reopened to the public—and has some impressive exhibits to offer. They include: —Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes: Kids of all ages (and those ...
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Doc honors 89-year old lesbian-feminist icon Sally Gearhart, raises early $30,000
--From a press release
San Francisco, CA — The feature documentary "Sally" is a humorous, thought-provoking and inspiring American road-trip in search of iconic lesbian-feminist activist Sally Gearhart. Brilliant, charismatic, provocative and visionary, Sally ...
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'Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars' screening April 3
Gerber/Hart Library and Archives will present a virtual screening of the short documentary film Disappeared: Chicago's Lost Lesbian Bars, by Jacob Pieczynski. The event will take place Saturday, April 3, at 1 p.m. The screening will ...
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Pope Francis documentary 'Francesco' to debut March 26
Pope Francis—in the news lately because of the Catholic Church's stance that it cannot bless same-sex unions, adding that it is "not licit" to bless relationships that involve sexual activity outside of marriage—is the subject of ...
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Elliot Page makes cover of Time
Oscar-nominated transgender actor Elliot Page is on the latest cover of Time magazine—and he wants to be an advocate for others, NBC News reported. "My privilege has allowed me to have resources to get through and ...
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New LGBTQ film, ART AND PEP, launches website
--From a press release
CHICAGO—A teaser and website for the new film ART AND PEP was just released, giving a first glimpse into the documentary that will feature the life and love of LGBTQ+ civil rights leaders, Art Johnston and ...
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MOVIES Two versions of one woman: Billie Holiday
By Anthony Eaton
"There's no damn business like show business. You have to smile to keep from throwing up."—Billie Holiday Billie Holiday's life was complicated with great extremes and she lived it on her terms, and the now-Oscar-nominated Andra ...
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Oscar nods for Boseman, Davis; 'Mank' leads films with 10
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences unveiled its nominations March 15 morning for the 93rd Oscars, with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Nick Jonas announcing. Netflix's Mank which led all movies with 10 nods, including ...
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SHOWBIZ Oscars art, Billie Jean King, Billy Eichner, Randy Rainbow
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the campaign art for the 93rd Oscars, an ABC press release noted. The 2021 campaign illustrates this year's tagline, "Bring Your Movie Love," celebrating our global appreciation ...
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SHOWBIZ 'The World to Come' film, Dan Reynolds, Broadway, Green Lantern
The lesbian-themed film The World to Come is available to buy or rent, a press release noted. In this 19th-century romance (from Bleeker Street) that's set in the Northeast, Abigail (played by Katherine Waterston), a farmer's ...
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Music Box to run Pedro Almodovar films starting March 12
On Friday, March 12, Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., and Sony Pictures Classics will present Pedro Almodovar's critically acclaimed English-language debut, the short film The Human Voice, starring Tilda Swinton and freely based on ...
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Sisters in Cinema brings back Learn & Earn Program: Sisters in Cinema Newsroom
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL- Sisters in Cinema, a Chicago-based 501 (c)3 recently in the news for breaking ground on their new Media Arts Center, is proud to announce the return of their Sisters in Cinema Newsroom Program, and ...
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Awards season kicks off with 2021 Golden Globes
The 78th Annual Golden Globes Awards were distributed Feb. 28 in a quasi-virtual event hosted by performers Tina Fey at the Rainbow Room in New York City and Amy Poehler at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly ...
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MOVIES Director Ali LeRoi on his LGBT time-loop film
'The Obituary of Tunde Johnson'
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson is a movie with some familiar elements—but they're used to make a novel film. The movie uses the time-loop element that's probably most popular in the film Groundhog Day. However, director ...
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MOVIES Dutch journalist talks about making 'My Friend, the Mayor'
In the Amazon Prime Video documentary My Friend, the Mayor: Small-town Democracy in the Age of Trump, Dutch journalist Max Westerman profiles friend Sean Strub, an openly gay activist, activist, long-term AIDS survivor and POZ magazine ...
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New dance film features 46 dancers from 20 countries
Films.Dance—a global film series produced by and under the creative direction of LA-based Jacob Jonas The Company—continues with Match, the single most expansive collaboration in the 15-film series. Match features ...
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LGBTQ+ film critics group unveils nominations
The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA) revealed the nominations for the 2021 Dorian Film Awards on Feb. 11. Minari leads the way with six nominations, including best film and best foreign-language film; Nomadland scored five ...
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MOVIES 'Wonder Woman 1984' coming to PVOD, Digital, Blu-Ray
The movie Wonder Woman 1984—the sequel starring Gal Gadot, with Patty Jenkins as director—is arriving on Premium Video on Demand (PVOD), 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital, according to a press release from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. ...
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Groundbreaking ceremony held for Sisters in Cinema Media Arts Center
Sisters in Cinema held a press conference Feb. 8 at the South Shore Cultural Center to commemorate the construction of its new state-of-the-art Media Arts Center that will be at 2310 E. 75th St. The event, ...
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Sisters in Cinema groundbreaking Ceremony promises access, training in South Shore
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL - South Shore will soon have access to a state-of-the art media facility now that a local organization has begun construction on its new brick-and-mortar home. Sisters in Cinema, a 501(c)3 dedicated to celebrating ...
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Wizard World Chicago moved from June to August
Wizard Brands, Inc. announced that its scheduled 2021 live event in Chicago has been postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and in continued accordance with federal, state and local guidelines. Instead of the original dates of June ...
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SAG nominations announced; Boseman gets four nods
Nominations for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards were announced Feb. 4. On the film side, Deadline noted that the late Chadwick Boseman made SAG Awards nomination history by receiving four nominations: for his lead role ...
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Donald Trump resigns from SAG-AFTRA; group tersely responds
Former U.S. President Donald Trump resigned from SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) after the organization's national board recently voted overwhelmingly to find probable cause of ...
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'Draw With Me' follows trans teen who's Jennifer Lopez's nibling; director reflects
Draw With Me—an official Oscar entry for Documentary Short Subject—is the story of talented teen artist Brendon Scholl, who identifies as trans non-binary and whose art has been a vital outlet for self expression. The movie—created ...
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MOVIES Director Mike Mosallam discusses queer Muslim film 'Breaking Fast'
A warm romantic comedy that may seem simultaneously recognizable and unfamiliar to many viewers, Breaking Fast follows Mo (played by out actor Haaz Sleiman), a practicing Muslim still reeling from heartbreak. When an All-American guy named ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Tunde Johnson,' John Waters, Jane Lynch, Billie Eilish
Wolfe Releasing has slated the film The Obituary of Tunde Johnson for a theatrical and digital release on Feb. 26, a press release noted. The film—written by Stanley Kalu; directed by Ali LeRoi; and starring Steven ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Batwoman,' Village People, Neil Patrick Harris, Mariah Carey
SPOILER ALERT: Season two of Batwoman (featuring the lesbian superheroine) began by introducing Ryan Wilder, the new lead character on The CW show played by Javicia Leslie—and explained how first-season ...
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SHOWBIZ LGBTQ movies, 'Color Purple,' Nick Jonas, gay coach
The film Draw with Me has launched its virtual theatrical release at ArenaScreen through Feb. 9, and was the subject of the first-ever panel at the United Nations on Transgender Health, a release stated. Featuring Jennifer ...
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Report: Here are the highest grossing LGBTQ+ actors on Netflix
--From a Journalistic.org press release
Highest grossing LGBTQ+ actors on Netflix - Kristen Stewart comes in first, with a net worth of 70 million dollars - Bisexual women are the top earning members of the LGBTQ+ community - The TV industry ...
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SHOWBIZ Laverne Cox, lesbian coach, Jim Parsons, 'Brokeback,' theater items
Laverne Cox is teaming with Meryl Streep and Rashida Jones to executive-produce a new documentary exploring one of the most critical issues at the intersection of race, feminism, and power: the sex industry, out.com noted. Sell/Buy/Date ...
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Billy Masters
"Harry Styles is looking REALLY good. I'm into the fishnets. And we have very similar tastes. I think sharing a closet, sharing a life together, it just makes sense."—Miley Cyrus. I'd rather see Harry with Miley's ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Tales' star dies, 'Wonder Woman 1984,' holiday songs, 'Drag Race'
Marcus D'Amico—the original Michael "Mouse" Tolliver from the miniseries Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City—died at age 55, Queerty noted. In 1992, he also originated the role of Louis in the National Theatre's London run of ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans movie, best/worst LGBTQ films, sports items, Whitney
Shout! Studios entered into an exclusive deal with Kirkpatrick & Kinslow Productions (KKP) and Scatena & Rosner Films (SNR) to distribute the new LGBTQ-focused documentary The Sound of Identity, a press release noted. The movie chronicles ...
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'Party Monster' killer Michael Alig dies at 54
Michael Alig who was at the center of the LGBTQ "club kids" scene in late 1980s and early '90s Manhattan, and whose involvement in the murder and dismemberment of his drug dealer was chronicled in the 2003 film Party Monster died Dec. 25th ...
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SHOWBIZ 'Drag Race,' year-end honors, 'Guardians,' Taylor Swift
VH1 unveiled a game-changing twist from the upcoming season of the Emmy-winning RuPaul's Drag Race, premiering Friday, Jan. 1, at 8 p.m. ET/PT, a press release noted. For the first time in Drag Race "herstory," queens ...
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'Cheer' star pleads not guilty to child-sex charges
On Dec. 17, Cheer star Jerry Harris pled not guilty to new federal felony charges that he tried to lure minors for sex and shared sexually explicit photos with them, media outlets reported. The charges alleged ...
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Billy Masters
"I don't agree that only gay actors should play gay. … I don't agree with having to laser focus the casting of it all, or else you'll be playing yourself the rest of your life."—Juan Pablo ...
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SHOWBIZ Trans acting challenge, NYE parties, Charlize Theron, Diana Ross
Michael D. Cohen, with support from Nickelodeon, is launching the Trans Youth Acting Challenge, according to a press release. Trans and non-binary kids can submit audition self-tapes online (preferably through their parents), and the top 12 ...
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SHOWBIZ Naya Rivera, Jodie Foster, MTV, Marc Jacobs
Naya Rivera's Glee co-stars are honoring the late actress with a fundraiser launched in her memory, Page Six noted. A GoFundMe account has been established by the crew in her name, with proceeds going toward Alexandria ...
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Actor formerly known as Ellen Page comes out as trans
Elliot Page has come out as transgender. The star of movies like Juno and TV shows like The Umbrella Academy, formerly known as Ellen Page, posted about his transition on social media on Dec. 1, according ...
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SHOWBIZ Singer Justin Utley, Gus Kenworthy, video game, 'Jackplot' film
OUTMusic Award winner Justin Utley has released the single "All Is Bright"—his first holiday release, a press release noted. Utley described the song as a little-bit of Lumineers/Mumford & Sons mixed in with a lot-a-bit of ...
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Laverne Cox 'in shock' but okay after transphobic attack
Transgender actress/activist Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black) said she was "definitely in shock" and "triggered" but okay after an anti-trans attack while walking with a friend in a Los Angeles park, USA Today reported. ...
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SHOWBIZ: Awards, 'Bebop,' Andy Cohen, Mariah Carey, Revry
The American Music Awards aired live Nov. 22 and some of the biggest names in music took home awards; Taraji P. Henson hosted. According to CNN.com, Doja Cat won new artist of the year and Becky ...
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MOVIES Paul Bettany talks 'Uncle Frank' and his own closeted father
In the critically acclaimed Amazon Studios movie Uncle Frank, out Nov. 25, Paul Bethany (the Avengers and Iron Man series; Master and Commander; The Da Vinci Code) plays the title character—a literature professor who has two ...
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MOVIES Peter Macdissi reflects on making 'Uncle Frank'
In the Amazon Studios movie Uncle Frank, out Nov. 25, Peter Macdissi plays Walid "Wally" Nadeem—the partner of the title character (played by Paul Bettany). However, the dynamics are a bit different in that Frank Bledsoe ...
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Day With(out) Art: Transmissions launches online Nov. 30
--From a press release
NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2020 — Visual AIDS, the only contemporary arts organization fully committed to raising AIDS and HIV awareness through dialogue, art exhibitions and public forums, announces their ...
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SHOWBIZ Wentworth Miller, Whitney, lesbian author, Mark Wahlberg
Out actor Wentworth Miller said he doesn't want to be involved in a new season of the TV show Prison Break if it happens, according to Deadline. On Instagram, he thanked fans for his support and ...
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MOVIES Trans-focused Born to Be to be released Nov. 20
Born To Be—a hit documentary on the country's first hospital center for transgender medical care—will open in Philadelphia on Friday, Nov. 20 (also the Transgender Day of Remembrance) with Gene Sickle Film Center Virtual Cinema. The ...
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MOVIES Henry Golding gets intimate in 'Monsoon'
Taking a turn from larger-budget movies such as A Simple Favor and Crazy Rich Asians, actor Henry Golding stars in the intimate film Monsoon. The movie features Golding as Kit, a young British-Vietnamese man who returns ...
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Mama Gloria, about Chicago's elder, trans, activist icon, to screen
--From a press release
CHICAGO, IL — Luchina Fisher's Mama Gloria, an important and timely documentary about Chicago's trailblazing Black trans elder icon and activist Gloria Allen, will hold nationwide screenings during Transgender Awareness ...
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SHOWBIZ Rock Hudson, The CW, Jillian Michaels, Isis King
Among Kino Lorber's December DVD and Blu-ray releases is a three-movie set (with the 1953-54 features Seminole, Golden Blade and Bengal Brigade) starring the late actor Rock Hudson, a press release noted. Co-stars in the films ...
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Chicago Underground Film Festival offers virtual and drive-in screenings in November
--From a press release
CHICAGO—The 27th Annual Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF), the world's longest-running underground film festival and called "the festival you wouldn't take home to mom," returns in 2020 with virtual screenings ...
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