Frameline, the San Francisco-based queer media arts foundation, has a long, proud history of delivering overlooked & under appreciated films.
In 2011, the LGBTQ media arts non-profit established Frameline Voices, a monthly spotlight program that highlights stories underrepresented by Hollywood and the mainstream media by making them free for viewing on the internet.
Recently, Frameline has chosen films in honor of Black History Month and #NoNameCallingWeek which chronicle some of the African-American queer experience–in addition to bullying.
These powerful short films help show the richness and diversity of the tapestry of queer culture, and underline the power of queer life in the human experience.
1. Passing
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Director: J. Mitchel Reed, Lucah Rosenberg-Lee
This short film follows the lives of three men of color undergoing gender confirmation from female to male, and explores life living as a black, stealth transgender man. From coming out to relationships to complicated gender identity, these men share their stories of finding themselves as part of the African-American community.
Passing is available until the end of February.
2. IMAGO
Director: Liz Cardenas Franke
Free only through the end of February 2018!
Based on a true story, a 15-year-old resolves to never get bullied again, even within their own family. In a chilling twist, the film uses the actual email written by a teen to his father which inspired the film.
Imago is available until the end of February.
3. Absence: No Fats, No Femmes, No Asians
Director: Celeste Chan
As the title implies Absence takes on the age old “no fats, no femmes, no Asians” stigma found too often on queer dating sites. It also examines how femme, Asian and fat queer people find ways to take pride in their bodies, and their identities.
Absence is streaming now.
4. The Infamous T
Director: Melissa Koch
One of the most harrowing documentaries to come out of Frameline, The Infamous T follows 18-year-old Jonathon, homeless and bullied, over the course of a year. Rescued from poverty and homelessness by the Avenues for Homeless Youth GLBT Host Home Program, Jonathon at last finds a home with queer parents and their 7-year-old daughter. But the spectre of his past life looms large over Jonathon’s life as he struggles with his new home and identity. Ultimately, The Infamous T affirms the power of love and friendship in a hostile world.
The Infamous T is streaming now.
Related: “Dead Boys Club,” and 9 classic, long lost queer films that can now finally be seen
5. Eddie
Director: Quentin Kruger
A young Latina girl must face questions over her gender identity after an embarrassing summer kickball game.
Eddie is streaming now.
6. Yellow Fever
Director: Raymond Yeung
A Chinese man living in London finds his world turned upside down when he falls for a neighbor, who also happens to be Chinese. A seemingly trite plot twist actually results in a deeper examination of internalized racism, inferiority complexes and the power of true affection.
Yellow Fever is streaming now.
Kangol
All of these look intriguing. It’s excellent that they’re all available now too.
Danny595
They totally look intriguing, if by intriguing you mean mind-numbingly boring.
Kangol
To you, girl, “boring” to you. If you can’t deal with them, Danny, no one’s holding a gun to your head telling you to watch them. Find something suitably butch and heteronormative and knock yourself out.
Milton
“girl”???!!!! hmmmm excuse me but If Danny does not have a vagina that’s gender appropriation, so hang your head in shame.
JaredMacBride
Fat people should not take pride in their bodies; they should become healthy.
Danny595
“It also examines how femme, Asian and fat queer people find ways to take pride in their bodies, and their identities.”
Stop equating being Asian with being obese or being effeminate.
gymmuscleboy
Yeah but then someone is bound to say “Stop separating obese and effeminate people like they don’t deserve to be in the same sentence as Asians”
How about just stop being so sensitive in the first place?
Milton
And if you say no octogenarians you are ageist and also a terrible human being
Milton
If a white gay man is only into other white gay men – he is racist
If a white gay man is only into black or Asian men he is fetishising them
If a black gay man is only into other black gay men then using the above argument he is racist also??
If a black gay man is only into white gay men then that is he Self loathing or is it fetishising???
If an uncut gay man is only into other uncut gay men does that make him anti Semitic or an islamophobe?
This whole attraction vs racism debate is over simplified – like it or not people of different races have different attributes, that some people either find attractive or they don’t.
for example most Asian men (not all) have a slim/slight build are are not hairy – if you find hairy bears attractive the odds are most Asian men are not going to get lead in your pencil. On that example as well big hairy bears are not what you would call your typical Western standard of beauty so how would those Western guys into bears be conditioned by the west’s “warped sense of beauty.”
At the end of the day not everyone is everyone else’s cup of tea and everyone needs to acknowledge that – we just need empathy when expressing our preferences and calling out an entire race is not showing empathy.