Saturday, July 21, 2007

Last 3 Movies


Rise Up and Shout, Standing-N-Truth, and On The Downlow were the last movies of the Outfest film festival that I saw today.

Rise Up and Shout - This film was pretty much pegged as a film about Gay Youth and their view of life. It was in documentary form. They filmed the audition process for a show that was being put on by Gay Youth to craft mentorship and a means of showing Gay Youth that they can be fabulous like those of the past. When looking at the ad for the film one would think that you would hear the voices of the diverse young gay community. However, that was not the case. The film focused much attention on 2 white guys (an Opera singing Drag Queen and Ex-Meth addict, prostitute boy with HIV) and 1 asian guy (His parents just didn't like the idea that he was gay). Although there were other young kids in the movie of African decent and 1 latino boy. The film only showed portions of their performance and them queening out in a local store. There were approximately 6 Black kids. Why the filmmaker choose not to tell their stories is probably something that you have already guessed the answer. He was white and even though the intentions of the film might have been to tell a story it's the same story we've always heard. The white side of the story. (We gotta start making our own movies more.)

Standing-N-Truth - EXCELLENT!!!! (Click the link to the left to go to the official website.) See some of what I experienced below. The film will touch you. Although only a short of this film was showing, in December 2007 Tim Daniels will be ready to show you the full length documentary. If you get the chance to see this film...PLEASE DO. You will as I said be touched!
Check out this video: Standing -N- Truth:



On the Downlow - Sigh. I was disappointed. It was waaay too long to discuss 3 different young Black men. 1 a homo-thug who only likes drag queens and fem boys, 1 an exconvict who talked about all the guys he had in prison and ends up going back to jail in the end. Then there's the bi-sexual young boy who begins coming out to a close girlfriend who says she already knew he liked guys and to his father who also says that things had been said about him and I love you anyway you are my son. So much more could have been said with this movie. I'm not sure what the message was supposed to be.

5 comments:

BronzeBuckaroo said...

We "must" begin making more movies and documentaries about us!

Anonymous said...

Antandra, get mama some water!

Mr. Jones said...

I hope both of these are being shown at Maryland's LGBT Film Festival. I love seeing people's perspective of gays.

Corey Keith said...

I am checking the Atlanta OutFilm Fest website and no update, but my fingers are crossed...

Linda Thompkins said...

thanx 4 stoppin by. lookin forward to viewing these films - especially standing n truth.