Every year, multiple films are screened at the Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival before their theatrical releases. These films emerge from the festival circuit and come out onto the mainstream, becoming more accessible to audiences that don’t live in cities that happen to host world-renowned film festivals.
While the largest LGBTQ+ film releases of late 2017 and early 2018 — “Call Me By Your Name,” “Love, Simon” and “Disobedience” — are critically acclaimed, all unfortunately only tell the stories of white, cisgender, queer people. Many of the up-and-coming LGBTQ+ film releases of this year that were screened at Frameline42 seek to change that, however.
“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” may star Chloë Grace Moretz, but it took pains to cast actors of color and/or openly queer actors in supplementary roles. “We the Animals,” based upon Justin Torres’ beloved novel of the same name, tells of working-class, queer, Latinx identities. And “Night Comes On,” starring Dominique Fishback of HBO’s “The Deuce,” follows an 18-year-old, Black, queer woman as she returns home from a juvenile detention center.
While The Daily Californian may not be able to publish our full reviews of these films until their respective release dates, here are sneak previews of two highly anticipated LGBTQ+ films of 2018.
— Caroline Smith, arts & entertainment editor
“The Miseducation of Cameron Post”
Conversion therapy is a topic that should be outdated but isn’t. In “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” director Desiree Akhavan condemns the cruelty of this therapy for LGBTQ+ teens while refusing to compromise the spirit of their youth. It is a contemplative film that benefits from the authentic acting of its young ensemble cast. Genuine and honest, its bold portrayal of conversion therapy and its effects is haunting. While it is targeted toward a younger audience, its message of resilience in the face of oppression is ageless and will resonate with anyone who has ever had their identity scrutinized.
— Alex Jiménez, LGBTQ+ media beat reporter
“Skate Kitchen”
No film has ever made hypebeasts look so authentically cool. Crystal Moselle’s “Skate Kitchen” follows the sufferings and joys of teenaged Camille as she leaves behind her Long Island life to melt into a women-only skateboarding crew called Skate Kitchen. Tender, attentive and artful, the film’s story and drama hinge on female friendship in the least saccharine way possible. “Skate Kitchen” isn’t the gay movie you want it to be. Still, it’s a bildungsroman whose attention does not stray for a single second from a “rowdy-ass” band of teenage girls — and how often do you see one of those?
— Sarah Coduto
