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New York, NY – May 21, 2018 – Sundance Now, AMC Networks’ premium streaming service, celebrates Pride Month with the June 7th premiere of five original LGBTQ-themed documentaries. The exclusive collection, curated as part of the service’s Take 5 franchise and entitled, “TAKE 5: Beyond the Parades” explores timely stories of personal identity, transformation and acceptance, as well as critical looks at social movements and injustices worldwide.
“TAKE 5: Beyond the Parades” includes On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani & Popi, executive produced by Howie Mandel and Barry Avrich; Becoming More Visible from director Pamela French; Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia, narrated by Matt Bomer; Faith and Gay Fear commissioned by BBC; and Seed Monday: The Chuck Holmes Story, directed by Michael Stabile.
“Sundance Now has curated a powerful, topical and entertaining collection in ‘TAKE 5: Beyond the Parades.’ These documentaries present five diverse stories from both new and seasoned filmmakers, exploring the LGBTQ experience,” said Jan Diedrichsen, General Manager, SundanceTV and Sundance Now. “From the heartwarming to the unbelievable, the inspiring to the challenging, each piece strikes a chord by providing captivating stories of people searching for truth, love and equality.”
On My Way Out: The Secret Life of Nani & Popi (2017)
Awards & Recognition: Official Selection of TIFF 2017, SXSW 2018, Human Rights Watch Festival 2018
Synopsis: Brandon and Skylar Gross, grandchildren to Roman (Popi) and Ruth (Nani) Blank, capture the remarkable love story of their grandparents while casting a light on the power and complexity of love, marriage and deeply held family secrets. Roman and Ruth, both 95, survived the concentration camps of Nazi Germany to marry, raise a family and live happy successful lives in America. After 65 years of marriage, Roman reveals he is gay and he is ready to step out into the world as his true self. The family movingly embraces their gay patriarch – even match-making for him – while trying to protect Ruth, who is fading with dementia. Ultimately, On My Way Out reveals the intensity of what could have been, the freedom of his truth and the undying love of a couple who’ve stood the test of time together.
Directed by: Brandon Gross and Skylar Gross
Executive Producer: Howie Mandel and Barry Avrich
Becoming More Visible (2016)
Awards & Recognition: Official Selection DOC NYC 2016, Portland Film Festival 2016,
Synopsis: While recent years have seen a remarkable increase in transgender visibility, the path to acceptance and self-acceptance is not always smooth. Becoming More Visible turns the spotlight on four diverse young transgender New Yorkers as they contend with family expectations and defy societal norms to become their true selves.
Director: Pamela French
Cold Fear: Gay Life in Russia (2014)
Also known as Hunted: The War Against Gays in Russia
Awards & Recognition: Winner of the Grierson Award (2015), Rory Peck Sony Impact Award (2015) and Foreign Press Association Award (2015); Nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism- Long Form (2015)
Synopsis: Cold Fear Gay Life in Russia is a brutally honest and powerful documentary that travels to the dark heart of Russia and exposes the reality of gay life in a country where homosexuality is considered a choice and a direct attack on family values. The film gives ordinary Russians a voice as it exposes a world of widespread repression and extreme violence.
Director: Ben Steele
Cast: Narrated by Matt Bomer
Faith and Gay Fear (2014)
Synopsis: Faith and Gay Fear follows the investigation of the groups and individuals around the world coordinating the anti-gay agenda. The investigation crosses continents as it tracks the money, political campaigns and secret meetings to piece together the network. From the anti-gay agenda spreading across Europe from Russia to the extreme homophobia in Africa sponsored by western evangelists and right-wing Christians, Faith and Gay Fear reveals a campaign of fear and discrimination not originating from rogue extremists, but an organized movement with shared funding and a trail that ends in the United States.
Director: Steven Grandison
Seed Monday (2015)
Also Known as Seed Money The Legend behind Falcon Studios
Awards & Recognition: Nominated for best documentary at the Cleveland International Film Festival and for best documentary at the FilmOut Audience Awards (San Diego)
Synopsis: Seed Money spotlights the story of Chuck Holmes, a San Francisco pornographer-turned-philanthropist, who founded the legendary Falcon Studios. Holmes helped shape and create gay identity in the years after Stonewall, and later became a major contributor to gay advocacy groups like the Human Rights Campaign and the LGBT Victory Fund, only to find later in life that while his money was welcome in philanthropic circles, he sometimes was not.
Director: Michael Stabile
Cast: Chuck Holmes, John Waters, Jeff Stryker, Tom Chase, Jim Bentley, Steven Scarborough, John Travis
About Sundance Now
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