Every year, Liz (Velasquez), a hardcore party girl and womanizer, celebrates her birthday with her friends at a Caribbean beach retreat. This year is different. She is sick but hates pity, so she hides her terminal illness. When a young woman outsider arrives, Liz’s friends dare her to seduce her. But the ingenue is deeply wounded by the recent death of her young son and nothing turns out as expected.

RAVES & AWARDS
“Must see film” — The Advocate

“The healing power or sisterhood and genuine emotional connection that transcends sexuality are at the heart of Liz in September.” — The Hollywood Reporter

“As Liz, the talented Patricia Velasquez (“The L Word”) anchors this winning Venezuelan movie… a well-paced, well-acted film.” — San Francisco Chronicle

WINNER
Best Feature
Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

WINNER
Audience Award, Best Women’s Feature
Atlanta Out on Film

WINNER
Audience Award, Best Feature
Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

WINNER
Audience Award, Best Feature
Out Film Connecticut

WINNER
Jury Award, Best Actress: Patricia Velasquez
North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

The post Liz in September first appeared on Lesbian.com.

“One of the biggest lesbian films of the year.” — Queerty.com’s “Movies You Shouldn’t Miss”

This sumptuous English-language 1950s period piece recounts the mid-life years of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Elizabeth Bishop (played by Miranda Otto of “Lord of the Rings”) when she left America to live and write in Rio de Janiero. It was there that she fell in love with well-off architect Lota de Macedo Soares (butched to the hilt by beautifully handsome Brazilian TV star Gloria Pires).

Initial hostilities between the pair make way for a complicated yet long-lasting love affair that dramatically alters Bishop’s relationship to the world around her.

From renowned Brazilian director Bruno Barreto (“Dona Flor” and “Her Two Husbands”), “Reaching for the Moon” is an intimate snapshot of the search for inspiration, wherever and however you find it.

“Imagines Elizabeth Bishop’s extraordinary relationship with the Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares … a battle of creative and romantic egos.” — New York Times

“The film benefits from a pair of nicely nuanced performances and the simmering intensity it unearths in detailing the lives of these two women.” – TimeOut NY

“An exotic love story becomes an empowering portrait of two highly gifted women who defy social convention.” – Film Journal International

DELUXE EDITION
This special Deluxe Edition comes with a Bonus Extra 30-minute “Making Of” featurette!

AWARDS
Audience Award for Best Feature: Frameline
Audience Award for Best Feature: Outfest
Audience Award for Best Feature Film: Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film Festival
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature: Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Audience Award for Favorite Narrative: Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Audience Award for Best Feature: Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Audience Award for Best Women’s Feature: Atlanta Out On Film
Jury Award for Best Narrative Feature: Atlanta Out On Film
Audience Award for Best Feature: Tampa Int’l Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Best Feature: Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Best Women’s Feature Film: Pittsburgh Gay and Lesbian Film Fest
Best Feature! Long Beach Q Festival
Best Director, Bruno Barretto, Long Beach Q Festival
Audience Award: Long Island Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

The post Reaching for the Moon first appeared on Lesbian.com.

“Maria de Medeiros and Antonia Liskova star as Anna and Mara, arguably the world’s most gorgeous lesbian couple.” — Combustible Celluloid

Lesbian couple Anna and Mara return from a holiday abroad, and realize that Anis, a young Moroccan immigrant, managed to hide in their car in order to cross the border to Italy. At first unsure of what to do, they decide to take him with them. Gradually, Anis establishes himself in the life of the couple and for a brief moment, the three manage to help and support each other in an unusual and emotionally intricate relation. Yet this precarious balance is short-lived as Anis loses his job and is rejected by Mara with whom he has fallen in love while Anna finds her idyllic domestic arrangement falling to pieces.

“Shelter Me” portrays three unique characters confronted with an array of contemporary social issues. The richly portrayed relationship between Anna and Mara is the emotional centerpiece of this compassionate and moving drama.

“I LOVED this film…One of the best lesbian-themed films I’ve seen.” — AfterEllen.com

The post Shelter Me first appeared on Lesbian.com.

As an out and proud lesbian, director Cheryl Allison was immediately drawn to the story of Hiding in Daylight. “It is a very topical and unsettling story that much like The Handmaid’s Tale, shows us how easily persecution of marginalized groups can be justified in the name of religion or patriotism. Last month, I volunteered down on the Texas border helping reunite immigrant families being released from one of the detention centers. It was a horrible reminder of how quickly human rights can be stripped away. So while this dystopian storyline is fiction based, all one has to do is place the story in 1933 and suddenly the fiction turns into a dark, grim reality. My hope is that the film will evoke an uncomfortable truth and warning that when people are complacent history can repeat itself.”

Cheryl Allison is an award-winning actress who has performed in Broadway, Regional Theatre and Film/TV for over 25 years. She has directed and produced The Birdman of St. Pete (2014), Mini Maestro (2016), and currently in post production with the documentary Shatter the Silence. Cheryl, a Regional Emmy Nominee, also produced and directed the 5P Minus Society PSA This is Cole which was the recipient of Silver and Bronze Telly Awards. The PSA is currently running on FOX Television Stations.

She is the Founder/Producer of WOW FILMS, and is co-producing the film with Gregory G. Allen of ASD Media & Entertainment (screenwriter) and producer Carina Rush. All three producers hope the futuristic film about equaliy, discrimination, and love shines a light on current proposed initiatives and bills that threaten the rights of the LGBT community. The film is shooting in late September in New York state and will hit the festival circuit in 2019.

For more information on this upcoming film, visit: https://asdmedia.co/hiding-in-daylight-film

The post New LGBT dystopian drama, ‘Hiding in Daylight’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Hello Femme,

Special K

Special K,
You sound so sweet! Thank you for asking me how I am, I’m very well. I have some bad news for you, I believe you’ve been catfished. For any of my readers who don’t know the term, a catfish is someone who is pretending to be someone else online while attempting to form relationships with others.

MTV has created an entire show about trying to catch “catfish” at the request of the people who have been scammed. Figuring out if you are talking to a catfish or not is pretty simple, do a google image search on your catfish, ask them to take a picture of them holding a paper with your name on it, google the phone number they give you, see if they have pictures with other people on their social media account, see if they have interactions with those people on their FB wall or twitter, etc. Usually when someone is dealing with a catfish, they don’t want to know that the other person is fake, so they ignore the warning signs.

I totally agree with your sister about cutting off contact with Jackie. Jackie is probably a dude and that’s why “she” isn’t going to talk to you on the phone and doesn’t want to meet in person “yet.” I know Jackie hasn’t tried to contact you, but I would suggest blocking her on all social media. The show “Catfish” has shed light on the motivations of the people who enjoy catfishing others. Most of them are sad, lonely, depressed, ashamed of their looks, etc. But a few of them are narcissistic sociopaths and one was even pretty scary, to the point where it seemed like he wanted to assault his former online romance as well as the hosts of the show.

Your encounter with Jackie has left you confused and lonely. That comes across really strongly in your letter. I’m so sorry that you miss her so much. You two were close for four months, so I’m not surprised. I think that you should grieve the loss of this relationship just like you would any other. I definitely recommend grabbing some ice cream and heading over to MTV.com to watch some episodes of “Catfish.” This will help you in a few ways:

1. You will learn are not the only one who has been duped.
2. You will realize don’t want to meet “Jackie” in person, as it will be at best a disappointment and at worst dangerous.
3. You will learn some tools to keep this from happening again.
   

OK, so now we know Jackie is fake. Don’t think of the time you spent talking to her as wasted time. Take this as an opportunity to explore what you’ve learned from this. Ask yourself why you were so willing to spend so much time talking with a stranger online. Is there anything missing in your life now that would prompt that? Are you lonely? Do you need a new BFF or some new friends in your life? Do you want a relationship? A really good way to make new friends and meet potential partners is to take up some new hobbies, hit the gym, read a book in a bar instead of at home, etc. Just get out there into the world, away from your computer screen and see what happens. I’m not saying that people can’t make a strong connection online, but as you found out with Jackie, eventually you need to take things offline for them to work. It will also help you miss Jackie less if you are otherwise occupied.

We also need to talk about the queer fish in the room. If you were attracted to Jackie, you might be bisexual or pansexual or queer. You might be something. Do you want to explore that side of yourself now that it exists? That’s up to you, but you might want to think about that for awhile. Maybe go hang with your sister when she goes to grrl bars or queer events (just don’t cramp her style) or join OK Cupid or Tinder, if you are feeling brave. Go find out if you have chemistry with a woman in person or if Jackie was just a safe outlet for you to explore your girl-on-girl fantasies. Some fantasies are fun to play out and some are meant to just stay in our imagination. You would benefit from figuring out which this is for you.

Good Luck, K!

XOXO
The Femme

Have a question for me? Email me at askafemme@yahoo.com or send me a Facebook message!

Natasia Langfelder is just a girl, writing about girls in New York City. Read more of her work at Hot Femme in the City.

The post Ask the Femme: Was I catfished? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

I do a lot of gay things. I read a ton of lesbian blogs, hit the dyke bars whenever I can and I’ve noticed a trend. There’s a lot of talk about “dyke drama” and “dramatic lesbians.”

On top of that, I do a lot of writing on the internet. As an advice columnist, I’ve been fielding drama online for years. Between advice column submissions and comments on articles that range from mild, “why are women so dramatic?” to the internalized homophobic, “why are all lesbians crazy?” It makes me wonder: Are lesbians more dramatic than straight women?

I would say no. I know I’m dramatic. But I blame this on my being a writer rather than the lesbian thing.

Here’s my theorem (fancy word, right?!) on why there is a lot of drama in the lesbian community: We all date each other. We aren’t crazier than any other group of people, but once hooking up and romantic emotions come into play, that’s going to lead to drama, no matter how mature people are at first.

Think of a large group of straight people of mixed genders who are friends. Like, remember when you went to college and your whole dorm floor became lovers and friends? Then by senior year everyone had dated everyone else and thank god you were all graduating because no one could stand looking at each others faces anymore?

Or, think of the TV show “Friends.” There were three straight men and three straight women and that fueled, like 10 years worth of drama. Lesbians start dealing with drama from the second we start dating until … basically always! It never ends. Even after you are happily married you still have to wonder if the awesome new queer friend you made knows that you took her number because you want to be friends and not because you want to get in her pants. We are all going to end up in a queer nursing home together and the hot boi is still going to be throwing game at all old lady femmes and it’s going to cause drama. As long as there is the possibility of sex there will be drama and that goes for all genders and orientations.

My point is, there’s going to be just as much drama once sex and feelings get involved in any group of people. Lesbians aren’t inherently more dramatic. BUT it is harder to get away from the drama. The group from your college dorm probably dispersed after college. The world is smaller, they probably comment on each other’s Facebook statuses and meet up for drinks once in a blue.

For lesbians, it’s much harder to escape the source of the drama because if you are in the same city, chances are you are hanging out in the same places as all the other lezzies. So the drama doesn’t disperse like it does for other people. So complain about the drama all you want. But remember, if you were straight, the drama wouldn’t disappear.

So what do you think? Are lesbians more dramatic?

The post Are lesbians more dramatic than straight women? first appeared on Lesbian.com.

It’s a banner year for lesbian cinema.

Now that festival season is over, it’s time to name the best lesbian films released for home consumption this year.

Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?
This twisted lesbian homage to the classic “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe?” stars lesbian legend Guinevere Turner, who won a fistful of awards for her role in this feature. Written by the wacky and wonderful Anna Margarita Albelo, it also stars Carrie Preston from “True Blood,” Janina Gavankar aka Papi from “The L Word” and the super hot Agnes Olech.

The film explores the love life of 40-year-old brilliant and introvert filmmaker Anna against the backdrop of her “Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf?” production. Plus there’s a giant vagina costume, so you really can’t lose.

A Map for Love
Hmm, a GPS for love might be more helpful, but a map would be great, too. This film explores the tangled relationship between a woman, her mother and her lover. It’s intense, honest, funny and gorgeous.

Set in bustling Santiago, Chile, and on a sailboat trip in the bay, “A Map for Love” sails into deep emotional water as the triad confronts each other and themselves.

Woman’s Lake
A long weekend, a beautiful chain of lakes and two very different couples explore the wilderness and their shifting passions.

Reaching for the Moon
Passion and poetry preside in this film based on the true love story of American poet Elizabeth Bishop and Brazilian architect Lota de Macedo Soares. Two remarkable actresses — Miranda Otto (“Lord of the Rings”) and Brazilian TV star Gloria Pires — embody these historic characters as they embark on a passionate love affair.

Margarita
On screen chemistry sizzles as Margarita, an undocumented nanny with a precarious job, tries to get her girlfriend Jane to commit.

Concussion
Lesbian writer-director Stacie Passon’s debut film tackles attraction, midlife crisis and turning tricks.

The winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Teddy Jury Award, “Concussion” earns rave reviews for its frankiness, eroticism and vulnerability.

Blue is the Warmest Color
Nope, it’s not yellow. Winner of Cannes top prize and nominated for a Golden Globe, this foreign feature explores the relationship between Adele and beguiling, young, blue-haired Emma. It’s a coming of age story that explores desire, love and loss.

The post Best lesbian movies of 2014 first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Every married couple has issues keeping their family and friends happy on their wedding day. But let’s face it, gay couples have it so much worse. We have to deal with homophobic family members, challenging traditional customs, marriage rites and breaking gender norms. We have to do it all on a day that’s going to be both amazing, stressful and amazingly expensive.

Let’s run through some scenarios that Lesbian.com readers have inquired about and how to handle them. The goal here is to make your day as special as possible for you, while still minimizing drama where you can.

THE WEDDING PARTY
My BFF is masculine of center, but the rest of my bridal party are wearing dresses. Should I make her wear a dress too?

No. Not unless you don’t want a BFF anymore. You might have an arbitrary notion of what your wedding party needs to look like, but the people who make up your wedding party should be more important than aesthetics.

We both have femme best friends, is it OK to have two maids of honor or should one of us change?

Don’t change. It’s your wedding, you don’t want to look back on it and realize you didn’t have the right person standing up for you.

But my coworkers will freak out if they see women dressed like “men” in my wedding party.

That’s fine. They might care for about five seconds, but you can’t change important aspects of your wedding to make acquaintances feel more comfortable. If you’re worried about what your coworkers will think, tell them it’s going to be a small wedding and leave them off the guest list.

Help! I have a lot of friends who are really important to me and I’m worried people will feel left out if I don’t include them all.

The easiest way around this problem is to just fill the wedding party with siblings or cousins and call it a day. If this isn’t an option, maybe sit down with a few people and see if their feelings would be hurt if they were left out. Let them know that being in your bridal party is going to involve a lot of money (bridal shower, bachelorette party, wedding dress) and a lot of time. Tell them that you understand if they don’t have time to commit to it.

Honestly, a lot of them will be glad you gave them a chance to opt out and it will leave you with a super committed bridal party. Um, unless they all say yes. In which case, congratulations on knowing such generous people.

FAMILY FEUDS
Help! My mom is mad that I’m going to wear a wedding tux instead of a wedding dress! How do I make her OK with this?

Chances are, if your mom knows you, she knew this was coming. Sit her down, maybe make her some fancy tea and tell her that you’re sorry your wedding won’t look like she pictured it in her head. But that you are glad she can be there for you as you declare your love for your partner and you are excited to share this special day with her. Then tell her that she really, really needs to stop talking about you wearing a dress, because it’s not going to happen and she needs to respect your choice.

My aunt, uncle, cousin, grandfather or other family member is against marriage equality. Do I have to invite them?

This is a very personal decision. Personally, I chose to invite all of my family members to my wedding, even the ones who are pretty vocal about the fact that I’m “going to hell.” For me, it boiled down to courtesy. I wouldn’t leave anyone out of something important as my wedding. In the end, the people who disagreed with my lifestyle chose not to come. I’m glad I was the bigger person.

If that tactic will work for you, I highly recommend it. If you won’t be able to sleep at night because you know aunt Mildred is going to throw biblical pamphlets at you during the ceremony and great-uncle Bob is going to start screaming about how it “ain’t right,” then don’t invite them. Don’t lie awake at night worrying someone might make a scene at the wedding. Don’t let them ruin your day. If another family member asks why cousin Eugene didn’t get his invite yet, tell them you were respecting his beliefs as he has stated he would be uncomfortable at a same-sex wedding.

THE CEREMONY
How do we find an officiant for our ceremony who doesn’t have any religious affiliations?

Ask around. Ask all your married friends, gay or straight, if they used a secular officiant. If none of them have recommendations, ask any of your current vendors if they have any recommendations. Most wedding vendors in the same location work with each other fairly often and are quick to recommend people with whom they enjoy working.

If that fails, use google. Seriously. Then meet with the officiant a few times to make sure you are comfortable with him or her.

Is it hypocritical to have a religious wedding even though most religions are quick to oppose marriage equality?

Nope! No one can dictate how you practice or express your faith. Go for it and don’t worry about what anyone else thinks.

My fiancee and I can’t agree on who gets to break the glass before we kiss. How do we decide?

Um, each break a glass. Don’t let the wedding party play any tricks by putting shot glasses or another hard to break glass in there, it can go right through girly wedding shoes.

Have more wedding drama? Leave your questions in the comments and we’ll answer.

The post The queer girl’s guide to managing wedding drama first appeared on Lesbian.com.