In the first installment of my exclusive two-part audio montage series, I talked with gay and straight filmmakers at the 17th annual Provincetown International Film Festival press luncheon at the fabulous Land's End Inn. First, I talked to fierce straight allies Director Jeffrey Kaufman and Producer Marcia Ross about their documentary The State of Marriage that chronicles Vermont lawyers Susan Murray and Beth Robinson along with GLAD attorney Mary Bonauto (who argued the recent Supreme Court case for Marriage Equality), as they historically and passionately paved the way for the entire marriage equality movement in this country. Kaufman and Ross were so moved by their quest for marriage equality that they actually fell in love while creating this riveting film. They talk about what led a straight couple to embrace our community and their spin on the future of LGBT equality.
LISTEN:
Next, I talked to Filmmaker Laurie Kahn about her documentary Love Between The Covers which is a fascinating, fun film revealing the remarkable global community of women who create, consume and love romance novels. For three years Kahn followed the lives of five diverse published romance authors and one unpublished newbie as they built their businesses, found and lost loved ones, coped with a tsunami of change in the publishing industry and earn a living doing what they love while empowering others to do the same. Then I chatted with Matthew Breen, Editor-in-Chief of The Advocate about the state of LGBT equality in this country. Breen hosted a very interesting panel at the film festival entitled Gay Voices: Where The Personal Meets The Political. He was joined on the panel by Filmmakers Jean Carlomusto Larry Kramer In Love And Anger Jeff Kaufman and Marcia Ross The State of Marriage and David Thorpe Do I Sound Gay? in a very cutting-edge discussion on LGBT filmmaking and beyond.
I concluded this installment with Iconic Filmmaker John Waters for our annual chat. John has been very busy this year promoting his book Car Sick that was just released in paperback. He did a book signing while at the film fest for Car Sick, his hilarious cross-country hitchhiking memoir about his journey waving a cardboard sign that reads, "I'm Not Psycho" and braving a seemingly scary route across America from Baltimore to San Francisco. This year Waters was honored at the 27th Annual Lambda Literary Awards in NYC with the Lambda's Trustee Award for Excellence in Literature presented to him by the legendary gossip columnist Liz Smith. We talked about that experience and receiving an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Rhode Island School of Design as well as delivering RISD's keynote commencement address. Waters stated that this was really a year of queer for him as he heads off to London for his art show entitled Beverly Hills John at Sprüth Magers London that runs from July 1st to August 15th.
Next week in the second installment of my two part series, I talk with Director Bobcat Goldthwait, Filmmaker Kim Yaged, legendary AIDS Activist Larry Kramer, Director Bao Nguyen and Actress Jennifer Coolidge.