let's talk movies, y'all
Focus Features Picks Up Black Lesbian Film “Pariah”
'Focus Features paid “well under $1 million” for the worldwide rights to Pariah, the black lesbian coming-of-age film that earned a standing ovation on Sundance Film Festival’s opening night [...].
Pariah also made the front page of The New York Times‘s Sundance coverage from last weekend. Weinstein Co. and Sony Pictures Classics also bid for the film but Focus Features bagged it. It’s part of a two-picture deal because NBC Universal liked the film so much they want Dee Rees to also work on another, yet-to-be-determined, project, which indiewire says totals a “seven figure deal.”
Focus Features has a strong track record with LGBTQ-themed films, having successfully rolled out The Kids Are All Right (nominated for four Oscars this year), Brokeback Mountain and Milk.
A relevant quote from filmmaker Dee Rees:
“The biggest surprise associated with making Pariah came after watching the first rough cut when we discovered that this was not a “black lesbian” movie. We had fought this BRUTAL uphill battle in funding the film with financiers and investors balking at the story because it was “too small and specific” (which is code for “too black and too gay”). After we screened the first cut, one of our early advisors went so far as to describe it as “commercial.” We didn’t know whether to slap them or celebrate. After all that time fighting our way through pitch after pitch and pass after pass, we had come to wear our “outsiderness” like a badge of honor. Perversely, we felt like, “How dare you label us accessible?!”. LOL. And even more than that, Pariah turned out to be this nice ensemble piece, not just the single-character driven story that it was perceived to be. I’m completely in love with the cast and the way they opened up all of the characters and made it this richer, deeper piece that has so much heart and life beyond [our protagonist], Alike. The amazing performances gave us such an embarrassment of riches in the edit room that we had to actively stay focused to make sure that it remained Alike’s story.”
A lesbian-directed lesbian-written film about black masculine-presenting women is going to come to your ACTUAL MOVIE THEATER. I can’t even.'
- - - If you hit up the source you can also find a run-down of other gay-friendly films from Sundance.
And here is the official trailer:
source for the trailer
The article I've quoted in the beginning is from around January but I think it gives the best information regarding the film's background and the quote from Dee Rees is too good to not be posted.
Any other movies or media y'all are looking forward to, _fem?
'Focus Features paid “well under $1 million” for the worldwide rights to Pariah, the black lesbian coming-of-age film that earned a standing ovation on Sundance Film Festival’s opening night [...].
Pariah also made the front page of The New York Times‘s Sundance coverage from last weekend. Weinstein Co. and Sony Pictures Classics also bid for the film but Focus Features bagged it. It’s part of a two-picture deal because NBC Universal liked the film so much they want Dee Rees to also work on another, yet-to-be-determined, project, which indiewire says totals a “seven figure deal.”
Focus Features has a strong track record with LGBTQ-themed films, having successfully rolled out The Kids Are All Right (nominated for four Oscars this year), Brokeback Mountain and Milk.
A relevant quote from filmmaker Dee Rees:
“The biggest surprise associated with making Pariah came after watching the first rough cut when we discovered that this was not a “black lesbian” movie. We had fought this BRUTAL uphill battle in funding the film with financiers and investors balking at the story because it was “too small and specific” (which is code for “too black and too gay”). After we screened the first cut, one of our early advisors went so far as to describe it as “commercial.” We didn’t know whether to slap them or celebrate. After all that time fighting our way through pitch after pitch and pass after pass, we had come to wear our “outsiderness” like a badge of honor. Perversely, we felt like, “How dare you label us accessible?!”. LOL. And even more than that, Pariah turned out to be this nice ensemble piece, not just the single-character driven story that it was perceived to be. I’m completely in love with the cast and the way they opened up all of the characters and made it this richer, deeper piece that has so much heart and life beyond [our protagonist], Alike. The amazing performances gave us such an embarrassment of riches in the edit room that we had to actively stay focused to make sure that it remained Alike’s story.”
A lesbian-directed lesbian-written film about black masculine-presenting women is going to come to your ACTUAL MOVIE THEATER. I can’t even.'
- - - If you hit up the source you can also find a run-down of other gay-friendly films from Sundance.
And here is the official trailer:
Click to viewsource for the trailer
The article I've quoted in the beginning is from around January but I think it gives the best information regarding the film's background and the quote from Dee Rees is too good to not be posted.
Any other movies or media y'all are looking forward to, _fem?