{"id":4884,"date":"2014-07-21T08:27:53","date_gmt":"2014-07-21T12:27:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/?p=4884"},"modified":"2017-07-27T00:45:09","modified_gmt":"2017-07-27T04:45:09","slug":"top-films-to-check-out-this-month-at-newfest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/posturemag.com\/online\/top-films-to-check-out-this-month-at-newfest\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Films To Check Out This Month at NewFest"},"content":{"rendered":"

As New York City\u2019s premier LGBTQ Film Festival, NewFest returns for its 26th<\/sup> anniversary in showcasing films that honor and promote gay and lesbian cinema.\u00a0 Partnering with OutFest and the Film Society of Lincoln Center, this year\u2019s NewFest lineup includes an array of poignant and compelling queer films that include feature narratives, shorts, and documentaries from around the world.\u00a0 “This marks the fourth year of having NewFest at the Film Society and we couldn\u2019t be happier to continue our collaboration with Outfest. LGBTQ films and filmmakers are a vital part of cinema worldwide and we are thrilled to offer this showcase on our screens each year,” remarks Lesli Klainberg, Executive Director of the Film Society of Lincoln Center.<\/p>\n

The festival celebrates its opening night with the NYC premiere of Karim A\u00efnouz\u2019s Futuro Beach,<\/i>\u00a0a visually stunning and emotionally resonant tale of three men struggling across oceans of love, loss, and heartache\u2014a saga that spans from Brazil to Germany.\u00a0 Concluding the festival will be the Closing Night presentation of Gerontophilia<\/i>\u2014a Canadian comedy about a handsome teen who refuses to feel shame about his unquenchable desire for older men; and will be followed by a Q&A with director\/queer provocateur Bruce LaBruce.<\/p>\n

With more than 16 narrative features, five documentaries, and even more short films being screened, deciding on which flicks to watch isn\u2019t necessarily a simple choice.\u00a0 So to help prioritize, here\u2019s a list of the Top Films to check out at this month\u2019s NewFest\u2014with trailers included to further wet your palette.<\/p>\n

Blackbird.<\/i><\/b> 2014.\u00a0 Directed by Patrik Ian-Polk.\u00a0 USA.<\/p>\n

In her first major screen role since winning an Oscar for the chilling portrayal of an abusively volatile mommy dearest in Precious<\/i>, co-producer Mo\u2019Nique stars alongside Isaiah Washington and newcomer Julian Walker as an unsupportive mother (treading familiar \u2018Precious\u2019 territory) in Ian-Polk\u2019s literary adaptation of Larry Duplechan\u2019s novel.\u00a0 The film centers on 17-year old Randy Rousseau (Walker); a devout and talented teenage choir singer who must navigate the struggles of religion, a troubled home life, and coming to terms with his sexual identity.\u00a0 Set and shot on location in Mississippi, Polk\u2019s coming-of-age tale explores our young misfit protagonist and his band of queer friends as they fight for a life outside the constrictions of their small Southern Baptist town.\u00a0 This picture marks Polk\u2019s fifth feature film, where his previous 2001 movie Punks<\/i> also explored LGBTQ life within the African American community.\u00a0 Making its NY premiere, Blackbird<\/i> powerfully sheds light on the high school woes, rewards, and consequences of growing up as an outsider.<\/p>\n