Okay so admittedly we have to say that here at Queeried we couldn’t actually remember who Amber Heard was when we heard she’d publicly come out as gay at the GLAAD 25th Celebration event yesterday, but thanks to good old Google we can now tell you that OF COURSE (yep that’s right we’re still not too certain) she was the star in movies such as Pineapple Express, The Ward and Zombie Land.

So okay she’s not the biggest name to come out in the history of Hollywood coming outs, and the reality is she’s been quietly out since earlier the beginning of the year, so why is everyone talking about it? Well that would be because of why Heard is doing it. Knowing full well that her career would be stronger if she stayed in the closet Amber has come out to stand up against this, and instead of reinforcing that this is how it has to be, she wants to be part of the solution telling After Ellen that:

“You have to ask yourself what side are you going to be on, and if we’re too scared to come out and say who we are, we’ll never get anywhere.”

Currently dating Tasya van Ree, Heard’s next film release is “Drive Angry” starring Nicholas Cage which is scheduled for release in February 2011.

Mila Kunis, who stars in the upcoming thriller Black Swan, has said that she has told her father to leave a screening of the film because of the explicit  lesbian sex scene between  her and Natalie Portman.

Described by her co-star as being a hard scene to film, not because of the lesbian angle, but because of the 100 plus grow lighting and repositioning you constantly (that latter job sounds like a hard one to have…), Kuni, who plays Lily, a ballet dancer, also reinforced the fact it had nothing to do with the fact it was with a woman but because “I don’t think any dad should see (sex scenes). It’s just not necessary.”

Set in New York Black Swan follows the story of Nina (Portman), a ballerina consumed with dance. Living with her retired ballerina mother Erica (Hershey) who zealously supports her daughter’s professional ambition, Nina’s big chance appears to have arrived when artistic director Thomas Leroy (Cassel) decides to replace prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Ryder) for the opening production of their new season, Swan Lake. However Nina has competition: a new dancer, Lily (Kunis). Swan Lake requires a dancer who can play both the White Swan with innocence and grace, and the Black Swan, who represents guile and sensuality. Nina fits the White Swan role perfectly but Lily is the personification of the Black Swan. As the two young dancers expand their rivalry into a twisted friendship, Nina begins to get more in touch with her dark side with a recklessness that threatens to destroy her.

Black Swan is released in the UK on Friday 21st January 2011.

The Indonesia Ulema Council, the top Islamic body in the country, has today called for the government to ban Q!, the gay and lesbian film festival, that is currently being held in the country and acted to condemn foreign cultural centres who are screening the events with chairman of the Indonesia Ulema Council, Ma’ruf Amin commenting:

“We reject the screening of the films which contain gay and homosexual lives as they are against Islamic and Indonesian cultural values,”

“The foreign representatives including the German and French cultural centres must show their respect for our sovereignty. They should not bring their culture which goes against our local values,”

Now in it’s ninth year, Q! is the biggest LGBt festival in Asia, and the only in the Muslim world, but has this year seen an increased protests against it with the Ulema Council stating homosexuality was “against human rights because human rights were given by God basically for pairs of men and women to legally marry… Same-sex marriage is haram (forbidden)”.

A month long festival that will see film from more than 20 countries, including France, Japan and the Philippines, the remaining three weeks are likely to see continued protests from hardline extremist groups in the country.

via AFP.

Being re-released to coincide with Black History Month, Brother to Brother has won a host of awards from some of the biggest film festivals including the Sundance Film Festival, Outfest, Frameline28 and the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival but as we all know what the film festivals think, and what the general public actually think can often be a million miles apart.

So is the same true with Brother to Brother? Well thankfully no. Starting with a nice dose of homophobia as rising art star Perry (played by Anthony Mackie / Hurt Locker) is thrown out of his home after being caught by his father with another man, this film could find itself going down a rather formulaic dark, depressing route of the hardships we all have to face. The good news is it doesn’t.

In fact Brother to Brother is a film that acts to do quite the opposite. Acting to condemn homophobia by not focusing all it’s attention on it, but purposely highlighting how these situations can be the making of a person, it is a film that will not educate you of the struggles of those who before us, but is sure to make you feel proud to be a member of the LGBT community.

And it’s ability to do this has a lot to do with how the story is told. A tale that combines fiction with fact, the fictnal elements sees Perry meet poet Bruce Nugent at the homeless shelter at which he works. Drawn to him  Perry soon discovers that this old man isn’t just your average senior citizen as Nugent acts to teach Perry to respect and accept his sexuality through tales about the gay and lesbian subcultures that existed within the  Harlem Renaissance.

Achieving the split between the two cinematically by moving between black and white footage and colour, as we shift between past and present, we are introduced to not only a young Nugent dealing with his own sexuality and prejudices, but also other rebellious artists of the time like Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Brilliantly done, the energy of this group as they fight to be recognised for who they are and the work they to do is infectious and guaranteed to have you wishing you were right back with them.

And the fact that it does just that is testimony to Rodney Evan’s commitment to this project. A work of fiction concerning the character Perry, Evans however watched over thirty hours of footage of Nugent, as well as researching other involved in the Harlem Renaissance, to make the historical elements as factual and detailed as he could. And it shows, sometimes it has to be said to the detriment of the actual story of Perry, as we see him develop as a gay man, which at times feels more like filler to this story than the reality of it meaning to be the opposite way round.

A honest and captivating film that portrays the African-American gay community in a way that is infrequently, if ever seen,  Brother to Brother hasn’t got the high speed chases of an action film or the big laughs of a comedy, but what it does have is a real honesty and warmth about it that proves that making a good gay film isn’t all about being over the top and reinforcing every stereotype that has ever existed.

Brother to Brother is released by Peccadillo Pictures on 4th October and can be pre-ordered now from Amazon, Play and HMV.

Burlesque, the all singing, all dancing movie featuring Cher and Christina Aguilera is now just over two months away from it’s release in the UK which means it must be time for the publicity machines to spring into action which is exactly what they’re doing with the release of a brand new screen shot from the film.

Very beautifully taken, the downside is that it doesn’t let us in on anything that’s happening in the film, but does though display some nice beading work and the ability of Christian Aguilera to both balance herself on a piano and do a pensive look. She’s a talent that one.

You can find out more about what the film, which also stars Cher is all about in this previous Queeried post.

Burlesque is released across the US on November 24th.

Photo by: Stephen Vaughan SMPSP (c) 2010 Screen Gems, Inc. All rights reserved.

Whilst the title “Pornography: A Thriller” is likely to get you thinking that this film is going to be some goddamn awful porno that is trying to disguise as some kind of arty film, the reality is that this far from the truth. Well in terms of it not being a porno at least..

More focused on being a supernatural thriller than it is a porno, this film by writer and director David Kittredge still however sees pornography playing a large part as it as an industry, alongside the supernatural killer that will keep coming and killing people, which is the central theme of this film. And that’s not the only thing that makes this film stand out far more complex in storyline than you might expect from your average gay independent film, “Pornography: A Thriller” is something of an attention seeker shifting through storylines that requires you to pay some serious attention if you don’t want to get lost halfway through about who is who and exactly what just happened there.

And what does happen is all a little strange. Deciding to have not one, but three parts -  the disappearance of ex porn star, Mark Anton, under suspicious circumstances in the past, an author, Michael who becomes obsessed with Anton’s disappearance and Matt Stevens, an ex porn star director who unknowing to him channels Anton’s story into a screenplay that is just doomed from the moment it starts production – this film sets itself a tough challenge to be able to make not only all them work, but also the thriller concept.

And the reality is as a thriller it doesn’t work. Jumping between fantasy and reality, Kittredge does really impress with how he’s directed and edited this film, but the problem is when it gets to half time it all starts to go a little downhill, and you soon go from thinking he was clever in writing it in four days to wishing he’d spent at least a week on it. The questions you expected to get answered don’t, but instead seem to collect more and more questions leaving you less thrilled and more confused.

And that’s the problem with “Pornography: A Thriller” .  This isn’t a dark film that will have you leaping behind the sofa and suddenly finding you cuddling six cushions. It’s too arty, too wanting to question to be that, and that isn’t a bad thing. What is is the two words “A Thriller” that have been stuck onto the end of the title. Two words that have acted to set expectations that this film can’t deliver. Take those two off, rebrand this as an independent arty gay film and you’d not only attract a crowd that this film would appear to much more than the thriller crowd, but also one that would get itself so much more complimentary reviews.

So should you see “Pornography: A Thriller”? If you’re a big fan of the thriller genre, my advice would be no. This film is only destined to disappoint. If however you’re a fan of Matthew Montgomery (or Jared Grey or Pete Scherer for that matter) and are more of an arty film fan then “Pornography: An Arty Film could be just your thing.

Pornography: A Thriller is released by Peccadillo Pictures on Monday 30th August and can be ordered online at Amazon.

Frankly we have to admit we’ve become rather bored of late of the only news ever to appear about Queen Latifah (and we admit even we’ve done it a few times) being about how she has “finally come out” and then actually discovering that she hasn’t so it’s rather a delight to be able to have some confirmed news about the lady to report instead and it’s so much cooler than whether or not she’s a gay or not.

It’s the news that Ms Queen of Latifah is teaming up with gay icon of the universe Dolly Parton to make “Joyful Noise”, a gospel choir feature for Warner Bros. And before you say it no it’s not “Sister Act” with a different name. It’s completely different. Sort of.

Based in a small town that sees the town gospel choir under threat following budget cuts, the film sees Parton and Latifah appear to get equal billing with Latifah playing a no nonsense mother of two teens who is put in charge of the the choir following the death of the choir director whilst Parton plays the wife of the choir director who wrongly assumed she’d be getting said role. Cue very funny comedy moments (hopefully…)

Starting production in January, we see a sequel and a stage show on Broadway following shortly afterwards (no wait that’s Sister Act again isn’t it…)

To celebrate Black History Month this October, Peccadillo Pictures is releasing “Brother To Brother“,  film that explores follows Perry, a young black gay artist, who is thrown out of his house after being caught in the midst of a sexual encounter with another man.

Following him as he deals with this, the added confusion of a potential love interest from his white classmate and an encounter with famous poet Bruce Nugent who takes him on a historical journey into the gay and lesbian subcultures of the Harlem Renaissance and ‘Niggeratti Manor’, the creative centre for rebellious black artists Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes, this  film explores past struggles experienced by those of a different colour and sexuality, leading Perry to come to respect what makes him different, and embrace a history that is rarely told.

Brother to Brother is available on 4th October 2010 but can be pre-ordered now at Amazon.

Iris Prize Patron and Brothers and Sisters star Matthew Rhys has announced the Iris Prize line-up for 2010 which sees over 30 films selected for what is the world’s largest gay and lesbian short film prize.

Featuring films from USA, Canada, Germany, UK, Brazil, Israel, Singapore, Norway, Australia and Spain, this year also seen two countries, India and the Czech Republic make their appearance for the first time, whilst out of the 30 films selected nearly half are from the US which includes filmmaker Erik Gernand makes it to the final for the second year running.

Alongside the wide range of countries being represented at the Iris Prize there is also an incredible range of stories to be told including a computer help line with a difference and a vampire who tries not to kill his handsome lover!

The announcement of the winner will take place at the Iris Prize Festival which takes place from October 6th – 9th in Cardiff with Rhys praising the standard of the entries:

“The shortlist for the 2010 Iris Prize once again represents the best of the best. Half of the short-listed films have been nominated by our partner festivals – film festivals from around the world that have their fingers on the pulse of upcoming gay and lesbian filmmaking talent. I’m confident that amongst this year’s shortlist we have yet another winner deserving of the Iris Prize,”

“It’s great to see films from all over the world represented in the shortlist with entries from USA, Canada, Germany, Brazil, Israel, Singapore, Norway, Australia and Spain and the UK all making it through to the final. The USA has got the largest number of films in competition with an impressive 13 out of the final 30,”

The full selection of films up for the Iris Prize which will allow the winner to make their next short film in the UK are:

306
Elliot London
USA, 2010, 10 Mins

A Word (Mila)
Yoav Inbar
Israel, 2010, 18 Mins

The Armoire
Jamie Travis
Canada, 2009,

At Night I was Beautiful
Steven Wilsey
USA, 2010, 9 Mins

Bedfellows
Pierre Stefanos
USA, 2010, 15 Mins

Bombshell
Kim Farrant
2009, Australia, 15 Mins

Broken Heart
Michael Allen Angel
USA, 2009, 25 Min

Bruderliebe
Marcus Schwenzel
Czech Republic, 2009, 16 Min

Cake and Sand (Torten im Sand)
Christoph Scheermann
Germany, 2010, 15 Min

Cannibals
Jaunma Carrillo
Spain, 2009, 19 min

Dear Dad, Love Maria
Vince Mascoli
USA, 2009, 4 Mins

Disarm
Nathan Keene
Australia, 2009, 17 Min

Engayging Lives
Shruti Rao
India, 2010, 26 min

Gayby
Jonathan Lisecki
USA, 2010, 11 Min

Inflatable Swamp
William Feroldi
UK, 2010, 13 Min

Love and Other Red Spot Specials
Lauren Anderson
Australia, 2008, 5 min

Masala Mama
Michael Kam
Singapore, 2010, 8 Min

Mosa
Ana Moreno
UK, 2010, 15 Min

Organism
Nina Reyes Rosenberg
USA, 2009, 13 Min

Professor Godoy
Gui Ashcar
Brazil, 2009, 14 Min

The Queen
Christina Choe
USA, 2009, 7 Min

Remember Me in Red
Hector Ceballos
USA, 2010, 15 Min

The Single Mother
Ryan Logan
USA, 2009, 6 Min

The Samaritan
Magnus Mork
Norway, 2010, 29 Min

Tech Support
Erik Gernand
USA, 2009, 9 Min

To the Marriage of True Minds
Andrew Steggall
UK, 2010, 11 Min

Tools 4 Fools
Kate Brandt
USA, 2009, 8 Min

Yossi & Yasmin
Nir Ne’Eman
Israel, 2008, 7 Min

Watch over Me (Shmor Alai)
Mysh Rozanov
Israel, 2010, 14 Min

You Can’t Curry Love
Reid Waterer
USA, 2009, 23 Min

Photo credit: Atomic Jeep

The rather gorgeous Josh Helmin of Towleroad has been talking to the equally stunning Julia Roberts about her latest film “Eat Pray Love” and her thoughts on gay rights and equality.

Talking gushingly about the film (which is somewhat unsurprising as she’s in it…) and how she felt author Elizabeth Gilbert was “funny, smart and courageous”, Helmin then cleverly moved onto the issue of  gay rights around the world, and particularly in the locations in which she filmed the movie,  and questioned her on whether she wanted to see more equality for the LGBT community in these areas.

And was Ms Roberts answer a standard “yes of course”? Well actually no. Using the question as a way to criticise the US for being slow on ironing out the many “kinks” that still exist in her own country concerning gay rights, Julia also spoke of how she felt we as a world all needed to get to point  where the focus stopped being about the gender of people and about the most important thing of all – love and accepting it exists in many forms.

You just can’t help but love her can you…

Julia Roberts on EAT PRAY LOVE & Gay Rights Equality