By Michael Lyons On their Kickstarter campaign page the producers of Naz & Maalik claim that the feature is not a political film, but it would be difficult for any piece addressing its subject matter to stay away from politics. Two gay Muslim teens, small-time, good-natured grifters, are...
Category - Video and Film
In the Turn, Celebrating Trans and Queer Women on Wheels
by Michael Lyons Have you accepted roller derby into your life? The transformative powers of this sport are best known within queer circles, but if you want an excuse to love a tough woman with a heart of gold, on wheels, then In the Turn is the documentary for you. Unlike most documentaries that...
Jess & James wanders without arriving at a destination
by Michael Lyons Two young guys hook up and decide to go on a road trip together, eventually bringing a third into their strange little relationship. In a film like this, you go in with the expectations that it’s either going to be really artistic and beautiful, with a lot of gorgeous, sweeping...
Fresno’s black humour not for the politically correct
by Michael Lyons My father has a saying about our hometown: “It’s a nice place to be from.” In But I’m a Cheerleader and Itty Bitty Titty Committee director Jamie Babbit’s latest, Fresno, sisters Shannon (Judy Greer) and Martha (Natasha Lyonne) want nothing more than to escape their...
Transfixed offers an intimate glimpse into a complicated life
by Michael Lyons As the saying often goes in the queer and trans community, it’s a small world. If you don’t know someone personally, you know someone who does, or you’ve probably seen them at a local event. Martine Stonehouse, the central figure of the new documentary Transfixed, is one of...
Bitter Lamentations: Explorations of Family, Immigrant Identity and Conformity
By Dorothy June Fraser Bitter Lamentations from Adam Wojtowicz on Vimeo. Adam Wojtowicz is a Vancouver-based artist who works in a variety of media. Over the past decade, he has been involved in the Vancouver film scene, as well as the larger Canadian entertainment industry. In his creative...