Olaf de Fleur's transsexual Cinderella
film The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela has won the
Showtime Vanguard Award at Newfest, New York City's gay and lesbian
film festival. Showtime says the award is given to films celebrating
a breakthrough or visionary achievement. We first reported on Queen
Raquela back in February after winning over Berlin Film Festival
judges who awarded it the Teddy Award for best film with a gay theme.
The Amazing Truth About Queen
Raquela stars Raquela Rios as a Philippine transsexual prostitute
in search of a fairly tale life in Europe. It is Rios' film debut, a
transsexual herself. Director Olaf de Fleur found Raquela Rios on
the Internet while she was living in the Philippines.
In an interview posted on the official
movie website Rios admits she spends too much time on the Internet
searching for the perfect guy. She says she realized early on she
did not feel comfortable as a male, but due to strict parenting she
kept it to herself. Finally, at the age of 17, she began living life
as a girl. It was “freedom” said Rios.
Additional information on the film can
be found at www.queenraquelathemovie.com.
Hip-hop
gay opera BASH'd's initial
run at NYC's Zipper Factory has been extended till at least August
30th
based on ticket availability.
BASH'd, which has had a recent
run of hot press after winning the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding
New York Theater -Off-Off Broadway, is the work of Canadians Chris
Craddock & Nathan Cuckow.
BASH'd is nasty, in-your-face,
high-energy rap, as rap is, but carries a serious message. On its
MySpace page, the pair open with, “If we yell FAGGOT and you think
it's whack, well f**k that, it's our word and we're taking it back!”
The opera tells the story of a pair of
lovers, when one is bashed the other decides to take revenge. It is
loosely based on the real-life spike of gay related hate crimes
occurring during Canada's national debate to legalize same-sex
marriage.
The official BASH'd website
says, “[BASH'd] is told entirely through rap, spoken word
and poetry, turning the often homophobic musical genre to our own
purpose.”
For tickets contact the Zipper Factory at
www.thezipperfactory.com.
Gay Entertainment Report is a feature
of On Top Magazine and can be reached at ontopmag@ontopmag.com.