Week of Jul 22
Queer Rhapsody fills screens across LA with awesome screenings of new films of all interests and genres--but don't sleep on their closing night film Queen of My Dreams from director Fawzia Mirza (who will be doing a Q&A after the film on Sunday).
Also this week: two glimpses of queer life in the 1950s, in the very repressed but still very obviously queer Rebel Without a Cause, and in Tim Burton's biopic of 50's B movie director Ed Wood.
Queer Rhapsody
Darby and the Dead
Jul 23, 7:30 pm @ Eagle Theater
After Darby Harper suffered a near-death experience as a child, she gained the ability to see ghosts. To combat the existential boredom of high school, she runs a side business counseling local spirits in her spare time. When an unexpected occurrence happens between Darby and Capri, the most popular girl at her high school, Darby reluctantly agrees to help her and in the process learns how to fit in with the living world again.
Solids by the Seashore
Jul 24, 7:30 pm @ Eagle Theater
In a corrupted southern Thai town struggling with its major environmental damage, a young Muslim woman is facing an inner struggle against the imposing wall of her cultural and religious background, as she develops a relationship with a female artist from out of town.
Love in Focus: Black Queer Rhapsody Shorts
Jul 25, 7:30 pm @ The Broad Musuem
Explore this immersive collection of short films celebrating Black queer lives. From documentaries on vibrant drag queens and Black elders to magical coming of age journeys and stories of transformative love, these films weave a rhapsody of resilience and authentic connections.
Queering Memory: Past Present and Future Shorts
Jul 26, 7:30 pm @ Hammer Museum
Memory serves as an empathy engine in these films, transporting us through the tapestry of present beauty, past acceptance, and future affirmation. These narratives invite us to reflect on the lessons and gift of our own memories and the evolving nature of identity, reminding us of the universal quest for belonging and affirmation. As we traverse these intimate stories, we are reminded of the importance of honoring our past, embracing the present, and envisioning a future where every individual can live their truth unapologetically.
Sacred Sites: Queer Sanctuaries Shorts
Jul 27, 3:00 pm @ Egyptian Theatre
This program of short films showcases the queer sanctuaries we create and find in spaces, our memories, and in others. Centered around the joy and safety that allow for the most authentic version of ourselves to emerge, the films showcase the world-building, and life-affirming po
Desire Lines
Jul 27, 7:00 pm @ Egyptian Theatre
An Iranian-American transman, Ahmad, searching for his place in history, finds more than just a link to the past in the archives. Drawing from first-person accounts, as well as fictionalized segments, filmmaker Jules Rosskam explores the lines of desire as they intersect with identity for many transmen.
Transcendent Movements: Queer Artists in Motion Shorts
Jul 27, 7:30 pm @ Hammer Museum
Embark on a journey through short films celebrating queer resilience, creativity, and diverse identities. Follow Felicia Oh, a Taiwanese-American drag queen in NYC; Saturn Risin9, a Bay Area performance artist; Shoog McDaniel's celebration of marginalized bodies in Florida; Fran's nostalgic hometown visit; and the lives of five trans artists in Mexico City. These films explore identity and belonging through storytelling, dance, photography, and performance, fostering unity and appreciation for creative expression.
Determined Defiance: Voices of Change Shorts
Jul 28, 3:00 pm @ Egyptian Theatre
Throughout history, queer people have conceptualized and practiced various forms of resistance – politically and artistically; individually and collectively. The films in this block examine the world as it is while raising the possibility of what it can be. Whether based on a true story or an imagined story, these films showcase the transformative power of defying the status quo and inspire viewers to explore, embrace and ultimately, enact alternate futures.
The Queen of My Dreams
Jul 28, 7:00 pm @ Egyptian Theatre
Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada.
Also This Week:
Rebel Without a Cause
Jul 27, 2:00 pm @ Academy Museum
"It is of course vita that there be no inference of a questionable or homosexual relationship between Plato and Jim” wrote the MPPC censors, scolding this film from bisexual director Nicholas Ray with bi star James Dean and the "first gay teen on screen" played by out Sal Mineo.
Ed Wood
Jul 22, 7:30 pm @ Egyptian Theatre
Tim Burton's biopic of legendary "worst director of all time" 1950s B-movie king (and lifelong crossdresser) Ed Wood turns 30! Make it a double feature with "Glen or Glenda." Wood's 1953 first movie about gender-crossing characters.
Next Week
American Cinematheque's retrospective of queer Taiwanese slow cinema autuer Tsai Ming-Liang starts July 31 with a double feature of I Don't Want to Sleep Alone with Vive L'Amour. For those new to Tsai Ming-Liang, check out this article in the current issue of Queer Majority. All of his films have a strong queer aesthetic, but some picks include Goodbye Dragon Inn, Days, and The River.
Paris is Burning
Jul 31, 7:30 pm @ Eagle Theater
This iconic documentary, filmed over seven years at the beginning of the AIDS crisis in New York City's ballroom scene, captures the end of a "Golden Age" drag scene--and introduced a whole lot of Queer vocabulary to mainstream audiences.
Call Me By Your Name
Aug 1, 7:00 pm @ Los Feliz 3
In 1980s Italy, a relationship begins between seventeen-year-old teenage Elio and the older adult man hired as his father’s research assistant.
Tickets from American Cinematheque >
Orlando
Aug 1, 7:30 pm @ Eagle Theater
Adapted from Virginia Woolfe's novel, this film follows Tilda Swinton as Orlando, an young nobleman who lives for centuries, and awakes one day to find himself transformed into a woman. Watch it, then check out last year's Teddy documentary winner Orlando: My Political Biography.
Jennifer's Body
Aug 2, 6:30 pm @ New Beverly Cinema
Panned on release, queer film fans have since reclaimed this Diablo Cody-written horror film about a (literally) man-eating undead cheerleader and the... um... complicated relationship she has with her best female friend.
Tickets from The New Beverly >