(Photo Credits: Screengrab from Gay Chorus Deep South‘s YouTube Account)
The Tribeca Film Festival 2019 is underway and reportedly it features 103 films from 124 filmmakers and of course, there are LGBT-themed films as well, some of which we will show below.
But before that, Tribeca will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots and will be holding a day-long event called Tribeca Celebrates Pride on Saturday, May 4, 2019 at the Tribeca Festival Hub’s Spring Studios. There are interviews, symposiums, and panel conversations about topics like “activism through the ages, gay Hollywood, media visibility, seeking asylum as an LGBTQ+ refugee, and being out in political office.” Those wishing to attend can purchase tickets here.
All that being said, here are five must-see LGBT films at the 18th Annual Tribeca Film Festival. The festival—which will run until May 5, 2019—is currently being held in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan. For They Know Not What They Do (2019, Daniel G. Karslake) – this extraordinary documentary tackles “institutionalized homophobia” according to a review. This film follows the lives of “four faith-based families with LGBTQ children caught in the crosshairs of sexuality, identity, and scripture.”
1. For They Know Not What They Do (2019, Daniel G. Karslake) – this extraordinary documentary tackles “institutionalized homophobia” according to a review. This film follows the lives of “four faith-based families with LGBTQ children caught in the crosshairs of sexuality, identity, and scripture.”
Check out the schedule of screenings and ticket information of For They Know Not What They Do here.
Circus of Books (2019, Rachel Mason) – the year is 1976 and the time is harder for the LGBT community when a couple named Karen and Barry Mason, who had fallen on hard times, decided to become distributors for Larry Flynt’s Hustler Magazine. Their business was lucrative and they eventually became the biggest distributors of gay porn in the US. They, however, almost faced jail time for it.
2. Circus of Books will always be remembered as a go-to place of the LGBT community in Los Angeles, California for 37 years. This article described the owners of Circus of Books as “hometown heroes and national champions of free speech.” They are someone who “supported ailing employees, financially and personally, during the AIDS crisis.”
The screening at Tribeca is actually over but viewers can watch out for Circus of Books on Netflix.
3. Wig (2019, Chris Moukarbel) – this documentary explores the history, origin, and influence of the legendary annual drag festival in New York called Wigstock to the contemporary drag movement. Wigstock was founded by Lady Bunny in 1984 and this year marks its 35th anniversary.
Wig’s casts include Lady Bunny, Charlene Incarnate, Flotilla DeBarge, Kevin Aviance, Neil Patrick Harris, Willam, Linda Simpson, Naomi Smalls, and Tabboo! You can watch Wig on May 4&5 and purchase tickets here.
4. Seahorse (2019, Jeanie Finlay) – this is a story of a dad who gave birth.
Seahorse gives viewers a look at the life of transgender man Freddy McConnell and his journey to parenthood as he carried his child himself. His pregnancy however, “prompts an unexpected and profound reckoning with conventions of masculinity, self-definition and biology.”
Check out the screening schedule and ticket information for Seahorse here.
5. Gay Chorus Deep South (2019, David Charles) – this film follows the story of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus as they embark on a tour of the “American Deep South,” a decision they made in response to a “wave of discriminatory anti-LGBTQ laws and the divisive 2016 election.”
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus performed in “churches, community centers, and concert halls in hopes of uniting us in a time of difference.” They bring a “message of music, love and acceptance to communities and individuals confronting intolerance.”
Check out its screening schedules and ticket information at Tribeca here. To know more about Gay Chorus Deep South, click here.
Happy viewing!
