All Trans Cast Film 'Bella Maddo' Premieres At Outfest 2010

One of the things the trans community has long complained about is having cispeople playing trans roles in films and not getting the opportunity to do the reverse.

Now we have a groundbreaking film that not only features an all trans cast of men, women and children, they have flipped the casting script and the trans actors are all playing non trans roles.

"There are very limited roles for transgender actors in film and television," stated Bella Maddo' director Janice Danielle. "By making this film I am hoping to expand acting opportunities and increase the visibility of the trans community."

The short film by Danielle is called 'Bella Maddo' and it opened last night at the 28th annual Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.





"We are proud to premiere this witty, entertaining and ultimately ground-breaking film," said Outfest Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer. "Bella Maddo really demonstrates Janice Danielle's range as both an actor and a director."

"Bella Maddo" has appeared at the Cannes Film Festival 2010 in the Short Film Corner and is currently in development as a six part mini-series.

Some of the notable people in the all trans cast is my sis Isis King and transkid Miss Jazz from the Barbara Walters 20/20 report on trans children.

It premiered at Outfest last night and will run again July 15th as part of the comedy shorts program called "From Uranus to Titicaca". It will be part of a July 17th special event called "Transpolitics Then and Now: from Queens at Heart to Bella Maddo."

Outfest 2010 started July 8 and will continue through July 18.

Looking forward to seeing the film and hopefully the miniseries.

A Movie That Doesn't Tick Us Off- 'Paulista'

Note to Israel Luna: a movie opened in an LA film festival recently that will give you more than a clue about the proper way to represent transpeople in film.

Lost in the uproar about TOTWK is the opening of a movie featuring a trans character that unlike that jacked up film, has garnered rave reviews. It also features 'gasp', a transwoman actress playing her transwoman character in a non-stereotypical fashion.

The Brazilian made movie directed by Roberto Moreira is called 'Paulista'. Ir focuses on the lives and exploits of several young people living in a Sao Paulo apartment building and looking for love.



One of the interesting characters in 'Paulista' is played by transwoman Maria Clara Spinelli.

She plays an attorney named Suzana, who tentatively begins to open her heart to another attorney named Gil at her firm. But she faces the 'when do I tell him' dilemma common to all transwomen who find themselves falling in love with cismen.

Once she does, Gil has a hard time getting past her trans status and allowing himself to fall in love with the person in front of him.

Spinelli has gotten rave reviews for her portrayal of Suzana on the film festival circuit and even picked up a best actress award in the process.

Wouldn't it be nice if more US filmmakers actually hired trans actors to play transpeople in films as has been done in other nations?

It's the reason I want to see 'Stealth' when it finally gets released.

But I'm digressing. If 'Paulista' hits my local indie film theater back in H-town, I'm definitely planning on seeing it.

The Queen's New Flick-Just Wright

I love me some Queen Latifah as much as my Canadian homegirl does.

Naah, scratch that. I think Renee has me beat when it comes to hailing the Queen.

At any rate, the Queen is about to grace us with a new movie coming out around May 14. It's called Just Right and in addition to her, it stars Common, Paula Patton, Phylicia Rashad and Pam Grier.

The trailer looks interesting, and it's directed by Sanaa Hamri, who directed Something New with Sanaa Lathan.

I'll definitely be at the local multiplex for it when it gets released.

'Precious'

Earlier tonight I rolled over to my local multiplex to check out Precious.'

All I have to say about it is 'wow'.

It was worth every penny of the $8.50 I shelled out on it since I missed the matinee.

The movie is based on the novel Push by Sapphire, and it stars Gabourey 'Gabby' Sidibe as Precious, Mo'Nique, Paula Patton, Mariah Carey, and Lenny Kravitz.

It has been piling up the awards. It earned three awards at the Sundance Film Festival and a 15 minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

Mo'Nique deserves an Oscar nomination for her role as the abusive mother in this film. It was also interesting seeing Mariah Carey as the social worker Ms. Weiss.

It took me a few moments to recognize her since she had no makeup on and was in frumpy clothes to play this character, and yes, she actually did a bang up job in her role.



I'm not going to spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it yet, but I'd advise you to not wait until Precious hits DVD.

It will definitely be worth the trip.

Nikki Reed and Kristen Stewart Set For Gender Bending Roles In Upcoming Movie 'K-11'

White it's irritating to some people in the transgender community who feel our own should be doing these roles, Hollywood has other ideas.

The trend of ciswomen playing transwomen in motion pictures continues with Nikki Reed and Kristen Stewart from Twilight being the latest actresses to attempt to do so in the upcoming movie 'K-11'.

The movie is set for release in 2010, and the title refers to the section of the LA County Jail in which celebrities and GLBT people are housed.

They are placed there to avoid putting them in dangerous and potentially life threatening situations with general population prisoners.

It focuses on a successful record executive who is jailed in K-11 on suspicion of murder and is housed in the dormitory like facility.

Details about the movie have yet to be released, but Reed will play Mousie, the cell block leader, while Stewart will play Butterfly.

Kerry Washington-More Video

Here's more Kerry Washington video promoting Life Is Hot In Cracktown (which I have yet to see since I'm not in a major city.

'Purple Rain' 25th Anniversary

Damn, has it actually been 25 years since that hot Houston summer day my brother and I rolled up to the Almeda 8 and bought tickets to see Purple Rain?

The movie opened 25 years ago today, but was preceded by the release of the soundtrack album on June 25. The award winning album sold 11 million copies in the US.

When the movie was released on July 27 it grossed $70 million in US domestic ticket sales. It also catapulted Prince to a level of stardom in the 80's rivaled only by Michael Jackson and Madonna.

Purple Rain is still one of my fave movies especially since Morris Day and Jerome Benton's antics had me cracking up, except for the one scene in which Jerome slam dunked a sister in a dumpster who was berating Morris for standing her up.



This 'The Password Is What' routine is the classic Abbott and Costello 'Who's on First' baseball comedy routine hilariously remixed for the 80's.

The movie is still one of my fave all time ones. It was worth every penny I spent on it then at my local multiplex and all the subsequent cash I spent on the VHS and DVD tapes.

It's also amazing to note the fact it's been 25 years since it first debuted.

'XXY'

There's an interesting award winning Argentinean movie out called 'XXY' which is out on DVD.

The film has received widespread critical acclaim since its 2007 release. XXY has received twenty different awards in total and won the Critics Week Grand Prize at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and the ACID/CCAS Support Award.

It received three awards during the 2008 Argentine Film Critics Association Awards including Best Film.

The film focuses on 15 year old intersex teen Alex, who has reached puberty and has a momentous decision to make in addition to all the other drama associated with being a teenager.



Alex Kraken has ambiguous genitalia, and has been living as a girl since birth. Alex has been taking medication to suppress the masculine trails that are trying to rear their heads during puberty, but has stopped taking them for the moment.

She has an understanding family that includes her marine biologist father Nestor who has written a book on sexuality. They move to a seaside village in Uruguay from Argentina in order to protect Alex from a disapproving society.

One day her mother Suli invites a surgeon from Argentina, his wife and their son Alvaro for a visit. The visit has a hidden agenda because Suli, unbeknownst to Alex and Nestor, has extended the invitation in order to discuss the possibilities of a sex-change operation.

Meanwhile, Alex bluntly tells Álvaro that she would like to have sex with him. She successfully seduces Alvaro, but their tryst that includes anal penetration is interrupted when Néstor catches sight of them through an ajar door.

Alex later apologizes to Alvaro for performing anal intercourse on him and Álvaro admits he liked it.

After Alex has a near rape encounter with three boys who forcibly remove her shorts to see her genitals, Nestor realizes that filing a police report exposes Alex's secret to the entire town.

I'll let y'all see the movie to determine how it ends.

The movie title refers to a condition called Klinefelter Syndrome, in which males have an extra X sex chromosome. The theme about intersex organisms in nature is also reflected throughout the movie and the fact that Alex keeps an aquarium full of clownfish, which start male but can end up female.

But it's an interesting peek, albeit a fictionalized account of some of the issues our intersex friends deal with. It also speaks to the increase in more parents of intersex children opting to delay genital surgery until the child expresses a preference for one gender path or the other.

Is She Or Isn't She Linda?

For those of you who are fans of The Matrix trilogy, you are well aware of the fact that it was written, directed and produced by the Wachowski siblings.

You may be saying to yourself, don't you mean the famed movie making, writing and producing team the Wachowski Brothers?

Umm, that's a good question.

Larry, the elder Wachowski sibling, in 2003 began making public appearances en femme. The rumors quickly started flying that a gender change was beginning and Lana Wachowski was beginning to emerge.

The break up of Wachowski's nine year marriage to childhood sweetheart Thea Broom only added more fuel to the rumors swirling around Hollywood and beyond.

A May 30, 2003 column by David Poland said, "Every indication I have says that Larry Wachowski is now in the process of changing his sex. Dressing in public like a woman, taking female hormones and yes, having a sex change operation."

The story only got more interesting after the movie V For Vendetta was released and the writing credit went to the Wachowski brothers. The same was true for Speed Racer as well.

While producing, directing and filming the live screed adaptation of Speed Racer in 2007 there were denials that gender reassignment surgery had occurred.

But then pops up this April 17 photo of Linda leaving LAX. I say Linda because once again, another rumor surfaced that she's officially changed her name.

Hmm, does this person look like a dude to you? Yeah, right.

Due to the reclusive nature of the Wachowski siblings, we don't have a definitive answer to that question yet. The only way we'll get it is when Linda Wachowski calls that press conference or releases a statement through a publicist.

Only then will we have concrete proof confirming what has been widely speculated through much anecdotal and photographic evidence to have occurred.

And even Neo and Morpheus can see that.

'Stealth' Update

I posted back in March about the movie Stealth, which stars Alexandra Billings and Jennifer Fontaine and is directed by Marlo Bernier.

Got a recent update from Marlo in terms of how the film is progressing. She's at the 'picture-lock' phase, and then the film moves on to the sound editing phase.

I thank her and the Stealth team for keeping me updated so I can share it with you loyal TransGriot readers.

I'm looking forward to seeing this film when it finally hits my local theater.

The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela

This is an award winning movie by Icelandic director Olaf De Fleur Johannesson released last October about a transpinay named Raquela. She dreams of escaping Cebu City to experience romance and life in Paris. It's racked up awards at various film festivals around the globe and here's the trailer for it.

Alexandra Billings Stars In Upcoming Movie 'Stealth'

TransGriot Note: Remember when I asked the question when would Hollywood start using transgender actresses for transgender parts and surmised it would take us writing and producing our own films for that to happen? Peep this press release I received today about the movie Stealth.

Move over Lana Wachowski, you're not the only transgender director in town

Marlo Bernier’s directorial debut, Stealth, explores life as a Transgender

Los Angeles, California
March 28, 2009

Principal Photography begins April 4th on Marlo Bernier’s transgender tale, Stealth, which spotlights both the unfortunate intolerance of society and the reinforcing power of acceptance.

The film, shooting in and around Los Angeles, California, is a Jackie Frost Films production in association with Scorpio Rising Films and funded by Mississippi Films, Susan Smith and Jon Lipitz.

Award-winning transgender actress, singer and renowned Professor of The Viewpoints at California State University and The Steppenwolf Theater, Alexandra Billings (Grey’s Anatomy) takes the lead as Veronica Terranova alongside Indie actresses Jennifer Fontaine (LOOK) and Elizabeth J. Martin (Expired) who complete the ensemble in roles as her two sisters.

Stealth steers audiences through the secretive and shocking events surrounding transgender Veronica Terranova. Sitting alone in a dark hotel room, a dead and dirty politician by her side, Veronica must make the difficult decision to call Jeannine, her younger sister, who has always been there for her. Panic stricken, Jeannine secretly calls their eldest sister, Celia, the only one who can truly help...but will she?

A powerful mix of sisterly love and abject rejection, Stealth is an insightful and candid look at how one family handles transgenderism. Director, Marlo Bernier reveals, “I know this world all too well. I have lived my entire life as Mark and am now forced to deal with not only my own demons, but also a world that, for the most part, has absolutely no understanding of what it means to be transgender.”

Behind-the-scenes, 4-time Outmusic award nominated and visionary transgender singer/songwriter Namoli Brennet will provide a haunting score, and award-winning documentarian Andre Enzensberger will lend his eye as the Director of Photography.

Stealth marks the second collaboration of the writing/producing team Marlo Bernier and Jennifer Fontaine. The team’s first endeavor ‘The Last Time We Were…’ garnered the duo a Silver Remi at WorldFest Houston and played to packed screenings at the Los Angeles International Shorts Fest and the Beloit International Film Fest. They currently have 5 feature scripts in various stages of development, including ‘Glass Houses’ which has attached actors Pruitt Taylor Vince, Austin Pendleton and Jason Connery, and is currently in the packaging stage.

Contact:
Susan Smith
Scorpio Rising Films
susan@scorpiorisingfilms.com
323.807.5985

If A Transwoman Can Play A Transwoman In Indian Movies, How About In Hollywood?

I found it interesting last year that a young Indian transwoman has gone somewhere that transpeople in the States haven't. But what else is new for us here?

Last year Karpaga made history in India as she became the first transwoman to be cast in a lead role in a commercial film. She was cast as the lead in a Tamil language film called Paal, which means gender in the Tamil language.

While Indian transpeople are justifiably proud of this cultural step up since they have been dissed for far too long in movies like their American cousins, at least they actually have transwomen playing transwomen in their films.

And based on the plot synopsis for this one, Paal looks pretty interesting. She's playing an intellectual filmmaker who falls in love and faces the 'do I tell' dilemma.

What we've gotten here in the States, be it the silver screen or television is cisgender actresses scooping up those role. The recent announcement that Nicole Kidman is set to play pioneer transwoman Lili Elbe in the indie film The Danish Girl only heightens our annoyance about this.

It's not like we don't have transgender actresses in Hollywood. Candis Cayne, Calpernia Addams, Aleshia Brevard, Jazzmun and Alexandra Billings are some of the ones that come to mind. Candis recently had her groundbreaking role in the now cancelled Dirty Sexy Money that ended predictably in her death, but that's another post.

It would be nice if Hollywood would actually put a transwoman in a transgender role, but they still can't get it right with cisgender women of color either.

What's going to have to happen is that transwomen are going to have to write, produce and direct their own stories, and one of those indie films is going to have to make enough money and garner enough awards to get the peeps in Hollywood's attention.

As for Paal, here's hoping it's an artistic and commercial success in India and beyond, and it leads to a nice career for Karpaga and other Indian transwomen who follow in her pumps.

Nicole Kidman To Play Transwoman Lili Elbe

Seeing how well it worked for Felicity Huffman to play a transwoman in the movie Transamerica, Oscar winning actress Nicole Kidman is now going to do so in an upcoming indie film called the Danish Girl, based on David Ebeshoff's fictionalized account of the relationship of Elbe and wife Gerda, who will be played by Oscar winner Charlize Theron.

Gerda was a successful artist and illustrator in her own right, and in addition to painting beautiful pictures of women, painted some highly erotic ones as well. You may wish to wait until you get home to check them out courtesy of the Dorothy Surrender's blog if you're curious since these images are a bit steamy for work.

But for us transpeeps, Lili is considered the pioneer. She was born Einar Wegener in 1886 and met Gerda Gottlieb while they were students in a Copenhagen art school.

They settled in Paris in 1912 and worked as illustrators, with Einar focusing on painting landscapes while Gerda finding commercial success focusing on books and fashion magazines. Lili's body type also allowed her to pass quite easily as a woman, which she did from 1910 onwards.

When one of Gerda's models no showed, she asked Lili to fill in to great success. Gerda then continued to use Lili in a series of paintings as her model. Sometimes she was dressed in high fashion clothes, other times in the nude.

Beginning in 1930, after Lili's examination by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, she underwent an experimental series of operations in Berlin to finish her transformation to woman. She had an ovarian transplant performed in the second surgery, but after she experienced severe abdominal pain, had emergency surgery to remove them. She died in 1931 as a result of complications from that failed transplant and is buried in Dresden, Germany.

It's going to be interesting to not only see this piece of transgender history come to the silver screen, but see Nicole Kidman playing a transwoman as well.

Looking forward to seeing this movie when it finally comes out.

Monica's All-Time Favorite Black Cinema List

I am a movie junkie. One of my simple pleasures is to roll over to my favorite multiplex, buy myself a large tub of buttered popcorn, sit in the middle of the third of fourth row from the screen and happily munch away while checking out a movie. I attend five to six a year at my local multiplex in addition to my ever growing DVD movie collection.

I love Black cinema. I grew up in a time when I had Black oriented movies pop up briefly during the 70's 'Blaxplotiation' era, then watched them disappear until Spike Lee's She's Gotta Have It hit the screens in 1986.

Because of that experience, I have a deep appreciation and desire for seeing my cultural experience and stories realistically portrayed on the silver screen and actors who reflect my ethnic heritage. African-American oriented movies have priority for my movie going dollars and being added to my DVD movie collection. When those movies debut I try to see them on either the first or second weekend of their release.

So TransGriot readers, this is my personal Top 25 favorite Black films of all time and ten that made my Honorable Mention list. I'm going to revisit this topic during the 2008 Oscars and see if my thoughts have changed. Feedback is welcomed as well.

Here's the list (2007 version)

1-Any Oscar Micheaux filmed movie. Without Oscar, there is no Black film industry.

1A-Carmen Jones


2-Imitation Of Life

3-The Color Purple

4-She's Gotta Have it

5-Malcolm X

6-Cooley High

7-Love and Basketball

8-Purple Rain

9-Cleopatra Jones

10-Coffy

11-Cotton Come To Harlem

12-Soul Food

13-Waiting To Exhale

14-Madea's Family Reunion

15-Brown Sugar

16-The Best Man

17-School Daze

18-Hollywood Shuffle

19-Shaft

20-Shaft (2000)

21-The Wiz

22-The Wood

23-Barbershop

24-Friday

25-Dreamgirls


Honorable mention


1-Boomerang

2-Set It Off

3-New Jack City

4-Love Jones

5-Harlem Nights

6-House Party

7-Deliver Us From Eva

8-Beauty Shop

9-Drumline

10-Jason's Lyric

11-Super Fly

12-Sweet Sweetback's Bad Ass Song

13-The Brothers

14-Hav Plenty

15-Foxy Brown

Sicko

I'd heard about Sicko when it was in production about two years ago. I have several friends in the health-care industry who reported to me that they'd been told by their supervisors NOT to talk to Michael Moore.

So what's the health care industry 'scurred' of? Universal single payer health care and this movie, which opens in 440 theaters nationwide today.

It has been a mild irritant to me that other industrialized nations such as Canada, Great Britain and even Costa Rica have universal free health care for their citizens and the richest country on the planet doesn't.

That lack of universal health care is costing us.

When you buy a new car for example, $1000 of the cost of it goes toward paying for health insurance. One of the reasons US car companies are getting their butts kicked in the world marketplace is that Toyota and Hyundai don't have to factor health-care costs in their pricing.

But back to Sicko. I went to a press event this morning in front of the Baxter Avenue Theater (where it's being shown in Louisville) staged by a coalition of groups that are pushing for universal single payer health care. HR 676 authored by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) seeks to establish such a system. In addition to being co-sponsored by 75 members it is supported by 13,000 doctors and businesses.

The bill is currently in the House Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Natural Resources Committees.

I'm definitely planning on heading over to the Baxter to see it this weekend.

Daddy's Little Girls

I have a confession to make. I'm a serious movie junkie.

If the premise of a movie intrigues me I won't hesitate to head to the local multiplex to check it out on the first weekend it opens. When I get there I'll buy a large tub of buttered popcorn, a large drink and contentedly munch away as I enjoy the show. If I'm not feeling the plot synopsis that's when I'll wait until it hits DVD. (and it won't be a bootleg DVD either).

I love movies with great plots, realistic characters, and a compelling story. Hey, I'm a writer. That's what I like in a movie and I believe that what's been missing in a lot of films lately. A bumpin' soundtrack doesn't hurt either. I also like romantic comedies, action films, sci-fi, some musicals and a good documentary from time to time.

One movie that's definitely on my must see list is the Tyler Perry produced film Daddy's Little Girls starring Gabrielle Union, Tracee Ellis Ross, Malinda Williams, Lou Gossett Jr, Terri Vaughn and Idris Elba.

The plot centers around Julia, a successful attorney played by Union who falls in love with Monty, a financially challenged mechanic played by Elba. They are introduced to each other when the mechanic's ex-wife with gangsta boyfriend in tow suddenly reappears in his life and threatents to take away their three daughters. He needs legal represenation fast and he's introduced to her by a friend who works for Julia.

I've liked the trailers I've seen for this movie so far. This will probably be another hit for Tyler Perry. It's also the first film he's produced that won't have Madea in it. The film was scheduled to be released on February 14 but I'm now seeing February 23 as a release date for it.

In any case, whether it's on Valentine's Day or sometime before or after that date, I'm still looking forward to seeing it.

Stomp the Yard

Last night I went to see Stomp The Yard at my local multiplex. Since I have more than a passing interest in step shows being the child of a sorority member, I wanted to see if the filmakers accurately captured the flavor of African-American fraternity life.

Boy did they ever.

While I wasn't enamored of the opening gangsta step sequence, I definitely got into the rest of the movie. Seeing Harry J. Lennix and Valarie Pettiford in the movie was a bonus.

One sad note about the movie for me. I noticed during the scene in which TNT was practicing their step show routine, they were in a gym that had MBC painted on the bleachers. That's when I snapped to the realization that some of the scenes for the fictional Atlanta-based HBCU called Truth University were filmed on the Morris Brown College campus.

It took me back to my own UH college days. Remembering the step battles that happened at the North Texas Greek Show and various other local step shows at TSU, Prairie View and UH. There was the on-campus Hateraid between the Que's and Kappas that I observed the first week I was on campus that provided a constant source of amusement for me.

Wednesdays and Fridays were the days that all the African-American frats and sororities stood their pledges in front of the UC for inspection by their big brothers and big sisters. The Omegas after checking out their pledges would have them jog through the Kappa pledge line to break it up and dare them to do anything about it. One day they pushed it too far and the Kappas retaliated. A Kappa Kane was swung at the tail Que pledge in line and he fortunately ducked in time. A Que who was 6'5" and worked as a bouncer at a new wave nightclub snatched that inch thick cane and broke it into four pieces with his bare hands as his brothers chanted, "Shook, shook, shook, got yo' cane took."

But back to the movie. Awesome step sequences, the old school-new school drama, conflicts between rival frats that play out over generations, a great love story, with power plays and secrets that ruined and have the potential to ruin lives play out as this movie unfolds. It also has a neat sequence in which points out the fabulous leadership and service heritage that African-American fraternities and sororities have provided for our people.

It's definitely getting added to my DVD collection when it comes out.