kusama pyjamas
Titled for Yayoi Kusama, who is the cat's pyjamas.
Featured Interview: Jackie Anderson, 69
From The Untitled Black Lesbian Elder Project documentary, by tonia.m.
![tiona.m. is a multi-media artist whose mission is to make the invisible, visible and humanize her subjects. She believes that her work as a filmmaker and visual artist can inspire various communities by affirming their existence in contemporary society and culture. Her last film, black./womyn.: conversations with lesbians of African descent, provides a platform for Black lesbians to speak for themselves and to confront the hyper-sexualized image of the Black lesbian.
Tiona continues to develop and create films on progressive topics with the hope of directing a narrative feature-length project in the near future. She is currently in production with her next feature length documentary The Untitled Black Lesbian Elder Project,a short narrative film Bumming Cigarettes, and an experimental short series called Be Alarmed: The Black Americana Epic, which is an magical realism themed take on the Black American experience.
[via her tumblr in the meantime… + trailers on vimeo ]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2xmhjSlYs1qaqhqdo1_250.jpg)
tiona.m. is a multi-media artist whose mission is to make the invisible, visible and humanize her subjects. She believes that her work as a filmmaker and visual artist can inspire various communities by affirming their existence in contemporary society and culture. Her last film, black./womyn.: conversations with lesbians of African descent, provides a platform for Black lesbians to speak for themselves and to confront the hyper-sexualized image of the Black lesbian.
Tiona continues to develop and create films on progressive topics with the hope of directing a narrative feature-length project in the near future. She is currently in production with her next feature length documentary The Untitled Black Lesbian Elder Project,a short narrative film Bumming Cigarettes, and an experimental short series called Be Alarmed: The Black Americana Epic, which is an magical realism themed take on the Black American experience.
[via her tumblr in the meantime… + trailers on vimeo ]
Barbara Hammer. Double Strength, 1978. Four stages of a lesbian relationship explored in an experimental film starring performance artists Terry Sendgraff and Barbara Hammer on suspended trapezes and ropes. (via Brooklyn Museum: Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art: Feminist Art Base: Barbara Hammer)
There’s no ‘I’ in Trisha
A genius satirical sitcom about a lesbian couple, and Trisha Baga plays every role.
Anastasia Klose has established a reputation for her ‘aesthetic of the pathetic’, drawing on the painful or humorous moments in her life to make videos. … Klose made Film for my Nanna 2006 in response to a question from her grandmother about her marriage prospects. A roughly-made sign reading ‘Nanna, I’m still alone’ was a last-minute addition to the bridal outfit but its poignant message gives the work its charge.
the full video’s more empathetic to her Nana’s POV, and quietly beautiful, than reviews focused on the joking aspect suggest. it features Klose walking around Melbourne in the wedding dress, sometimes engaging with people, but often alone, incongruous gown emphasizing her solitude.
i really loved it. it’s refreshing to see Klose embody the socially discomforting figure of the man hunting, “still” single woman with self acceptance and generation bridging empathy, rather than desperation or anxiety. which sounds really 2nd wave. which it kind of is.
Lip A film collaboration between Tracey Moffatt and Gary Hillberg 1999, 10 minutes, Color
It is Hollywood’s favorite role for black women: the maid. Sassy or sweet, snickeringly attentive or flippantly dismissive, the performers who play them steal every scene they are in, and Tracy Moffatt’s entertaining video collage reveals the narrow margin Hollywood has allowed black actresses to shine in. But shine they do. Giving lip is proven an art form in these scenes from 1930’s cinema to present-day movies featuring a remarkable roster of undervalued actresses and their more celebrated white costars. Moffatt and Hillberg’s rough, no-budget assembly effectively highlights with familiarity and humor the disturbing realization of how black characters and white characters still interact on screen, under Hollywood’s eternally backwards eye.
Tracey Moffatt (by BrooklynMuseum)
“I didn’t even stop to wait for the right to make art, I just did it”
“…we know most Black actresses were forced to play the maid. And what I’m trying to say with ‘Lip’ is that, yes, unfortunately a lot of these brilliant women actresses were forced to play the maid, but what a good job they did.”
Moffat usually really avoids attempts to label her work by it’s recurring themes of race and sexual politics, but she does half seriously answer questions here about feminism, Hollywood, race and her classic short film Lip. Plus she cites beating up her brother as a feminist act.
I’ve always dreamt of working in visual mediums, particularly film. I did a little bit of it in high school and college, but growing up poor, I always had to borrow someone else’s equipment. For a while after college I looked at film schools, but eventually relinquished the idea in favor of a more mundane, “stable” career.
The problem with mundane and stable is that they sometimes don’t play well with trans people. So now, 14 years later, we’re back to “fuck it” and pipe dreams. As luck would have it, the local community college has a highly-regarded multiple Emmy-nominated digital video production program, and I have just about enough unsubsidized federal aid available to me to pursue it as a second undergrad degree. But, of course, the degree is just part of it.
This is the camera I’m going to be learning on (click through to check out the awesome specs). At some point I’m going to have to own one of these, or something very similar.
Also Final Cut Pro, Soundtrack Pro, After Effects, a better computer than my little MacBook Pro, and any number of other accoutrements.
And oh yeah, my unemployment benefit is either over, or will be within a few weeks, which means basic things like car insurance, cell phone, and prescriptions are going to become a worry again.
I’ve said before I don’t think people should feel bad about asking for help, and yet I always feel terribly awkward doing it myself. But there it is…if you can and you want to invest in my future, I have a donations page here.
Reblogs are also very helpful and appreciated.
Best wishes,
Renee
Mosquita y Mari is a coming of age story that focuses on a tender love between two young Chicanas that struggles to find its place in their lives and in today’s world. Yolanda and Mari are growing up in Huntington Park, Los Angeles and have only known loyalty to one thing: family. Growing up in immigrant households, both girls are expected to prioritize the well-being of their families. Yolanda, an only child, delivers straight A’s and the hope of the American Dream while Mari, the eldest, shares economic responsibilities with her undocumented mother who scrambles to make ends meet. When Mari moves in across the street from Yolanda, they maintain their usual life routine, until an incident at school thrusts them into a friendship and into unknown territory. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces. Lost in their private world of unspoken affection, lingering gazes, and heart-felt confessions of uncertain futures, Yolanda’s grades begin to slip while Mari’s focus drifts away from her duties at a new job. Mounting pressures at home collide with their new-found desires thus driving Yolanda and Mari’s relationship to the edge, forcing them to choose between their obligations to others and staying true to each other.
For more info: www.mosquitaymari.com
(via ancestryinprogress)
Reblogging this from when i had the chance to see Pariah at the New Director/New Films fest at the Lincoln Center earlier this year in March. please support this film if it happens to be playing in your city or a city near you!!!
TAKE ACTION!
Here’s what YOU can do:
1) BUY movie tickets opening week! Bring your friends & family to watch PARIAH or buy tickets for friends & family in NY, LA or San Francisco as a gift online: http://bit.ly/PARIAHtheaters
2) Share PARIAH on your Facebook wall! We’ll keep you updated with release news including cities and dates for PARIAH near you: http://facebook.com/PARIAHthemovie
3) Change your Facebook profile picture! You can use our PARIAH avatar above, just right click, save and upload.
4) Check-In on GetGlue! Tell others what you’re watching and earn PARIAH stickers: http://bit.ly/PARIAHgetglue
5) Share your PARIAH Fan Photo! When you see a PARIAH poster or postcard, take a picture of yourself and share it with our PARIAH community. You can tweet your pic using #PARIAHmovie, share it on our Facebook wall or e-mail your pic to: connect@pariahthemovie.com
FAN & FOLLOW Team #PARIAHmovie!
@NorthstarPics @AdeperoOduye @Pernell @KimWayans @AashaDavis @Shadowflack @NinaDaniels @NekisaCooper @milesmaker
I had the chance to see Pariah last Saturday for the New Director/New Films fest at the Lincoln Center. I had the chance to see the short film a few years ago and actually sit on a panel that funded the film over the years. So it was such a pleasure to be able to finally see the feature length version of the film.
THE BAR HAS BEEN RAISED.
In regards to Black independent filmmaking this film may have the chance to go down in history as one of the few features that actually stayed true to a high quality of writing and production value. It is a LOVELY film. A strong story that many can relate to. Not just Black lesbians. The characters that Dee Reese wrote are deeply complex and her direction gave the film such a tight and natural feel that is hard to come by these days. Kim Wayans has her first dramatic role in this film and she is absolutely amazing-i was shocked at how good she was! The cast in general contains many unknown but truly talented actors and actresses that will be sure to have a bright future i hope!
such a job well done! Please catch a screening if you can on the fest circuit. The filmmakers spoke of a late fall release, but in the meantime please spread the word! This film is SUCH a good look for Black cinema and has the chance to really reach an audience that may not even know of its existence. So we as a community must do our part and help get the word out!
and PLEASE don’t forget to support the independent queer artists of color that appear on the soundtrack by buying the Pariah album (available on iTunes!!)
reblog for the distro point even though some of the USA premiere screenings are past [but not all!]
this is a premiere theatre screening round. Coverage and turn out at this stage impacts on DVD sales and whether it’s included in all the regional and international film fests next summer. Bit of a distro domino effect. So you know, if you can see Pariah in a theatre - or include it in your reviews and promos, arts followers - pls. do!
via Mandrika Rupa : Film Maker and Community Worker
Naya Zamana -16mm blown up to 35mm, 1996. Written and directed by Mandrika Rupa
Narrative drama about a working class girl’s silent and sweet rebellion against cultural expectations, resulting in cross gender antics. It has played to over 25 festivals in Europe and the United States. Awards in Italy and Paris.
Each year, QUEER WOMEN OF COLOR MEDIA ARTS PROJECT offers 4 free Filmmaking Workshops through our award-winning Training Program. Our workshops serve teenagers to elders.
Jump to QWOCMAP FREE Video WORKSHOP FOR YOUTH 2012 Jump to QWOCMAP FREE VIDEO WORKSHOP 2012
To better serve our community, QWOCMAP has conducted Training Program workshops specifically for youth (ages 18 to 25), queer folks of color who are butch/genderqueer/transgender, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black/African descent, Chicanas/Latinas, and Native American/Indigenous/First Nations queer women. We also offered a workshop focused on queer immigration. We do this to deepen the dialogue and address issues specific to each community’s needs.
Intermediate workshops (and soon, advanced workshops) are available to participants who have completed a film through our QWOCMAP introductory workshop. Information regarding intermediate workshops will be announced through our filmmaker listserve and on this page when available. Please contact TRAINING@qwocmap.org with questions or inquiries.
(via etiquette-etc)
Assume Nothing: MilDred Gerestant (by kmacdonald1963)
Short film “Blending the female and male through MilDred” featuring artist MilDred Gerestant from the “Assume Nothing” Exhibition. This exhibition exploring alternative gender identity toured New Zealand Art Galleries and Museums for 18 months and features the photographs of Rebecca Swan and the films of documentary director Kirsty MacDonald.
For more information about the films please visit www.girl-on-a-bike-films.com
For more information about MilDred Gerestant, the artist formerly known as DRED
Progressive Humanitarian/Actress/Model Citizen/Healer/Activist/Haitian-American/Educator…please visit www.DredLove.com
I’m an Internet nerd. I search for all things queer, brown or art-related (and awesome) on the Internet and stalk them. It’s what I do. So, back when Pariah was just a short, I watched it online and was completely blown away. As a newly coming out queer, this story of identity hit home in…
(via etiquette-etc)
Speaking of youth involved in sex work, Mark Morrisroe images keep popping up on my dash without credit or context.
He was a a critically ignored contemporary of Nan Golden, David Armstrong, and Philip-Lorca diCorcia, he studied at the Museum School as well.
He left home at fifteen and started hustling, eventually getting shot by a date at the age of 17, living with a bullet lodged next to his spine until his passing due to AIDS complications in 1989.
His work his amazing, all of it shot with a Polaroid Land Camera or on Super 8 Film.
(via sexartandpolitics)
