Join film coordinator Carrie Miller, independent filmmaker and student majoring in Entertainment and Media Studies in UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, for a free twice-monthly movie screening event at ATHICA. From October to December 2023, Lavender Lens Movie Night will present queer and diverse films in a safe space. Highlights include the landmark films Paris is Burning, The Celluloid Closet, and Go Fish, as well as lesser-known titles and an evening of short films from emerging filmmakers of today.
All are welcome to attend and further the conversation.
I have always had a passion for queer films made by queer creators. As a queer filmmaker myself, I felt that it is important to watch films that are influential to queer cinema. — Carrie Miller
—————————Screening Schedule————————
Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 7:00 PM
Dykes, Camera, Action! by Caroline Berler
Lesbians didn’t always get to see themselves on screen. But between Stonewall, the feminist movement, and the experimental cinema of the 1970s, they built visibility, and transformed the social imagination about queerness. Filmmakers Barbara Hammer, Su Friedrich, Rose Troche, Cheryl Dunye, Yoruba Richen, Desiree Akhavan, Vicky Du, film critic B. Ruby Rich, Jenni Olson, and others share moving and often hilarious stories from their lives and discuss how they’ve expressed queer identity through film. Licensing and distribution from Frameline. Trailer: https://player.vimeo.com/video/252400055?h=3f01b74825
Wednesday, October 18, 2023, 7:00 PM
Go Fish by Rose Troche
After leaving behind her girlfriend to attend college in Chicago, young lesbian Max West (Guinevere Turner) is introduced to Ely (V.S. Brodie), a slightly older woman with quirky habits. While Max and Ely quickly develop an attraction to each another, a poorly timed phone call from Max’s long-distance girlfriend, Kate, brings things to an abrupt halt. Meanwhile Max’s roommate, Kia (T. Wendy McMillan), helps her girlfriend, Evy (Migdalia Melendez), cope with some tough times at home. Licensing and distribution from SWANK Motion Pictures Inc. Trailer: www.swank.com/go-fish
Wednesday, November 1, 2023, 7:00 PM
Paris is Burning by Jennie Livingston
This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their “house” culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. Groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Also touching on issues of racism and poverty, the film features interviews with a number of renowned drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey. Licensing and distribution from Janus Films. Trailer: https://vimeo.com/336164299
Wednesday, November 15, 2023, 7:00 PM
Queer Short Film Night. Directors Carrie Miller, Andrea Maxwell, and others.
Screening short films by independent and emerging filmmakers. Nana Dara is Gay by Andrea Maxwell; Beauty Within by Carrie Miller; and more to be announced. Enter your own film! More information and entry form: https://forms.gle/zt6ufw5RdopuQMjcA
Wednesday, December 6, 2023, 7:00 PM
The Celluloid Closet by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman
The Celluloid Closet is a riveting and entertaining look at Hollywood and how it has both reflected and defined the way we think about homosexuality. From comic sissies to lesbian vampires, from pathetic queens to sadistic predators, from the good to the bad, gay characters have been around since the beginning. Taking full advantage of over a hundred film clips of Hollywood classics (obtaining them for this film was no easy feat) it weaves an entertaining history lesson, expertly juxtaposing ideas and images. Licensing and distribution from Sony Pictures Classics. Trailer: https://www.tellingpictures.com/celluloidcloset
Wednesday, December 13, 2023, 7:00 PM
The Watermelon Woman by Cheryl Dunye
An aspiring black lesbian filmmaker researches an obscure 1940s black actress billed as the Watermelon Woman. Licensing and distribution from Janus Films. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtU6Wo29VXI