Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) Those interested in some cinematic counter-programming to The Avengers this week might want to check out The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which also opens in wide release this weekend. Starring a handful of Britain’s finest actors (including Judi Dench and Maggie Smith), Marigold Hotel follows a group of retirees who decide to try living a new leisurely life in India only to experience something very different. Among them is an LGBT character that we won’t spoil here, played by one of the more prominent members of the cast.
2) Opening in New York this week is the new Kathleen Turner starring dramedy The Perfect Family, in which a housewife vying for a “Catholic Woman of the Year” award finds her chances complicated by her daughter (Emily Deschanel) coming out as a lesbian and announcing her engagement to her partner. The charming film deals with deep seated religious biases and family dynamics, and costars openly gay actor Richard Chamberlain as the local priest. The film opens in Los Angeles next week.
3) The Tribeca Film Festival has wrapped up, and among the standouts from this year’s lineup was Any Day Now, which received the festival’s first ever audience award for narrative film. The film stars Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt as a gay couple in 1970’s Los Angeles who must fight the legal system to adopt a neglected teenage boy with Down’s syndrome. It’s a safe bet the film will go on to make a splash on the LGBT film festival circuit which is now gearing up for the summer.
4) Last week Hulu launched an LGBT category, facilitating more access to LGBT cinema. This week a powerful documentary is making its debut on the platform as Photos of Angie is now available to everyone on the website. Following the life of Angie Zapata, a young transgender woman who was murdered in Colorado, Photos of Angie explores the passage of hate crimes legislation in the United States while telling her story of self-discovery. Click here to watch it on Hulu.
5) Southland, the LAPD drama on TNT, has been renewed for a fifth season. Starting next February fans of the series will get a chance to see 10 more episodes of the drama featuring out Officer John Cooper.
6) Tennessee Williams’ final full-length play In Masks Outrageous and Austere is running through May 25 at Culture Project in New York City. The story follows the richest woman in the world, her gay husband and his young lover as they are trapped in a mystery world by omnipotent forces. Suspense builds as a case of bizarre characters enter and trust disintegrates between the three leads. Discounted tickets are available through the play’s website for $35 using the code BLOG35.
7) Transgender actress Jamie Clayton was last seen playing a receptionist on the HBO series Hung, but her new role sees her taking on a very different line of work. In the aptly named web-series Dirty Work, Clayton plays a member of a crime scene cleanup crew named Michelle. Clayton’s character is described as a young transgender woman with a “warrior soul” who dreams of one day having a stable, family life. You can learn more about Michelle and watch the series’ first episode at Rides.tv.
8) The Real L Word has announced the new season three cast members and it’s going bi-coastal! Joining the cast for season three are stylist Sara and jewelry company CEO Lauren in Los Angeles. The New York cast features Hunter Valentine rockers Kiyomi and Somer and socialite and real estate agent Amanda. Past regular cast members Whitney (who has history with newcomer Sara), Romi and married couple Cori and Kacy will return for the season. The third season premieres on Showtime July 12. See the full cast bios at Entertainment Weekly and catch a sneak peek of the wild new season below.
9) The band Fun., whose song ‘We Are Young’ has been at the top of the charts, spoke out in favor of marriage equality in an interview with the Washington Post. All three members are straight allies but Jack Antonoff who lends his vocal, guitar and trumpet skills to the band said “We’re firm believers in the idea that if you’re not talking about it, you’re part of the problem. We realize we have an audience, and it would be a real shame to waste it” when speaking of the band’s desire to start a marriage equality organization.
10) The city of Los Angeles and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa have launched a contest as part of the Los Angeles LGBT Heritage Month inviting LGBT teenagers to submit creative works in the form of poems, essays, short stories or videos telling their life story. To find out more, click here.
11) Baby Lu is a coming of age film about thirteen-year-old Lucinda who is being raised in a very small New Mexico town by her well-intentioned but ultimately unequipped single father. When a mysterious new woman and her son arrive in town, Lucinda and her father must learn to cope with new emotions and the confusion of Lucinda’s burgeoning sexuality. The film has been sponsored by a non-profit in New Mexico, but the film team requires more funding for shooting and production costs. Learn more at the Baby Lu Kickstarter page and watch the trailer below.
