I know it  doesn’t really fit in here age-wise but it was way too cute to skip it. And it has an important message about gender clichés of course. Try to ignore the horrible subtitles, rather be thankful there are some; Spanish speaking people tend to believe everyone speaks their language conspicuously often ;)

Just like the flower in the opening scenes, 12-year-old Maxi is a beautiful accent in the gritty underworld on the outskirts of Manila, where he lives. Living with his outlaw father and two older brothers, Maxi dutifully infuses everything he does for them with love. From cooking and sewing to braiding his brother’s hair, Maxi fulfils the role of dalaga for his family, living as a young lady in the absence of femininity and their deceased mother. We follow Maxi through his glowing and textured world of shopping, reenacting beauty pageants, and hanging out at a local DVD stand that screens movies for abundant audiences of transient children. But Maxi’s emotions blossom late one night when he is rescued from neighbourhood thugs by Victor, a kind rookie cop. Smitten with the handsome policeman, Maxi begins to feel pulled between the petty-thief family that he loves and the law and romance Victor embodies.

Veering from adorable and light to bleak and tragic, Maximo Oliveros is all over the emotional map, but in a realistic way, sort of like life itself. The most interesting part of the movie is Lopez’s Maxi, a kid who should be screwed up but instead is totally comfortable in his own skin. Even when the movie is at its most melodramatic, Lopez keeps his performance in check, making this most unreal kid seem very real indeed.

The Philippines’ submission for the 2006 foreign-language film Oscar, "The Blossoming of Maximo Oliveros" is a unique coming-of-age film, for Maxi is such an intriguing mix of the streetwise and the innocent, self-aware yet emotionally vulnerable. Solito’s ability to inspire such a daring, unself-conscious portrayal from Lopez is no less than astonishing.

Preteen sexuality is a sensitive subject, but director Auraeus Solito handles it with dignity, never becoming exploitative. Whatever you do, stick around for the final scene, a heartfelt tribute to Carol Reed’s 1949 masterwork "The Third Man." – New York Post

Wikipedia | IMDb |  Review (English) | Review (Deutsch)

Jannis, a cute gay post-adolescent, and his adorable mute boyfriend, Patrick, infiltrate a circus to shoot an undercover documentary exposing an underground political conspiracy responsible for a recent spate of assassination attempts.  But when Patrick meets Mo, a young woman whose sensitivity to sunlight forces her to live by night, Jannis’ jealousy threatens the entire project.  Only Patrick’s unwavering devotion to the boy he loves will help save the day and reveal the truth of who is behind the conspiracy.

Set in the not so distant future, Whispering Moon is visually stunning like nothing seen before it.  Blending media, narratives and skin to tell an enticing story about storytelling the film uses cutting edge techniques to move the plot along.  As we see the story unfold, Jannis, the storyteller, interacts with the characters and their environments, creating an eye-catching visual landscape that challenges the audience even as it entertains.

Whispering Moon is a quirky film with quirky characters that bring you on a quirky journey. The story is full of weird twists and just when you think the script is going one way, the plot thickens and sends you in another direction.  The whole story surrounds Jannis and his quest to uncover the truth about some mysterious deaths, crooked politicians, and poisonous frogs.  Jannis’ mute friend Patrick (unable to speak since early childhood), is helping out by using his connections within the local television media; Patrick’s mother is an investigative journalist.  Complicating things slightly for young Jannis is his inability to get inside Patrick’s pants.

Official Site | IMDb |  Reviews

Update: "Outrage" premieres on HBO this week.

From Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick  comes OUTRAGE, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with appalling gay rights voting records who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Boldly revealing the hidden lives of some of the United States’ most powerful policymakers, OUTRAGE takes a comprehensive look at the harm they’ve inflicted on millions of Americans, and examines the media’s complicity in keeping their secrets.

With analysis from prominent members of the gay community such as Congressman Barney Frank, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, activist Larry Kramer, radio personality Michelangelo Signorile, and openly gay congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Representative, Wisconsin 2nd district), OUTRAGE probes deeply into the psychology of this double lifestyle, the ethics of outing closeted politicians, the double standards that the media upholds in its coverage of the sex lives of gay public figures, and much more.

These polemics have a kind of natural charge to them, but there are glimpses in the movie of something more complex and in a way more interesting -- the way closet psychology mixes with political ambition to create a fascinating hybrid of warring desires. -- Philadelphia Daily News

Official Site | Wikipedia | IMDb |  Review

Six Short Films about Guys who hustle

The hustler is a common figure in gay arts and culture. While sex workers of all sorts appear in straight cultural productions, the queer hustler is different from his female other. Rarely, to the best of my knowledge, are female sex workers in heterosexual arts subject to the kind of sympathetic characterization and subcultural adulation as the queer hustler, gigolo, rent-boy, or street-corner cocksucker.

The hustler is simultaneously tragic, romantic, and heroic. Often his tragedies appear the result of dysfunctional if not outright abusive families, and are further tied to a general and pervasive societal homophobia. So, in Boys Briefs 4‘s Into the Night, Marcus’ (Bryan Marshall) father has rejected him, presumably because of his son’s homosexuality, and in Boy, Sam’s (Jesse Lee) life is characterized not only by poverty, but also by seemingly casual homophobia and violence. The hustlers’ stories represent all too common experience of anti-queer violence and self-determination in the face of intolerance.

The hustler is romantic as far as the audience’s fantasy extends to “rescuing” him. This is a role commonly fulfilled by a caring john. In Rock Bottom, Billy (John Militello), a sweet, overweight, 30-something, picks up twinkie street hustler Jason (Timothy Lee DePriest) and takes him home. Typical hustler-john shenanigans take place; Billy makes awkward small talk, Jason cases the apartment, insists he doesn’t kiss. Yet a real rapport develops between the two, and the film ends with Jason crossing his own hustler boundaries to kiss Billy, suggesting things might get better for both. In Gold, the aging, nearly blind artist Cal (Aron Tager) employs hustler Jay (P.J. Lazic) not for his body, but to assist him in painting new canvases; in teaching Jay about passion and beauty, he leads the young man to a kind of salvation.

Read On...

XXY is a tastefully discreet, deeply moving drama that addresses the awkward dilemma of an "intersex" teenager with remarkable sensitivity. ("Intersex" being the preferred term for those born with shared sex chromosomes and what doctors call "genital ambiguity.") For 15-year-old Alex having an intersex body is a constant source of anguished confusion. Alex has been raised as a girl by loving parents, who moved from Argentina to an island off the coast of Uruguay to spare Alex from adolescent torment by insensitive schoolmates. But now Alex has stopped taking the hormone pills that suppress male characteristics, suggesting a pivotal life choice has been made. When Alex’s mother invites a plastic surgeon and his family to the island, she quietly hopes Alex will consider "reassignment" surgery, while her husband allows Alex more freedom of choice. When Alex and the surgeon’s teenage son Alvaro act upon a tentative, mutual attraction, XXY deepens into a poignant study of sexual identity and self-acceptance.

Making her remarkably assured directorial debut, Argentine writer-director Lucía Puenzo has fully accounted for the turbulent emotions that swirl around Alex and her family. "XXY" is the first film to address intersex identity with graceful compassion, and Puenzo tells Alex’s story with simple, honest and forthright integrity.

What ensues between them, both psychologically and sexually, is one of the strangest, most fascinating dysfunctional relationships I’ve seen in a movie. The acting is outstanding. – Boston Globe

Official Site | Wikipedia | IMDb |  Review (English) | Review (Deutsch)

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A scene from Hellphone, a cheesy French film xD Thanks for the tip Anon!

In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay… In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans.

Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant (director of Elephant and Paranoid Park) in Milk. Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighbourhood. With his beloved Castro neighbourhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones, Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humour, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White. But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now

2 Oscars for Milk

Stars on their way to the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles had to pass a group of Christian demonstrators outside who protested against gay marriage and attacked the memory of the late Heath Ledger, a favourite target of militant anti-gay protesters since his role in Brokeback Mountain.

Penn won the best actor award for Milk, in which he played politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk. The actor opened his acceptance speech with the words: "You commie, homo-loving sons of guns," to laughter from the audience. Referring to the protest, he said: "For those who saw the signs of hatred as our cars drove in tonight, I think that it is a good time for those who voted for the ban against gay marriage to sit and reflect and anticipate their great shame and the shame in their grandchildren’s eyes if they continue that way of support. We’ve got to have equal rights for everyone."

Dustin Lance Black, who won best original screenplay for Milk, continued the theme in an emotional speech. Raised in a strict Mormon household, he spoke movingly of the day he read Harvey Milk’s life story. Milk, who was shot dead in 1978, was the first openly gay man elected to public office in California. "It gave me the hope one day I could live my life openly as who I am and then maybe even I could fall in love and one day get married," Black said.

"If Harvey had not been taken from us 30 years ago, I think he would want me to say to all of the gay and lesbian kids out there tonight who have been told that they are ‘less than’ by their churches, by the government or by their families: that you are beautiful, wonderful creatures of value. And that no matter what anyone tells you, God does love you. And that very soon, I promise you, you will have equal rights federally across this great nation of ours. Thank you, God, for giving us Harvey Milk."

Sean Penn and gay director Gus Van Sant (Good Will Hunting) have created a warm-hearted testament to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay individual who was elected to major political office, and was then murdered/martyred. — Fayetteville Free Weekly