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) Opening in limited release this weekend from Strand Releasing is the French film Unforgivable from director André Téchiné. A crime novelist moves to Venice to finish a new book, but falls in love with his bisexual real-estate agent Judith. As time passes, he becomes increasingly obsessed with learning about Judith’s past and hires an ex-con to investigate her every move. Watch the trailer below.
2) Production starts this week on the film Geography Club based on Brent Hartinger’s novel that follows a group of high school students that feel like outsiders because of their orientation. The narrator, a teacher at the school, forms a club for the kids to meet without suspicion. The film will star Nikki Blonsky, Meaghan Martin, Cameron Deane Stewart, Justin Deeley, Ally Maki, Allie Gonino and Andrew Caldwell.
3) Project Runway Season 8 finalist, Andy South, came out publicly as transgender via Facebook. South updated her gender on Facebook to female and has changed her name to Nong Ariyaphon Southiphong. In an update on Facebook the designer thanked fans and friends and wrote, “I am blessed to be accepted and welcomed just the way I am. May that love flow through me and onto many others. Live in love for the world needs it.” Southiphong was a contestant on one of the show’s most competitive seasons that included Mondo Guerro, Michael Costello, and Gretchen Jones. Her season of Project Runway was the recipient of a GLAAD Media Award in the Outstanding Reality Program category.
4) The second season of Showtime’s comedy series Episodes will begin airing on July 1, and will feature a recurring gay TV exec named Andy Button. Episodes follows the behind the scenes drama of a sitcom starring Friends’ Matt Leblanc which is run by two British television creators. You can watch a featurette of the comedy stylings of Andy and his coworker Myra below.
5) USA has released an extended trailer for the upcoming political miniseries from Brothers & Sisters creator Greg Berlanti, Political Animals. Sigourney Weaver stars in the series as a former first lady turn Secretary of State (sound familiar?) trying to navigate the tricky waters of Washington while she and her family face increasing scrutiny. Among them is her gay son TJ, who’s dealing with life in the public eye through self-destructive behavior, as you can see below. Vanessa Redgrave will guest star as a lesbian Supreme Court justice who serves as a mentor to Weaver’s character.
6) The New Broadway Cast Recording of Evita was released this week starring openly gay Grammy-winning singer and actor Ricky Martin as Ché and Elena Roger as Evita. The 2 CD set, available on iTunes, is the first complete English language recording since the original 1979 Broadway cast album. Check out Martin, who accepted the Vito Russo Award at the GLAAD Media Awards last year, performing “And The Money Kept Rolling In” at the 2012 Tony Awards below.
7) British singer-songwriter, George Michael commemorated thirty years of success by releasing his new single, “White Light” to radio. The song was released on the exact thirty-year anniversary of the release of his first hit single, “Wham Rap.” In an announcement on his website, Michael wrote, “I am truly blessed, and ‘White Light’ is my thank you to everyone who has been a part of my success.” “White Light” will be available to purchase on August 12th.
8) Over at Indiegogo, filmmakers Samantha Asumadu and Pablo Navarrete are raising funds to tell the story of wealthy U.S. religious institutions’ financing of anti-gay rhetoric in Uganda leading to wildly homophobic sentiments across the nation. In Born Again in the United States of Uganda they explore the efforts put in place to spread anti-gay sentiments in the African nation that lead to the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to the Parliament. Head to the project’s Indiegogo page to find out more.
