Week of Jul 15
Queer Rhapsody kicks off its debut year with a roar this week(ha!), with fifteen special screenings across the city for the next two weeks. This screening series spotlights new Queer films and emerging filmmakers, so be sure to check it out!
Also this week, three LA film venues celebrate the publication of the new landmark book "Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema" from Caden Mark Cardner and Willow Catelyn with special trans-themed screenings Jul 18-21.
Finally, two films open in theaters: Teddy-award winning trans drama Crossing from Georgia, and German lesbian festival favorite Sisi & I.
Queer Rhapsody
Second Nature
Jul 19, 7:30 pm @ Hammer Museum
Director Drew Denny in person
From homosexual penguins and sex-transitioning fish to pregnant male seahorses and sexually dominant female bonobos, thousands of species defy our expectations of gender and sexuality. Director Drew Denny takes the nature documentary to a whole new level in this eye-opening and entertaining expedition to the places David Attenborough overlooks, where giant duck penises and corkscrew vaginas take center stage.
Debunking myths that females are “inferior” and being queer is somehow “unnatural,” Second Nature explores the 1500+ animal species that engage in same-sex sexual behavior and parenting, change sex, form matriarchies, and more.
Laughing Through Fire: Comedy Shorts
Jul 20, 4:00 pm @ Los Feliz 3
Laughing Through Fire offers hilarious reflections on the day-to-day journey of making your way through the minefield of modern times — whether online or IRL — as members of the queer and trans community. Showcasing tremendous clarity of expression and style, the filmmakers behind the works in this short film program utilize humor as a guide to making sense of our increasingly convoluted world.
Sisters
Jul 20, 7:00 pm @ Los Feliz 3
20-somethings Lou and Esther are best friends, constantly daydreaming about what it would have been like to grow up with a sister. But when Lou’s problematic father dies, she learns that she has a very real, very chic, long-lost half sister, which threatens her and Esther’s codependent bliss.
Ask Any Buddy
Jul 20, 7:30 pm @ Hammer Museum
Director Elizabeth Purchell in person
A feature-length mashup film that uses fragments from 126 all-male adult films to explore the lives and fantasies of a generation of gay men — or at least how they looked in the movies.
Generations in Bloom: Shorts
Jul 21, 4:00 pm @ Los Feliz 3
Generations In Bloom showcases the beauty of connection and captures the essence of growth throughout different stages of life. By portraying queer individuals across different eras, these short films highlight the universal quest for self-acceptance and the formation of meaningful relationships, celebrating the enduring power of love and community.
Life Is Not a Competition, But I'm Winning
Jul 21, 7:00 pm @ Los Feliz 3
If history is written by the victors, where does that leave those who were never allowed to be part of the game? A collective of queer athletes sets out to honour those who were excluded from the winners’ podium. Together they create a radical utopia far from the rigid gender rules in competitive sports.
Celebrating "Corpses, Fools & Monsters"
Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean
Jul 18, 7:30 pm @ Eagle Theater
Robert Altman's ensemble film about a group of James Dean groupies reuniting for the 20th anniversary of his death, starring cis Karen Black as a trans woman, screens as part of the release celebration for Corpses, Fools and Monsters: The History and Future of Transness in Cinema.
Secret Screening!
Jul 19, 8:00 pm @ Whammy Analog Media
Author Caden Mark Gardner and filmmaker Elizabeth Purchell in person
Celebrate the release of the new trans cinema history book from Caden Mark Gardner and Willow Catelyn Maclay with a secret screening of one of the most "salacious" movies discussed in the book.
Tickets from Hollywood Entertainment >
Gender Troublemakers: Trans Authorship, DIY, and Experimentation Through Film
Jul 21, 1:00 pm @ 2220 Arts + Archives
Co-author Caden Mark Gardner and director Cary Cronenwett in person
Three experimental trans films from "gender troublemakers" screen at LA Film Forum. Films include Gendertroublemakers, Maggots and Men, and Bigger on the Inside.
In Theaters
Crossing (2024)
Lia, a retired school teacher living in Georgia, hears from a young neighbour Achi that her long lost niece Tekla, a transgender woman, has crossed the border into Turkey.
Sisi & I (2023)
After an elaborate application process, Empress Elisabeth of Austria hires Countess Irma as her new lady-in-waiting and takes her to her summer residence on Corfu. As the two women become closer there, this soon leads to tensions back in Vienna.