Exclusive cineGLAAD Video: Yony Leyser, Director of William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
January 28, 2010
While at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, GLAAD was proud to include Yony Leyser, the director of the Slamdance Film Festival documentary William S. Burroughs: A Man Within, on our panel discussion Out Loud: The Role of a Publicist & Creating Buzz For Your LGBT Festival Film.
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within is the 25-year-old filmmaker’s passion project on which he has worked for the past four years. The fascinating film features never-before-seen footage of Burroughs, a trailblazing author who wrote of his experiences in queer culture in the 1950’s, most notably in his novel Naked Lunch. Additionally, the film features interviews with out directors Gus Van Sant and John Waters, as well as Patti Smith, Iggy Pop and many more notable figures.
In the video below, GLAAD’s Director of Entertainment Media, Taj Paxton interviews Leyser about his experiences as a young openly gay filmmaker promoting his first festival film. To view the trailer and learn more, please visit the official website of William S. Burroughs: A Man Within.
On Your Shopping List: Milk
March 10, 2009
Buy the kind of milk that never expires: Gus Van Sant’s award-winning Harvey Milk biopic, Milk! It’s in stores on DVD and BLU-RAY HI-DEF and available On Demand (VOD) today!
As you recall, Milk has won a slew of awards, most recently, two Oscars: Best Actor — Sean Penn and Best Original Screenplay — Dustin Lance Black. For a complete list of awards, please visit our Milk Awards Central resource.
Of course, if you want to really show your love for Milk, you can kick it up a notch like activist Tom Gregory did last week: He paid $12,500 for one of the Harvey Milk suits worn by Sean Penn in the film. Proceeds went to benefit Variety: The Children’s Charity of Southern California and New York’s Hetrick-Martin Institute, home of Harvey Milk High School.
Whether it’s thousands of dollars for commemorative merchandise, or just $17.99 for the DVD, supporting Milk always does a body good.
OSCAR WATCH: Who Supports Marriage Equality?
February 22, 2009
As promised, we’re on the hunt for who will be wearing white knots at the Academy Awards today, symbolizing their support of marriage equality. Emile Hirsch (of Milk fame) was the first to walk the carpet sporting the white knot, around 2:30 pm PST.
3:54 pm — Josh Brolin (also from Milk, nominated for his portrayal of Harvey Milk’s assassin, Dan White) has a white knot firmly pinned to his lapel.
3:56 pm — Gus Van Sant (Oscar-nominated director of Milk) is also spotted with a white knot.
4:09 pm — Milk’s nominated composer Danny Elfman is the first Milk man to be spotted without a white knot. Hmmm.
4:14 pm – Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married) just arrived. Apparently, she promised to wear a white knot, and yet I see no knot in sight. Perhaps her ivory dress is one giant white knot?
4:17 pm – James Franco is in attendance. He won for his role in Milk last night at the Independent Spirit Awards, but I see no knot.
4:18 pm — Sean Penn just pulled up in his limo. No knot. Sigh.
4:21 pm — Got another look at Anne Hathaway. She’s clutching the hand of an older gentleman, who is proudly wearing a white knot! Annie, please accept our apologies for doubting your commitment to the community. If you aren’t going to wear the knot, we’re happy you made your date do so.
4:30 pm — E!’s Ryan Seacrest interviews white-knot-clad nominee Josh Brolin. He says, “I think Harvey Milk was an inspiration — a massive inspiration. Had he stayed alive, had he not been killed, I think a lot of people would have lived through the AIDS crisis, a lot more people than who died. You know, there’s not a lot of heroes anymore, and he was one of the great last heroes that we had in this country.”
4:44 pm — We were hoping that Brad Pitt would be wearing a knot to the Oscars, as he was one of the biggest supporters in the No on 8 campaign, but alas, the nominee is knotless tonight.
5:16 pm — Looks like the interviews are winding down, so we’ll sign off for now. Maybe a surprise presenter will come out with a white knot added to his or her outfit… One can hope! Marriage equality for all!
UPDATE, 6:02 pm: Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black proudly displayed his knot onscreen!
Danny Elfman Does a Movie Good
February 19, 2009
Composer Danny Elfman, the music man behind Milk, has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Elfman recently appeared on Los Angeles public radio station KCRW to talk about his experiences in composing for a film steeped in gay history.
Elfman joined Morning Becomes Eclectic host Jason Bentley as part of Bentley’s “Music Behind the Movies” series. Here are a few choice snippets:
– On Van Sant: “Getting into any project with Gus means I’m going to go in a lot of different directions and mess around with a lot of different ideas. With another director, that can be very frustrating. Trying to hone in on ‘What do you want for this movie?’ With Gus it’s more of a process of fun experimentation.”
– On his creative process: “I don’t do research going into a movie. I think the least I know the better. I like to forget that I’ve even read the script, even though I do read the script because the more prepared I am in the beginning, the more it sends me down a specific direction which may not be the right direction…So I started with a real blank slate other than — don’t mess this up. Except I didn’t use the word mess, but we’re live on the air.”
To listen to the interview in its entirety, please click here.
GLAAD Congratulates Milk & Vicky Cristina Barcelona on their Oscar Nominations
January 22, 2009
Today, GLAAD congratulated the creative teams and casts ofMilk and Vicky Cristina Barcelona which received a combined 9 Oscar nominations during today’s announcement of nominees for the 81st Annual Academy Awards.
Below is a statement by GLAAD President Neil G. Giuliano:
GLAAD is thrilled with the nominations received by films that tell inclusive stories of our community. The success of Milk is an important reminder to Hollywood that audiences are hungry for films that tell authentic and compelling stories about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Milk has connected with gay and straight audiences alike and created national discussion at a time when our community continues to face opposition in our pursuit of equality.
What people see in the media shapes how they view LGBT people, and inclusive images like these help people embrace their family members, friends and neighbors with understanding and acceptance.
Milk is among the leading Oscar nominees in major categories with 8 nominations:
- BEST MOTION PICTURE OF THE YEAR
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE – Sean Penn
- PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – Josh Brolin
- ACHIEVEMENT IN DIRECTING – Gus Van Sant
- BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY – Dustin Lance Black
- ACHIEVEMENT IN COSTUME DESIGN – Danny Glicker
- ACHIEVEMENT IN FILM EDITING – Elliot Graham
- BEST ORIGINAL SCORE – Danny Elfman
More from Giuliano:
What writer Dustin Lance Black and director Gus Van Sant have remarkably done is tell a story that celebrates the man, the era and the greater LGBT movement. Their work on Milk has the power to inform new generations of the history of our community and our struggles for equality.
Today’s Best Actor nomination for Sean Penn is so richly deserved. His groundbreaking performance gave audiences the opportunity to get to know Harvey Milk’s conviction, passion and the indelible influence he had on our movement and our community.
Gus Van Sant Earns DGA Nomination
January 8, 2009
And the nominations keep pouring in! Gus Van Sant has just earned a Directors Guild award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Feature Film, for his work behind Milk. We’ll find out if he wins on Jan. 31. Go, Gus, go!
Palm Springs Film Fest Honors Van Sant, Penn
January 7, 2009
Hollywood temporarily moved to the desert last night for the opening of the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival. The star-studded event included the likes of Milk’s Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn, both of whom were honored in the awards gala.
Milk star Josh Brolin presented director Gus Van Sant with the Sonny Bono Visionary Award.
And activist Cleve Jones, played by Emile Hirsch in Milk, presented the Desert Palm Achievement Award to Sean Penn. When accepting the statuette, Penn talked about his performance. “I was here last year,” he said. “Daniel Day-Lewis was here last year and when I saw what he did in that movie (‘There Will Be Blood’), boy, it’s challenging. (I thought) ‘I’m going to have to work a little harder.’ And I did work a little harder.”
Tickets Now on Sale for Palm Springs Film Fest
January 1, 2009
Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black will premiere his new film, Pedro, at the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, alongside 17 other LGBT-inclusive films Jan 8-19. In addition, both Sean Penn and Gus Van Sant are being honored for their work in Milk during the festival’s opening gala on Tuesday, January 6.
Between Sundance and Palm Springs (and Berlin hot on their heels!) how can you possibly plan all your LGBT viewing? Here’s a snapshot of the LGBT-inclusive film schedule happening in Palm Springs. Fortunately, all movies screen twice!
Friday, January 09
7:00 PM Eugene
7:00 PM Patrik, Age 1.5
Saturday, January 10
10:00 AM Eugene
10:00 AM Patrik, Age 1.5
6:30 PM Suddenly, Last Winter
7:00 PM American Primitive
Sunday, January 11
12:30 PM Suddenly, Last Winter
7:30 PM Prodigal Sons
Monday, January 12
10:00 AM Of Time and the City
7:30 PM Ready? OK!
Tuesday, January 13
10:00 AM Prodigal Sons
1:30 PM American Primitive
3:30 PM Clapham Junction
4:00 PM Of Time and the City
7:30 PM Baby Love
Wednesday, January 14
9:30 AM Born in 68
1:30 PM Ready? OK!
3:30 PM Be Like Others
4:30 PM I Can’t Think Straight
7:30 PM Chef’s Special
Thursday, January 15
9:30 AM Be Like Others
1:30 PM Chef’s Special
3:30 PM For My Wife
6:30 PM Showgirls, Provincetown, MA
Friday, January 16
9:30 AM Clapham Junction
10:30 AM Baby Love
12:30 PM For My Wife
4:00 PM Valentino: The Last Emporer
6:00 PM Pedro
7:30 PM Woman’s Hearts
Saturday, January 17
9:30 AM Pedro
10:30 AM I Can’t Think Straight
12:00 PM Valentino: The Last Emporer
12:30 PM Showgirls, Provincetown, MA
2:30 PM Woman’s Hearts
Sunday, January 18
6:30 PM Born in 68
PS Film Fest Features Exciting LGBT Lineup
December 29, 2008
Before Sundance kicks off, the 20th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival gets underway Jan 8-19 with a stellar lineup of fare: 209 films considered to be the best in international and American cinema. At least 18 of the films feature strong LGBT content.
The festival has become known for giving audiences access to foreign films submitted for Oscar consideration and this year they will not disappoint by showing 50 of the 67 films submitted in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
In addition, both Sean Penn and Gus Van Sant are being honored for their work in Milk during the festival’s opening night gala on Tuesday, January 6. Also being honored are Ron Howard, Clint Eastwood, Anne Hathaway, Amy Adams and Dakota Fanning.
Between Sundance and Palm Springs (and Berlin hot on their heels!) how will you ever plan all your LGBT viewing, you ask? Here’s a snapshot of the LGBT-inclusive film schedule happening in Palm Springs. Fortunately, all movies screen twice!
Friday, January 09
7:00 PM Eugene
7:00 PM Patrik, Age 1.5
Saturday, January 10
10:00 AM Eugene
10:00 AM Patrik, Age 1.5
6:30 PM Suddenly, Last Winter
7:00 PM American Primitive
Sunday, January 11
12:30 PM Suddenly, Last Winter
7:30 PM Prodigal Sons
Monday, January 12
10:00 AM Of Time and the City
7:30 PM Ready? OK!
Tuesday, January 13
10:00 AM Prodigal Sons
1:30 PM American Primitive
3:30 PM Clapham Junction
4:00 PM Of Time and the City
7:30 PM Baby Love
Wednesday, January 14
9:30 AM Born in 68
1:30 PM Ready? OK!
3:30 PM Be Like Others
4:30 PM I Can’t Think Straight
7:30 PM Chef’s Special
Thursday, January 15
9:30 AM Be Like Others
1:30 PM Chef’s Special
3:30 PM For My Wife
6:30 PM Showgirls, Provincetown, MA
Friday, January 16
9:30 AM Clapham Junction
10:30 AM Baby Love
12:30 PM For My Wife
4:00 PM Valentino: The Last Emporer
6:00 PM Pedro
7:30 PM Woman’s Hearts
Saturday, January 17
9:30 AM Pedro
10:30 AM I Can’t Think Straight
12:00 PM Valentino: The Last Emporer
12:30 PM Showgirls, Provincetown, MA
2:30 PM Woman’s Hearts
Sunday, January 18
6:30 PM Born in 68
575 CASTRO ST.
December 22, 2008
LGBT Content: Gay
Genre: Documentary Short
Rating: NR
Director: Jenni Olson
Synopsis: An experimental short film shot on the empty set of Gus Van Sant’s Milk, featuring the original archival audio recorded by Harvey Milk on November 18th, 1978 — to be played in the event of his assassination.
Premiering at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Screening Times (Shown before Shouting Fire: Stories from the Edge of Free Speech)
Monday, January 19, 9:00 pm Temple Theatre, Park City
Tuesday, January 20, 2:30 pm Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City
Thursday, January 22, 6:45 pm Broadway Centre Cinemas V, SLC
Friday, January 23, 8:30 pm Holiday Village Cinema III, Park City
Saturday, January 24, midnight Temple Theatre, Park City
575 Castro St. from FilmInFocus on Vimeo.
Gus Van Sant Talks Budget
December 11, 2008
Gus Van Sant, acknowledged by The Hollywood Reporter as one of the top DGA Awards contenders this season, is one of the directors who spoke with THR on “the nuances of getting the scene just right.” Here’s what Van Sant had to say about shooting within his $20 million budget on Milk.
“When you work within that budget, limitations start to create their own answers. If you have an unlimited palette, like a billion dollars to spend, it’s pretty confusing because then you realize you can do absolutely anything, and it just slows everything down. I would’ve liked to have the money that we needed for extras, and the film probably would’ve been different. But there’s also a point where it gets a little soggy and complicated if there’s a lot of money. But I haven’t really done a movie with a lot of money. And $20 million is really a lot, so I was happy with that. We didn’t really do it the way you could have if you wanted to save a lot of money. We probably could’ve made $20 million go farther if we hadn’t done it in a traditional Hollywood way.”
Which Milk Scene Stands Out?
December 10, 2008
In today’s Los Angeles Times entertainment awards section, The Envelope, Gus Van Sant is among the directors given the opportunity to highlight one “clincher” scene in their film. Read the following to see which Milk scene Van Sant selected.
Gus Van Sant doesn’t pretend that his Harvey Milk is necessarily the “real” Harvey Milk, even though it creates the air of authenticity. “It’s a political pantomime. It’s like a puppet. It’s a fake. It’s fake. It’s fake.”
This said, he seems happy with a scene that deftly captures the dichotomy of Milk’s life, and how the personal and the political intersect and collide.
Set in Milk’s Castro Street camera shop, the locus of his political campaign, the scene features Milk (Sean Penn) and his scrappy political team rejoicing over the San Francisco Chronicle’s endorsement. As the group disperses out the door, Milk, who’s been listening to opera, meets Jack Lira (Diego Luna), an adorable and vulnerable man who’s literally stumbling down the street.
The apolitical, high-strung Lira and Milk became an odd couple, though, as Van Sant says, Milk “didn’t necessarily choose his boyfriends because they helped him write speeches. I think [Lira] was just not into the politics, not into Harvey running, not into him being in City Hall. He wanted to go on game shows with Harvey because Harvey could answer the questions on ‘Jeopardy.’ “
In other Milk news, the New York Film Critics Circle just awarded the film Best Picture, Sean Penn Best Actor, and Josh Brolin Supporting Actor!
If you still haven’t had a chance to get to the cinema and live in the Los Angeles area, call 818-777-4609 to RSVP for a free screening taking place this Sunday the 14th. The show starts at 3PM at the Harmony Gold Theatre (7655 Sunset Blvd.) and will be followed by a Q&A with Brolin. Note that your RSVP does not guarantee a seat, so show up early!
Milk
December 10, 2008
LGBT Content: Gay, Lesbian
Genre: Biography, Drama
Rating: R
Director: Gus Van Sant
Writer: Dustin Lance Black
Starring: Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch, James Franco
Distributor: Focus Features
Release Date: 11/26/08
Synopsis: Harvey Milk (Penn) was one of the first openly gay men in the nation elected to office in 1977. A year later, he was assassinated by Dan White (Brolin), a rival politician. Also included in the story is Scott Smith (Franco), Milk’s lover and campaign manager, as well as gay rights activist Cleve Jones (Hirsch), who went on to form the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.
I Drink Your MILKshake
November 17, 2008
MILK month continues, with glaadBLOG bringing you a new “fun fact” about Harvey Milk every day, right up until the film opens November 26!
Cleve Jones
San Francisco magazine recently interviewed activist Cleve Jones about how Harvey Milk affected him during Milk’s brief time in office. Jones said that Milk showed the world that issues pertinent to the LGBT community were worth dying for.
“Harvey came to believe he would be murdered, and he made a tape-recorded will that named four people he wanted to succeed him. But just because he feared for his life, he didn’t stop working for change. Before Harvey, there were countless martyrs to the gay cause — dead from suicide and murder and drug overdoses and alcohol — the wasted, ruined lives of people who lived in the closet and couldn’t come out. But Harvey was the first publicly identified martyr that all of us could relate to. His death was a very powerful unifying force within the movement.”
Learn more about Harvey Milk and the upcoming film about him by reading GLAAD’s Milk Resource Kit.
And check out this special interview with director Gus Van Sant at the world premiere of MILK!
Milk Inspires Hope
October 29, 2008
The highly-anticipated Milk made its world premiere in San Francisco on Tuesday night, fittingly in the Castro, a neighborhood where gay activist Harvey Milk made history three decades ago.As the creators and stars of the film and local politicians walked the red carpet in front of the Castro Theatre, hundreds of people across the street chanted and waved “Vote No on Prop. 8″ signs. It was a moment that the late San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk would have appreciated.
GLAAD President Neil Giuliano and Director of Entertainment Media Damon Romine were among the guests at the sold-out, one-night-only, world-premiere screening, a benefit for four LGBT youth organizations. Cast members Sean Penn, Josh Brolin, Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna brought star power to the Castro.
Before the screening began, the Castro Theatre’s resident house organist entertained the audience, followed by opening remarks by Focus Features CEO James Schamus who proudly announced the event raised $200,000, and thanked the 5,000 locals who participated in the film’s crowd scenes, one of which was a re-creation of a chilling candlelight march originally attended by 30,000 in 1978.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom told the audience: “I am proud to live in a city that doesn’t just tolerate diversity, but celebrates diversity.” Regarding Milk, Newsom called him “an extraordinary person who lived an extraordinary but short life. So much has changed but the struggle remains.”
Newsom introduced director Gus Van Sant who jokingly warned the audience, “If it isn’t any good, it could be a long evening.” But the director had nothing to worry about because Milk is that good and moved most, if not all, of the audience to tears.
It has taken 30 years to bring to the screen the story of Milk’s rise to office and his and Mayor George Moscone’s assassination at City Hall by fellow Supervisor Dan White in 1978. Van Sant himself has been talking about making this film for 18 years: “He’s an American hero. He’s a great example of a man representing his community and his city,” he said last night.
What young writer Dustin Lance Black and director Van Sant have remarkably done is tell a story that unabashedly celebrates the man, the era and the greater LGBT movement. This is a film that has the power to inform new generations of the long hard fought battles the LGBT community has faced. This is a film that serves as a rallying cry for LGBT people to not accept second-class status. And, most importantly, this is a film that inspires hope.
In Milk’s first and only year in office, he helped defeat 1978’s discriminatory Prop. 6, a state measure that would have fired all California school employees suspected of being gay and those who supported them. Milk led people out of the closet and encouraged people to tell their personal stories to convince others to vote no on Prop. 6. Watched today, in the wake of the discriminatory Prop. 8 ballot measure, the film clearly displays the eerie parallels and similar anti-gay arguments made in support of the two propositions — yet Black and Van Sant’s movie was filmed months before Prop. 8 was ever put on the ballot.
Following the film’s premiere last night, guests were transported to San Francisco’s City Hall, itself a major character in the movie. A grand celebration of the film and Milk’s life took place, where cast members and LGBT activists old and new mingled against the backdrop of ’70s era disco music. Praise for the movie seemed universal, and as guests discussed the film and shared stories of both Prop. 6 then and Prop. 8 now, one point was oft repeated: If this movie could just come out before the election, it’s possible that Milk’s leadership then may inspire people now to take action. But, sadly, the movie will be released Thanksgiving weekend, weeks after Prop. 8 has been decided.
Activist Cleve Jones, played in the film by Emile Hirsch, said Milk would have been thrilled at the film but angry that the fight over equality continues. “Harvey would be angry,” Jones said about the battle against Prop. 8, “and he’d still be fighting.”
A bust of Milk was unveiled at City Hall in recent weeks. It sits at the top of the rotunda’s grand staircase, just yards away from where Milk was gunned down. During the party, people gathered around the bust and took a moment to read the inscription, a quote from a speech Milk made in 1978:
I ask for the movement to continue because my election gave young people out there hope. You gotta give ‘em hope.
And even though the timing could be better, that’s just what Milk offers: Hope.
