'Moonlight' Explor Often Unseen Gay, Black Male Experience

Contents:

• MOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALEMOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALE
• ‘MOONLIGHT' IS NOT JT ANOTHER BLACK GAY MOVIE
• 'MOONLIGHT' EXPLOR OFTEN UNSEEN GAY, BLACK MALE EXPERIENCE
• MOONLIGHT REVIEW – VASTATG DRAMA IS VAL PORTRA OF BLACK GAY MASCULY AMERI
• IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI
• EVEN A POST-MOONLIGHT WORLD, IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A GAY MOVIE MAAS PRI MONTH DRAWS TO A CLOSE, SIX LGBTQ DIRECTORS REFLECT ON THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATNS OF GETTG THEIR WORK THROUGH THE SYSTEM.BY NICK ROMANOJUNE 27, 2017CLOCKWISE OM LEFT, JT KELLY'S I AM MICHAEL, 2015, ELIZA HTMAN'S BEACH RATS, 2017, ANDREW AHN'S SPA NIGHT, 2016, JAMIE BABB'S BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, 2000, IRA SACHS' LOVE IS STRANGE, 2014, SYDNEY FREELAND'S DNKTOWN’S FT, 2014.CLOCKWISE OM LEFT, OM EVERETT COLLECTN, URTY OF SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, OM STRAND RELEASG/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM LNS GATE/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM SONY PICTUR/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM TOY GUN FILMS.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEHOLLYWOOD IS HAVG AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT”—A PHRASE ADVERTENTLY ED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON THIS WTER AND OVERBLOWN BY MEDIA ATTENTN. RECENT FILMS LIKE BETY AND THE BEAST AND POWER RANGERS HAVE “BROKEN GROUND” OR “MA HISTORY”—ACRDG TO THE HEADL, ANYWAY—AS MAJOR HOLLYWOOD RELEAS FEATURG OPENLY QUEER CHARACTERS. UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR “G OUT” SCEN HAVE MOSTLY BEEN LOST TRANSLATN.“I WATCHED ALIEN: COVENANT AND THERE’S A GAY UPLE , AND I HAD NO IA,” SPA NIGHT DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TELLS VANY FAIR, LGHG. “AND I LOOK FOR GAY SH ALL THE TIME. I N’T BELIEVE I MISSED .”GLAAD’S FIFTH ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD REPORT RD NFIRMS THAT THE GAY MUNY IS STILL DRAMATILLY UNRREPRENTED MASTREAM MOVI: JT 23 OF THE 125 FILMS RELEASED BY STUDS 2016 FEATURED LGBTQ CHARACTERS, AND 10 OF THE 23 GAVE THEM LS THAN A MUTE OF SCREEN TIME. THE DIE REALM HAS BEE OUR PRIMARY SOURCE FOR MORE DIVERSY ON SCREEN. IT’S WHAT MA POSSIBLE FOR MOONLIGHT—A FILM ABOUT A QUEER PERSON OF LOR—TO W BT PICTURE AT THE OSRS. YET THAT SPACE WH S OWN PLITNS, AS MOONLIGHT DIRECTOR BARRY JENKS HAS DISCSED AT LENGTH.FOR SOMEONE LIKE LOVE IS STRANGE DIRECTOR IRA SACHS, WHO’S BEEN THE BS FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, N FEEL “NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE” TO MAKE LGBTQ FILMS. “I’M ENURAGED BY ANYONE WHO MANAG TO MAKE A FILM WH LGBTQ NTENT THAT FURTHERS THE VISIBILY,” HE SAYS OF MOVI LIKE MOONLIGHT AND THIS YEAR’S CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHICH IS ALREADY GENERATG AWARDS BUZZ. “I NEED THE VISIBILY AS MUCH AS ANYONE WHO’S STARTG OR BEGNG, AND AS MUCH AS THE DIENCE. IT’S A REMR THAT ’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, THAT I’M WRONG TO SOME EXTENT.”JAMIE BABB, WHO PUT HERSELF ON THE MAP 1999 WH BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, THOUGHT THE DTRY WOULD CHANGE WHEN BROKEBACK MOUNTA ME OUT 2005—BUT SHE TOO STILL NS TO THE SAME ROADBLOCKS THAT PERSISTED THE 90S. “IT’S SAD THAT THE HOLLYWOOD RPORATE MACHE, WHICH IS VERY MUCH QUEER AS FAR GLBT WORKG THE DTRY . . . ARE STILL TIMIDATED BY THE BOTTOM LE AND WORRIED THAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO WATCH QUEER STORI WHEN THAT LSON HAS BEEN, I THOUGHT, LEARNED TIME AND TIME AGA.”LGBT MOVI ARE STILL TOO OFTEN PIGEONHOLED AS “NICHE” ENTERTAMENT. JT KELLY HAD A “HEO REALIZATN” TO THAT EFFECT DURG THE FIRST FANCG MEETGS FOR HIS 2015 FILM I AM MICHAEL, STARRG JAM FRAN AS A GAY MAN WHO BE AN ANTI-GAY CHRISTIAN PASTOR. COMPANI WOULD SAY, “WE JT DID A GAY FILM LAST YEAR AND DIDN’T DO WELL.” HE RELLS THKG, “WOULD SOMEONE SAY WE DID A STRAIGHT FILM LAST YEAR AND DIDN’T DO WELL?”ELIZA HTMAN, APPROACHG THE GENRE AS A HETEROSEXUAL FILMMAKER, WAS UGHT OFF GUARD WH THE REACTN TO HER 2017 SUNDANCE SELECTN BEACH RATS. SHE EXPLORED “ADOLCENT FEMALE OBSSNS” WH HER FEATURE BUT, IT FELT LIKE LOVE—BUT WHEN SHE TOOK A MORE MASCULE APPROACH TO THE SAME NCEPT, WAS DISMISSED BY STG DIRECTORS AS THE ONE “WH ALL THE GAY SEX.”“IT WAS A LTLE NCERNG THAT THAT WAS WHAT PEOPLE WERE REACTG TO,” SHE SAYS, “BEE I THOUGHT THE FILM HAD A LOT MORE PTH THAN THAT. BUT I THK PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE PROTECTIVE OF YOUNG TALENT, AND I THK THAT THERE ARE STILL STIGMAS AROUND WHAT KD OF ROL PEOPLE SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T PLAY.” BRISH ACTOR HARRIS DICKSON, WHO STARS BEACH RATS, HAD TO ASK HIS REPRENTATN TO BACK DOWN WHEN THEY “PHED BACK VERY HARD AGAST THE NUDY AND THE NTENT” OF THE STORY. HTMAN UNRSTANDS THEIR RPONSE TO SOME EXTENT—’S “THEIR JOB [TO] PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS”—BUT SHE ALSO BELIEV “THERE’S STILL A LOT OF TABOOS AROUND MALE NUDY AND MALE SEXUALY THAT EXIST FILM.”AS A TRANS NATIVE AMERIN WOMAN, SYDNEY FREELAND WAS TOLD THAT HER 2014 FEATURE DNKTOWN’S FT WAS A “NICHE OF A NICHE.” SHE LOOSELY BASED THE NCEPT ON HER OWN EXPERIENCE LIVG ON A NAVAJO RERVATN NEW MEXI, BUT MANY FANCIERS CLAIMED “THERE ISN’T A MARKET FOR THIS, PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS, PEOPLE AREN’T TERTED THIS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.” AHN, ONE OF THE MOST LD BREAKOUTS OF 2016’S SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, FACED SIAR REMARKS, WHICH SENT HIM TO KICKSTARTER FOR HIS DIRECTORIAL BUT ABOUT A CLOSETED MAN A SMALL KOREAN-AMERIN MUNY. “WE ULDN’T EVEN GET THE MONEY TO GO THROUGH PREPRODUCTN,” HE SAYS.AND THOUGH TV GENERALLY HAS A REPUTATN FOR BEG RISKIER AND MORE CREATOR-IENDLY THAN FILM, BABB—WHO HELMED EPISOS OF THE L WORD AND LOOKG, AMONG A LENGTHY LIST OF SHOWS—BELIEV TELEVISN IS ALSO GOG BACKWARDS. “I LOVE TRANSPARENT AND THAT’S A GREAT SHOW WH QUEER CHARACTERS, FOR SURE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE 10 OF THEM NOW,” SHE SAYS.BABB HAS TRIED TO GET THREE DIFFERENT QUEER-ORIENTED SERI OFF THE GROUND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. “I’M GETTG THE TOP MEETGS WH THE HEAD OF SHOWTIME, THE HEAD OF NETFLIX, THE HEAD OF HBO,” SHE SAYS. BUT A GREEN LIGHT REMAS ELIVE. THE CLOST SHE ME WAS WH AN ADAPTATN OF INGRID JUNGERMANN’S WEB SERI F TO 7TH, A CURB YOUR ENTHIASM-STYLE LBIAN EDY THAT “TALKS ABOUT QUEER CULTURE OM THE SI AND MAK FUN OF .” SHOWTIME ORRED A SCRIPT, BUT SHE SAYS THE PROJECT NEVER MOVED FORWARD. THE GENERAL RPONSE, SHE SAYS, WAS, “OH, IF ’S A LBIAN SHOW, IS THERE GONNA BE A LOT OF HOT SEX? IT’S SUCH A NICHE.”MOONLIGHT GROSSED $65 LN WORLDWI ON A $1.5 LN PRODUCTN BUDGET, BUT THE NSENS STILL SEEMS TO BE THAT FANCIERS DON’T SEE AN DIENCE FOR THE FILMS BEYOND THE LGBTQ MUNY. WHEN THEY DON’T SEE AN DIENCE, THEY DON’T SEE A PROF. WHEN ASKED TO SCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT STAGE OF FILM VELOPMENT, SACHS DON’T NEED TO MULL HIS ANSWER. “CAPAL,” HE SAYS. “VERY SIMPLY, PALISM MAK THE CREATN OF WORK FOR MARGALIZED MUNI DIFFICULT.”AND PAL IS WHY HOLLYWOOD, SPE THE PRENCE OF LGBTQ EXECUTIV, STILL LARGELY NSIRS THE VISIBILY OF THE CHARACTERS TO BE A RISK. TAKE BETY AND THE BEAST, FOR EXAMPLE. OUT OF S $1.25 BILLN GROSS, $85.8 LN ME OM CHA, $37.5 LN ME OM SOUTH KOREA, AND $14.6 LN ME OM RSIA—TERRORI WH CENSORSHIP LAWS THAT N TARGET LGBTQ NTENT. “THE TRAGEDY IS THAT THIS MOMENT WHERE WE THK WE’RE MAKG PROGRS, WHICH WE HAVE DOMTILLY, THERE IS AN ERASURE UNTRI LIKE, LET’S START WH RSIA,” SACHS EXPLAS. “I ED TO GO TO THE GAY FTIVALS THERE, AND THE LAST TIME I SENT MY FILMS THERE THE FTIVALS HAD BOMB SR TWO OR THREE TIM—AND THAT’S ONE STAGE.”KELLY LLS “A B SANE” WHEN HE’S TOLD BEFORE EVEN SHOOTG A QUEER-LEANG FILM THAT “ WILL FOR SURE NOT SELL THE 40 MARKETS,” BUT HE’S ALSO NOT NVCED HOMOPHOBIA IS THE SOLE TERRENT. HE ALSO C THE “TRAGIC STATE OF THE DIE FILM WORLD”—AND HE’S RIGHT, TO SOME EXTENT. THE MARKET HAS CHANGED SCE THE EARLY 2000S, WHEN STUDS BEGAN PHG THE STORI TO SPECIALTY DIVISNS LIKE FOC FEATUR AND FOX SEARCHLIGHT—AND GIVG THEM SMALLER BUDGETS. “I’M TRYG TO BE REALISTIC STEAD OF JT PLAG THAT ’S HARR TO GET GAY FILMS MA,” KELLY SAYS, “EVEN THOUGH IS, AND EVEN THOUGH ANNOYS ME EVERY DAY.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDADDG TO THE HEADACHE OF FANCG AND DISTRIBUTN IS MARKETG. “THERE IS A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO FD [LGBTQ FILMS] WHO HAVE THE APPETE TO FD , BUT YOU’RE NOT GONNA GET THE MARKETG PH THAT ALL THE STUD MOVI GET BEE ’S SUCH BIG BS NOW,” BABB SAYS. FILMS LIKE MOONLIGHT, THE IMATN GAME, AND CAROL DID GET WI PROMOTN, BUT THEY WERE ALSO AWARDS SEASON NTENRS. FOR SMALLER RELEAS, “Y, YOU N GET DISTRIBUTN ON NETFLIX OR AMAZON OR SUNDANCE SELECTS, IFC, WHATEVER—BUT YOU’RE NOT GONNA GET ANY MARKETG BEHD ,” BABB EXPLAS.AND THAT’S ASSUMG A FILM IS ACTUALLY SCREENED THEATERS—BEE AS AHN LEARNED WH SPA NIGHT, “ONCE YOU GET A DISTRIBUTOR, ’S NOT LIKE YOU’RE GUARANTEED TO PLAY THEATERS. THE THEATERS THEMSELV HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT TO SCREEN, AND I HAD NO IA THAT’S HOW WORKED.”THE HOME TURF WAR NTU WH THE MPAA. LOVE IS STRANGE REIGNED QUTNS OF HOMOPHOBIA WHEN THE FILM, STARRG JOHN LHGOW AND ALED MOLA, WAS BRAND WH AN R-RATG FOR STRONG LANGUAGE. “THAT FILM ULDN'T BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A YOUNG DIENCE,” SACHS SAYS. THE R-RATG FOR 2014’S PRI, THE STORY OF GAY ACTIVISTS TEAMG UP WH STRIKG MERS 1984 WAL, CED A SIAR NTROVERSY, AND HARVEY WESTE VERY PUBLICLY NTTED THE RATG (AND WON) FOR THIS YEAR’S 3 GENERATNS, ABOUT A TRANS TEENAGER.“I’D FD IENDS OF ME WH 15-YEAR-OLD KIDS NOT TAKG THEM TO THE MOVIE [BEE] THEY ASSUMED THE NTENT WOULD SOMEHOW BE DISPTIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN BEE OF THE R-RATG,” SACHS RELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCE, “WHICH WAS JT KD OF TRAGIC ON SOME LEVEL.” THE DIRECTOR OBJECTS TO THE WAY THE RATGS BOARD OPERAT: “LERALLY, THE MEMBERS OF THE MPAA HAD TO BE MARRIED PEOPLE TO REPRENT A KD OF FAY VALUE,” HE SAYS, REFERRG TO A POT MA KIRBY DICK’S 2006 DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MPAA, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED. “THIS IS DISGTG.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDIT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO FD SUPPORT FOR QUEER STORI THE DTRY. AHN, FOR ONE, POTS TO MARC HU, AN OPENLY GAY EXECUTIVE AT STRAND RELEASG WHO ADVOTED FOR HIS FILM. BUT IF NOT FOR SACHS’S “ALTERNATE UNIVERSE” OF DIVIDUALS HE ULD RELY UPON OUTSI THE TRADNAL FILMMAKG SPHERE, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE LOVE IS STRANGE. IN FACT, ALL OF THE DIRECTORS FOUND HOPE BY BUILDG THEIR OWN WORLDS AND FDG THEIR OWN DIENC. AHN, FREELAND, AND HTMAN WERE SUPPORTED THROUGH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS LIKE THE SUNDANCE LABS AND CEREACH, WHILE KELLY FED HIS OWN PATH WH THE BLSG OF G VAN SANT, WH WHOM HE WORKED ON 2008’S MILK. HE’S TEAMG UP WH JAM FRAN ONCE MORE FOR A BPIC OF J.T. LEROY.AS A MEMBER OF QUEER ART, A NON-PROF SUPPORTG LGBTQ VOIC FILM, VISUAL ARTS, PERFORMANCE, AND LERATURE, SACHS IS TRYG TO CREATE THIS SORT OF UNIVERSE ON A SYSTEMATIC LEVEL. “I THK WHAT IS IMPORTANT—AND IS STILL POSSIBLE—IS THAT ARTISTS TAKE RISKS, AND THOSE RISKS ARE BOTH PERSONAL AND FANCIAL. AND TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE RISKS IS WHAT HAS CREATED A HISTORY OF QUEER CEMA,” HE SAYS.“I DON’T THK ’S GOG TO BE THE MASTREAM THAT’S GOG TO DO THE WORK,” AHN NOT OF LGBTQ REPRENTATN. “I THK ’S MORE A GRASSROOTS-Y THG, AND JT HAS TO KEEP BUILDG AND BUILDG.” WHEN TO SEEG REAL CHANGE MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD, HE PREDICTS, “I THK THERE HAS TO BE A UPLE MORE MOONLIGHTS.”13 DAZZLG ACTORS WHO MA THEIR MOVIE DEBUTS 20161 / 13CHEVRONCHEVRONCOURTY OF A24.ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, THE WCHWH ONLY AN UNCREDED APPEARANCE VAMPIRE AMY ON HER LIST OF FILM APPEARANC, ANYA TAYLOR-JOY MA AN ENTRANCG MAJOR BUT THE SPELLBDG HORROR FILM THE WCH.NICK ROMANO

MOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALEMOONLIGHT IS A BETIFULLY NUANCED GAY G-OF-AGE TALE

Like Carol and Brokeback Mounta before , Moonlight nveys the pa of the ntug social stigma around homosexualy, the search for eedom and love, and the nstant stggle to munite and drop personal barriers. Moonlight rembl Brokeback Mounta and Carol s lh stagg, tensely ternal performanc, and treatment of the gay experience a very specific i. When to films about sexualy, Black gay men have had our share of low budget movi wh medcre actg and stereotypil storyl.

McCraney, a Black gay man, often challeng genr and sexualy his work, and the movie he saw much of himself.

‘MOONLIGHT' IS NOT JT ANOTHER BLACK GAY MOVIE

It’s hard to ll the ma character the film gay bee he never intified as such; however, most of his timate nnectns the movie were between him and another man. And that do not make a gay or “sissy.

'MOONLIGHT' EXPLOR OFTEN UNSEEN GAY, BLACK MALE EXPERIENCE

For this reason, Moonlight unrsr the experienc many lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) youth face when creatg their own fay and support system. Hell, even I remember as a young Black gay man beg ncerned about the negative rpons to my sexualy om my fay and close iends. Often tim when we are troduced to Black gay characters, often volv a bleak story about eher beg HIV-posive, sexually asslted by fay members, or the “down low” boogieman cheatg on his wife.

It’s important to realize we have to go beyond the narrativ when talkg about “g of age” movi, and regnize Black gay men have a history of rilience and overg challeng.

MOONLIGHT REVIEW – VASTATG DRAMA IS VAL PORTRA OF BLACK GAY MASCULY AMERI

Black gay men are much more than sexual beasts and dysfunctnal dividuals. Black gay men serve the space to be human- on and off screen.

This film is not jt another Black gay movie, is lorful, creative, and reflective—and well worth your time. '"It's almost taboo to be a black Amerin man who is homosexual, or a black man who is homosexual bee growg up you're told that you have to be that much more imposg, that much bigger, that much better...

"It's kd of oxymoronic to be homosexual and have those same attribut.

IN 'MOONLIGHT,' GROWG UP BLACK, GAY AND POOR IN 1980S MIAMI

""It has universal them about humany, about our universal search for love and also 's reprentg the gay muny a way that I don't thk they generally are reprented, " the actrs said. Janelle Monae, who plays a surrogate mother figure to Chiron, said she hoped movie-go would "feel more empathetic towards the black, poor gay male experience and that we ntue not to ostracize those who are different om .

"Moonlight" follows s ma character, Chiron, throughout three stag of his life, as he to terms wh his sexualy as a Black gay man and fac hardships livg wh his abive dg addict mother, Pla (Naomie Harris). He is gay.

EVEN A POST-MOONLIGHT WORLD, IT’S NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A GAY MOVIE MAAS PRI MONTH DRAWS TO A CLOSE, SIX LGBTQ DIRECTORS REFLECT ON THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATNS OF GETTG THEIR WORK THROUGH THE SYSTEM.BY NICK ROMANOJUNE 27, 2017CLOCKWISE OM LEFT, JT KELLY'S I AM MICHAEL, 2015, ELIZA HTMAN'S BEACH RATS, 2017, ANDREW AHN'S SPA NIGHT, 2016, JAMIE BABB'S BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, 2000, IRA SACHS' LOVE IS STRANGE, 2014, SYDNEY FREELAND'S DNKTOWN’S FT, 2014.CLOCKWISE OM LEFT, OM EVERETT COLLECTN, URTY OF SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, OM STRAND RELEASG/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM LNS GATE/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM SONY PICTUR/EVERETT COLLECTN, OM TOY GUN FILMS.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEHOLLYWOOD IS HAVG AN “EXCLIVELY GAY MOMENT”—A PHRASE ADVERTENTLY ED BY DIRECTOR BILL CONDON THIS WTER AND OVERBLOWN BY MEDIA ATTENTN. RECENT FILMS LIKE BETY AND THE BEAST AND POWER RANGERS HAVE “BROKEN GROUND” OR “MA HISTORY”—ACRDG TO THE HEADL, ANYWAY—AS MAJOR HOLLYWOOD RELEAS FEATURG OPENLY QUEER CHARACTERS. UNFORTUNATELY, THEIR “G OUT” SCEN HAVE MOSTLY BEEN LOST TRANSLATN.“I WATCHED ALIEN: COVENANT AND THERE’S A GAY UPLE , AND I HAD NO IA,” SPA NIGHT DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN TELLS VANY FAIR, LGHG. “AND I LOOK FOR GAY SH ALL THE TIME. I N’T BELIEVE I MISSED .”GLAAD’S FIFTH ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD REPORT RD NFIRMS THAT THE GAY MUNY IS STILL DRAMATILLY UNRREPRENTED MASTREAM MOVI: JT 23 OF THE 125 FILMS RELEASED BY STUDS 2016 FEATURED LGBTQ CHARACTERS, AND 10 OF THE 23 GAVE THEM LS THAN A MUTE OF SCREEN TIME. THE DIE REALM HAS BEE OUR PRIMARY SOURCE FOR MORE DIVERSY ON SCREEN. IT’S WHAT MA POSSIBLE FOR MOONLIGHT—A FILM ABOUT A QUEER PERSON OF LOR—TO W BT PICTURE AT THE OSRS. YET THAT SPACE WH S OWN PLITNS, AS MOONLIGHT DIRECTOR BARRY JENKS HAS DISCSED AT LENGTH.FOR SOMEONE LIKE LOVE IS STRANGE DIRECTOR IRA SACHS, WHO’S BEEN THE BS FOR MORE THAN 25 YEARS, N FEEL “NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE” TO MAKE LGBTQ FILMS. “I’M ENURAGED BY ANYONE WHO MANAG TO MAKE A FILM WH LGBTQ NTENT THAT FURTHERS THE VISIBILY,” HE SAYS OF MOVI LIKE MOONLIGHT AND THIS YEAR’S CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, WHICH IS ALREADY GENERATG AWARDS BUZZ. “I NEED THE VISIBILY AS MUCH AS ANYONE WHO’S STARTG OR BEGNG, AND AS MUCH AS THE DIENCE. IT’S A REMR THAT ’S NOT IMPOSSIBLE, THAT I’M WRONG TO SOME EXTENT.”JAMIE BABB, WHO PUT HERSELF ON THE MAP 1999 WH BUT I’M A CHEERLEAR, THOUGHT THE DTRY WOULD CHANGE WHEN BROKEBACK MOUNTA ME OUT 2005—BUT SHE TOO STILL NS TO THE SAME ROADBLOCKS THAT PERSISTED THE 90S. “IT’S SAD THAT THE HOLLYWOOD RPORATE MACHE, WHICH IS VERY MUCH QUEER AS FAR GLBT WORKG THE DTRY . . . ARE STILL TIMIDATED BY THE BOTTOM LE AND WORRIED THAT PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO WATCH QUEER STORI WHEN THAT LSON HAS BEEN, I THOUGHT, LEARNED TIME AND TIME AGA.”LGBT MOVI ARE STILL TOO OFTEN PIGEONHOLED AS “NICHE” ENTERTAMENT. JT KELLY HAD A “HEO REALIZATN” TO THAT EFFECT DURG THE FIRST FANCG MEETGS FOR HIS 2015 FILM I AM MICHAEL, STARRG JAM FRAN AS A GAY MAN WHO BE AN ANTI-GAY CHRISTIAN PASTOR. COMPANI WOULD SAY, “WE JT DID A GAY FILM LAST YEAR AND DIDN’T DO WELL.” HE RELLS THKG, “WOULD SOMEONE SAY WE DID A STRAIGHT FILM LAST YEAR AND DIDN’T DO WELL?”ELIZA HTMAN, APPROACHG THE GENRE AS A HETEROSEXUAL FILMMAKER, WAS UGHT OFF GUARD WH THE REACTN TO HER 2017 SUNDANCE SELECTN BEACH RATS. SHE EXPLORED “ADOLCENT FEMALE OBSSNS” WH HER FEATURE BUT, IT FELT LIKE LOVE—BUT WHEN SHE TOOK A MORE MASCULE APPROACH TO THE SAME NCEPT, WAS DISMISSED BY STG DIRECTORS AS THE ONE “WH ALL THE GAY SEX.”“IT WAS A LTLE NCERNG THAT THAT WAS WHAT PEOPLE WERE REACTG TO,” SHE SAYS, “BEE I THOUGHT THE FILM HAD A LOT MORE PTH THAN THAT. BUT I THK PEOPLE ARE A LOT MORE PROTECTIVE OF YOUNG TALENT, AND I THK THAT THERE ARE STILL STIGMAS AROUND WHAT KD OF ROL PEOPLE SHOULD AND SHOULDN’T PLAY.” BRISH ACTOR HARRIS DICKSON, WHO STARS BEACH RATS, HAD TO ASK HIS REPRENTATN TO BACK DOWN WHEN THEY “PHED BACK VERY HARD AGAST THE NUDY AND THE NTENT” OF THE STORY. HTMAN UNRSTANDS THEIR RPONSE TO SOME EXTENT—’S “THEIR JOB [TO] PROTECT THEIR CLIENTS”—BUT SHE ALSO BELIEV “THERE’S STILL A LOT OF TABOOS AROUND MALE NUDY AND MALE SEXUALY THAT EXIST FILM.”AS A TRANS NATIVE AMERIN WOMAN, SYDNEY FREELAND WAS TOLD THAT HER 2014 FEATURE DNKTOWN’S FT WAS A “NICHE OF A NICHE.” SHE LOOSELY BASED THE NCEPT ON HER OWN EXPERIENCE LIVG ON A NAVAJO RERVATN NEW MEXI, BUT MANY FANCIERS CLAIMED “THERE ISN’T A MARKET FOR THIS, PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SEE THIS, PEOPLE AREN’T TERTED THIS, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.” AHN, ONE OF THE MOST LD BREAKOUTS OF 2016’S SUNDANCE FILM FTIVAL, FACED SIAR REMARKS, WHICH SENT HIM TO KICKSTARTER FOR HIS DIRECTORIAL BUT ABOUT A CLOSETED MAN A SMALL KOREAN-AMERIN MUNY. “WE ULDN’T EVEN GET THE MONEY TO GO THROUGH PREPRODUCTN,” HE SAYS.AND THOUGH TV GENERALLY HAS A REPUTATN FOR BEG RISKIER AND MORE CREATOR-IENDLY THAN FILM, BABB—WHO HELMED EPISOS OF THE L WORD AND LOOKG, AMONG A LENGTHY LIST OF SHOWS—BELIEV TELEVISN IS ALSO GOG BACKWARDS. “I LOVE TRANSPARENT AND THAT’S A GREAT SHOW WH QUEER CHARACTERS, FOR SURE, BUT THERE SHOULD BE 10 OF THEM NOW,” SHE SAYS.BABB HAS TRIED TO GET THREE DIFFERENT QUEER-ORIENTED SERI OFF THE GROUND OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS. “I’M GETTG THE TOP MEETGS WH THE HEAD OF SHOWTIME, THE HEAD OF NETFLIX, THE HEAD OF HBO,” SHE SAYS. BUT A GREEN LIGHT REMAS ELIVE. THE CLOST SHE ME WAS WH AN ADAPTATN OF INGRID JUNGERMANN’S WEB SERI F TO 7TH, A CURB YOUR ENTHIASM-STYLE LBIAN EDY THAT “TALKS ABOUT QUEER CULTURE OM THE SI AND MAK FUN OF .” SHOWTIME ORRED A SCRIPT, BUT SHE SAYS THE PROJECT NEVER MOVED FORWARD. THE GENERAL RPONSE, SHE SAYS, WAS, “OH, IF ’S A LBIAN SHOW, IS THERE GONNA BE A LOT OF HOT SEX? IT’S SUCH A NICHE.”MOONLIGHT GROSSED $65 LN WORLDWI ON A $1.5 LN PRODUCTN BUDGET, BUT THE NSENS STILL SEEMS TO BE THAT FANCIERS DON’T SEE AN DIENCE FOR THE FILMS BEYOND THE LGBTQ MUNY. WHEN THEY DON’T SEE AN DIENCE, THEY DON’T SEE A PROF. WHEN ASKED TO SCRIBE THE MOST DIFFICULT STAGE OF FILM VELOPMENT, SACHS DON’T NEED TO MULL HIS ANSWER. “CAPAL,” HE SAYS. “VERY SIMPLY, PALISM MAK THE CREATN OF WORK FOR MARGALIZED MUNI DIFFICULT.”AND PAL IS WHY HOLLYWOOD, SPE THE PRENCE OF LGBTQ EXECUTIV, STILL LARGELY NSIRS THE VISIBILY OF THE CHARACTERS TO BE A RISK. TAKE BETY AND THE BEAST, FOR EXAMPLE. OUT OF S $1.25 BILLN GROSS, $85.8 LN ME OM CHA, $37.5 LN ME OM SOUTH KOREA, AND $14.6 LN ME OM RSIA—TERRORI WH CENSORSHIP LAWS THAT N TARGET LGBTQ NTENT. “THE TRAGEDY IS THAT THIS MOMENT WHERE WE THK WE’RE MAKG PROGRS, WHICH WE HAVE DOMTILLY, THERE IS AN ERASURE UNTRI LIKE, LET’S START WH RSIA,” SACHS EXPLAS. “I ED TO GO TO THE GAY FTIVALS THERE, AND THE LAST TIME I SENT MY FILMS THERE THE FTIVALS HAD BOMB SR TWO OR THREE TIM—AND THAT’S ONE STAGE.”KELLY LLS “A B SANE” WHEN HE’S TOLD BEFORE EVEN SHOOTG A QUEER-LEANG FILM THAT “ WILL FOR SURE NOT SELL THE 40 MARKETS,” BUT HE’S ALSO NOT NVCED HOMOPHOBIA IS THE SOLE TERRENT. HE ALSO C THE “TRAGIC STATE OF THE DIE FILM WORLD”—AND HE’S RIGHT, TO SOME EXTENT. THE MARKET HAS CHANGED SCE THE EARLY 2000S, WHEN STUDS BEGAN PHG THE STORI TO SPECIALTY DIVISNS LIKE FOC FEATUR AND FOX SEARCHLIGHT—AND GIVG THEM SMALLER BUDGETS. “I’M TRYG TO BE REALISTIC STEAD OF JT PLAG THAT ’S HARR TO GET GAY FILMS MA,” KELLY SAYS, “EVEN THOUGH IS, AND EVEN THOUGH ANNOYS ME EVERY DAY.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDADDG TO THE HEADACHE OF FANCG AND DISTRIBUTN IS MARKETG. “THERE IS A WAY FOR PEOPLE TO FD [LGBTQ FILMS] WHO HAVE THE APPETE TO FD , BUT YOU’RE NOT GONNA GET THE MARKETG PH THAT ALL THE STUD MOVI GET BEE ’S SUCH BIG BS NOW,” BABB SAYS. FILMS LIKE MOONLIGHT, THE IMATN GAME, AND CAROL DID GET WI PROMOTN, BUT THEY WERE ALSO AWARDS SEASON NTENRS. FOR SMALLER RELEAS, “Y, YOU N GET DISTRIBUTN ON NETFLIX OR AMAZON OR SUNDANCE SELECTS, IFC, WHATEVER—BUT YOU’RE NOT GONNA GET ANY MARKETG BEHD ,” BABB EXPLAS.AND THAT’S ASSUMG A FILM IS ACTUALLY SCREENED THEATERS—BEE AS AHN LEARNED WH SPA NIGHT, “ONCE YOU GET A DISTRIBUTOR, ’S NOT LIKE YOU’RE GUARANTEED TO PLAY THEATERS. THE THEATERS THEMSELV HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY WANT TO SCREEN, AND I HAD NO IA THAT’S HOW WORKED.”THE HOME TURF WAR NTU WH THE MPAA. LOVE IS STRANGE REIGNED QUTNS OF HOMOPHOBIA WHEN THE FILM, STARRG JOHN LHGOW AND ALED MOLA, WAS BRAND WH AN R-RATG FOR STRONG LANGUAGE. “THAT FILM ULDN'T BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A YOUNG DIENCE,” SACHS SAYS. THE R-RATG FOR 2014’S PRI, THE STORY OF GAY ACTIVISTS TEAMG UP WH STRIKG MERS 1984 WAL, CED A SIAR NTROVERSY, AND HARVEY WESTE VERY PUBLICLY NTTED THE RATG (AND WON) FOR THIS YEAR’S 3 GENERATNS, ABOUT A TRANS TEENAGER.“I’D FD IENDS OF ME WH 15-YEAR-OLD KIDS NOT TAKG THEM TO THE MOVIE [BEE] THEY ASSUMED THE NTENT WOULD SOMEHOW BE DISPTIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN BEE OF THE R-RATG,” SACHS RELLS OF HIS EXPERIENCE, “WHICH WAS JT KD OF TRAGIC ON SOME LEVEL.” THE DIRECTOR OBJECTS TO THE WAY THE RATGS BOARD OPERAT: “LERALLY, THE MEMBERS OF THE MPAA HAD TO BE MARRIED PEOPLE TO REPRENT A KD OF FAY VALUE,” HE SAYS, REFERRG TO A POT MA KIRBY DICK’S 2006 DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE MPAA, THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED. “THIS IS DISGTG.”MOST POPULARSARA RAMIREZ ISSU STHG RPONSE TO ANTI–CHE DIAZ PROFILEBY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE GILD AGE WILL GET A LOT MORE OPERATIC SEASON 2BY RICHARD LAWSONINSI ALL OF US STRANGERS, ANDREW STT AND PL ML’S METAPHYSIL LOVE STORYBY DAVID CANFIELDIT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO FD SUPPORT FOR QUEER STORI THE DTRY. AHN, FOR ONE, POTS TO MARC HU, AN OPENLY GAY EXECUTIVE AT STRAND RELEASG WHO ADVOTED FOR HIS FILM. BUT IF NOT FOR SACHS’S “ALTERNATE UNIVERSE” OF DIVIDUALS HE ULD RELY UPON OUTSI THE TRADNAL FILMMAKG SPHERE, HE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MAKE LOVE IS STRANGE. IN FACT, ALL OF THE DIRECTORS FOUND HOPE BY BUILDG THEIR OWN WORLDS AND FDG THEIR OWN DIENC. AHN, FREELAND, AND HTMAN WERE SUPPORTED THROUGH FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMS LIKE THE SUNDANCE LABS AND CEREACH, WHILE KELLY FED HIS OWN PATH WH THE BLSG OF G VAN SANT, WH WHOM HE WORKED ON 2008’S MILK. HE’S TEAMG UP WH JAM FRAN ONCE MORE FOR A BPIC OF J.T. LEROY.AS A MEMBER OF QUEER ART, A NON-PROF SUPPORTG LGBTQ VOIC FILM, VISUAL ARTS, PERFORMANCE, AND LERATURE, SACHS IS TRYG TO CREATE THIS SORT OF UNIVERSE ON A SYSTEMATIC LEVEL. “I THK WHAT IS IMPORTANT—AND IS STILL POSSIBLE—IS THAT ARTISTS TAKE RISKS, AND THOSE RISKS ARE BOTH PERSONAL AND FANCIAL. AND TO BE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE RISKS IS WHAT HAS CREATED A HISTORY OF QUEER CEMA,” HE SAYS.“I DON’T THK ’S GOG TO BE THE MASTREAM THAT’S GOG TO DO THE WORK,” AHN NOT OF LGBTQ REPRENTATN. “I THK ’S MORE A GRASSROOTS-Y THG, AND JT HAS TO KEEP BUILDG AND BUILDG.” WHEN TO SEEG REAL CHANGE MASTREAM HOLLYWOOD, HE PREDICTS, “I THK THERE HAS TO BE A UPLE MORE MOONLIGHTS.”13 DAZZLG ACTORS WHO MA THEIR MOVIE DEBUTS 20161 / 13CHEVRONCHEVRONCOURTY OF A24.ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, THE WCHWH ONLY AN UNCREDED APPEARANCE VAMPIRE AMY ON HER LIST OF FILM APPEARANC, ANYA TAYLOR-JOY MA AN ENTRANCG MAJOR BUT THE SPELLBDG HORROR FILM THE WCH.NICK ROMANO

The breakout h Toronto is a picture that shatters stereotyp, and ’s the only film the ftival that cric Sam Adams giv five Jenks' Moonlightis the kd of movie film ftivals were ma for, an exquisely sensive triptych about a gay black man's g of age Miami, Florida. Jenks don't bend over backwards makg his three actors remble one another, and their distctivens to feel like part of the pot: a product of Chiron's attempts to change who he the first sectn, Ltle is beiend by a dg aler named Juan (Mahershala Ali), who fds Ltle holed up an abandoned buildg, hidg om the tnts of other boys, who already spect what Ltle himself nnot yet articulate: that he is gay. Like the movi of Wong Kar-Wai, an admted fluence on Jenks, Moonlight is more ncerned wh longg than s satisfactn; the only sex act volvg s protagonist is filmed at a discreet remove, but 's circumspectn is more melancholic than is Toronto, 's easy to eavdrop on nversatns forestg Moonlight's limed mercial prospects the US: the gay dience will e, the nventnal wisdom go, but black dienc don't go to art ho, and art hoe dienc don't gravate towards black stori.