Behind The Scenes OUT LOUD: How a Fake Photo Archive Helped Make The Watermelon Woman a Queer Cinema Classic 🌈🎬

Did you know The Watermelon Woman made history as the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian? Not only did Cheryl Dunye break boundaries, she also collaborated with artist Zoe Leonard to create a fictional archive that is now part of museum collections worldwide! 🤯

Dunye’s character in The Watermelon Woman embarks on a quest to uncover the story of a black silent film actress credited only as “the watermelon woman.” Having conducted actual archival research in preparation for the film, Dunye knew that securing the rights to use archival images from the time period would be too expensive. Instead, she partnered with photographer Zoe Leonard to create their own archive to be used within the film.

Based around the fictional character of Fae Richards, a queer black actress known for playing “mammie” characters in 30’s and 40’s Hollywood, Dunye and Leonard created an entire collection of imagined photos, letters, and stories to be discovered in the film. But instead of just using them, they also had the great idea of auctioning off some of the photos as a fundraiser for the film itself.

Join us on Saturday, October 19 at 3 PM to watch this groundbreaking film and stay for an insightful panel at 5 PM.

(1997, USA, 1h15m, NR)

This Saturday, October 19 @ 3:00pm you’re invited to see how The Watermelon Woman made LGBTQ history.

🔗 Link in bio to reserve your seats

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Behind The Scenes OUT LOUD: How Tongues Untied became central in the fight over federal funding for the arts, leaving a lasting impact on how LGBTQ+ art is viewed and funded. 🌈🎬

Marlon Riggs completed Tongues Untied in 1989 while teaching at UC Berkeley. The film, a beautiful experimental blend of documentary, poetry, and essay received wide acclaim throughout its festival run. When PBS’s P.O.V. series picked it up for national broadcast in 1991, however, the film suddenly found itself at the center of scathing attacks.

Riggs had received a $5,000 grant from the Western Arts Regional Arts Fund – a regranting of funds awarded by the National Endowment for the Arts – for the development of Tongues Untied and this, along with the planned broadcast on public television, stirred great outrage amongst outspoken critics for its uncompromising depiction of gay black men. Bowing to public pressure, 98 PBS stations nationwide decided to not broadcast the film while others shifted the time slot in which it was presented.

In a forceful piece in Current, Riggs responded to the criticism noting that “The vice squad of American culture was once again on the attack… [targeting] my experimental documentary, Tongues Untied, which unabashedly celebrates the struggles, lives and loves of black gay men in America.”

Join us as we bring this classic back to the big screen during Out Loud, October 18 and 19 at the Parkway.

This Friday, October 18 @ 6:30pm you’re invited to see how Tongues Untied made LGBTQ history.

🔗 Link in bio to reserve your seats

#OutLoud #TonguesUntied #MarlonRiggs #QueerCinema #BlackPride #LGBTQFilms #Pride #QueerHistory #Filmmakers #BaltimoreFilm #BaltimoreEvents #BaltimoreCreatives #BaltimoreArts #ParkwayTheatre #SNFParkway #StationNorth #BehindTheScenes ...