All posts filed under: Movies

Moonlight: Why Intersectional Representation Matters

If you’re late to the party, Moonlight is a talented film directed by Barry Jenkins based on the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It has received a lot of buzz since its release in late 2016, and even more so since it won Best Motion Picture at the 74th Golden Globe Awards recently, the first all black cast, queer film to do so. The soundtrack is orchestral, not something most would expect if they’re about to watch a film set in a ghetto of poverty, violence, and an inescapable drug culture. The film was shot in a unique way with a very shallow depth of field making it feel unnerving, vulnerable, and personal. This is because director Barry Jenkins is taking you on an extremely tender and genuine coming-of-age queer journey, portrayed through the main character Chiron. This film doesn’t cheapen itself by following a predictable narrative. The queer characters did not die in the film because they were queer. They were not used as a prop for the dangers of STIs or …

Gayby Baby Review: Families Leading Lives of Diversity and Acceptance

I’m not sure what I expected as the lights came down at Cinema Paradiso on Sunday night for Perth’s Q&A screening of Gayby Baby. A documentary of course, but what kind of documentary? It seems anyone with a camera and something to say can make one these days, but it takes talent, determination and a lot of hard work to make something that has the ability to really inspire and make a difference in peoples lives. So, what kind of documentary is Gayby Baby? Gayby Baby follows the lives of four kids being raised by same sex parents; Gus, Ebony, Matt and Graham. Produced by Charlotte Mars and directed by Maya Newell, someone who also grew up with same sex parents, the film goes into great depth about the struggles, triumphs and day to day experiences of these kids, who’s parents just happen to be gay. Sounds great doesn’t it! The New South Wales government doesn’t think so. Just last week they banned the screening of Gayby Baby during school hours where it was scheduled …

2014 – What a Queer Year!

A lot has happened in 2014, and a lot of progress has been made for the queer community. Let’s end the year on a high note and have a look at some of the more positive events and milestones from the last 12 months. The Queer Av! Okay so this is not exactly global or anything but I’m in the process of changing the name of this blog from The Gay Av to The Queer Av to make it more inclusive of the whole community. In other news, we are now on Instagram (@thequeerav), AND there are new and exciting projects and articles to come in 2015. Watch this space! A looooot of people came out this year in the LGBTIQ community. I’m not a fan of the whole ‘coming out ritual’ and I wish is wasn’t necessary for people to have to do. I can’t wait for the day when peeps don’t assume one’s gender and sexuality from the get go and therefore the event of coming out won’t exist. Having said this, it’s still …

Wednesday’s ‘Where Are They Now’ Post – Brett Barsky

Brett Barsky is an actor most well known for his role as Trevor in the 1994 short film ‘Trevor’. The film follows this young, closeted boy who dreams of nothing more than to be fabulous in a time when being ‘out and proud’ was not the reality it is today for a lot of people. If the title of this film rings a bell to you then here is probably why. The movie inspired what we now know today as the Trevor Project; a suicide prevention hotline for at risk LGBTQ youths in the United States. The creators of the film were astounded that when preparing to air the movie, there were no suicide prevention hotlines available to youths who might have been facing similar suicidal feelings as Trevor. And so, in 1998, The Trevor Project was born. Barsky has been in some productions since his break including ‘The Jurer’ (1996), Boys Life 2 (1997) and ‘Daria: Is it College Yet’ (2000). However there’s no doubt that his role as Trevor back in 1994 was …

Jason Leaver Talks Out With Dad

By Stephanie Lane Though I’ve never met Toronto Director Jason Leaver, he was more than happy to talk with me about his web series ‘Out With Dad’. In his words it’s a quirky drama about a teenage girl and her single father, at a time when Rose is coming of age and coming out of the closet. Sound interesting? Well I thought it did, which explains why I’ve watched both seasons two or three times over already. Here Leaver talks about how the show came about, his busy schedule and the importance of LGBTQ media on the web. Check it Out. You’re a corporate video producer, you have a number of personal projects past and present and a number of awards. How do you fit the time in to do all the work you do? What’s your schedule like, it must be pretty crazy by the sounds of it? Life gets pretty crazy! I do my absolute best to juggle it all. However, it’s getting more and more challenging all the time. Last fall, for instance, I got …

Bully – A Documentary with an R Rating

I think it’s safe to say everyone has experienced bullying in one way or another. Whether you were being bullied, you were the bully or you were someone on the sidelines.  In the past and even in present times we’ve seen this being attributed to maturity, child’s play or that ‘boys will be boys’ sentiment, but why? Is it really ok for a kid/s to taunt, tease and bully another kid simply because of their age or their maturity level? And what about the effects of bullying? Does the name Tyler Clementi sound familiar to you? What about Seth Walsh or Rafael Morelos? The list could go on and on, and it’s a list of teens who have committed suicide because of bullying. The idea that bullying is just a part of life has to be stopped. It shouldn’t be the deaths of our youths that work as a wake up to us all. We should all be doing something before it gets to this stage. I was watching a clip from the Ellen Degeneres …