Destinations
We'll also enjoy a special sneak preview of a work in progress of:
Same-Sex Expressions from the Ancient Times to Victorian Crimes.
The prequel to the classic film Before Stonewall.
All in the comfort of the ships cinema
This intimate theater allows us
to experience free-style ticketing where you can choose from different
screening times to fit around other ship and shore excursion activites.
Films and a new generation of Filmmakers featured on Pride of the Ocean
Representing the 90's
THE WATERMELON WOMAN
Controversial as it is sexy and funny the film follows Cheryl, a twenty-something
black lesbian working as a clerk in a video store as she falls in love with a very
cute white customer at her store. Such are the complexities of race and sex in Dunye’s
startlingly fresh debut.
Filmmaker on board
Cheryl Dunye: Cheryl's film was awarded the “Teddy” at the Berlin Film Festival.
Dunye is a native of Liberia and her other works have premiered at film
festivals and museums worldwide. Her more recent feature films include
Miramax’s
MY BABY’S DADDY, and HBO Films
STRANGER INSIDE which garnered
her an Independent Spirit award nomination for best director. Dunye was
selected as one of the 2008 PowerUp Top Ten Women In Showbiz. Dunye is in
post production on her fourth feature film,
THE OWLS, a lesbian thriller.
CinsSlam Short Presentation
FREEDOM ON THE ROCKS
2008 Chessie Best Short Award
“When I read in the bible that I could be killed for being gay,
I understood what it was like to be Palestinian.” – Israeli bar owner.
In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies
generations of segregation, violence and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan.
This film goes inside this underground sanctuary where people of opposing
nationalities, religions and sexual orientations create an island of peace
in a land divided by war. After receiving the Chessie Award Yun Suh made her
short into a feature called
CITY OF BORDERS (this is the version we will screen on board)
which recently won the Berlin Film Festival "Teddy" award.
Filmmaker on board:
Yun Suh’s love of visual storytelling sparked
at age 8 when she immigrated to Connecticut from South Korea without
knowing a word of English. Television and movies became her most important
classroom where she learned the language. As a broadcast radio and
television news journalist, Yun has extensively covered the Middle East
and has reported from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Her nominations
include Best Radio Documentary from the National Federation of Community
Broadcasters for her one-hour long radio report,
SABRA & SHATILLA (2003),
on the survivors of the 1982 massacre of Palestinians in Lebanese refugee camps.
CITY OF BORDERS marks Suh’s feature directorial debut.
Representing the 00's
OUT IN THE SILENCE
The announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites
a firestorm of controversy and a quest for change in the small Pennsylvania
hometown he left long ago. Drawn back by a plea for help from the mother
of a gay teen being tormented at school, Wilson takes viewers on an exhilarating
journey through love, hate, and understanding in rural America.
Filmmakers on board
Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer: Joe got involved
in documentary filmmaking through his social activism on human rights issues.
His first film
OTROS AMORES won the Videomaker Magazine National Documentary
Challenge. Dean became interested in journalism and filmmaking as a result
of being a frequent guest on television news shows to discuss his scientific
research including the discovery of the
“GAY GENE”. Convinced that there was
a better way to communicate the complex scientific and social ideas raised
by such topics, he decided to try his own hand at turning these stories
into compelling documentaries. His debut film
THE PREACHER AND THE POET
was a winner of the PBS/Independent Lens Online Short Festival. Together
they have produced over a dozen pieces for PBS and cable television and
won over twenty audience and jury awards at film festivals through out the world.
OUT IN THE SILENCE is their first feature film and is supported by the Sundance Institute.
CinsSlam Short Presentation
JAMES
2009 Chessie Best Short Award
James struggles as an outsider. His teacher is the only person he can connect with.
When he puts a voice to his feelings, Mr. Sutherland's response isn't what James had hoped for.
Filmmaker on board
Connor Clements: A young new filmmaker from
Northern Ireland is making a spectacular debut with his student film production,
JAMES.
Clements is graduate of the Queens University Belfast with a MA degree in
film and visual studies. Recently his film received its 20th film festival
award during its recent world wide tour. Clements is working to turn his short into a feature film.
Vermont Bear Film Festival Short Presentation
WIDE 'N' FURRY
2009 PAW Award Winner
A bear-centric look at the classic struggle between Bears and "Twinks" seen
through the lens of Weird Al Yankovic's parody White and Nerdy, which is itself
a take off of Chamillionaire's Ridin'.
Filmmakers on board:
Dan Dowling Jr. and Rob Sherman are
collaborators in both life and art. They met in 1990 when Rob was finishing his
Ph.D. in Drama at Tufts University and Dan was in the middle of the 15-month
run of
MURDERING THE MOB, an interactive murder mystery which he directed and
co-wrote at Nick's Comedy Stop in Boston. In 2004, they became one of the first
same-sex couples to be legally married in the United States. In 2006,
Dan and Rob submitted their first short film,
AVEC DES EXCUSES à ALFRED
(with apologies to Alfred), a bear-themed parody of the famous Hitchcock's
Psycho shower scene.
It won the first annual Vermont Bear Film Festival Award for Best Amateur Film.
In 2007 they created
SEXY BEASTS, an homage to 70s porno done with teddy bears.
CHAINED
From Zoot Suit style to motorcycle culture's necessity, wallet chains have
evolved over the years to become more than a trend in lesbian
culture. Today, lesbians are the biggest consumers of wallet chains
in the country. All ages, all walks of life, butches and femmes, dykes on
bikes, and BDSM practitioners - what drives women to wear chains? And why
are they so literally attached to them?
Chained!
answers these questions while taking a fun, humorous trip into the lives of
these quirky individuals who define themselves through their chains.
Filmmaker on board:
Betsy Kalin: True to the independent spirit,
Betsy often wears the hats of producer, writer, director and editor on her film and video projects.
She received a BA in Women's Studies from Columbia College of Columbia University and an
MFA in Directing from the University of Miami. Her film,
Roof, premiered at
New York City's Museum of Modern Art. In 1997, Betsy formed Itchy Bee Productions and her short
experimental and documentary films -
Postcard With Gena, You Are the Eiffel
Tower of My Love, Baby, and
Donkeys, Pigs,and Greens - have screened at festivals
worldwide. In addition to distributing
Hearts Cracked Open ,
she is currently writing the short film,
Memories of Combustion, and the feature-length film,
Dr. Lucy's Sewing Circle.
A DAY AT THE BEACH
Sneak Preview on Pride of the Ocean cruise
Screening at
Cineslam 2010
upcoming festival in Vermont, June, 18, 19, 2010.
When Buffy Brad and Shapely Sally settled down to enjoy a sunny quiet California day at the
beach, they could not have imagined how “spicy” their day would turn out
to be! Politically correct seagulls; gorgeous lifeguards and Brazilian music
will be a perfect setting for love at first sight!
Filmmakers on board: Director
Veronique Courtois is Founder and President
of CASQUE D’OR FILMS, Veronique Courtois is a dual citizen of France and the United States.
She graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris. After studying Film Marketing and
Distribution at UCLA and several internships (United Artists, etc),
she joined Strand Releasing where she worked for four years as the
Manager of Acquisitions and Festival Liaison. (She will also lead a
seminar on board about glbt film distribution) and her partner and Executive Producer,
Sandra Wong , is a dual citizen of Peru and the United States.
Sandra’s career spans over twenty years in several world cities (
Lima, Paris, Lyon, London, New York, Boston, Los Angeles) and several
industries (advertising, marketing, online publishing, tourism, fashion).
She has extensive experience in voice-overs, TV/DVD film dubbing and subtitling as well.
Over the past five years, she has also been working on her own creative writings, and
is currently collaborating with Veronique Courtois on several screenplays.
A DAY AT THE BEACH is her first producing project.
GET HAPPY
A coming of age musical extravaganza
This fantastic documentary features 12-year-old Mark who would dress up as Judy Garland,
Barbara Streisand and others to entertain the neighborhood kids.
By the age of 14 he was BOB HOPE'S opening act. It includes
interviews with several notable people including Heather Mills and
features clips from his work including Regis & Kelly.
Filmmaker on board
Mark Payne: Mark is a two-time Emmy award winning
celebrity makeup artist who is currently based out of Hollywood. He has worked
on many famous faces including: BEYONCE, KELLY RIPA, HEATHER MILLS, PARIS HILTON
and JANE SEYMOUR to name a few. In 2006 he received the Best In Beauty Award from Allure magazine.
In 2008 he directed his first film "Get Happy" which has won 9 awards to date.
AND I AM ME
CINESLAM special screening
A very frank (and funny) portrayal of the relationship between a lesbian
mother and her adopted Ethiopian son, directed by Alison Segar.
Filmmaker on board
Alison Segar: Alison is originally from London England, and
moved to Burlington Vermont 14 years ago. She lives in what she calls the
frozen wasteland of northern Vermont with her partner Nan and their three
children. Alison is new to making movies and decided to go back to film
school at age 47 to pursue her passion in documentary film. As a political
activist that has been dormant for too many years now, she sees film as a
way to tell stories that need to be told, and to ignite the activism in us
all so we can fight for the world to be a safe place for our children and
our community in which we live.(sort of the mission of Kopkind CineSlam!)
Representing the 80’s
PARIS WAS A WOMAN
special Pride of the Ocean Film Presentation
“Paris was a Woman” is a film portrait of the creative community of women writers,
artists, photographers and editors who flocked to the Left Bank of Paris in the
early decades of the 20th century, when Paris was the undisputed cultural capital of the world.
Using groundbreaking research and newly discovered home movies, “Paris” uses intimate
storytellng as it intertwines interview with anecdote. “Paris Was a Woman”
recreates the mood and flavor of this female artistic community in Paris during its
most magical era. Screened at over 150 international festivals, including London, Vancouver,
Sao Paolo, Jerusalem, Seattle and Melbourne. Theatrically released in Germany, Holland, USA,
Spain, New Zealand, France and the UK.
Filmmakers on board
Andrea Weiss and Greta Schiller: Andrea is an
internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker and nonfiction author.
Her books include PARIS WAS A WOMAN (Harper Collins, 1995), VAMPIRES AND VIOLETS (Penguin, 1993),
and, most recently, IN THE SHADOW OF MAGIC MOUNTAIN: The Erika And Klaus
Mann Story (University of Chicago Press, 2008). They have been translated into
French, German, Korean, Swedish, Japanese, and Croatian. Andrea’s newest film, U.N.
FEVER, an observational documentary following three teams of college students
who compete in the international Model U.N. conference, was released in 2008. .
Greta, co-produced BEFORE STONEWALL with John Scagliotti and Robert Rosenberg and directed.
This now classic film won two Emmy Awards after its PBS broadcast in 1986.
With Andrea Weiss, she produced and directed a trilogy of films about women in jazz:
INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM, TINY AND RUBY: HELL DRIVIN’ WOMEN and MAXINE SULLIVAN:
LOVE TO BE IN LOVE, all co-productions with Channel Four Television in Great Britain.
The Atlantic Journal wrote that INTERNATIONAL SWEETHEARTS OF RHYTHM
“makes you glad documentaries were invented.” Greta’s numerous films and
achievements are too many to list on this web page but she is certainly
one of the most remarkable filmmakers of glbt themed films in the world.
Special Screening in Theater
VIOLET TENDENCIES
Staring Mindi Cohen
Filmmaker on board
Casper Andreas: Originally from Sweden,
Casper lived in Chicago and Paris before settling in
New York City to study acting and directing. In 2003 Casper wrote, directed,
and produced the short film MORMOR'S VISIT as well as his first feature, the
romantic comedy SLUTTY SUMMER in which he also stars. In 2006, Casper
produced and directed the short film SAYING GOODBYE from his own script, as
well as the multi-award winning feature A FOUR LETTER WORD. His third
feature, the drama BETWEEN LOVE & GOODBYE was released in 2009. Which made
his forth one, THE BIG GAY MUSICAL, his second film to open in U.S. theaters
in the same year. This spring, Casper is premiering his new comedy VIOLET
TENDENCIES at festivals, and he is also busy with post-production of GOING
DOWN IN LA-LA LAND, that he just shot in LA.
In 2008 Casper was selected as one of the 100 most influential and
newsworthy GLBT people by Out Magazine.
Q-Me Con (Queer Media & Entertainment Conference) panelists will also be in attendance
After 3 successful years in New York and Los Angeles, Q-Me Con (Queer Media & Entertainment Conference),
and Kopkind CineSlam are joining forces on the high seas with an engaging series
of seminars on film distribution and funding. Included in the seminars will be
Katherine Linton (former host of In The Life and producer of Lesbian Sex), Jennifer Howd
(founder of Punkmouse and Q-Me Con), Susi Walsh (director of the Center for Independent Documentary),
Veronique Courtois (President at Casque D'or Films), Kelly Burkhardt (Managing Director of independent
film distribution at TLA Releasing), and Vanessa Domico (Founder and President of Outcast Films).
Besides our exciting lineup of new films, we'll also enjoy some classic LGBT films too.
Cineslam on the Pride of the Ocean
