To celebrate the end of another great year in independent film, Film Independent is re-posting some of our favorite blogs of 2023. And here’s a reminder: there’s still time to make a tax-deductible donation to Film Independent in support of all the hard work our community does year-round. Not a Member yet? Become one by January 5 to watch the nominees for the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards and vote for the winners. Happy New Year!
Beginning in 2016, Film Independent has presented Global Media Makers (Gmm), a cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between mid-career filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad. Each year the marquee section of this program has been its Los Angeles Residency: a five-week intensive wherein Gmm Fellows further develop current projects with a team of US-based Mentors. In 2022, the Residency was held in October.
As part of their Los Angeles adventures, Gmm Fellows...
Beginning in 2016, Film Independent has presented Global Media Makers (Gmm), a cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between mid-career filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad. Each year the marquee section of this program has been its Los Angeles Residency: a five-week intensive wherein Gmm Fellows further develop current projects with a team of US-based Mentors. In 2022, the Residency was held in October.
As part of their Los Angeles adventures, Gmm Fellows...
- 12/26/2023
- by Film Independent
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Film Independent, the nonprofit arts organization that produces the Film Independent Spirit Awards, shared the five short films directed by fellows selected to participate in its Global Media Makers Fall 2022 LA Residency.
The mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad.
The shorts are a result of a workshop where Gmm fellows participating in the Residency’s Creative Producing Track were paired with Los Angeles-based Film Independent fellows to direct a short impressionistic film encompassing their personal views of Los Angeles. This collaborative initiative is an opportunity to establish a creative dialogue between international and local filmmakers while exploring the city.
“Providing our Gmm Fellows a space and time to explore our city of Los Angeles, guided by a local Film Independent Fellow, is central to the mission of the program: building bridges and fostering a dialogue...
The mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad.
The shorts are a result of a workshop where Gmm fellows participating in the Residency’s Creative Producing Track were paired with Los Angeles-based Film Independent fellows to direct a short impressionistic film encompassing their personal views of Los Angeles. This collaborative initiative is an opportunity to establish a creative dialogue between international and local filmmakers while exploring the city.
“Providing our Gmm Fellows a space and time to explore our city of Los Angeles, guided by a local Film Independent Fellow, is central to the mission of the program: building bridges and fostering a dialogue...
- 2/17/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Playing the anti-hero Teresa Mendoza in Telemundo’s hit drama “La Reina del Sur” (Queen of the South) has become second nature to its star, Kate del Castillo. In a way, her hectic career as a producer, actor and entrepreneur, mirrors her character’s upstream struggle against patriarchy — sans the guns and contraband.
Speaking via Zoom from the U.K. where she’s working on the indie film “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow” with director Katherine Fairfax Wright, del Castillo reflected on the parallels between managing the challenges of her multi-faceted career with those faced by Mendoza in the show’s long-awaited third season, which premieres Oct. 18 on Telemundo. “La Reina” is a co-production of Telemundo and Netflix, which has international rights to the series.
The new season sees the titular La Reina taking on the brutal male-dominated cartels of South America once again, picking up four years after U.
Speaking via Zoom from the U.K. where she’s working on the indie film “A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea & Tomorrow” with director Katherine Fairfax Wright, del Castillo reflected on the parallels between managing the challenges of her multi-faceted career with those faced by Mendoza in the show’s long-awaited third season, which premieres Oct. 18 on Telemundo. “La Reina” is a co-production of Telemundo and Netflix, which has international rights to the series.
The new season sees the titular La Reina taking on the brutal male-dominated cartels of South America once again, picking up four years after U.
- 9/10/2022
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Ace Entertainment has launched production in Yorkshire, England on A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow—a new film based on the New York Times bestselling novel by Laura Taylor Namey, which will star Maia Reficco (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin), Kit Connor (Heartstopper) and Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur).
The Latinx YA novel, originally published by Simon & Schuster’s Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2019, follows the heartfelt story of Lila Reyes. After the loss of her grandmother, Lila leaves her life at Abuela’s Cuban bakery in Miami to spend the summer cooking at her Aunt’s inn in Winchester, London. It’s there that she falls in love with the quaint British countryside, fusion cooking and a charming British tea shop clerk…ultimately using food as a way to bridge two cultures and heal her heart.
Details as to the roles the...
The Latinx YA novel, originally published by Simon & Schuster’s Atheneum Books for Young Readers in 2019, follows the heartfelt story of Lila Reyes. After the loss of her grandmother, Lila leaves her life at Abuela’s Cuban bakery in Miami to spend the summer cooking at her Aunt’s inn in Winchester, London. It’s there that she falls in love with the quaint British countryside, fusion cooking and a charming British tea shop clerk…ultimately using food as a way to bridge two cultures and heal her heart.
Details as to the roles the...
- 8/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Film Independent today unveiled the three short films directed by fellows selected to participate in its Global Media Makers Spring 2022 LA Residency. (Watch them here.)
A mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad, Gmm is produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The shorts emerged from a collaborative workshop where Fellows were paired with local Film Independent Fellows to create a short, impressionistic, film shot on iPhone, which encompasses their personal views of Los Angeles. The local Fellows participating were Nicholas Naiem Bouier, Winter Dunn, Gem Little, Martina Silcock and Katherine Fairfax Wright.
“Providing our Gmm Fellows a space and time to explore our city of Los Angeles, guided by a local Film Independent Fellow, is central to the mission of the program: building bridges and fostering...
A mentoring initiative and cultural exchange program that fosters relationships between filmmakers and industry professionals in the U.S. and abroad, Gmm is produced in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The shorts emerged from a collaborative workshop where Fellows were paired with local Film Independent Fellows to create a short, impressionistic, film shot on iPhone, which encompasses their personal views of Los Angeles. The local Fellows participating were Nicholas Naiem Bouier, Winter Dunn, Gem Little, Martina Silcock and Katherine Fairfax Wright.
“Providing our Gmm Fellows a space and time to explore our city of Los Angeles, guided by a local Film Independent Fellow, is central to the mission of the program: building bridges and fostering...
- 8/16/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Multi-faceted digital star Todrick Hall is celebrating the release this week of his debut documentary, Behind The Curtain -- an AwesomenessTV-produced project chronicling the 32-year-old's ascension to fame as well as a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the making of his Straight Outta Oz visual album (which was also the name of a subsequent tour).
Hall will be attending the premiere of Behind The Curtain tonight in his home state of Texas, though the film -- which was directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu) -- officially bowed yesterday on digital platforms, including iTunes and Amazon. "The amount of opportunities that I was right to audition for were so small, being an openly gay African-American man in the industry,” Hall told Billboard of conceiving Straight Outta Oz. “I just felt that I needed to get these things out in a way that didn’t make me seem like a victim or an angry black man.
Hall will be attending the premiere of Behind The Curtain tonight in his home state of Texas, though the film -- which was directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu) -- officially bowed yesterday on digital platforms, including iTunes and Amazon. "The amount of opportunities that I was right to audition for were so small, being an openly gay African-American man in the industry,” Hall told Billboard of conceiving Straight Outta Oz. “I just felt that I needed to get these things out in a way that didn’t make me seem like a victim or an angry black man.
- 12/13/2017
- by Geoff Weiss
- Tubefilter.com
Todrick Hall is giving fans an intimate look into his life — and his rise to fame.
The 32-year-old singer and actor documented the making of his visual album Straight Outta Oz in Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall. The documentary, directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu) offers a look into his hectic schedule and most important relationships, like his mom.
“I am so excited to be sharing this beautiful, vulnerable, heartwarming film with my family, friends and most of all my fans,” Hall tells People. “I have spent my YouTube career encouraging others and trying to be a trailblazer...
The 32-year-old singer and actor documented the making of his visual album Straight Outta Oz in Behind the Curtain: Todrick Hall. The documentary, directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright (Call Me Kuchu) offers a look into his hectic schedule and most important relationships, like his mom.
“I am so excited to be sharing this beautiful, vulnerable, heartwarming film with my family, friends and most of all my fans,” Hall tells People. “I have spent my YouTube career encouraging others and trying to be a trailblazer...
- 11/13/2017
- by Ale Russian
- PEOPLE.com
Prolific content maker, YouTube star and documentary subject Todrick Hall spins high-quality, independently financed creations for his fans — many of whom identify as Lgbt. “Behind The Curtain: Todrick Hall,” directed Katherine Fairfax Wright, is a SXSW Film Festival entry that touches on the star’s upbringing not far from the Austin, Texas festival grounds. It partially covers Hall’s struggles with his sexuality and acceptance, a topic many find timely as the Trump administration threatens to repeal the rights of trans people. “While I’m not a super fan of the situation that we’re in … I think that in some ways it’s one.
- 3/12/2017
- by Matt Donnelly
- The Wrap
Brace yourself. The annual multi-pronged South By Southwest Conferences and Festivals — SXSW, of course — is hitting Austin, Texas later this week for days and days of fresh film offerings (and music and interactive stuff, too, but we can only do so much here). With it comes the promise of a brand new season of festival-going, along with a slew of films to get excited about finally checking out (and, because it’s Austin, lots of tasty barbecue to enjoy).
From SXSW regulars like Bob Byington and Joe Swanberg to rising stars like Nanfu Wang and Laura Terruso to marquee names like Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright — and just about everything in between — this year’s SXSW Film Festival is offering up its most robust slate yet. We’ve picked out a baker’s dozen of worthy new features to add to your SXSW schedule.
Check out 13 new films from this...
From SXSW regulars like Bob Byington and Joe Swanberg to rising stars like Nanfu Wang and Laura Terruso to marquee names like Terrence Malick and Edgar Wright — and just about everything in between — this year’s SXSW Film Festival is offering up its most robust slate yet. We’ve picked out a baker’s dozen of worthy new features to add to your SXSW schedule.
Check out 13 new films from this...
- 3/8/2017
- by Chris O'Falt, David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry, Kate Erbland and Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Jennifer Lopez and Tegan and Sara were honoured at the 25th GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday (April 12).
The first of two ceremonies paying tribute to advocates for the Lgbt community was held last night at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with Ross Mathews overseeing the festivities.
Lopez was the top honoree of the night, receiving the Vanguard Award for her support of equal marriage.
She was also commended for bringing important issues impacting the Lgbt community to light in The Fosters, the television drama programme that she produces.
The Fosters - which is about an interracial lesbian couple - was the recipient of the Outstanding Drama Series prize.
Tegan and Sara won in the Outstanding Music Artist category over Elton John, Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga and Vampire Weekend.
The Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Award went to the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra.
Another slate of awards will be given...
The first of two ceremonies paying tribute to advocates for the Lgbt community was held last night at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with Ross Mathews overseeing the festivities.
Lopez was the top honoree of the night, receiving the Vanguard Award for her support of equal marriage.
She was also commended for bringing important issues impacting the Lgbt community to light in The Fosters, the television drama programme that she produces.
The Fosters - which is about an interracial lesbian couple - was the recipient of the Outstanding Drama Series prize.
Tegan and Sara won in the Outstanding Music Artist category over Elton John, Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga and Vampire Weekend.
The Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Award went to the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra.
Another slate of awards will be given...
- 4/13/2014
- Digital Spy
Jennifer Lopez and Tegan and Sara were honoured at the 25th GLAAD Media Awards on Saturday (April 12).
The first of two ceremonies paying tribute to advocates for the Lgbt community was held last night at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with Ross Mathews overseeing the festivities.
Lopez was the top honoree of the night, receiving the Vanguard Award for her support of equal marriage.
She was also commended for bringing important issues impacting the Lgbt community to light in The Fosters, the television drama programme that she produces.
The Fosters - which is about an interracial lesbian couple - was the recipient of the Outstanding Drama Series prize.
Tegan and Sara won in the Outstanding Music Artist category over Elton John, Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga and Vampire Weekend.
The Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Award went to the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra.
Another slate of awards will be given...
The first of two ceremonies paying tribute to advocates for the Lgbt community was held last night at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, with Ross Mathews overseeing the festivities.
Lopez was the top honoree of the night, receiving the Vanguard Award for her support of equal marriage.
She was also commended for bringing important issues impacting the Lgbt community to light in The Fosters, the television drama programme that she produces.
The Fosters - which is about an interracial lesbian couple - was the recipient of the Outstanding Drama Series prize.
Tegan and Sara won in the Outstanding Music Artist category over Elton John, Goldfrapp, Lady Gaga and Vampire Weekend.
The Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Award went to the Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra.
Another slate of awards will be given...
- 4/13/2014
- Digital Spy
Among the many things that Los Angeles-based Film Independent does, besides the high-profile Independent Spirit Awards and the Los Angeles Film Festival, is provide crucial support to independent filmmakers. Every year a select few get chosen to participate in their Documentary Lab, which is designed to help them during the post-production phase on a film. In the past, participants have gone on to complete excellent work, among them Andrew Droz Palermo & Tracy Droz Tragos, whose "Rich Hill" won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival, as well as Pj Raval ("Before You Know It"), Hilla Medalia’s ("Dancing in Jaffa"), Nicholas Wrathall ("Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia"), Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali Worrall ("Call Me Kuchu"), Laura Nix and Julia Meltzer ("The Light In Her Eyes") and Nicole Karsin ("We Women Warriors"). Among this year's mentors are editor Doug Blush ("20 Feet from Stardom"), Laura Gabbert...
- 3/17/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
What:
Fd Zone and Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival presents
Rainbow Warriors
Best of Kashish Documentaries
Screening of
Two Girls Against The Rain
Are We So Different (Amraki Etoi Bhinno)
Project Bolo: Indian Lgbt Movement
Call Me Kuchu
Breaking Free
At Fd Zone.
When:
23rd February, 2014.
2 Pm to 6 Pm.
Entry:
Free and open to all.
Venue:
Rr Theatre
10th floor
Films Division
24, Pedder Road
Mumbai-400026
About the event:
Session 1: Lgbt Lives in Asia
Intro — 15 min
Two Girls Against The Rain
Dir: Sao Sopheak
11 mins | 2012 | Khmer with Est | Cambodia
A captivatingly courageous and touching film about a lesbian couple in Cambodia. Soth Yun and Sem Eang, both now in their late 50s, loved each other since the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime,when more than two million people died. Soth and Sem survived. The deep bond existing between them and their strength has helped them overcome all.
Winner of Best...
Fd Zone and Kashish Mumbai International Queer Film Festival presents
Rainbow Warriors
Best of Kashish Documentaries
Screening of
Two Girls Against The Rain
Are We So Different (Amraki Etoi Bhinno)
Project Bolo: Indian Lgbt Movement
Call Me Kuchu
Breaking Free
At Fd Zone.
When:
23rd February, 2014.
2 Pm to 6 Pm.
Entry:
Free and open to all.
Venue:
Rr Theatre
10th floor
Films Division
24, Pedder Road
Mumbai-400026
About the event:
Session 1: Lgbt Lives in Asia
Intro — 15 min
Two Girls Against The Rain
Dir: Sao Sopheak
11 mins | 2012 | Khmer with Est | Cambodia
A captivatingly courageous and touching film about a lesbian couple in Cambodia. Soth Yun and Sem Eang, both now in their late 50s, loved each other since the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime,when more than two million people died. Soth and Sem survived. The deep bond existing between them and their strength has helped them overcome all.
Winner of Best...
- 2/19/2014
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
In the deeply religious Christian nation of Uganda, homosexuality is a crime punishable by death. But after returning from a stint in South Africa, David Kato wanted to fight to liberate oppressed Ugandians who were forced to remain in the closet due to the nation's anti-homosexual bill. As Uganda's first openly gay man, David Kato fights to defeat this bill while overcoming brutal physical and verbal persecution in Call Me Kuchu, a documentary by Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright. Working against a violent culture of anti-homosexuality, David's story is ...
- 12/17/2013
- by krelth
- International Documentary Association
Documentaries have come a long way in the past 20 years, especially in the last decade. Documentary film has developed into a popular and visible form of entertainment, while having a bigger effect on society, usually addressing important issues with the goal of informing the public and pushing for social change. Ten years ago, it was more difficult to name 10 “great” documentaries released in one single year. Oh, how times have changed. There are so many incredible docs released each year – most never released wide – that it is impossible to catch up with each – but we try our best here at Sound On Sight. The following is a list of recent documentaries recommended most by our staff. It was hard to choose between the many great docs released this year, but we decided to narrow it down to a list of 10, based on what received the most votes from our end-year...
- 12/17/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
A feature project that we've been following since 2011, when it was selected for the Sundance Screenwriters Lab that year, is now set to make its world premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival next month. Titled Imperial Dreams, it's produced by the same filmmaker (Katherine Fairfax Wright) who co-directed, edited, and shot the acclaimed documentary Call Me Kuchu (the powerful and moving film that follows the daily life of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man). Malik Vitthal makes his feature film directorial debut from a script he co-wrote with Ismet Prcic. And, as we are only just learning, John Boyega stars in the film, which is...
- 12/12/2013
- by Natasha Greeves
- ShadowAndAct
Seven documentary films have been selected as recipients of the Catapult Film Fund’s fall 2013 development grant. Since launching in 2010, over $700,000 has been awarded to 37 films via the Catapult program. 465 proposals were submitted this time around, doubling the number of spring 2013 proposals.A previous Catapult grantee is “Call Me Kuchu,” directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zohali-Worrall, which debuted in 2012 at the Berlin Film Festival, and continued on as a festival hit, followed by a theatrical release earlier this year in the U.S. and U.K. The following film projects were chosen for funding: A Very Cold War, Dir. May AbdallaA Very Cold War is set at the frontline of the fast changing Arctic. As the Un decides how to divide up state sovereignty into the High North we travel into the lives of American entrepreneurs, Danish scientists and Russian priests who are investing in the thawing ice...
- 11/15/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Thus far this year, we've seen 2 relatively high-profile documentaries on Lgbtq rights in Uganda - Roger Ross Williams' God Loves Uganda and Call Me Kuchu from filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall. I've been alerted to an upcoming new documentary that will tackle similar matters, but this time, in a country northwest of Uganda - Nigeria. It comes from New York-based director Habeeb Lawal, who shot the film in Nigeria, which takes on the country's proposed anti-gay bill and the people it ultimately affects. Titled Veil of Silence, here's an official synopsis: On the brink of an impending law that could re-write their destinies, young...
- 11/7/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
It's one of two recent high-profile documentaries on Lgbt rights in Uganda - the other being Call Me Kuchu, directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, which documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans). I'll also add Wanuri Kahiu's Jambula Tree, a South African-Kenya co-production currently in development, which also puts a spotlight on the treatment of LGBTs in Uganda. Although Kahiu's film is a work of fiction, based on a short story that won the Caine Prize for short stories in 2007. Call Me Kuchu is now on home video, while...
- 9/25/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Cinedigm Entertainment Group has released, on DVD and VOD, Call Me Kuchu - the powerful and moving film that documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans), culminating in a brutal and senseless murder that sent shock waves throughout the world. Over the course of two years, filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall documented the daily lives of the outspoken and inspiring Kato and his fellow “kuchus” as Uganda was emerging as a frontier in the battle for African Lgbt rights. An alum of Film Independent’s Artist Development Program, Call Me Kuchu earned stellar...
- 9/24/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
In 2009, a bill was proposed in the Ugandan parliament that would outlaw homosexuality, making the offense punishable by death. In response, the newspaper The Rolling Stone began outing members of the Lgbt community with the headline “Hang Them.” The Lgbt activist David Kato, the first openly gay man in the rapidly anti-gay nation of Uganda, took the publication to court to prevent them from further printing the names and pictures of gay people — and won. Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali Worral’s remarkable documentary Call Me Kuchu chronicles the brave battles of Kato and his comrades, as they very publicly seek to …...
- 6/14/2013
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Wedging The Closet Door Open In Uganda
In the United States, the last few decades have been tarnished with the debate over whether or not homosexual couples should have the same legal rights as traditionally married straight couples, but as atrocious as that contention is, it pales in comparison to the injustices that gay citizens of Uganda must endure. There, approximately 95% of the population believes that homosexuality is a blasphemous choice made by perverts hellbent on summoning the wrath of God to destroy Uganda just as he had Sodom and Gomorrah, and for this, they deserve death. This extremist view has ironically been cultivated by wealthy American Evangelical Christian groups and successfully spread to the point where there is now a proposed piece of legislation called the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that, if passed, would make homosexuality punishable by death. Yet, a few brave souls still fight the good fight against obtuse...
In the United States, the last few decades have been tarnished with the debate over whether or not homosexual couples should have the same legal rights as traditionally married straight couples, but as atrocious as that contention is, it pales in comparison to the injustices that gay citizens of Uganda must endure. There, approximately 95% of the population believes that homosexuality is a blasphemous choice made by perverts hellbent on summoning the wrath of God to destroy Uganda just as he had Sodom and Gomorrah, and for this, they deserve death. This extremist view has ironically been cultivated by wealthy American Evangelical Christian groups and successfully spread to the point where there is now a proposed piece of legislation called the Anti-Homosexuality Bill that, if passed, would make homosexuality punishable by death. Yet, a few brave souls still fight the good fight against obtuse...
- 6/14/2013
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
There hasn't been a lot of good P.R. for civil rights in Uganda in the last few years, what with its parliament's proposed legislation that would make homosexual activity punishable by death. Call Me Kuchu, a powerful documentary by first-time filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, doesn't cast the country's anti-gay movement in a favorable light at all -- which is to say, it depicts the anti-gay movement fairly and accurately -- but it finds inspiration in the brave efforts of Uganda's small community of gay activists. Taking its title from a Ugandan slang term for gays and lesbians, "Call Me Kuchu" focuses primarily on David Kato, the first openly gay man in Uganda (!) who serves as the Lgbt community's unofficial leader. To...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 6/14/2013
- Screen Anarchy
A few weeks back, we offered up this list of 10 Lgbt films you should see on the film festival circuit this summer, but there's also a few heading to traditional release. Among them is Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright's Ugandan Lgbt rights doc "Call Me Kuchu," which is being released this Friday in New York (and then next weekend in La) after nearly a year and half of winning considerable accolades on the festival circuit. Upon its world premiere at the Berlinale last year, the film won the Teddy Award for best Lgbt documentary. It followed that win with prizes for best international feature at Hot Docs, the audience award at Frameline, and the Amnesty International human rights award at Durban. Specifically focused around Lgbt people and activists in Uganda, "Call Me Kuchu" (gay and transgendered citizens are called "kuchus") centers around the life and tragic death of David Kato,...
- 6/13/2013
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
Equally gut-wrenching and inspiring, the documentary Call Me Kuchu beams right from Uganda, the global hypocenter in the ongoing and intensifying struggle over Lgbt rights. Directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, the film—from its opening moments—jumps right into the fray of Uganda's media and government-sanctioned homophobia, outlining its outsider roots (leftover colonial laws from Britain; rightwing American evangelicals stoking the flames of bigotry) while making clear the Ugandan complicity in and responsibility for the anti-gay bigotry that has swept the country.
What makes Kuchu work as taut agitprop, and ultimately to devastating emotional effect, is that Wright and Zouhali-Worrall allow the enormity of the film's pol...
What makes Kuchu work as taut agitprop, and ultimately to devastating emotional effect, is that Wright and Zouhali-Worrall allow the enormity of the film's pol...
- 6/12/2013
- Village Voice
Last fall, Cinedigm Entertainment Group acquired all U.S. distribution rights to Call Me Kuchu - the powerful and moving film that documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans), culminating in a brutal and senseless murder that sent shock waves throughout the world. Over the course of two years, filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall documented the daily lives of the outspoken and inspiring Kato and his fellow “kuchus” as Uganda was emerging as a frontier in the battle for African Lgbt rights. Cinedigm has set a theatrical release date for the acclaimed film for this...
- 6/10/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Specifically focused around Lgbt people and Lgbt activists in Uganda, the documentary "Call Me Kuchu" (Uganda's gay and transgendered activists refer to themselves as "kuchus"), directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, centers around the life and tragic death of David Kato, a veteran activist who spent years fighting against his country’s homophobic society. Read More: First-Time Directing Duo Talk Ugandan Lgbt Rights Doc 'Call Me Kuchu' Among other terrifying things, an anti-homosexuality bill proposing death for HIV-positive gay men is introduced and Kato is one of the few brave enough to try and stop it. Unfortunately, after courageously changing the face of Lgbt rights in the country, Kato was brutally murdered. After wowing on the festival circuit, the documentary opens in select theaters this Friday. Below, watch two clips from the film, exclusive to Indiewire.
- 6/10/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Like the Nazi propaganda machine, the Christian fundamentalists of Uganda (and some American Evangelicals) worked hand in hand with the popular Ugandan newspaper (that functions more like a gossip tabloid), Rolling Stone, to effectively communicate to the Ugandan population that the Lgbti community was a bunch of disease-carrying rapists who were actively recruiting others to undermine Christianity and destroy the country's moral fibre. The Ugandan Lgbti community -- otherwise known as kuchus -- was left three options: go back into the closet, emigrate to a more queer-friendly environment, or stand up for their personal freedoms. Directors Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall had the premonition to document as a group of Ugandan Lgbti activists took a stand against their government. Wright and Zouhali-Worrall conducted a series of interviews with both sides of the issue; without injecting their own opinions and judgments, they admirably allowed everyone to freely speak their mind.
- 6/10/2013
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Call Me Kuchu: The universality of anti-gay hate in Uganda (photo: Ugandan gay rights activist David Kato in Call Me Kuchu) It’s impossible to watch Call Me Kuchu, Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s affecting and shocking documentary about the fight for gay rights in Uganda, and not rail against the religion-inspired hatred that many Ugandans hold towards homosexuals. It’s even tempting to look down upon the ignorant and hateful East Africans who embrace such views and consider them the product of "Third World thinking." And yet many Americans hold comparable opinions. Search the various comment boards that deal in such political and social matters and you’ll easily find educated, technology-savvy, big city Americans who use the same justification to condemn, sometimes violently, "the gay lifestyle." So, while Call Me Kuchu bears witness to those fighting against well-organized prejudice in Uganda, it also reminds us...
- 6/1/2013
- by Mark Keizer
- Alt Film Guide
Last fall, Cinedigm Entertainment Group acquired all U.S. distribution rights to Call Me Kuchu - the powerful and moving film that documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans), culminating in a brutal and senseless murder that sent shock waves throughout the world. Over the course of two years, filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall documented the daily lives of the outspoken and inspiring Kato and his fellow “kuchus” as Uganda was emerging as a frontier in the battle for African Lgbt rights. Cinedigm has set a theatrical release date for the acclaimed film for June 14,...
- 5/24/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Title: Call Me Kuchu Cinedigm Director: Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Screenwriter: Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall Cast: David Kato, Naome Ruzindana, Stosh Mugisha Screened at: Review, NYC, 5/9/13 Opens: June 14, 2013 in NY and June 21, 2013 in L.A. Who needs Idi Amin when fascism is alive and well in Uganda? Ok, not fascism on a government level, yet. But we here in the West, where fifteen countries and several American states have already approved gay marriage, may not realize that in other parts, particularly in Third World nations, not only is gay marriage prohibited. Homosexuality itself is illegal! In Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s incisive documentary, [ Read More ]
The post Call Me Kuchu Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Call Me Kuchu Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/10/2013
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Last fall, Cinedigm Entertainment Group acquired all U.S. distribution rights to Call Me Kuchu - the powerful and moving film that documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans), culminating in a brutal and senseless murder that sent shock waves throughout the world. Over the course of two years, filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall documented the daily lives of the outspoken and inspiring Kato and his fellow “kuchus” as Uganda was emerging as a frontier in the battle for African Lgbt rights. Cinedigm has set a theatrical release date for the acclaimed film for June 7,...
- 4/30/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
★★★★☆ A moving and sobering tale of the fight against prejudice and the quest for acceptance in the face of adversity, Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall's doc Call Me Kuchu (2012) is almost structured like a fiction feature, with a final devastating third act which brings little closure or cause for celebration. While there are still instances of unjust treatment towards same-sex relationships in the UK, the bigoted, hateful ideology on display in Uganda is reminiscent of a dark, barbaric age. The Lgbt community suffer regular humiliation from the police, and have to contend with the potentially lethal consequences of their lifestyle choices.
Read more »...
Read more »...
- 2/27/2013
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
The Master | Rust And Bone | Keep The Lights On | Excision | Fun Size | Call Me Kuchu | Silent Hill: Revelation | Tempest | For A Good Time, Call … | Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | The Shining
The Master (12)
(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012, Us) Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons. 144 mins
Anderson has now entered that realm where everything he does is expected to be a masterpiece. This certainly feels like one. Like There Will Be Blood, it explores a big subject (a Scientology-like cult) via two contrasting men: Hoffman as the Hubbard-ish leader; Phoenix as a drunken, damaged drifter. Those expecting a straightforward story – tough. You're getting a "masterpiece".
Rust And Bone (15)
(Jacques Audiard, 2012, Fra/Bel) Marion Cotillard, Armand Verdure. 123 mins
As he did with A Prophet, Audiard makes us care so much about his characters we'll follow them anywhere. This time it's a study of physical and mental frailty,...
The Master (12)
(Paul Thomas Anderson, 2012, Us) Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Laura Dern, Jesse Plemons. 144 mins
Anderson has now entered that realm where everything he does is expected to be a masterpiece. This certainly feels like one. Like There Will Be Blood, it explores a big subject (a Scientology-like cult) via two contrasting men: Hoffman as the Hubbard-ish leader; Phoenix as a drunken, damaged drifter. Those expecting a straightforward story – tough. You're getting a "masterpiece".
Rust And Bone (15)
(Jacques Audiard, 2012, Fra/Bel) Marion Cotillard, Armand Verdure. 123 mins
As he did with A Prophet, Audiard makes us care so much about his characters we'll follow them anywhere. This time it's a study of physical and mental frailty,...
- 11/3/2012
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★★☆
A heartfelt and profoundly affecting exposé into the daily struggle faced by Uganda's severely persecuted Lgbt community, Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall's Call Me Kuchu (2012) stands head and shoulders above a great deal of this year's more populist, knowingly 'cinematic' documentaries. Preferring to let its thoughtful and eloquent subjects do the talking (bigoted Rolling Stone editors aside), Wright and Worrall's film will hopefully lead to a heightened awareness of an issue that had already caught the attention of the global community, yet in a contemplative, non-sensationalist way. Read more »...
A heartfelt and profoundly affecting exposé into the daily struggle faced by Uganda's severely persecuted Lgbt community, Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall's Call Me Kuchu (2012) stands head and shoulders above a great deal of this year's more populist, knowingly 'cinematic' documentaries. Preferring to let its thoughtful and eloquent subjects do the talking (bigoted Rolling Stone editors aside), Wright and Worrall's film will hopefully lead to a heightened awareness of an issue that had already caught the attention of the global community, yet in a contemplative, non-sensationalist way. Read more »...
- 11/1/2012
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Scanning through the press release announcing the 8 feature projects selected for the 2012 Film Independent 12th Annual Producing Lab... I came across this one... Titled Imperial Dreams, it's being produced by the same filmmaker (Katherine Fairfax Wright), who co-directed, edited, and shot the acclaimed documentary Call Me Kuchu (the powerful and moving film that follows the daily life of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man), which has taken up a lot of pixels on this site in the last year. The synopsis for Imperial Dreams, which is actually a scripted work of fiction, and is now begining its journey through production, follows: ...
- 10/26/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Cinedigm Entertainment Group has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to Call Me Kuchu - the powerful and moving film that documents the daily lives of David Kato – the first openly gay Ugandan man - and three fellow “kuchus” (Lgbt Ugandans), culminating in a brutal and senseless murder that sent shock waves throughout the world. The film is planned for a theatrical release in early 2013, followed by on-demand, premium digital, DVD, and TV release. Over the course of two years, filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall documented the daily lives of the outspoken and inspiring Kato and his fellow “kuchus” as Uganda was...
- 10/19/2012
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall's essential human-rights documentary, "Call Me Kuchu," has gone to Cinedigm for Us distribution. The film, which won the Teddy for Best Documentary and the Cinema Fairbindet Prize at Berlin, looks at the fight against Uganda's state-sanctioned homophobia. At the center of the story is David Kato, the brave and good-humored spirit who was brutally and senselessly murdered after he had successfully won a major case to stop a local newspaper from condemning, accusing and endangering the Lgbt community. Kato was the first publicly gay person in Uganda. "Call Me Kuchu" also won the Amnesty International's Human Rights Award at the Durban Film Festival, and Best International Feature at Hot Docs 2012. Cinedigm's Vincent Scordino states, “'Call Me Kuchu' is one of those rare films that tackles a controversial worldwide issue and then makes that very issue exceedingly personal...
- 10/19/2012
- by Sophia Savage
- Thompson on Hollywood
Cinedigm has acquired domestic distribution rights to 'Call me Kuchu," a film that chronicles the lives of the first openly gay Ugandan man (David Kato) and three other Lgbt Ugandans ("Kuchus"). CInedigm's Cinedigm Entertainment Group, a digital distribution company, plans a theatrical release in early 2013, followed by on-demand, premium digital, DVD and V release. Directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, the film was born out of Film Independent's development program. Fairfax Wright and Zouhali-Worrall followed Kato and his fellow kuchus as Uganda transformed into a battleground for Lgbt rights. "'Call Me...
- 10/19/2012
- by Lucas Shaw
- The Wrap
Cinedigm Entertainment Group has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to the documentary "Call Me Kuchu." The company plans an early 2013 theatrical run followed by release on digital platforms, DVD and TV. Directed by Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall, "Kuchu" follows four Lgbt Ugandans for two years as they maintain outspoken lives and struggle against entrenched religious and cultural attitudes. Zouhali-Worrall also produced the project, which received support from Film Independent's artist development program, as well as Chicken & Egg Pictures, Catapult Film Fund and Cinereach. "'Call Me Kuchu' is one of those rare films that tackles a controversial worldwide issue and then makes that very issue exceedingly personal and intense," said Cinedigm acquisitions exec Vincent Scordino. "Viewers will come away profoundly moved. And, appropriately, angry." Cinedigm's Emily Rothschild negotiated...
- 10/19/2012
- by Jay A. Fernandez
- Indiewire
A fair amount of international media attention was given in 2011 to what was being called the Ugandan "Kill The Gays" bill, which would make homosexual activity punishable by death. Rachel Maddow covered it on her show, Hillary Clinton called the Ugandan President to condemn it, but it was sadly easy to file the story in your brain as yet another awful thing happening far away. In Call Me Kuchu, a deeply powerful new documentary, the plight and ferocious strength of gay Ugandans (who dub themselves "kuchus") is made personal, as the filmmakers follow several of the country's most notable gay activists in their struggle against discrimination as well as simply accepting themselves in a society deeply hostile to their existence. Filmmakers Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall got remarkable access to their subjects, many of whom were having their photographs published by local paper Rolling Stone under the title "Men...
- 10/7/2012
- cinemablend.com
The funny thing about film festivals is that there never seems to be enough time to talk about the films you’ve just seen. Distribution strategies, yes, industry gossip, most definitely, but the actual creative decisions and approaches involved in making the films themselves – barely! So the Grand Cinema’s mini-festival celebrating Filmmaker‘s 25 New Faces of Independent Film in Tacoma, Wa, last month felt like a truly rare treat.
Bringing together 14 of the actors and filmmakers or filmmaking teams on the list, including myself and Katherine Fairfax Wright, my directing partner on Call Me Kuchu, The Grand Cinema scheduled five days of screenings that allowed us to leisurely take in and discuss each other’s works.
It was an idyllic long weekend of films, food, lake-side Frisbee, and far too much popcorn, with more than a hint of all the good bits of summer camp (or Woodcraft camp, for...
Bringing together 14 of the actors and filmmakers or filmmaking teams on the list, including myself and Katherine Fairfax Wright, my directing partner on Call Me Kuchu, The Grand Cinema scheduled five days of screenings that allowed us to leisurely take in and discuss each other’s works.
It was an idyllic long weekend of films, food, lake-side Frisbee, and far too much popcorn, with more than a hint of all the good bits of summer camp (or Woodcraft camp, for...
- 9/5/2012
- by Malika Zouhali-Worrall
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It is truly amazing the lengths to which documentary filmmakers will go to 'get the shot.' At times they put their lives at risk to give depth and meaning to stories that otherwise would remain untold. During a recent Doc U, filmmakers Till Schauder, Katherine Fairfax Wright and Laura Nix speak about their experiences working in Iran, Uganda and Syria.
read more...
read more...
- 8/8/2012
- by Lisa_Hasko
- International Documentary Association
Michael Haneke’s Amour
Love (Amour) directed by Michael Haneke won the Best Feature Film award at the 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival that announced its award-winners on July 28, 2012.
The Best First Feature Film prize went to Julia Leigh for Sleeping Beauty (Australia).
The Best South African Feature Film was awarded to Adventures in Zambezia (South Africa), directed by Wayne Thornley.
The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award went to Malika Zouhali-Worral and Katherine Fairfax Wright’s film Call Me Kuchu which focuses on attacks on gays in Uganda.
The full list of awards is:
Best Film: Love (Amour) (France, Austria, Germany), directed by Michael Haneke
Best South African Feature Film: Adventures in Zambezia (South Africa), directed by Wayne Thornley
Best First Feature Film: Sleeping Beauty (Australia), directed by Julia Leigh
Best Director: Benh Zeitlin for Beasts Of The Southern Wild (USA)
Best Actress: Deanie Ip in...
Love (Amour) directed by Michael Haneke won the Best Feature Film award at the 33rd edition of the Durban International Film Festival that announced its award-winners on July 28, 2012.
The Best First Feature Film prize went to Julia Leigh for Sleeping Beauty (Australia).
The Best South African Feature Film was awarded to Adventures in Zambezia (South Africa), directed by Wayne Thornley.
The Amnesty International Durban Human Rights Award went to Malika Zouhali-Worral and Katherine Fairfax Wright’s film Call Me Kuchu which focuses on attacks on gays in Uganda.
The full list of awards is:
Best Film: Love (Amour) (France, Austria, Germany), directed by Michael Haneke
Best South African Feature Film: Adventures in Zambezia (South Africa), directed by Wayne Thornley
Best First Feature Film: Sleeping Beauty (Australia), directed by Julia Leigh
Best Director: Benh Zeitlin for Beasts Of The Southern Wild (USA)
Best Actress: Deanie Ip in...
- 7/29/2012
- by NewsDesk
- DearCinema.com
Thom Fitzgerald’s "Cloudburst" and Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall's "Call Me Kuchu" topped the winners of the audience awards at Frameline36 the San Francisco International Lgbt Film Festival, which came to a close this Sunday. The Festival drew together an audience of 57,000 over 11 days of screenings, culminating with a screening of the forementioned "Cloudburst," which stars Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker as aging New England lesbians that go on a road trip to Canada to get married. Other major honors at the fest included the juried First Feature Award, which went to Negar Azarbayjani’s "Facing Mirrors," the first Iranian narrative film with a transgender protagonist. Honorable mention went to director Sally El Hosaini's story of two Egyptian brothers living in inner London, "My Brother The Devil." Taking home the Outstanding Documentary Feature Award was Yariv...
- 6/27/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
In Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worral‘s stirring Call Me Kuchu, we meet soft-spoken activist David Kato, a former teacher fighting for something very dear to his heart – the repeal of Uganda’s stunningly homophobic laws and the blocking of their “Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” which proposed no less than death for HIV-positive gay men, and prison for anyone who fails to turn in a known homosexual. While the simplest of Google searches for information on the film will likely turn up news on some of its most heartbreaking narrative twists and turns, the film is better experienced fresh. However, this trailer for Call Me Kuchu effectively telegraphs the aims and spirit of the film without spoiling some of its more wrenching emotional moments. Check out the film’s trailer after the break, along with screening information for the film, which will be having its U.S. Premiere at Laff this week. Call Me Kuchu...
- 6/14/2012
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Lgbt nonprofit media arts organization Frameline has announced the 36th edition of its annual film festival: Frameline36. The festival will run in San Francisco from June 14-22 and feature 217 films from more than 30 countries. Jeffrey Schwarz's documentary "Vito," which chronicles the life of gay activist Vito Russo, will open the festival. Other films screening at the festival include Jonathan Lisecki's "Gayby," Ira Sachs' "Keep the Lights On," and Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall’s "Call Me Kuchu." Frameline36 also will feature a retrospective on 1990s New Queer Cinema with Gregg Araki's "The Living Dead," Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman" and Alex Sichel's "All Over Me." The festival will close with Thom Fitzgerald’s "Cloudburst," which follows a lesbian couple who breaks out of a nursing home to get married in Canada. ...
- 5/23/2012
- by Devin Lee Fuller
- Indiewire
The New York-based 23rd Human Rights Watch Film Festival (a co-presentation of Human Rights Watch and the Film Society of Lincoln Center) has locked down its full lineup of 16 documentary and fiction films from 12 counrtries, 14 of which will be making their New York premieres at the Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater. This year's program is organized around five themes: health, development and the environment, Lgbt and migrants' rights, personal testimony and witnessing, reporting in crises, and women's rights. The festival will kick off with a fundraising night featuring Kim Nguyen's recent Tribeca award-winner "War Witch." The main program will launch with the opening night presentation of Alison Klayman's Sundance winner "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry." Closing the festival will be Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worral's "Call Me Kuchu," which tracks the efforts of Ugandan David Kato and a group of activists...
- 5/11/2012
- by Nigel M Smith
- Indiewire
The Hot Docs Festival wrapped late last week and a jury handed out awards on Friday.
Call Me Kuchu
I saw Call Me Kuchu after it won Best International Feature (each year they play three award winners during the festival's last evening). I had tried to avoid the movie because depression and anger aren't emotions I like feeling, especially with something that affects me on such a personal level. The anger is rooted in denial. I'd like to think that the struggle is over for Lgbt people but it isn't in so many communities and countries.
"Kuchu" is a pejorative umbrella term referring to homosexuals, male or female, for Uganda's homophobic government and majority opinion. Directors Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright follow a small group of gay activists in this hostile environment and focus on David Kato in particular. His violent death took place during this documentary's production. His...
Call Me Kuchu
I saw Call Me Kuchu after it won Best International Feature (each year they play three award winners during the festival's last evening). I had tried to avoid the movie because depression and anger aren't emotions I like feeling, especially with something that affects me on such a personal level. The anger is rooted in denial. I'd like to think that the struggle is over for Lgbt people but it isn't in so many communities and countries.
"Kuchu" is a pejorative umbrella term referring to homosexuals, male or female, for Uganda's homophobic government and majority opinion. Directors Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright follow a small group of gay activists in this hostile environment and focus on David Kato in particular. His violent death took place during this documentary's production. His...
- 5/8/2012
- by Paolo
- FilmExperience
Malika Zouhali-Worrall and Katherine Fairfax Wright's Ugandan Lgbt rights doc "Call Me Kuchu" has been met with considerable accolades in its short span on the festival circuit. Upon its world premiere at the Berlinale, the film won the Teddy Award for best Lgbt documentary. Then last week, it made its North American debut at Hot Docs and ended up winning the prize for best international feature. Sure to be a staple on the film festival circuit for the next few months, the film takes on a pivotal international human rights issue: Lgbt rights in Africa. Specifically focused around Lgbt people and activists in Uganda, "Call Me Kuchu" (gay and transgendered citizens are called "kuchus") centers around the life and tragic death of David Kato, a veteran activist who spent years fighting against his country’s insanely homophobic society. Among other terrifying things, an anti-homosexuality bill proposing death for HIV-positive.
- 5/7/2012
- by Peter Knegt
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.