Precious is a film produced by Perry and Oprah Winfrey chronicling the life and experiences of an illiterate African-American 16-year-old girl that experiences constant abuse from her mother and is pregnant for a second time by her own father.

"I'm tired of holding this in,” Perry writes. “I don't know what to do with it anymore, so, I've decided to give some of it away."

Perry begins with how his mother tried and failed at leaving his abusive father and recounts a graphic list of abuse and beatings he experienced.

For his love of reading and writing Perry says he received nothing but merciless verbal abuse from his drunken father.

All that aside, every fall in the city of Atlanta, the good, bad and the ugly associated with living in this world as a SGL man or woman is tackled in the form of drama and comedy at the annual OUT on Film Festival which celebrates "Pride at the Movies."

Blueprint, already screened in over 25 film festivals across Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America, was produced by Trevite Willis, featured Blake Young-Fountain as Keith, and Damion Lee as Nathan. The film was shot in 2005, mostly in Harlem and at a lake location in Sullivan County over a period of three weeks, and as a low budget independent project, under $100,000, it was largely financed by Willis and Shannon-Butts, with additional help from the Jerome Foundation and Reel Affirmations/1in10.

100% Arabica by Mahmoud Zemmouri, 85min, 1997, France, comedy in French with English subtitles.

In a housing project located on the outskirts of Paris renamed "100% Arabica" by its inhabitants, African immigrants live side by side. The residents are united by their struggle for recognition in a society where immigrants are often regarded as second-class citizens. In a world of exiles, poverty is the common denominator. Against this backdrop, director Zemmouri has brought together two of the biggest and most charismatic stars of the cross-cultural musical form known as Rai, Cheb Mami and Khaled, who play the leaders of a band called Rap Oriental. As the band of musicians starts to gain in popularity, the Imam of the local mosque (Mouss) tries to destroy them by stirring up racial and cultural tensions. However, no one can stop the infectious popularity of the songs in this story of music triumphing over bigotry and violence.

SANKY PANKY by Jose Enrique Pintor, 110 min, 2007, Dominican Republic, comedy in Spanish with English subtitles.

The Dominican Republic has beautiful beaches, beautiful people, and a little something called "Sanky Panky," which female tourists might want to stay away from. In this musical comedy starring the charismatic Fausto Mata, his attempts at getting foreign women to fall in love with him in order to procure a visa to the United States have hilarious results. A huge hit in both the Dominican Republic and the Dominican communities abroad, SANKY PANKY is a humorous look at the little-known phenomena of seducing travelers for personal gain. Popular Dominican music, such as Big Family and Aventura, accompany many of Mata's ridiculous exploits in his quest for a little "Sanky Panky."

Homo Harlem: A Film Retrospective

Storme: Lady of the Jewel Box
Dir. Michelle Parkerson, 1987, 21 min.

"Itain't easy…being green" is the favorite expression of StormeDeLarverie, a woman whose life flouted prescriptions of gender andrace. During the 1950's and 60's she toured the black theatre circuitas a mistress of ceremonies and the sole male impersonator of the legendary Jewel Box Revue, America's first integrated femaleimpersonation show and forerunner of La Cage aux Folles.

Storme herselfemerges as a remarkable woman, who came up during hard times but always"kept a touch of class." Storme was also a witness to the StonewallRebellion 40 years ago and is a founding member of the StonewallVeterans Association.

Wolfgang Busch, 2007, 48 min.

HowDo I Look captures the Harlem "Ball" traditions that originated in the70s, which was historically an off shot from the Harlem "Drag" Ballsfrom the 20s. Because of the loss of hundreds of members and leaders ofthe "Ball" community due to the HIV epidemic, this film recorded animportant aspect of history while it was still available.

"Who is Miley Cyrus? The one with all the gums? She need to get a gum transplant!" And he continued: "Make a sex tape and grow up!"

Oh Jamie!!! You are in hot water now. Miss Miley Cyrus is America's sweetheart. Her dad is spitting fire, on the Bonnie Hunt television show, he questioned how Jamie would feel if this was said about his daughter. Ouch!

You read it on GBMNews.com

You read it here at GBMNews.com

The story line: The husband has a successful career, a beautiful wife (Beyonce) and a love affair on the side, who is his crazy temp who starts to stalk and harass him, her married lover. Sounds like a whole lot of excitement and drama. The interesting thing is the viewer doesn't know if the affair is real or all in the crazy temps head.

Other actors in the film are television's "Christine Lahti, Jerry O' Connell and Bruce McGill. I can't wait to see it.

This film executive producers are daughter and father, yes, Ms. Knowles and her dad. It's a family affair.

So on Friday, April 24th lets make it a smash hit weekend, let's make it number one!

You read this at GBMNews.com

David Manuel, Sr. Director of Programming shared his excitement with a joyous crowd Monday night at the success of Celebrate Diversity through the Arts, co-sponsored by Turner Broadcasting and the Woodruff Arts Center.

The screening was held at the Woodruff Arts Center Monday March 23. The next film screening, All about Us will be held on April 27th starring Boris Kodjoe and Raven Goodwin.

It's wonderful that our stories, people of color, are being told. The Richard Pryor and the Marvin Gaye stories are being made. It's been said for years that Ms. Pearl Bailey's story is in the works and that Ms. Queen Latifah may be cast as the gifted performer. I can't wait to see some of our heroes on the big screen.

You read it here at GBMNews.com

You read it here at GBMNews.com

Now we know if Will and Jada decided to come out of the closet, if they are gay, it would destroy the careers of two beautiful, talented people, especially in the black community. Many of us are so beaten down with religion, and are hooked on "God didn't create Adam and Steve but Adam and Eve…." Our community hasn't learned how to love unconditionally.

To many in Hollywood, the same sex thing and the bi-sexual thing has been replaced with the labeled as being "sexual". However, whoever's doing who, it shouldn't really matter if you enjoy the talent of that person. Black people wake up!

And I agree with Ms. Jada, she's living and loving her life and she's happy.

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C. D. Kirven’s video short (14 min.) titled “The Dark Side of the Rainbow” helps start that radical discussion. It is a factual video about same-gender domestic violence.

“The Dark Side of the Rainbow” presents domestic violence outside of the usual discussion of male-female power disparity. Instead, we would have to focus on love and trust. Love is trust. Home is a safe space. Domestic violence violates both trust and home.

Texas-born C. D. Kirven cleverly captured “The Dark Side of the Rainbow” on a cell phone. What medium better captures the urgency and terror of being abused in one’s own home and by someone loved and trusted? While being domestically abused, one cannot run to one’s partner for solace. One cannot escape home for safety. Love and home become places of fear and danger.

In an e-mail, Kirven, an African American lesbian, tells me that she chose the title because “we think the rainbow—the gay symbol—is all about fun and parties but there is also a dark side that no one likes to talk about such as abuse or racism within the GLBT community.”

According to Kirven, domestic violence is “deadly to the GLBT community.” She believes that a same-gender loving person may be denied emergency services and protective orders due to homophobia. The person may feel trapped into his or her violent relationship and “so they go20back to the abuse and die.”

It should be ready for the big screen in 2010. I have a feeling that we have only began to see how talented Mr. Murphy is as he matures into who he's suppose to be.
It's time for our stories to be told.

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But where I would talk to a gay person, the conversation would be mostly around art or design, it'd be really dope. "From a design standpoint, kids' will say, 'Dude, those pants are gay." But if it's good, good, good fashion-level, design-level stuff, where it's on a higher level than the average commercial design stuff, it's gay people that do that. "I think that should be said as a compliment. Like, 'Dude, that's so good it's almost gay.'"

He said that his "acute awareness" of his sexuality made him dark, shy and at times suicidal, and he only came "out" after leaving high school. Many faiths believe that you are going to hell because of your sexuality, Dustin wanted the confused gay kids to know that they are not alone.

People in the audience, the Hollywood community listened and many had tears in their eyes. Perhaps that mother, that father, who's stopped loving their gay son or daughter realizes that to be gay is normal, its not a sickness. It's not a choice, like deciding on a pair of shoes. Being gay, for many is a difficult lifestyle. To be gay, one has to be strong, stronger than our straight counterpoints realize.

Sean Penn won for best actor for playing the main character, Harvey Milk was the first openly gay politician. He spent his life fighting for change in the gay community. Sadly he was murdered just for living his life freely. Now there's a renewed interest in Mr. Harvey Milk's life.

We must never forget those who fought for change and equal rights in our LGBT communities. We must never forget the road traveled. "Milk", the movie is a "must see", a wonderful piece of work.

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It just amazes me, the many Madame's, Pimps always promise to keep this information private, but for 15 minutes of fame, the discretion goes right out of the window. Perhaps contracts should be signed and if broken….but in order to press charges one would also put the spot light on what's been hidden.

You read it here at GBMNews.com

You read it here at GBMNews.com