Frameline Organizers Credit Film Fest for Furthering Queer Cinema

Marta Balaga “Trans Memoria” director Victoria Verseau is ready for “Trans Love.” The second part of the planned trilogy about her transition, it will be a fictionalized take on the life-changing trip she took in her twenties. “I decided to go on a road trip in the U.S. and hitchhike for three months.

It looks like Paul Bernon has moved on from fiancée Bethenny Frankel.

Saint Clare starring Bella Thorne will open this year’s Taormina Film Festival.

John Bleasdale Guest Contributor The world premiere of Mitzi Peirone’s horror film “Saint Clare” will open the Taormina Film Festival, this year celebrating its 70th anniversary edition. The adaptation of Don Roff’s novel stars Bella Thorne, Ryan Phillippe, Frank Whaley and Rebecca De Mornay. It’s the first of four world premieres to screen at the outdoor Teatro Antico in the Sicilian town, which looks out towards Mount Etna, an active volcano, to the West.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Five documentary filmmaking teams haven been selected to participate in the Catapult Film Fund and True/False Film Festival‘s ninth annual Rough Cut Retreat. The immersive mentorship is designed for documentary feature filmmakers who lack strong feedback networks.

Naman Ramachandran The 32nd Raindance Film Festival (June 19-28) has revealed its jury award winners, reflecting a renewed focus on emerging filmmakers. Korean thriller “Sleep,” directed by Jason Yu and starring Lee Sun-kyun and Jung Yu-mi, took home the Discovery Award for best debut feature. The film marks Lee’s final role before his passing.

Naman Ramachandran U.K. independent film showcase, the Raindance Film Festival, has partnered with international legal firm Guernica 37 Group (G37) to develop films based on human rights cases. This collaboration aims to produce up to six documentary and fact-based features, using G37’s archive of justice and accountability cases.

As Georgia O’Keeffe was to the landscape of New Mexico, artist Chiura Obata was to the grandeur of Yosemite.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Caught by the Tides,” the contemporary Chinese epic film directed by Jia Zhangke, has been acquired for U.S. release by Sidehow and Janus Films. The film appeared in main competition in Cannes in May and is on one an extended look at the romantic destiny of his perennial heroine, Qiaoqiao (Zhao Tao) over a period of 21 years.

Marc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Kamala Harris will be in Los Angeles on June 29 for a Pride month Biden-Harris fundraiser that is already attracting some of Hollywood’s most powerful players and creatives. I can exclusively report that invites are expected to go out today for what’s officially being billed as a “Pride Garden Party With Vice President Kamala Harris.” Tony winner Idina Menzel will perform during the afternoon program.

Sabrina Carpenter is heading out on tour in support of her new album Short n’ Sweet.

Outside Lands just added a shot of “Espresso” to its lineup.On Thursday, June 20, the annual San Francisco festival announced hitmaker Sabrina Carpenter will take Hip-Hop hero Tyler The Creator‘s spot atop their star-studded bill.The 25-year-old pop icon joins major stars Chappell Roan, The Killers, Post Malone, Sturgill Simpson and Reneé Rapp at the three-day extravaganza taking place Aug.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Steve W. Chung, a former executive at Fox and Korea’s CJ ENM, has been appointed as the inaugural COO of Azuki, an anime community platform and digital art collection.

Chuu, formerly of the girl group LOONA, has announced her upcoming 2024 ‘Strawberry Rush’ fan-con tour in the Americas, featuring concerts in the US, Mexico and more.Today (June 20), Chuu revealed the dates and details for her 2024 ‘Strawberry Rush’ fan-con tour, a 12-date tour of the Americas that will feature concerts in the US, Mexico, Brazil and Chile from July to August this year.The K-pop star will kick off the tour on July 17 with a show at the The Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. Thereafter, the singer will performance shows in the cities of San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans and more in the same month.The following month, the singer will wrap up the US leg of her tour with two final shows in Indianapolis and New York on August 3 and 5, respectively.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “Extremely Unique Dynamic,” a comedy drama film that plays at the Frameline Festival in San Francisco, is set for release later this year in North America. North American rights to the picture were acquired by distributor Strand Releasing, which says it plans a late fall theatrical release. The U.S.-produced film chronicles “two best friends who test the limits of their relationship while making a triple-meta movie.” It had its debut in March at the Sonoma International Film Festival and followed that with appearance at Inside Out and CAAMFest.

(G)I-DLE is heading stateside!

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor When Variety broke down the 100 greatest TV shows of all time late last year, 12 creators were invited to discuss the series that inspired them. Among those welcomed was Lena Waithe, who didn’t waste a beat to credit “The Cosby Show” spinoff, “A Different World,” for sparking her early interest and getting her creative juices flowing. “When it came time to name my production company, Hillman Grad just felt right,” Waithe says of the fictional college in the sitcom.

cleared to descend on the infamous property north of Santa Ynez, Calif., for the shoot in April, according to film permit activity reviewed by SF Gate. “Dialogue, petting zoom, stunt” and the use of helicopters were given the green light.Jackson’s nephew Jaafar Jackson plays the late King of Pop in Antoine Fuqua’s “Michael,” slated for release in April 2025.The property has been associated with lurid claims against Jackson, who died at age 50 in 2009 from an acute drug overdose.Jackson faced 14 charges including seven counts of child molestation and two counts of giving alcohol to a minor in a child sex abuse probe, but was acquitted of all charges in June 2005.

Deauville American Film Festival Director Bruno Barde has been suspended from his role following accusations by seven women of sexual harassment in report by French investigative website Mediapart.

The Four Tops has sued a hospital for alleged racial discrimination and false imprisonment.Morris has filed the lawsuit against a Michigan hospital, who he claims put him in a restraining jacket when Morris told them he was in the legendary Motown group. The Four Tops singer went to the emergency room at Ascension Macomb Oakland Hospital on April 7, 2023, as he was apparently suffering from chest pains and had difficulty breathing whilst singing and touring with The Temptations.However, upon telling the hospital about his profession, Morris alleges white hospital staff “wrongfully assumed he was mentally ill” and placed him in “a restraining jacket and/or a four-point restraint mechanism.” He went on to accuse staff of removing his oxygen, and ordering him to wait for a compulsory psychological evaluation.The lawsuit also claims staff refused to confirm his identity, his “significant” history of cardiac disease, or even see his identification card.