While a lot of these filmmakers learned during the documentary process, for Hansen Bursic, it took completing production for him to look back on how momentous his work had become. His short documentary, Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania, explores the untold story of legendary weekend-long parties at New Hope bar The Raven that saw hundreds of transgender women…
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Filmmaker Hansen Bursic came to New Hope hoping to find out more about the history of their iconic gay bar, The Raven. His short documentary, Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania, explores the untold story of legendary weekend-long parties that saw hundreds of transgender women and crossdressers take over the town, traveling from all over the country to meet…
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When Philly-based filmmaker Rea Tajiri set out to make a film about her mother who was diagnosed with dementia, she couldn’t have imagined the decade-long journey she would be undertaking, or how it would impact the way she viewed aging. In fact, she was hesitant to even start that journey until encouragement from members of…
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A conversation on the American Non-Profit Industrial Complex and interrogating how these organizations “mission wash” their role in maintaining a status quo within the documentary ecosystem, harming its labour force.
Reel Q, Pittsburgh’s annual LGBTQ+ film festival and one of the oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world, will be hosting the world premiere of Halloween 1987. The film is based on the memoir of Jenny Jae Cory of Towanda, Pennsylvania.
For his new film, Hansen Bursic wants to tell a different kind of coming-out story. Bursic’s short film, Halloween 1987, follows Cory, a teenager who dresses up as their girlfriend, Meg, for a high school Halloween party. As the night comes to an end, Cory is faced with a question: Who am I now that…
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To take on a project capturing the story of such a dynamic musician like Bowie is no small feat. But Morgen doesn’t approach the film as a traditional documentary featuring sit-down interviews with coworkers, friends, and fans. Instead, Bowie’s story is told non-linearly through his own words, featuring several interviews that the musician did over…
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Filmmakers have a special place in their hearts for film festivals hosted in small theaters, in idyllic local neighborhoods, with thoughtful Q&As, and crowds as interesting as the films themselves. In many ways, that’s the kind of festival QDoc, The Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival offers itself as. QDoc is the only festival in the US…
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It has been a devastating month for us reeling from gun violence in the US. As with many issues, we look to documentaries to give us a deeper understanding of how we got here and what’s next. This blog explores eight documentaries that discuss the topic of guns and America, taking a specific look at…
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The LGBTQ community has been through a lot since Pride 2021. From “Don’t Say Gay” bills to horrendous legislation targeting trans kids, it’s easy to feel like this last year has been one of the worst yet for trans and queer people. Yet still, we persist as a community, stronger than ever before in a…
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