I’ve copied the exhibit’s description and shared it below but the NBC article (see link above) features multiple shows taking place this summer in cities worldwide including: Berlin, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Phoenix, and Providence.
Museum of Fine Arts / Boston: In this queerified and age-embracing homage to classic 1950s and ‘60s Scopitone film reels — a precursor to music videos that played inside special jukeboxes in cocktail lounges nationwide, Samantha Nye recreates the old film shorts shot-for-shot with queer elder actors, discarding ageist and ableist definitions of sexuality and eroticism, and expanding our vision of love, sex, agency and belonging.
The ICA Watershed, which first opened in the Boston Harbor Shipyard and Marina in summer 2018, transformed a 15,000-square-foot, formerly condemned space into a vibrant, new venue for the public to see and experience large-scale art in East Boston.
During the pandemic, it was used as a food distribution site to address a direct need within the East Boston community, but starting next month the space will reopen with a massive sculptural installation by Dominican artist Firelei Báez.
Báez will temporarily convert the Watershed gallery space into the site of an imagined, ancient Caribbean ruin where the sea has receded to reveal the archeology of human history in the Caribbean.
The exhibit will open later this week, starting July 3 and run through September 6, 2021. You can learn more by visiting the ICA Watershed website.
Shown below is artist Maxine Hwang Blomberg with her wearable art, the Prodigal Poppy Head. Many may remember Maxine from her days working at the Green Light Cafe and her creative pop-up shows in SoWa. She is one 30 emerging and established queer local artists who are exhibiting their works from the Boston LGBTQIA+ Artist Alliance (BLAA) at The Distillery Gallery.
The Distillery Gallery is located at 516 E. 2nd Street in Southie and is open Monday thru Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Swing by and check out the gallery showing which will be on view through Friday, July 23rd.
Are you planning a trip to New York City later this year? The New York Historical Society Museum and Library has a free, outdoor exhibit that might be of interest to you. Entitled,Safe / Haven: Gay Life in the 1950s Cherry Grove, will run from May 14 – October 11, 2021 in the Museum & Library back courtyard. Out of consideration for public health, social distancing is required and timed-entry tickets need to be reserved here.
During weekends and summers in the pre-Stonewall era, gay men and women, including many New Yorkers, traveled to the secluded beach town of Cherry Grove on Fire Island where they found opportunities for sexual exploration and self-expression—behavior that was both stigmatized and criminalized in the US. Together with creative figures like Truman Capote, W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, and Patricia Highsmith, visitors partook in costumed parties, theatrical events, and liberated atmosphere that this gay sanctuary provided. The exhibition explores the gay and lesbian community that flourished during the 1950s in Cherry Grove through some 70 enlarged photographs and additional ephemera from the unique holdings of the Cherry Grove Archives Collection.
More information about the 70 photographs that comprise this unique exhibit is available here.
I’ve teamed up with Dekkoo (pronounced “DECK-koo”), the premiere subscription-based streaming service dedicated to gay men with the largest streaming collection of gay-centric entertainment available. Below is recently released content on Dekkoo, available for download and viewing with a subscription.
In addition to gay programming this month on Dekkoo, Boston’s Wicked Queer Film Festival is running through the month of April. The queer film festival is being streamed so anyone with an Internet connection can download, watch and rate featured shorts, documentaries and feature films this month.
New programming on Dekkoo
Drawn Back Home(2020) 1 hour 47 minutes: After the death of his father and end of his marriage Eric becomes restless and rudderless. When an old friend comes to town looking to reconnect with Eric the two must navigate unresolved issues of the past and uncertainties of the future. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 1, 2021.
Marathon(2010) 1 hour 23 minutes: When famed Poet Laureate William Meredith suffers a debilitating stroke, his long-term partner Richard fights for the right to care for him. This true story is a poignant and inspiring testament to the triumph of love. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 6, 2021.
Spectrum(2019) 37 minutes: A diverse array of lives intersect over one night in Manchester’s gay village. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 7, 2021.
Complete Strangers(2020) 1 hour 45 minutes (Spain): A recovering alcoholic returns to his hometown after a hiatus, and falls in love with a man who will turn his world upside down. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 7, 2021.
Gay Films & Short Movies Coming Out Later This Month
Madame(2019) documentary, 1 hour 34 minutes: A grandmother and her grandson engage in an intimate conversation, exploring gender, sexuality and transmission of identity. RATING: 7.4 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 13, 2021.
Let People Exit Before Boarding (2018) From Mexico, 13 minute: Jesus and Pablo, two teenagers, travel around Monterrey city along one night in order to find the right place to have sex for the first time. RATING: Not rated on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 14, 2021.
Sebastian(2017) 1 hour 17 minutes: Alex and Sebastian meet one fateful evening and it's love at first sight. However, Alex has a boyfriend and Sebastian is only visiting Toronto for one week until he has to return home to Argentina. Sebastian chronicles their week-long romance and as the week ends what will they decide to do? RATING: 5.3 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 15, 2021.
Rialto(2019) From Ireland, 1 hour 30 minutes: Colm is happily married in Dublin, but after his father's death and the loss of his job, his emotional life cracks open. Drinking heavily, Colm finds himself drawn to Jay, a 19-year-old who dabbles in prostitution. Their sexual encounters and tentative friendship become Colm's only solace - but this recklessness puts his family-life at risk. RATING: 6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 20, 2021.
Fall To Fame (2020) 9 minutes: Following his first Grammy nomination, a young, gay rock star is confronted with the painful price of his ambition. RATING: Not rated on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 21, 2021.
My Dead Ones(2018) 1 hour 52 minutes: Behind the looks of a shy film student, David hides an obscure past that is about to be revealed. RATING: 6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 22, 2021.
What Women Want: Gay Romance(2020) documentary from Canada, 48 minutes: Women are the overwhelming majority of writers, publishers, readers and fans of gay male romance novels. Dive into the Gay Rom Lit convention in Albuquerque, NM to discover why. RATING: 7.2 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 27, 2021.
The Gust(2019) From The Netherlands 31 minutes: Weeks after Hurricane María devastated Puerto Rico, a lonely middle-aged man finds himself obsessing with his squatter neighbor, a young closeted and tormented athlete who insistently pursues his attention. RATING: Not rated on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 28, 2021.
Stone Fruit(2020) 1 hour 35 minutes: Russ and Manny have drifted apart in their marriage but have seemingly come to terms with their decision to divorce at the start of their final trip together. RATING: 6.4 out of 10 on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting April 29, 2021.
I would like to include more gay programming. If you have any suggestions, let me know how I can improve this monthly post.
The 37th annual Wicked Queer Film Festival (Boston’s LGBTQ+ celebration of queer film) starts Thursday, April 1, 2021 and will run through the month. The festival will be broadcast on Xerb TV with special screenings also available on The Brattlelite (The Brattle Theatre’s virtual cinema) later in the month.
While it is disappointing that New England’s longest running queer film festival cannot return to movie houses this year, it does afford anyone with an Internet connection the opportunity to participate and watch some of these great independent films so I encourage anyone who enjoys queer cinema to consider checking it out.
This year’s film festival includes 13 experimental shorts, 8 films that speak to the trans community and share their stories, as well as 23 new feature films that will premiere from April 8 – 18, 2021.
You can learn more about all of the great films that will be showing through April as part of the 37th Wicked Queer Film Festival by visiting the event website at, wickedqueer.org.
The 37th Annual Wicked Queer Film Festival (Boston’s LGBTQ+ film festival) will be hosted once again on Xerb TV and begins April 1, 2021. The festival will include 17 short programs and 22 feature films this year.
Learn more about the film festival at their virtual Splash Party on @GATHER this Sunday, March 28 from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. (Note the link will remain locked until Sunday afternoon.) Wicked Queer will be sharing trailers of films that will be featured at this year’s festival, setting up chats to talk about the programming and to answer questions and of course there will be music from the talented DJ Brian Halligan.
Wicked Queer Film Festival Splash Party @GATHER Sunday, March 28 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Many of you may have noticed more filming signs popping up around Boston since the start of the New Year. It isn’t your imagination. A couple of filming crews recently wrapped up earlier this month, and George Clooney’s latest project started filming in and around Boston in early March.
“The Tender Bar” stars Ben Affleck and Lily Rabe and has George Clooney behind the camera, directing. The movie centers on a young J.R. (played by Tye Sheridan), who bonds with regulars at his uncle’s Long Island bar before leaving home to attend Yale. Ironically, Yale University is less than a two hour drive from Boston but the crew filmed the Yale graduation scenes at the Harvard Club in Back Bay on Commonwealth Avenue about 10-days ago. More recently the crew were filming at my neighborhood coffee shop, The South End Buttery.
Despite COVID-19 restrictions, Hollywood has been filming quite a bit in Boston. Last month film crews finished work on Netflix blockbuster film, “Don’t Look Up“, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio and Timothee Chalamet. And “Schitt’s Creek” actress Annie Murphy finished shooting a new series for AMC called “Kevin Can F*** Himself” in the suburbs of Boston.
Additionally, the popular FX horror series “American Horror Story” has been busy filming around Provincetown for their upcoming Season 10 which they have code named, Pilgrim. Filming had originally been scheduled to take place in the spring of 2020 but was rescheduled due to the coronavirus.
The immersive event, which opens later this year, is a unique media exhibition of the works of Vincent Van Gogh. The program is designed to engage your senses of sight and sound by pairing the images with music of great composers like Mozart and Bach. Famous paintings like The Starry Night will be projected as large three dimensional images and shapes allowing you to explore and experience his masterpieces in all their fine detail.
Tickets are currently on sale and is expected to sell out. You can learn more about this one-of-a-kind exhibition and purchase tickets by clicking on the link above. This exhibit will be open in Boston for approximately eight weeks starting the week of Christmas and running through the first weeks of 2022.
I’ve teamed up with Dekkoo (pronounced “DECK-koo”), the premiere subscription-based streaming service dedicated to gay men with the largest streaming collection of gay-centric entertainment available. I would welcome including more gay programming if you have any suggestions. Let me know your thoughts about this new post, how I can improve it, and if it’s of interest to you.
Below is recently released content on Dekkoo, available for download and viewing with a subscription.
New programming on Dekkoo
Everything I Like ||Todo Lo Que Me Gusto(2019) 8-part romantic comedy series from Argentina: Daniel is straight man renting a room from his friend Mario, a lawyer and drag queen. Things get complicated when Daniel realizes he has feelings for Javier the new cameraman at the dysfunctional production company he works. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 18, 2021.
Scaffolding(2012) From Spain 14 minutes: The film centers on Eduardo a snobby, cranky publicist and his neighbor, David, a shy literature student of literature who live in a building that is under construction. After months of barely greeting each other, construction activity brings them together in a most unexpected way. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 24, 2021.
Nevrland(2019) From Austria, 1 hour 28 minutes: A 17-year-old struggles with an anxiety disorder, that makes life increasingly difficult for him, and develops a virtual friendship with a 26-year-old artist. When they finally meet, an extremely unexpected chain of events occurs. RATING: 5.4 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 25, 2021.
More Than Only(2017) 1 hour 47 minutes: A young gay man finds how to love himself and accept love from another, despite the disapproval of his father. RATING: 6.0 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 2, 2021.
Involuntary Activist(2019) From the U.K., 20 minutes: An openly gay teacher must make a decision when his sister asks him to step back into the closet for her wedding in Turkey. RATING: 6.3 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 3, 2021.
Why Not You(2021) From Austria, 1 hour 47 minutes: Mario, a young dancer living in his small village has to face the loss of his beloved friend Lenz, victim of an attack in a gay club. RATING: 5.3 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 4, 2021.
Gay Films & Short Movies Coming Out Later This Month
Becoming Leslie(2019) 1 hour 24 minutes, Documentary: Chronicles life on the streets as seen through the eyes of a cross-dressing, homeless man, Leslie Cochran, one of the most beloved yet polarizing cult figures of Austin, Texas. Told with unapologetic humor, Leslie's bizarre meteoric rise to iconic status is starkly contrasted with living life on his own terms in a changing world. RATING: 6.1 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 9, 2021.
Verona(2010) 22 minutes: The story of two young lovers separated by their rival fraternities. RATING: 6.1 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 10, 2021.
Kept Boy(2017) 1 hour 29 minutes: A story of love, greed - and moisturizer. RATING: 5.4 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 11, 2021.
Reel(2013) From Sweden, 13 minutes: It is the last day before Victor has to move to another city with his parents. So he and his best friend Robert do all the things they liked to do together so much: skateboarding, spraying, hanging out. But something is different this time. RATING: 7.3 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 17, 2021.
Ernesto(1979) From Italy, 1 hour 34 minutes: Set in Triest in the year 1911. Ernesto is a priviliged, 17-year old who is passionate about playing the violin. Things go sideways after Ernesto meets the15 year old violin player, Emilio, and the two start an intense friendship. RATING: 7.0 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 18, 2021.
Such Good People(2014) 1 hour, 37 minutes: A young gay couple discovers a secret room filled with cash while house-sitting for a rich couple who die while out of the country. RATING: 4.7 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 23, 2021
Calamity(2017) 22 minutes: France meets her son's girlfriend for the first time. She loses control. RATING: 7.5 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 24, 2021
Little Miss Westie(2018) 1 hour 15 minutes, Documentary: Chronicles a year in the life of two transgender siblings as they navigate puberty, a local beauty pageant, and transitioning in the Trump era. RATING: 7.7 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 30, 2021
The Big Snore (2020) From Canada, 20 minutes: A light sleeper struggles one night to get some rest amid his man's loud snores. RATING: Not rated on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting March 31, 2021
Boston’s Wicked Queer Film Festival will begin next month, but due to ongoing concerns related to public health and the coronavirus, the program will be hosted on xerb.tv with feature films will running from April 8th – 18th.
This year the Wicked Queer Film Festival will also partner with Emerson College (April 30 to May 2) and The Brattle Theatre (dates TBD) to show films (more details to follow). Below is a partial listing of some of the films you can expect to see at this year’s festival.
See You Then (March 2021) Directed by award-winning director, writer, producer, and editor, Mari Walker.
Cicada(January 2021) is a New York love story that toes the line between narrative and documentary with two actors reliving parts of their own experiences.
Ahead of The Curve (June 2020) Franco Steven launched Curve, the best-selling lesbian magazine ever published, but decades later, in the wake of a disabling injury, Franco learns that Curve will fold. To forge a path forward, she reaches out to queer women working to understand what they need today.
No Ordinary Man (September 2020) is an in-depth look at the life of musician and trans culture icon Billy Tipton. Complicated, beautiful and historically unrivaled, this groundbreaking film shows what is possible when a community collaborates to honor the legacy of an unlikely hero.
P.S. Burn This Letter Please(April 2020) was the winner of the Audience Award at the 2020 Los Angeles Outfest for a documentary feature.
Saint-Narcisse(September 2020) When a young man who thought his mother was dead discovers that she may still be alive, he goes on a quest to find her. His journey takes him to a remote cabin in the woods where his mother lives in exile with a mysterious young woman.
While I am sure organizers had hoped to bring this year’s Wicked Queer Film Festival to theaters in Boston, the advantage of a virtual festival is that anyone with access to the Internet can join. If you love queer and independent film, consider checking out this year’s Wicked Queer Film Festival.
I’ll share more about this year’s festival as information becomes available. You can also bookmark the festival’s webpage, wickedqueer.org.
Last week Boston Pride announced that the Parade and Festival scheduled in June would be postponed to a date later this fall. Today, the popular music festival Boston Calling announced it too will be canceling the annual three-day event in Allston at the Harvard Athletic Complex. It had been scheduled for May 28-30, 2021.
Organizers have promised the festival will return Memorial Day weekend in 2022. You can read their full statement as well as information about ticket refunds on their website, bostoncalling.com.
Last month I shared this poll, soliciting your feedback and ideas on what you would like to see more of on BosGuy.com and an overwhelming number of you indicated that you’d like to see more information about gay entertainment and programming. While there are many websites that follow the entertainment industry, it is remarkably difficult to learn about new and upcoming programming for and about gay men.
I’ve teamed up with Dekkoo (pronounced “DECK-koo”), the premiere subscription-based streaming service dedicated to gay men with the largest streaming collection of gay-centric entertainment available. Let me know your thoughts about this new post, how I can improve it, and if it’s of interest to you.
Below is recently released content on Dekkoo, available for download and viewing with a subscription.
Killing Patient Zero(2019) From Canada, 1 hour 38 minutes: Gaetan Dugas was openly gay. In early 1980s he contracted what was termed “gay cancer”. He provided blood samples and 72 names of his former sex partners. Dugas was demonized for his promiscuity and wrongfully identified as patient zero. Mass(2020) 11 minutes: Trey is gay and lonely living in New York. Newly diagnosed with HIV, and dealing with his perceived physical inadequacy Trey strives to find the light within the dark. Nowhere(2020) 1 hour 28 minutes: Adrian and Sebastian live an openly gay life in New York as immigrants. When Sebastian’s visa is rejected, they must decide whether to return to Colombia (where they face rejection and persecution for being gay) or do whatever is necessary to stay in the US. Moroni for President(2018) 1 hour 22 minutes: Moroni Benally is running for the presidency of the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American nation in the U.S. Young, gay, Mormon, and highly educated, he sets out to confront the political establishment in a homecoming that challenges what he both imagined home, and himself, to be. Brother/Bror(2019) From Sweden, 14 minutes: Khalid was born in Iran, a country where having feelings for another man can lead to the death penalty. Nico was born in Sweden, a country where it’s openly accepted for a man to have a boyfriend. And yet it’s Nico who keeps holding back when Khalid tries to take their relationship to another level. Acute Misfortune(2018) From Australia, 1 hour 31 minutes: Adapted from an award-winning biography, this acclaimed drama follows Australian artist Adam Cullen and his real-life biographer Erik Jensen. As the two men grow closer, their professional relationship turns into a personal one and soon spirals into abuse and dependence. So Far, So Close (2021) new Dekkoo original series 8 episodes: An unfolding story about the worlds we create for ourselves when viewing life through a screen. Created, shot, and edited entirely remotely during the midst of a global pandemic, ‘So Far, So Close’ is a reflection of the world we live in, telling the stories of the barriers we build, the ones we choose, and how we’re all just hoping to connect.
Upcoming Gay Film & Gay Short Movies
Upstairs Inferno(2015) 1 hour 36 minutes: On June 24, 1973, the gay bar, Up Stairs Lounge, in New Orleans was deliberately set on fire: an event that for over 40 years, was considered the "Largest Gay Mass Murder in U.S. History". RATING: 8 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 9, 2021.
Amateur Dramatics(2019) 7 minutes: Two competing actors find truth in pretending. RATING: None available. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 10, 2021.
7 Minutes(2020) From France, 1 hour 18 minutes: Jean, a 55 year-old policeman from Toulouse finds his son, Maxime, and his son's boyfriend dead in a hotel room. The autopsy shows he died from an overdose of GHB 7-minutes after his boyfriend. Trying to understand his son and his tragic death leads Jean down a path he never could've anticipated. RATING: 5 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 11, 2021.
Your Eyes On Me(2020) 1 hour 19 minutes: A romantic encounter changes the life of a drag artist forever. RATING: 6.6 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 16, 2021.
Dario(2018) From Columbia, 15 minutes: Darío is a 17-year-old boy from Barranquilla, Colombia, who loves to dance in a carnival dancing group. But he tries to keep it secret because his mother doesn't want him to dance. RATING: 6.6 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 17, 2021.
Everything I Like ||Todo Lo Que Me Gusto(2019) From Argentina: Daniel is straight man renting a room from his friend Mario, a lawyer and drag queen. Things get complicated when Daniel realizes he has feelings for Javier the new Cameraman at the dysfunctional production company he works at. RATING: None available. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 18, 2021.
Scaffolding(2017) From Israel, 1 hour 30 minutes: 17-year-old Asher has always been the impulsive troublemaker at school. While his strict father sees him as a natural successor to his scaffolding business, Asher forges a special connection with his literature teacher Rami and begins to see new possibilities for himself. RATING: 6.9 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 24, 2021.
Nevrland(2019) From Austria, 1 hour 28 minutes: A 17-year-old struggles with an anxiety disorder, that makes life increasingly difficult for him, and develops a virtual friendship with a 26-year-old artist. When they finally meet, an extremely unexpected chain of events occurs. RATING: 5.4 Stars on IMDB. Available on Dekkoo, starting February 25, 2021.
The 23rd Provincetown International Film Festival, hosted by the Provincetown Film Society, will take place June 16 – June 25, 2021. The winter auction which opens later this week uses the money raised to help support the cinemas and continue their year-round programming including the annual Women’s Media Summit, Film Financing Forum, Jamaica on Film Festival, and the LGBTQIA2+ Young Film-Maker Mentorships.
Provincetown Film Society Winter Auction January 29 – February 7, 2021
About Provincetown Film Society (PFS): The Society is an advocate for gender, racial, and LGBTQIA+ representation in film, providing year-round programming and platforms that allow voices of all kinds to be heard. PFS’s work postively impacts the cultural and economic vitality of Provincetown, and its work helps shape industry discussions around parity in film.
Song Inkollo is a comic book artist of Chinese descent who is from Nantes, France. He uses his comics to share his stories, and I really enjoy his comic series “Daily Life of a Gay Couple” and recently shared his work. If you like what you see check out his Patreon site.
BosGuy 