What to watch during the second half of NewFest’s LGBTQ Film Festival
NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival, ends Oct. 25 at area venues. There are still plenty of terrific films to catch during the second half of the fest. “Tiger” (October 20, 6:45 pm, Nitehawk Prospect Park) is an involving Japanese film about Taiga (Takashi Kawaguchi), a gay man who works as a masseur in Tokyo. … Read More
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NewFest, New York’s LGBTQ Film Festival, ends Oct. 25 at area venues. There are still plenty of terrific films to catch during the second half of the fest.
“Tiger” (October 20, 6:45 pm, Nitehawk Prospect Park) is an involving Japanese film about Taiga (Takashi Kawaguchi), a gay man who works as a masseur in Tokyo. Visiting his older sister, Minami (Maho Nonami), and their ailing father (Kenzo Shirahama) in his hometown, Taiga reconnects with his former lover, Koji (Yûya Endô), who is now married to a woman and a father. Koji wants the “freedom” Taiga has as a gay man in Tokyo, and Taiga wants a child. When Taiga’s father tells him he can inherit the family home if he marries and has a family, the closeted Taiga investigates “friendship marriages.” Writer/director Anshul Chauhan based his film on real stories from the queer community, and this accounts for various supporting characters and detailed subplots. If the film feels overstuffed, the performances by Kawaguchi and Nonami, are superb.
“Mickey” (October 21, 6:45 pm, Nitehawk Prospect Park) is an interesting experimental documentary portrait of Mickey, a young trans woman who lives in Sinaloa, Mexico. She is seen painting her face and doing makeup tutorial videos and recounts the joy of getting her first pair of high heels. Mickey also talks about her homophobic father and her difficulties at high school as a queer teen. There are many arresting images as “Mickey” uses diaries, photographs, film clips, video game-style animation, and other media to tell her story. However, as this collage of images and barrage of ideas expresses its subject’s thoughts and emotions, the documentary still feels very fragmented.
Director Sam McConnell’s “Test” (October 21, 7:15 pm, SVA) is a fascinating and fabulous character study of Eddie (screenwriter Brock Yurich), an up-and-coming bodybuilder. Eddie is a gentle giant who lives with his alcoholic mother/manager Joanne (Tammy Blanchard) and desperately wants to get his pro card. When Mike (Mike Edward) gives him a posing tip, Eddie asks him to be his coach and also becomes sexually involved with him. As Eddie tries to manage his mother’s jealousy, his inchoate feelings for his coach, and prepare for a state competition, he is racing to the bottom. Yurich delivers an outstanding performance that conveys how outwardly proud Eddie is of his body — he frequently displays it to everyone’s admiration — while masking a deep, internal pain. The actor’s riveting performance and his jacked body will keep viewers glued to the screen.
“Corpus” (October 21, 7:30 pm, Nitehawk Prospect Park), is a seductive, slow-burn thriller directed and cowritten by Corrin Evans. The feature opens with a creepy sequence, set in 1997, involving Wren (Nuha Jes Izman) being put in a sexually and physically compromising position while modeling for a photograph.
[caption id="attachment_65415" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
“Corpus” is Corrin Evans' feature directorial debut.NewFest[/caption]
One year later, Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg, Mark’s nephew) a gay photographer and drug dealer in New York City, reluctantly agrees to go upstate with his crush, Vince (Brodie Townsend), a budding movie star, and their horndog friend, Ross (Michael Vlamis). Vince has been invited to a party by Billie (cowriter Lily Cowles), a photographer, and her girlfriend Cata (Chung Valdes-Aran). Wren lives with them. But after an awkward dinner, Sayo wants to leave—and not just because Vince is sending him mixed signals. The vibe with these women is definitely off. Then things start to get really weird. Evans makes an auspicious feature directorial debut with this stylish and sexy drama that ratchets up the tension as the characters get caught in a series of unsettling situations.
“I Am Going to Miss You” (October 22, 6:45 pm, Nighthawk Prospect Park) is Daniel Ribeiro’s bittersweet film that has trans couple Amanda (Alice Marcone) and Caio (Gabriel Lodi) moving in together after seven years. It should be a positive next step in their relationship, but when Caio gets an offer to pursue his dream job in Rio (an hour away) and Amanda responds to the flirtations of João (Luca Scarpelli), a colleague at work, the couple’s relationship is jeopardized. Things get further complicated when Caio has another major decision to make. “I Am Going to Miss You” unpacks the nature of relationships as both partners reach a crossroad in their lives and have to make not just difficult decisions, but the right decision. Featuring an all-trans cast, the actors are terrific, with Lodi giving an especially sensitive performance.
“Gugu’s World” (October 22, 7:00 pm, The LGBT Community Center) is a heartwarming tale about the title character (Yuri Gomes), an 11-year-old boy in rural Brazil who likes to play soccer, dance, and wear makeup. He is bullied at school and on the soccer pitch, but he finds strength and resilience with his grandmother, Dilma (Teca Pereira). When Dilma starts having memory issues, Gugu’s father, Batista (Lázaro Ramos) steps in. Batista wants his son to “man up,” giving him a (straight) porno mag and scolding him for wearing makeup. “Gugu’s World,” Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Film, is a slow but involving story about living authentically and Gomes gives an infectious performance.
[caption id="attachment_65416" align="aligncenter" width="700"]
“Gugu’s World” is Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Film.NewFest[/caption]
“Elephants in the Fog” (October 22, 7:30 pm, BAM), directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, is set in southern Nepal, where the third-gender Pirati (Pushpa Thing Lama) is “mother” to Joon (Sahab Din Miya), Chameli (Jasmin Bishwokarma), and Aspara (Aliz Ghimire). Pirati is respected by their elder, Guru Mata (Umesha Pandey), and is being considered to become a leader of the Kinnar community. However, Pirati is romantically involved with Junge (Ashant Sharma), and when the couple talks about leaving, it prompts a fight between Pirati and Aspara. When Aspara’s wig is found in the forest, where elephants run wild, Pirati investigates the disappearance, suspecting MJ (Sanjeev Gupta), with whom Aspara may have had a relationship. “Elephants in the Fog” is an absorbing story about family, community, and transphobia. Providing a glimpse into a fascinating subculture, the film illustrates the power, determination, and resilience of these third-gender characters.
“Tangles” (October 24, 2:30 pm, SVA) is an excellent black and white animated feature, based on Sarah Leavitt’s eponymous graphic novel. Sarah (Abbi Jacobson) has always seen her mother, Midge (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as her hero. When she returns home to Maine for a visit, she notices something off about Midge and is concerned. Her mother is eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As Sarah processes her emotions and the impact this has on her family, images, such as wading through water, convey the difficulties of her situation. As she commits to caregiving for her mother, Sarah may have to sacrifice her relationship with Donimo (Samira Wiley) back in San Francisco. “Tangles” captures the pain of seeing a parent slip away in a series of heartbreaking, tear-jerking moments. This is a beautiful and poignant film full of love. Bring tissues.
“The Riverbank” (October 24, 8:45 pm, SVA) is a hypnotic and sexy queer thriller set in Recife, Brazil, where Izaquiel (an impressive Caique Copque) works as a janitor by day and goes cruising at night. When he meets Jeremias (Ítalo Martins), a fisherman, in the mangroves, their tryst is interrupted by violence—someone is killing gay men by the riverbank. When Izaquiel gets reassigned to work in a church, he encounters men who want to change him and makes some startling discoveries about the church leaders. He also returns, repeatedly to be with Jeremias. “The Riverbank” addresses themes of power and oppression as well as resistance as Izaquiel navigates the safe and dangerous spaces he encounters. An interesting subplot has one of his trans roommates go missing. As Izaquiel’s worlds collide, “The Riverbank” builds to a potent finale.
For tickets and more information, visit https://newfest.org/
“Corpus” is Corrin Evans' feature directorial debut.NewFest[/caption]
One year later, Sayo (Jeff Wahlberg, Mark’s nephew) a gay photographer and drug dealer in New York City, reluctantly agrees to go upstate with his crush, Vince (Brodie Townsend), a budding movie star, and their horndog friend, Ross (Michael Vlamis). Vince has been invited to a party by Billie (cowriter Lily Cowles), a photographer, and her girlfriend Cata (Chung Valdes-Aran). Wren lives with them. But after an awkward dinner, Sayo wants to leave—and not just because Vince is sending him mixed signals. The vibe with these women is definitely off. Then things start to get really weird. Evans makes an auspicious feature directorial debut with this stylish and sexy drama that ratchets up the tension as the characters get caught in a series of unsettling situations.
“I Am Going to Miss You” (October 22, 6:45 pm, Nighthawk Prospect Park) is Daniel Ribeiro’s bittersweet film that has trans couple Amanda (Alice Marcone) and Caio (Gabriel Lodi) moving in together after seven years. It should be a positive next step in their relationship, but when Caio gets an offer to pursue his dream job in Rio (an hour away) and Amanda responds to the flirtations of João (Luca Scarpelli), a colleague at work, the couple’s relationship is jeopardized. Things get further complicated when Caio has another major decision to make. “I Am Going to Miss You” unpacks the nature of relationships as both partners reach a crossroad in their lives and have to make not just difficult decisions, but the right decision. Featuring an all-trans cast, the actors are terrific, with Lodi giving an especially sensitive performance.
“Gugu’s World” (October 22, 7:00 pm, The LGBT Community Center) is a heartwarming tale about the title character (Yuri Gomes), an 11-year-old boy in rural Brazil who likes to play soccer, dance, and wear makeup. He is bullied at school and on the soccer pitch, but he finds strength and resilience with his grandmother, Dilma (Teca Pereira). When Dilma starts having memory issues, Gugu’s father, Batista (Lázaro Ramos) steps in. Batista wants his son to “man up,” giving him a (straight) porno mag and scolding him for wearing makeup. “Gugu’s World,” Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Film, is a slow but involving story about living authentically and Gomes gives an infectious performance.
[caption id="attachment_65416" align="aligncenter" width="700"] “Gugu’s World” is Brazil’s Oscar submission for Best International Film.NewFest[/caption]
“Elephants in the Fog” (October 22, 7:30 pm, BAM), directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, is set in southern Nepal, where the third-gender Pirati (Pushpa Thing Lama) is “mother” to Joon (Sahab Din Miya), Chameli (Jasmin Bishwokarma), and Aspara (Aliz Ghimire). Pirati is respected by their elder, Guru Mata (Umesha Pandey), and is being considered to become a leader of the Kinnar community. However, Pirati is romantically involved with Junge (Ashant Sharma), and when the couple talks about leaving, it prompts a fight between Pirati and Aspara. When Aspara’s wig is found in the forest, where elephants run wild, Pirati investigates the disappearance, suspecting MJ (Sanjeev Gupta), with whom Aspara may have had a relationship. “Elephants in the Fog” is an absorbing story about family, community, and transphobia. Providing a glimpse into a fascinating subculture, the film illustrates the power, determination, and resilience of these third-gender characters.
“Tangles” (October 24, 2:30 pm, SVA) is an excellent black and white animated feature, based on Sarah Leavitt’s eponymous graphic novel. Sarah (Abbi Jacobson) has always seen her mother, Midge (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) as her hero. When she returns home to Maine for a visit, she notices something off about Midge and is concerned. Her mother is eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. As Sarah processes her emotions and the impact this has on her family, images, such as wading through water, convey the difficulties of her situation. As she commits to caregiving for her mother, Sarah may have to sacrifice her relationship with Donimo (Samira Wiley) back in San Francisco. “Tangles” captures the pain of seeing a parent slip away in a series of heartbreaking, tear-jerking moments. This is a beautiful and poignant film full of love. Bring tissues.
“The Riverbank” (October 24, 8:45 pm, SVA) is a hypnotic and sexy queer thriller set in Recife, Brazil, where Izaquiel (an impressive Caique Copque) works as a janitor by day and goes cruising at night. When he meets Jeremias (Ítalo Martins), a fisherman, in the mangroves, their tryst is interrupted by violence—someone is killing gay men by the riverbank. When Izaquiel gets reassigned to work in a church, he encounters men who want to change him and makes some startling discoveries about the church leaders. He also returns, repeatedly to be with Jeremias. “The Riverbank” addresses themes of power and oppression as well as resistance as Izaquiel navigates the safe and dangerous spaces he encounters. An interesting subplot has one of his trans roommates go missing. As Izaquiel’s worlds collide, “The Riverbank” builds to a potent finale.
For tickets and more information, visit https://newfest.org/ 
