by James Olsen for FILMbutton Together Director: Zhao Liang Cast: Gu Changwei While filming Till Death Do Us Part, director Gu Changwei decided that he was going to include people with HIV/AIDS among his cast and crew in an effort to show to the general Chinese population that there is nothing to fear from knowing, […]
by James Olsen for FILMbutton What’s the Name of the Dame? Director: Allan Neuwirth Cast: Betzy with a Z, Cashetta, Connie Cat, Edie, Hedda Lettuce, Joie Starr, June Bug, Sade Pendarvis, Yolanda In 2004, Figjam Records brought together nine of New York City’s top drag queens to re-imagine fourteen classic ABBA songs. With this film, […]
Those Who Can by Tobi Gordon for FILMbutton It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the new film documentary, Waiting for Superman lays most of the blame for the current crisis in education at the feet of teachers and their horrible unions. According to filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (whose own offspring, he confides, are safely ensconced in private […]
by Tobi Gordon for FILMbutton For many in the Diaspora, especially at this time of year. “Next year, in Jerusalem” is the prayer which has called a wandering, exiled people back home for centuries. In Eran Riklis’s new film, best known for The Syrian Bride & Lemon Tree, there’s another saying, however, that seems to […]
by Tobi Gordon for FILMbutton Pomp and Circumstances – The King’s Speech Who, among us, has not agonized over having to deliver an oral composition in school? Standing up there, in front of the whole class, praying your voice doesn’t betray your nervousness, sweating the sweat of flops, we struggle to get it over with […]
by James Olsen for FILMbutton Miss Tacuarembó Director: Martín Sastre Cast: Natalia Oreiro, Sofia Silvera, Diego Reinhold, Mateo Capo As children and teenagers, Natalia and Carlos (Silvera and Oreiro, and Capo and Reinhold, respectively) were best friends living in Tacuarembó, Uruguay with dreams of getting out of their overly-religious confines and making names for themselves […]
by James Olsen for FILMbutton Detailing a year in her life, the audience follows Joan Rivers through a tumultuous time in her personal life, a downtime in her popularity as a stand-up comic, and into the stressful times of Celebrity Apprentice and putting on a play in the UK. As a workaholic, Joan is nothing, […]
by James Olsen for FILMbutton.com Co-Directed by Ellen Seidler and Megan Siler the film is about Lola (Ashleigh Sumner), who has a great job as a photographer and a beautiful girlfriend in Casey (Jill Bennett). She also has the inability to get anywhere on time. One day, Lola is woken from a nap by a […]
by James Olsen for FILMbutton.com An in-depth look at bear culture within the larger LGBT community, Bear Nation starts out by asking the question, “What is a bear?” On Toronto’s Church Street, the general consensus is that a bear is a bigger, naturally hairy man. Some note that it is more an attitude than an […]
by Jason Leaf for FILMbutton A conventional but exhilarating look at the legendary prog-rock band RUSH has been among the most buzzed-about films at the Tribeca Film Festival and is screening as a Special Presentation on the opening night of Hot Docs. Featuring incredibly rare footage (including a high school-age Alex Lifeson explaining to his […]
