New romance, a look at the still-young LGBT civil rights movement, and the evolving definitions of “family” and “religion” help define this year’s powerful range of gay cinema.
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Any Day Now
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Set in 1979, “Any Day Now” addresses rampant homophobia and the damaging consequences of a flawed judicial system as two gay men living in West Hollywood attempt to adopt a neglected teenager with Down syndrome. Supported by an incredibly strong cast, actors Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt (from “Raising Hope”) shine in this emotional journey into the meaning of family and love.
Travis Fine, the director of “Any Day Now,”was a long-time West Hollywood resident before heading to the Valencia suburbs with his wife and kids. The process of creating the movie changed his own views on LGBT rights.
“I was kind of a passive ally. I supported equality, but my support was personal and this film opened my eyes to some tough realities in this world,” he said.
The film’s premise, which is based loosely on a true story, shines a light on current states, like Arkansas, that pass laws allowing only married couples to adopt, effectively banning gays from doing so, as they cannot get married.
“When we as a society stand in the way of people who freely want to give love to others, we do them a horrible disservice,” Fine said.
Although the film takes place in WeHo, Fine suggested it could be based in New York or San Francisco, or any city, because it is ultimately a story about love and what happens when “we enact limitations between families.”
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How to Survive a Plague
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This emotional film documents two groups, ACT UP and TAG (Treatment Action Group), and their efforts in the 80’s and 90’s to eradicate AIDS and change public policy. Director David France provides amazing footage of the group’s heroic activism with never-before-seen video and interviews.
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Love Free or Die
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When Gene Robinson was consecrated in 2003 as the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire, he wore a bullet-proof vest. “Love Free or Die” is a documentary about a man with two great loves; his love of God and his partner.
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Young and Wild
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For a different look at families and religion, this coming-of-age foreign film focuses on a teenage girl from a strict evangelical family and her sexual exploits as she struggles between her own sexuality and a Christian upbringing. This is the debut work of writer and director Marialy Rivas, a film lively and spirited with a gritty and relevant sense of realism.
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Keep the Lights On
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How much can two people handle when love is all they have? Set in New York City in 1997, this story focuses on a filmmaker who falls in love with a closeted lawyer. The two men attempt to build a home and life together but continue to privately battle their own compulsions and addictions.
