1) The Advocate has posted a compelling interview with filmmaker Dee Rees, whose movie Pariah is set to open in theaters on Christmas Day. Among other things, Dee discusses the autobiographical elements of her film, which follows a closeted teenager named Alike who is trying to maintain both a conservative home life and a secret one with her lesbian friends. She also reveals the role her famous mentor, director Spike Lee, played in the film’s production, saying he read over drafts, watched cuts, and “He went through our budget with like a ruler, gave feedback, did things he didn’t have to do. He went above and beyond.” Perhaps more touchingly though, he also helped improve her relationship with her parents, who are still struggling to accept the fact that Dee is gay, when he sent them a note saying “You should be proud of your daughter.”
2) Sundance’s GLAAD Media Award-nominated series Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys returns with a country flair, as its second season is set the Nashville, Tenn.You can see our rundown of this year’s BFFs here.The network must be pretty pleased with the result as well, since they’ve already started casting for season three, and are looking at Denver and New Orleans as possible settings.Anyone interested in applying should send their name, age, occupation, bio, explanation of why they should be cast, photo and phone number to girlswholikeboyscasting@gmail.com
3) If you’re a New Yorker who missed Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same when it played Sundance or the LGBT festivals, you may want to check out one of two special screenings of the film at the Museum of Modern Art as part of the “Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” exhibition. The first screening is Saturday, November 19, at 6 p.m., followed by another Monday, November 21, at 8:15 p.m. Click here for more information.
4) Out musician Beverly McClellan made a big impression on NBC’s hit singing competition The Voice, and she will hopefully find further success with the release of her first studio album since the show began (she released a self-titled album earlier this year). Fear Nothing will be released on November 21.
5) Lady Gaga fans looking for a backstage pass to one of her shows might find that a near impossible feat, but the next best thing might be a book of photographs shot by Terry Richardson being released on November 22.Over the course of one year of her life, Richardson followed Gaga on tour and snapped over 100,000 images, including her appearances advocating for the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” at the MTV Video Music Awards and the repeal rally in Portland, Maine. More details can be found on Amazon, or head out to your local bookstore next Tuesday to have a look. A video of Gaga reading the book's introduction can also be seen below.
6) For this week’s Kickstarter update, have a look at The Starlite Project, which hopes to tell the story of the “oldest black-owned gay bar in Brooklyn.”Filmmakers Kate Kunath and Sasha Wortzel hope the project will “preserve the historic memory of the Starlite (Lounge) and to counteract the forces which contributed to its closing.”Watch the trailer below to get a better sense of the film, and visit their Kickstarter page here for further information.
