One of the hottest tickets all year, the annual Tribeca Film Festival unspools in New York April 18 to 29. And while films like The Five-Year Engagement and The Avengers are grabbing headlines, thereâs a number of flicks to tempt LGBT cinephilesâincluding queer docs, foreign films (like Yossi, above), features and shorts. Letâs take a look, shall we?
Click through for LGBT offerings from the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival
For details on gay film festivals around the world, visit the GayCities Film Festivals page. Photo: Suzanne Houchin
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Any Day Now
Dir. Travis Fine. Starring: Alan Cumming, Garret Dillahunt, Frances Fisher, Isaac Levya
Set in late-1970s L.A. and inspired by a true story, this buzzworthy drama from Fine (The Space Between) follows a gay couple (Cumming and Dillahunt) who adopt Marco, a neighborhood boy with Down Syndrome whoâs been abandoned by his drug-addict mom. But the new family is threatened when the authorities step in to take Marco away from the only stable environment he has only known.
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Hysteria
Dir. Tanya Wexler. Starring Hugh Dancy, Felicity Jones, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jonathan Pryce, Rupert Everett
Okay, yes, this adaptation of the acclaimed Broadway play, In The Next Roomâabout the invention of the vibrator in 1900s Englandâmight not seem gay on the face of it. But the comedic subversion of Victorian sexual moralityânot to mention the appearance of Everettâmakes it a queer flick indeed.
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Jack & Diane
Dir. Bradley Rust Gray. Starring Juno Temple, Riley Keough, Cara Seymour
This lesbian-werewolf loves story has gone through more transformations than, well, Transformers: Back when it was first announced in 2007, Ellen Page and Olivia Thirlby were attached. But now itâs 2012 and Keough (Runaways) and Temple (Dirty Girl) are playing tomboy Jack and bubbly Diane, whose young love is tested when Diane must leave for Europe. Keough has some major rock-star pedigree (sheâs Elvis Presleyâs granddaughter) but gay fans will be drooling over the super-sapphic cameo by pop diva Kylie Minogue.
Photo: Magnolia Pictures
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Keep the Lights On
Dir. Ira Sachs. Starring Zachary Booth, Thure Lindhardt.
We first reported on this tumultuous gay love story when it screened at Sundance back in January. Since then itâs gotten even more word-of-mouth acclaim and took the Teddy Award at the prestigious Berlin Film Festival. Based on director Ira Sachâs real-world relationship with literary agent/memoirst Bill Clegg, the film follows a ten-year on-again/off-again affair between two gay men in New York City.
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Mansome
Dir. Morgan Spurlock
Super Size Me helmer Spurlock does a lot more than stuff his face with Big Macs. In his latest documentary, he explores the new style-conscious man, evidenced in the rise in manscaping, murses, and other telltale signs of metrosexuality. If thatâs not appealing enough for you, how about candid commentary from Hollywood cuties like Paul Rudd, Will Arnett and Jason Bateman?
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The Procession (Short)
Dir. Robert Festinger. Starring Lily Tomlin, Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Out actors Tomlin and Ferguson co-star in this comedic short about family and lifeâs strange turns, set around, of all things, a funeral procession. Itâs the first directorial effortâand a significant change of paceâfor Oscar-nominated screenwriter Festiger (In the Bedroom).
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Stitches (Short)
Dir. Adiya Imri Orr. Starring Riki Blicj, Shira Katznlanbogen, Itzik Golan
In this short film from Israeli, girlfriends Amit and Noa are certain they want a babyâbut soon enough women realize they donât have a clue about how to take care of a child.
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Struck by Lightning
Dir. Brian Dannelly. Starring Chris Colfer, Alison Janney, Sarah Hyland, Christina Hendricks
Not many young gay actors could get their first screenplay turned into a film starring Janney and Hendricks, but most arenât Gleeâs Chris Colfer, who wrote and stars in Lightning as a high-school journalist recalling the last weeks of his life before getting hit by a bolt from the blue. If you like fast-paced, charming comedies set in conformity-loving high schools, you should enjoy this new effort from out director Brian Dannelly (Saved!).
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Yossi
Dir. Eytan Fox. Ohad Knoller, Lior Ashkenazi, Oz Zehavi, Orly Silbersatz Banai, Ola Schur
Almost a decade after garnering praise with the closeted-military romance Yossi & Jagger, Israeli filmmaker Eytan Fox (Walk on Water) returns with this sequel, which sees Yossi (Knoller) as a still-closeted doctor whose emotionally empty life is changed forever on a spontaneous road trip.
Photo: Guy Raz
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Lefty
I had no idea a sequel to Yossi and Jagger was being made!
Not sure how I feel about that – it’s one of the best films ever. Part of me doesn’t want to know what happened to Yossi afterwards. :'(
I’m looking forward to seeing it, though.
The Chris Colfer film looks much better than I expected before watching the trailer.
Hope it does well.
I really, really want to see Keep the Lights On.
And Hysteria may not not strictly be a gay film, but anything with HUGH DANCY in is worth watching! đ
Adam
So excited for Chris Colfer’s film!
Also, Hysteria isn’t an adaptation of In The Next Room, but I believe they were both inspired by the same Anne Fausto Sterling book.
IzzyLuna
This is a horrible clip to try and sell the movie. It’s so boring and the competition of words makes my eyes roll. Next.
IzzyLuna
by the way…I was talking about the clip for Mansome.
Wha'ever
Oh my god, I can’t wait for Yossi !! I loved Yossi and Jagger, and The Bubble even more. I just love this actor and this director’s work together.
Interesting
Is it me, or are gay films starting to improve in quality?