Showing posts with label LGBQT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LGBQT. Show all posts
Queer Filmmaker Nicole Conn Delivers COMING OUT FOR LOVE First U.S. Dating Competition Show For Queer Women
Nicole Conn Launches 'Nicole Conn Films Global (Ncfg)' A Global Destination Hub Dedicated To Showcasing Content For, By And About … Queer Women
Award-winning filmmaker Nicole Conn is announcing the launch of NICOLE CONN FILMS GLOBAL (NCFG), the first ever global destination hub for all-things queer women media content.
Kicking off on June NCFG’s mission is to provide a digital space where artists, creators and financial investors can come together to create, network and build partnerships to develop new entertainment projects.
Keeping women’s cinema alive, Nicole Conn Films Global is an international group dedicated to the funding and supporting of women’s narrative features as well as other queer content; documentaries, webisodes, etc. in the 21st Century.While Hollywood has successfully released more queer-centric films the lack of women/lesbian representation is still a problem. NCFG is committed to producing quality and entertaining Feature Films, Documentaries and TV/Web Series made By, For & About Women and their complex lives.
Through its unique funding model, NCGF aims to keep Women’s Lesbian Cinema alive and thriving, always building its library as well as inviting Membership Artists to be involved with films, specialized event & funding screenings or exhibitions.
“NCFG’s concept is about rallying leaders in our LGBTQ+ entertainment community to work and collaborate together, “says Nicole Conn.
The philosophy behind the unique Hybrid Funding model is about affordability. It’s designed so that queer women can look at their own particular circumstances and contribute something that is completely painless for them financially while also generating the opportunity to be involved in a real way that contributes to their own artistic dreams and visions.
Women from all over the globe will be able to submit their own scripts or other lesbian content so that NCFG can help pool resources as well as set up and connect projects to the right producing entities. There are only 3 criteria that must be met: 1) It’s made By, For & About Queer Women; 2) It’s quality & entertaining; and 3) It has not been seen before.
Further, we are looking for diversity. “Same Rights. Same Fight. NCGF is determined to support all marginalized groups that suffer from inequality, prejudice, and discrimination, and to raise and amplify all the colorful and diverse voices that make up our LGBTQ+ community. NCGF stands in solidarity with all who seek racial equality and justice, affirming that All Black Lives Matter.”
Putting passion into action, CONN is proud to be an active community collaborator teaming up with some of the top LGBTQ players in Arts & Entertainment including OML, Tello Films, LesFlicks, Outtake Voices, Sallyanne Monti and Nicole’s Creative Producing Partner, Lissa Forehan, to name a few.
These groundbreaking pioneers in the LGBTQ entertainment industry are dedicated to advancing professional achievement for lesbians working in all areas of film, video, and other screen-based media to help promote and raise queer women visibility in films/TV & on the web, whether in front and/or behind the camera.
“At OML collaboration has always been in our DNA,” comments Shirin Papillon – Owner/Founder OneMoreLesbian.com “We pride ourselves on having turned the majority of our competitors into collaborators and partners. We believe this is the spirit of Nicole Conn Films Global – that we; filmmakers, content creators, curators, distributors, publishers, etc., will be stronger together.”
Nicole Conn has been an inspiration and an example for all filmmakers to follow your passion and tell your stories. Her films were the entre for most of the community who was so hungry for films when there were few and far between. We are so excited to combine forces to grow this genre!” says Christin Baker, TELLO FILMS, whom Nicole Conn Films is teaming up with to co-produce “The Lesbian Dating Show.”
A pioneering filmmaker and an iconic figure in the LGBTQ community, Nicole Conn is known not only for having paved the way for lesbian-themed cinema with her cult classic, “Claire of the Moon” but for her acclaimed features “Elena Undone” (which boasts the longest screen kiss in cinema history), “A Perfect Ending,” and “little man”, but also for opening the door for queer female filmmakers.
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FORBES: Filmmaker Nicole Conn On Promoting Her New Film And Caring For A Child With Special Needs During COVID-19
Acclaimed filmmaker Nicole Conn has dedicated her career to increasing lesbian visibility in film. With her cult classic, Claire of the Moon, and films like Elena Undone and A Perfect Ending, she has racked up dozens of awards and built quite a following.
Right now, Conn is currently navigating the virtual promotion of her newest film while simultaneously prioritizing the safety of her son, Nicholas, who has special needs. Nicholas was born extremely premature, and his severe chronic lung disease makes him enormously susceptible to COVID-19.
“He cannot be exposed to this,” says Conn. As such, Nicholas’ 24/7 nursing rotation has been reduced from the usual seven nurses to only two who see no other patients. “We’re on a tight protocol around him,” Conn says. “He cannot be around anyone but me, my daughter, and these nurses.”
Despite these challenges, Conn also continues to promote her new film honoring Nicholas. More Beautiful For Having Been Broken, released in April, is the story of a woman who escapes from her problems to a small town, where she bonds with Freddie, a boy with special needs, and his mother. Freddie has a rare disease called Fanconi Anemia and is based on Nicholas.“The representation of kids with special needs, or even adults with special needs, is so grim in the industry,” Conn says. “I really wanted to share who my son is with people. Because I, like many other moms, sit in elevators where people are averting their eyes…Our children are so exceptional and wonderful. I don’t want them to be a secret anymore.”
Conn hopes the film communicates the beauty her son brings to her life.
“Nicholas has always completely blown me away with just who he is in the world,” Conn says. “I know it sounds beyond corny, but he has always been my greatest teacher. He’s got mindfulness down. You cannot be around him and not just sort of absorb his universe.”
More Beautiful For Having Been Broken, she says, should help viewers understand that they needn’t pity parents of kids with special needs. “I don’t want people to feel sorry for us. I want them to realize we have something really special in our lives. That’s what I really want the film to say. That, and don’t make our kids invisible.”
Conn is grateful that the film made its way through the festival circuit before lockdowns began, but now, she is also thankful to have time to connect with fans.“By having all this extra time, I’ve been able to communicate with people from all over the world,” she says. “It’s been sort of a blessing.”
On May 8, there will even be an interactive livestream event that includes a viewing of the film as well as a live Q+A with the Conn and the cast.
Of course, More Beautiful For Having Been Broken also features a lesbian love story, but Conn is proud that sexuality is not at all a focal point. “Today we’re at a place in our filmography where we can basically not discuss lesbianism, but just show our lives,” Conn says. “I just feel like we’ve done the coming out story. We’ve really, really examined that.”
And yet, Conn says it is still far too difficult to find lesbian films. “It’s just excruciating,” she says. “Unless the movie is studio made, like Carol, it’s almost impossible.”
As such, in addition to working on another film of her own, Conn’s current focus is on Nicole Conn Films Global, an international group that will fund and promote lesbian filmmakers in all genres.
“We just want our library to be full fledged,” she says. “There is more than enough room for all of us. Women think there is only room for one lesbian writer, one lesbian director, one lesbian show runner, and that’s just not the case.”
Conn is hopeful that she can help lesbian and other LGBTQ+ films become more mainstream. More Beautiful For Having Been Broken, in fact, was picked up for worldwide distribution through a partnership with Vision Films and Wolfe Video.
Conn hopes the film’s success will help bring more awareness to the need for special needs representation in film. So far, she says, its reception has been “pretty unanimously wonderful.”
Nicole Conn and Lissa Forehan's "More Beautiful For Having Been Broken" will be available for streaming Friday, May 8th.
There will also be a worldwide watch party premiere on cya.live at 11:00am (PST) on May 8th.
A broken FBI agent, suspended from her job and struggling with the loss of her mother, travels to the small mountain town she used to visit as a child. She is befriended by a special needs boy who possesses the extraordinary gift of healing others through his unbroken spirit and unique outlook on life. Though she is hurting, she begins to see through his eyes as the puzzle pieces fall into place.
Streaming available at: https://bit.ly/3eFyUK9
Nicole Conn's More Beautiful for Having Been Broken Screens at World Wide Women's Film Festival February 8th!
2/8 Sat - Start Time: 8:00 PM
Feature - Film BlockTheatre #5
(Film screening order is subject to change)
ANNOUNCING THE WORLD PREMIERE OF “More Beautiful for Having been Broken” — Frameline Int’l Film Festival San Francisco – The Castro, June 30th at 11:00 am.
Check out the “Sneak Peek” (Not a trailer) on OML (OneMoreLesbian.com). They have graciously posted “More Beautiful for Having Been Broken” which is specifically targeting the LGBTQ universe.
Please hit the YouTube link, GIVE IT A THUMBS UP!! and watch long enough for it to count as a view.
Written and Directed by the iconic filmmaker, Nicole Conn (Claire of the Moon, Elena Undone and A Perfect Ending)
Starring Zoe Ventoura, Kayla Radomski, Cale Ferrin, Bruce Davison, French Stewart, Brooke Elliott and Gaby Christian – More Beautiful is the story of three women, whose lives intersect at a lakeside resort and are forever changed by the love of a special needs boy. www.morebeautifulmovie.com
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